Class Curriculum
Session 1
Hardware & Software installation
- Recommended computer models & system software
- Types of Digidesign and M-Audio interfaces
- How to install Pro Tools® software
- How to configure Audio MIDI Setup in Mac OSX
- Integrating an external hard drive for recording
- Setting up your audio playback system
- Monitor choice and placement
- Listening to some completed music projects in PT session format
- Students offer their original PT sessions to work with
Session setup & configuration
- Deciding on recording parameters
- Setting tempo - Creating a click track
- Types of tracks available in Pro Tools®
- Making new tracks & getting ready to record
- Playing back your recording
- Basic editing - Basic mixing
- Making Templates
Session 2
Recording Acoustic instruments
- Microphone types & applications
- Mic placement and settings
- Recording:
- Acoustic guitars
- Electric guitars & basses
- Stringed instruments & ensembles
- Drums & percussion
- Vocals & backups
- Tips for working with singers
- Setting up for multiple takes
- "Comping" a perfect take
- Some simple editing techniques
Recording MIDI instruments
- MIDI interfaces & configuration
- Setting up your computer for MIDI
- Using a MIDI controller
- External keyboards, sound modules & drum machines
- Understanding synchronization
- Using virtual instruments
- Rendering MIDI instruments to audio tracks
- Demos of third-party virtual instruments
Sessions 3 and 4
Editing & Recording techniques
- The Edit window
- Learning basic key commands
- The four modes of audio editing
- Viewing your session in grid or time modes
- Learning to use the proper zoom view
- The audio editing toolbar
- Recognizing waveforms
- Setting and naming markers & memory locations
- Creating and copying regions
- Changing keys & tempo
- Processing audio offline using Audiosuite plug-ins
- Time compression & expansion
- Editing tricks for instruments & vocals
- How to find it if you lose it
- MIDI editing:
- Quantization
- Notes & Regions
- Volume
- Expression
- Velocity
- Controllers
Sessions 5 and 6
Mixing techniques
- The Mixing window
- Setting up your virtual mixer:
- Creating auxiliary & Master channels
- Assigning plug-ins to tracks
- Using bus sends for effects & monitoring - Setting nominal levels
- What are we going for?
- Improving critical listening skills
- Using common musical sense - or not
- If you can't describe it, you can't have it
- Identifying frequencies
- Emphasizing what you don't want
- Modern music and common mix protocols
- Integrating an external mixer
- Choosing plug-ins & when (or not) to use them
- Equalizers - compressors - reverb, delay & modulation
- Grouping & busing tracks
- Automating mixing & plug-in parameters - Editing automation
- Some thoughts on ear fatigue
- Listening critically at different distances and volume levels
- Remastering multiple song projects - maintaining consistency
- Checking your mixes on different playback systems
- Creating a finished mix & making mp3s or CDs
