Lesson 1Headphone monitoring and talkback: cue mix routing, independent mixes, bleed control, headphone amp setupsSet up dependable headphone monitoring and talkback systems to keep performers relaxed and in sync. You will create cue mixes, control bleed, set up headphone amps, and ensure smooth communication from the control room to the recording floor.
Creating main and individual cue mixesLatency considerations for monitoringControlling click and guide bleedHeadphone amp distribution optionsTalkback routing and dim functionsProtecting hearing and safe levelsLesson 2Acoustic treatment specifics: absorption, diffusion, bass traps placement and materialsImplement precise acoustic treatments for accurate monitoring and controlled recordings. You will position absorption panels, diffusers, and bass traps, select suitable materials, and strike a balance between deadening and liveliness across various studio areas.
Early reflection control at mix positionBroadband absorption panel placementBass trap locations and designsChoosing safe, effective materialsUsing diffusion for spaciousnessTreating vocal and drum areasLesson 3Cabling, gain staging, and patching: channel labeling, phantom power rules, grounding and hum troubleshootingCreate a neat, noise-free signal path from microphone to recorder. You will label channels properly, use phantom power safely, handle balanced cables, and fix hum, buzz, and ground loops with systematic patching techniques.
Balanced versus unbalanced connectionsChannel labeling and documentationSafe phantom power proceduresNormalled and half-normalled patchbaysDiagnosing hum and ground loopsSignal flow checks and test tonesLesson 4Preamp and DI choices: impedance, gain staging, color vs clean preamps, DI box types and groundingGrasp how preamps and DI boxes influence tone, noise, and headroom. You will handle impedance matching, gain staging, and choices between coloured or clean preamps, plus select DI types and grounding for quiet, dependable performance.
Mic preamp topology and headroomInput impedance and mic interactionClean versus colored preamp choicesActive versus passive DI selectionGround lift and hum reductionGain staging into convertersLesson 5Mic placement techniques: close miking, XY/ORTF, spaced pairs, mid-side, distance choices and phase-check proceduresMaster repeatable microphone placement for mono and stereo recording. You will practise close miking, XY, ORTF, spaced pairs, and mid-side techniques, managing distances, phase alignment, and time-of-arrival variations.
Close miking for isolation and punchXY and ORTF stereo techniquesSpaced pair setups and spacing rulesMid-side configuration and decodingPhase alignment and polarity checksUsing measurement tools for phaseLesson 6Microphone fundamentals: polar patterns, transient response, proximity effect, off-axis behaviorUnderstand how microphone design affects polar patterns, frequency response, and transients. You will compare cardioid types, proximity effects, and off-axis responses to pick the best mic for every recording job.
Dynamic, condenser, and ribbon basicsCardioid, omni, and figure-8 behaviorSupercardioid and hypercardioid use casesTransient response and diaphragm sizeManaging proximity effect on vocalsOff-axis coloration and rejectionLesson 7Microphone selection for sources: recommended types for kick, snare, toms, overheads, guitar amps, bass DI/amp, lead and backing vocalsFind out which mics work best on typical studio sources and why. You will pair mic types and patterns with kick, snare, toms, overheads, guitar amps, bass DI or amp, and various vocal styles for reliable tones.
Kick drum: dynamic and boundary optionsSnare top and bottom mic choicesTom mics and bleed considerationsOverheads: condensers and ribbonsGuitar amp close and room micsLead and backing vocal mic selectionLesson 8Isolation and layout: drum booth, amp iso rooms, gobos, and operator sightlinesDesign studio layouts balancing isolation and communication. Use booths, iso rooms, gobos, and sightlines to reduce bleed while keeping performers at ease and connected to the control room.
Drum booth design and trade-offsAmp iso rooms and re-ampingUsing gobos for flexible isolationManaging line-of-sight and windowsBalancing bleed versus feelCable runs and safety pathwaysLesson 9Recording room selection: dimensions, RT60 targets, room modes and modal treatment strategiesLearn how room dimensions, shape, and build impact frequency balance, decay, and imaging. Set RT60 goals, predict room modes, and use practical treatments for controlled, musical spaces.
Evaluating room dimensions and proportionsSetting genre-appropriate RT60 targetsIdentifying axial, tangential, and oblique modesUsing software to predict room resonancesBass trapping for modal controlPositioning speakers and listening spot
