Course Overview

Introduction

  * Basic Overview of Course -Topics Covered

  * Music Styles – I remember when it was just “Techno”

  * Demonstration of Track Building – Starting is Easy!

  * Let the Games Begin!

Tools and Gear – Setting up The Lab

  * Use What You’ve Got

  * Synths, samplers, keyboards,

  * Workstations, ROMplers, PCM Based Synths, Analog Synths,

  * Software Synths, Beat Boxes, Step Sequencers, Hardware/software

  sequencers, MIDI & Audio Sequencing, effects processors, plugins

  * Computers, specs, Mac/PC, Hardware, sound cards, converters

Basic Music Theory

  * A Brief History

  * The Power of 4

  * What is Harmony?

  * Keyboards are your friends

Laying the Foundation – Gather the Elements

  * Beats - Kick, snare, clap, hi-hats, stabs, percussion, loops, chop it, slice it, dice it

  * Bass, Bass, & more BASS - Line, sub, find the groove, tech, funk, filter

  * Chords – Stabs, pads, hits, swells, basic harmony, set the mood

  * Melody / Lead Voice – lead line, bass line, point – counterpoint, harmony revisited

  * Atmospheres, pads, random noise, random synth, filters, textures, more samples

  * Vocals – Melody, hooks, lyrics, samples, spoken words, robo-voice, vocoder

The Arrangement – Give Form Structure

  * Intro – from small beginnings come great things!

  * Track-In and DJ cue points – get your mix mixed!

  * Drop the Bass!

  * Layer the Cake

  * The Build Up

  * The Break Down

  * Drop The Bomb – the climax

  * Refresh – make it new again

  * Let it Ride

  * The Homestretch – drop clues

  * A Clean Finish

Mixing – The Proof is in the Pudding

  * Levels – Get it right

  * EQ – Highs, Lows, Mids and Everything in Between – Hz and which hurt?

  * Compressing & Limiting – Make it Pump, rock it, don’t squash it

  * Effects – Delay, Reverb, Chorus/Flange, Phaser, Panning, Gating, Filtering

  * Special Effects – advanced tricks and ear candy

  * Automation – Look Ma… No Hands!!!

  * Strip it Down – Less is More

  * The Perfect Mix – no such thing, but we can try!

  * The Test Press – The Peoples DO KNOW!

Mastering – The Final Stage

  * Formats – CD, Vinyl

  * Know your target audience

  * Levels – To Compress or Not To Compress?

  * EQ – The Great Equalizer

  * Analog or Digital – Tube it up

  * Does it Stand Up? – Test it

Final Words

  * What Lies Ahead?

  * The Sky is the Limit!!!

  * Release Yourself!!!

  * We're here to help.