Music Production Beginners

This course is aimed at the entry level student who has never set foot in a recording studio before and has little or no experience making music on a PC or Mac. The course will teach you how to produce music in your preferred musical style. You will learn all about subjects such as creating basslines, making drum loops, song structures, soundcards, sampling, virtual instruments and studios as well as mixing techniques such as using compressors and gates.

This is a practical course that follows a hands on approach enabling the student to get involved in production process from day one which an essential ingredient of our beginners course. You will be encouraged to write and record your music throughout the duration of the course, you can work and record with other students or bring in your own musicians, vocalist and mc's to compose a completed and polished cd at the end of the course. We have excellent recording facilities which are totally free to use by students saving them £100's in studio time, which is another good reason to study with us.

Also included in the course is an introduction to the business side of music where you will learn about subjects such as copyright, royalties and publishing which will aid you when you start to release your music. If you are looking for a career in music industry you can use this course as part of our 6 month diploma and on completion you will be presented with the Music Everything Music Production Certificate level 1.

If you decide to enroll on a one to one course the structure and timetable is flexible where you are able to study during the daytime, evening and weekends. You can attend the course for two half days or one long day per week, it is also possible to accelerate and complete the course in just 2 weeks. Please contact the office and speak with an advisor for more details on how we can structure the course to suit your schedule.

This course is also particularly suitable for people who are thinking of purchasing a home studio or computer but have yet to decide what soundcard, keyboard or software would be the most suitable for their needs. Our tutors and advisors are able to offer informed and impartial advice that will help you choose the best combination of hardware and software to suit your budget.

Snapshot of what you will learn during the course

Signal flow
- learn about cables, connectors, patchbays and how virtual and hardware mixing desks works
Soundcards and MIDI
- understand how to optimize soundcards and integrate midi instruments and keyboards
Audio/sound editing
- learn to trim and edit loops, samples, vocals and how to create bootlegs
Sequencing
– using the functions and tools found in software production packages such as Cubase, Logic and Ableton
Sampling
– creating drum loops, sound/drum libraries and the creative use of filters and time stretching
Song structure
– learn to structure songs successfully by understanding tempo, beats, bars, verses and choruses
Song production
– tips and tricks on how to write drum parts, basslines, melodies and hooks
Recording techniques
– using Cubase, Logic and Pro Tools learn to record vocals and instruments such as bass guitars
Mixing
– understanding processors such as compressors, gates and parametric equalizers for mixing songs correctly
Effects
– creative use of plug in effects processors such as filters, reverb, phasers and delays to enhance final mixes
Mastering
– learn the basics of mastering to fine tune your mixes and then produce a final cd master
Music business
– the basics of how to release your music including copyright, royalties and publishing

February 10th - April 14th

How long does the course last? for one to one courses the timetable is determined by the student where he/she picks the days/weeks that suits their lifestyle. For example if you were to complete the course over the usual schedule it would take 8 weeks. but if you wanted to fast track the course it could be completed in as little as 2 weeks. Group course timetables are not as flexible and takes 8 weeks to complete.

How many days? this is the students decision guided by our tutors (one to one course only). For example, most people attend the course for 2 days per week for 8 weeks but some people prefer to study for 1 long day per week for 8 weeks. Others prefer 2 long days for 4 weeks. Timetables are flexible and you are in control. If you would prefer to enrol on a group course you only attend the course for one day a week. For group course dates see table below.

What time of the day do I attend the course? it your decision, we have morning, afternoon and evening slots in our timetable, we are open 10am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 12-5pm on weekends. Group courses are on Tuesday evenings starting at 7pm and finishing at 10pm.

Can I change the content of the course? yes you can, the outline above is simply a guide. It's your course and you decide what subjects you want to learn with expert guidance from our experienced tutors (only available for one to one courses).

What's the cost? the course costs just £899 per student for one to one courses and £649 per student for group courses.