The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Online Course

Module 1 of the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Course is our 'back to basics' module where we cover the essentials of Analog and Digital Audio.

We also cover soundproofing and acoustic treatment. In the Practical Assignment Project we will ask you to make a simple recording of speech. From this we will be able to help you understand what stage you are at in your journey to recording excellence.

Recording speech might sound simple, but in fact we rarely hear a recording that we can't suggest improvements to in some way. In some cases the improvement after just one Practical Assignment Project is huge.

In Module 2 we look at microphones and how to use them. Microphones come in a small number of basic types, and you have to know which type is best for the style of recording you are making.

Even more important is how to position the microphone. Pros call this Microphone Technique. Get this wrong and your recording is ruined - there's nothing you can do afterwards to put things right.

The Practical Assignment Project for this module will help you learn and understand how different microphones sound on a variety of sound sources.

The topic of Microphone Preamplifiers is pretty hot at the moment, so we cover it in intense detail in Module 3, with audio examples of many preamplifiers in common professional use.

Usually, the question you have to ask is do you want an accurate sound? Or do you want an improved and enhanced version of what the voice or instrument really sounds like?

The Practical Assignment Project here looks at stereo microphone techniques. It's quite tough and you will learn a lot from doing this one.

Sometimes, the instrument or voice you will be recording doesn't sound quite right for the song. It could be that the balance of frequencies isn't right - too much low, too little top, a problem in the midrange. Equalization can help. Module 4 will show you how to correct problems in frequency balance.

But equalization can also be used for creative purposes - to make sounds that are better than real life. We'll show you how to do this. We will also show you how equalization is used in the mix to give each instrument and voice its own 'frequency space' so your mix can be clear and powerful.

Compression is like 'magic fairy dust' that we can use to sprinkle on our recordings. The basic function of compression is to even out the louds and quiets in a recording.

But compression, when used properly as explained in Module 5, can add sparkle and texture to a track. You can use it on individual instruments or voices, or across the entire mix.

We'll show you how. In the Practical Assignment Project you will be asked to compress recordings ranging from solo vocal to full orchestra.

Recording Software is usually quite easy to start using. But it can also be incredibly complex with an enormous range of functions.

But there are certain techniques that pros use over and over again, as explained in Module 6. Once you have mastered these techniques - which are straightforward when you know how - you will be able to record good strong tracks, edit out any blemishes, improve the structure of your song, and bounce and mix with confidence.

You will find yourself flying around the most important commands and controls - whichever software you use. By the way, hardware recorders use many of the same principles, so you will be able to understand these too. The Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering Course is compatible with all professional-quality recording software and hardware.

In Module 7, Effects and Plug-ins, we look at all the wonderful software and hardware that can take ordinary and everyday sounds and turn them into impressive, ear-catching sonic textures.

Take reverberation for instance. There is hardly a recording released that doesn't feature artificial reverberation. Sometimes it's done to mimic a natural concert hall setting. Sometimes it's done just because it sounds good! We'll show you how to get the best from your reverb plug-ins. And we'll show you how to create artificial reverb without a reverb unit or plug-in! That's the Practical Assignment Project for this module, and you'll be amazed how good it sounds.

This module also covers phasing, flanging, chorusing, pitch change, aural enhancement and warmth generation.

Some bands can perform and record with just guitars, bass and drums. More often keyboard or software instruments are added to provide a greater range of musical textures.

It's easy to select preset programs and find the sound you want. But the danger is that you'll sound just like everyone else who has the same instrument.

Module 8, Synthesis and Sampling covers the two main areas of music technology that you can use to your advantage to stand out from the crowd.

The Practical Assignment Project in this module is all about creativity. We'll ask you to take your sonic imagination to places it has never been before! And we'll play you music and soundscapes created by other Audio Masterclass students that will blow you away.

Now that all of the components of your Music Production and Sound Engineering skills are in place, it's time to start making serious recordings.

Module 9, on Recording Techniques, covers all the skills you will use to record a rock band in the studio, or an orchestra, choir, jazz band - in fact just about any recording task you could ever be called upon to perform.

"What's the most difficult challenge in recording?" you could ask. Well the answer must be an outdoor marching band! We'll even give you strategies to handle that.

But seriously, one of the biggest challenges isn't technical - it's getting musicians to perform at their best in the studio. We'll give you strategies, hints and tips on how to become a master producer.

Mixing is an incredibly important part of the production process. In the early days of recording, all the instruments were recorded together so there was no mixing process. Now every instrument is recorded onto its own separate track, and mixing twenty, thirty or more tracks is always a real challenge.

In Module 10, we give you a complete professionally-produced multitrack recording to work with, by one of our Audio Masterclass Featured Artists. You will work with the individual tracks professionally recorded in the studio.

We will help you craft a mix that would sound great on radio, television, CD or download. When you can do that, you can take your experience and use it to make mixes of your own music that sound just as good.

Mastering is a hot topic at the moment. Mastering is where the finished mix is given one final 'polish'. It's your last chance to improve your mix before it is released to the listening public.

It used to be thought that mastering could only be done properly by specialist mastering engineers. It's true that there's a lot that can go wrong, and it is much easier to ruin a track in the mastering process than it is to improve it.

But in Module 11 we break down the mastering process into a series of separate tracks. We show you what you should be doing to get the best out of your recording, and how to avoid the many potential problems.

In the Practical Assignment Project for this module you will master a track using nothing more than the standard plug-ins that came with your digital audio workstation software. That's a real challenge and you will learn a lot.

You may want to learn about Music Production and Sound Engineering as a hobby. But it is more likely that you want to work professionally in music and recording, even if only in your spare time.

The trouble is that you are in competition with thousands of other people who want to do exactly the same!

In Module 12, Marketing Your Music and Recording Services we will show you what you need to do if you want to be a recording artist, producer, studio owner, or work in film and TV music. In fact, we cover just about every profession that would be of interest to the recording enthusiast.

In the Practical Assignment Project you will create your own 'showreel'. Every industry professional has a showreel that they use to demonstrate what they can do to potential clients. At the end of this module, you will have your own showreel that looks and feels like that of a top pro.

Now you can get out there and take your place in the PRO industry!