UNIT DESCRIPTION
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.0 ABOUT THIS COURSE What the course is and what it isn't. About the course, signup, forum, and time.
1.0 COURSE REQUIREMENTS What will help you benefit from the course.
1.0 "TIPS & OPINIONS" My original "tips" page was more of a spewing of opinions.
01-SOUND & TECHNOLOGY:
1.0 Sound Soundwaves, Frequency, Wavelength, Transducers, Phase, Polarity.
1.0 History / How sync changed it all A few words on history and quite a bit on sync and overdubs
1.0 Dynamics It's all about change!
1.0 Analog / Digital Basic differences and a little about both.
1.1 A Digital World / Good Side Digital is awesome!
1.3 A Digital World / Bad Side A juicy and controversial rant against Digital (with an important REPLY)
02-RECORDING:
Recording Studios Controlled acoustics.
1.0 Monitors The importance of knowing your monitors.
1.0 Headphones Cues, etc.
Audio Electronics How things work, tubes > chips, ground hums, etc. (guest lecture by maintenance guru).
1.0 Signal Flow Signal flow and sound purity (less is more).
Consoles What they are and how they work. Channels, sends, inserts, talkback, etc.
The Engineer You.
1.0 Microphones 1 Types, Polar Patterns, Stereo, M/S
Gain Structure Avoiding unintentional distortion, leaving room for surprises.
Room Mics When and how to use/lose/tune your room.
Recording Capturing the performance.
The Tape Machine Storing sound.
Keeping it Pure 2 Simple recording paths are better…sometimes.
Microphones 2 Placement. Avoiding Feedback.
1.0 Recording Drums Drums and Microphones.
1.0 VIDEO / Drum Microphones Drum mic choice and placement
1.0 VIDEO / Kick Mic Approaches Open (single) head kicks vs. Closed (double) head kicks.
1.0 VIDEO / Kick Mic Placement 1 Open head kick mic placement - specific examples CAMERA MIC
1.0 VIDEO / Kick Mic Placement 2 Open head kick mic placement - specific examples ACTUAL KICK MIC
1.0 VIDEO / Kick Mic EQ Now that we have the kick mic, let's EQ it!
1.0 Reording. Ac. Bass Micing, Pickups's, Compression.
1.0 Recording Elec. Bass Micing, Direct, Compression, Bootsie.
Recording Ac. Guitar Micing, Stereo, etc.
1.0 Recording Elec. Guitar Micing, Stereo, etc
1.0 Recording Piano Micing, Multiple mics, Isolation,
Recording Organ & Rhodes Micing, Distance, Stereo.
Recording Horns & Winds Micing.
Recording Percussion Micing (Conga > Belltrees and beyond).
Recording Vocals Micing, Compression, Manual Rides to Tape.
Recording Backing Vocals Micing, Compression, How to work FAST.
Recording Anything Else Searching for the right placement and microphone (notice the order!)
Intimate Recording Capturing quiet.
Rec. MIDI MIDI.
Software Computer Software.
Basic Tracking Recording the song.
Overdubs Refine and add more parts.
Punching In/Out Fixing parts by recording over them while the artist performs again.
Trench Work Flying, moving, pitching, and not telling anyone…
Running a Session How to keep everyone happy and get good results from a session.
Ruining a Session How to make sure that nobody ever wants to hire you again.
03-GUERILLA RECORDING:
1.0 GR Basics Welcome to the Jungle - making more with less.
1.0 GR Tools Tools o' the trade.
1.0 GR Studio Setups How to get up & running when you're down & out.
1.0 GR Recording Basic Tracks Guerilla Recording as easy as 1-2-8
1.0 GR Overdubbing Expensive overdubs without the price.
04-PROCESSING:
Pure vs Not When to leave it alone and when to change it.
Distortion Too much of a bad thing can be a good thing.
Compression Bringing up the quiet parts and pushing down the loud parts.
Limiting Cutting off dynamics past a certain point (think of a basketball team standing in a child's playhouse).
Gating Gating for noise reduction, Gating for effect
Expanding Gentle gates.
Keyed Effects / De-essing Triggering effects from other sources, even EQed sidechains of the same source.
Delay Delay, Echo, Matching tempo, etc.
Phase Shifting Small Delay with a wiggle.
Chorus Small Delay with another wiggle.
Flanging Small Delay with wiggle that feeds back.
Reverb Chambers, Plates, Tap Delays, Digital Reverbs, IR.
Envelope Effects Adding funk.
Aural Exciter & BBE More hair or more air?
Guitar Boxes They rock in more ways than one.
Automated Effects Dynamic Effects.
05-MIXING:
1.0 Why Mix? Can't I just let the tracks play the arrangement?
1.0 How I Mix The process I often find myself following while mixing.
1.0 AB to CD Comparing to other work.
1.0 Band Dynamics Everyone gives and takes.
1.0 Individual Dynamics Volume, Tone, Intimacy…it all changes.
1.0 The Song Do you really understand exactly WHAT are you mixing?
1.0 Instrument Roles What instruments tend to perform what functions, and why they don’t have to.
1.0 Passing the Ball Intro, Melody Lines, Vocals, Solos, Catchy Hooks…and if people catch and carry the ball themselves after the song ends.
Stereo and Beyond Mono, Stereo, Eno's 3-speaker setup, Quad, Dolby Surround, 5.1, 8.1 and beyond (and mixing for each).
Getting Sounds What should each instrument sound like?
Midrange 1 Be careful.  Expect and allow change.
1.0 Creating a Mood Does the song need "mood lighting"? What if the tracks are in a bad mood?
Using Delays Echo parts, make rhythms, etc….ET Thorngren.
Reverb Creating and using spaces without making mud.
Silence A very effective tool when working with sound.
Stereo Compression Smooshing the whole thing together.
Vocal Sounds Clear, round, big, intimate, raging, sibilance, pops, doubling, etc.
Vocal Placement Where and how loud?
Dynamic Rides I keep telling you, change is good!
Puzzle Pieces Fitting things together.
1.0 VIDEO / Kick Mic EQ This page is in the Recording section, but what is listed also applies to MIXING.
Mixing Drums Too much to list here.
Mixing Bass Too much to list here.
Mixing Guitars Too much to list here.
Mixing Piano and Keyboards Too much to list here.
Mixing Orchestras Too much to list here, but the word "dynamics" is used more than once.
Stereo Placement & Width How to use BOTH speakers instead of just making things twice as loud.
Dense Mixes When there's just too much stuff.
Psychoacoustics Hearing, direction, and imagination.
Automation Capturing YOUR dynamics so you only have to do it once.
The Fade More than just the end of the song.
Is it FINISHED? When to know when it's done (or when to put it aside for the time being).
Clarity Hearing everything.
What sound is right? How expensive should your mix sound?  Aiming for specific sounds.
Remixing Alternate versions and different directions (from a different mix pass to a whole new production).
Changing & Replacing Parts When what there is just isn't what you need for what you want to do.
Console vs Computer Mixing out of a computer.
GR Mixing / CPU Guerilla Mixing / How to get the most plug-in power from a limited computer system.
1.0 VIDEO / The first 10 minutes The First 10 minutes of mixing for Ro Tierney
06-MIX DECONSTRUCTION:
01 Cindy Mack
1.0 A. VIDEO / Introduction Introduction to DEconstruction
1.0 B. VIDEO / Mixing in Logic Welcome to Logic!
1.0 C. VIDEO / Why Ride? WHY I spend so much time on dynamic rides.
1.0 D. VIDEO / Guitar Solo Automated volume, pan, reverb and delay.
E. Bass Bass EQ and Multi-Compression
1.0 F. VIDEO / Lead Vocal Pt 1 Lead Vocal EQ and *DYNAMIC RIDING*
G. Lead Vocal Pt 2 Using reverb and delay to create a vocal space
Complete ProTools LE mix A complete mix demo, using only stock ProTools LE. * COMING SOON *
07-MASTERING:
What is Mastering? Isn't it done already?
Loud vs Dynamic Should your song be as loud as the radio commercial if you lose intimacy?
Master while Mixing? Can this be done while mixing instead of being a separate process?
08-POST & OTHER WORK:
Editing Chopping up songs (or parts) for timing, performance, etc.
Foley Making sound effects.
Film Mixing Mixing dialog, sound effects, music, (etc) to picture.
Jingles The world of advertising.
Voiceovers Just the voice.
Forensic Audio Just the facts.
Live Mixing Making bands sound great live, working with the room, feedback, rides and effects, etc.
09-OUTPUT:
What format? 1/2" or MP3?
Special versions? Making variations (different mixes, mono versions, etc).
CD & Web output Understand how people will hear your mix.
Redbook and Codes CD tech.
10-FOR MUSICIANS:
Mic Technique for Singers Don't just compress your voice! (I will recruit help for this).
Making Beats Simple tutorials for getting a beat together.
Guest Lectures Guest lectures from friends and peers.
11-PRODUCING 101:
The Artist So…what makes YOU so special?
The Song Finding the right song for your artist.
Arranging More than just parts.
PreProduction Getting ready so you do not waste time, money and creativity during the actual sessions.
Producing Music Getting the most out of the musicians while they are in the studio.
Tight Tracks Pull out the microscope and lets fix what we find.
Producing Vocal Sessions Getting the most out of a singer in the studio.
Comping Vocals & Instruments Combining the best from different performances into a single track.
Production Teams Getting the right people to help.
Capturing the Demo Why so many demos feel better than the "real" version.
Roadblocks Things that can slow down (or even stop) a project and how to (try to) minimize their chance of happening.
Guest Lectures Guest lectures from friends and peers.
12-BUSINESS:
Clients People that pay you to do what you love.
Client Involvement Should they tell you what to do or leave you alone?
Musicians in the Studio Keeping them happy and avoiding problems.
Getting paid Billing
Management Getting someone else to deal with the business.
Marketing Selling yourself.
Making lots of money (this space for rent)
The course curriculum is constantly being updated to reflect new unit postings and even unit updates. Finished units will be indicated by a green bar and an update number.