COURSE LEVEL: Beginner - Intermediate
PRICE: $499 USD
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is taught by Coflo, an esteemed producer and dancer, and explores the fundamental principles of post-production, aiming to give students a proper methodology for finalizing the details of their music. Students will explore key concepts as they pertain specifically to post-production use cases, such as frequency masking, subtractive EQing, multi-band compression, side-chain compression, stereo image control, gain staging, parallel processing, gluing, limiting, saturation and coloring. Through a combination of existing project studies, group discussions, hands-on exercises and project feedback, students will find new approaches to sculpting their sound so that their songs and ideas will translate more accurately and with better results on large PA systems found in nightclubs and festival stages. This course will not only explore technical concepts but also creative problem-solving, so that the student’s creative choices in their songs are never compromised for what is “technically correct”.
DATES & TIMES:
Class Meeting Time: Wednesdays, 1PM EST USA
Schedules are subject to change. Changes to the schedule will be communicated to students in a timely manner by the instructor or one of UMA’s team members.
LEARNING OUTCOME: Upon completion of this course, students will have reliably demonstrated the ability to utilize specialized techniques, equipment, and software.
SOFTWARE/PLUGIN REQUIREMENTS:
DAW (i.e. Logic, Ableton etc..)
Multi-band EQ with Spectrum Analyzer (all modern DAWs come with this)
Multiband Compressor with sidechain capabilities (This one is free , not a compressor but dynamic EQ and give similar behaviors - https://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/)
Glue Compressor (wide-single band compressor) (most DAWs have this built in, but many free available)
Saturator/Excitor (most DAWs have them included, but also MANY free plugins available)
Correlation Meter (phase correlation, most DAWs have one included)(this one is free: https://www.izotope.com/en/products/ozone-imager.html)
Image/Stereo Widener/Stereo Width Controller (most DAW’s have one of these included).
Utility tool with Mono/Stereo switch (most DAWs have one included)
COURSE TYPE: Specialized Skill
Instructed by individuals or organizations, that can offer skill-building in specialized techniques or equipment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Creating Balance and Space
Students will learn to apply frequency masking and subtractive EQ techniques to create clarity and separation between different elements in their mix.
Students will demonstrate the ability to control the stereo image and use gain staging to balance the levels of different tracks.
Students will engage in hands-on exercises to practice parallel processing and understand its impact on creating space in a mix.
Creating Consistency
Students will explore the use of multi-band compression and side-chain compression to achieve consistent dynamics across their productions.
Students will participate in group discussions to identify and address common consistency issues in existing project studies.
Students will develop skills in gluing techniques to ensure a cohesive and unified sound throughout their tracks.
Creating Power and Feeling
Students will experiment with limiting, saturation, and coloring to enhance the energy and emotional impact of their productions.
Students will receive project feedback to refine their approach to creating powerful and emotive soundscapes.
Students will understand how to use creative problem-solving to maintain the emotional integrity of their music without sacrificing technical precision.
Listening and Finalizing
Students will practice critical listening skills to identify areas for improvement in their mixes.
Students will learn finalization techniques to ensure their productions translate well on large PA systems, such as those found in nightclubs and festival stages.
Students will complete hands-on exercises to apply final adjustments and polish their tracks for professional release.