Lesson 1Headphone monitoring and talkback: cue mix routing, independent mixes, bleed control, headphone amp setupsSet up solid headphone monitoring and talkback systems to keep performers relaxed and on beat. You'll design cue mixes, handle bleed, set up headphone amps, and ensure clear chats from the control room to the studio floor for smooth sessions.
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 materialsApply focused acoustic treatments for precise monitoring and controlled recording. You'll position absorption panels, diffusers, and bass traps, select materials, and balance dead spaces with lively areas for various studio zones in local setups.
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 troubleshootingBuild a neat, noise-free signal path from microphone to recorder. You'll label channels, use phantom power safely, handle balanced cables, and fix hum, buzz, and ground loops with systematic patching for reliable Zambian studio work.
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 groundingLearn how preamps and DI boxes affect tone, noise, and headroom. You'll manage impedance, gain staging, and choose between colored or clean preamps, plus select DI types and grounding for quiet, dependable operation in productions.
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'll practice close miking, XY, ORTF, spaced pairs, and mid-side techniques, managing distances, phase alignment, and timing differences for clear captures.
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 behaviorDiscover how microphone designs influence polar patterns, frequency response, and transient handling. You'll compare cardioid types, proximity effects, and off-axis sounds to pick the best mic for each recording job in Zambian studios.
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 microphones work best on common studio sources and why. You'll match mic types and patterns to kick drums, snares, toms, overheads, guitar amps, bass DI or amps, and vocal styles for consistent, repeatable sounds.
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 sightlinesPlan studio layouts that balance isolation with easy communication. You'll use booths, iso rooms, gobos, and sightline plans to control bleed while keeping performers comfy and connected to the control room visually.
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 strategiesUnderstand how room size, shape, and build affect frequency balance, decay time, and imaging. You'll set RT60 goals, predict room modes, and use practical treatments for controlled, musical spaces in Zambian venues.
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
