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Questions:
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Answers: I know very little about using a computer – can I still take your course and learn about digital music production without falling behind?
Our
Project Studio Basics course only requires you to have basic working knowledge of the
Microsoft Windows operating system. If you feel that you computer skills need
a little brushing-up prior to taking one of our courses, we will be happy to provide basic Windows training in a brief
tutorial for a nominal fee.
I know very little about music - except that I know what type of music I love and I would like to begin producing my own music right away - do you have a course to get me started? Although prior music training is always an asset when embarking upon music production, our introductory Project Studio Basics course does not require any musical knowledge as a prerequisite. The course is designed to get you started, and then to advise you about the best available training options when you want to take your music production skills to a higher level.
Why do the tracks that I produce in my project studio sound so home-made when I compare them to music from professional producers that inspire me? Sound selection, mixing and mastering all contribute vitally to the sound of a finished musical product. The professional veneer of most commercially produced albums has traditionally been obtained by highly trained producers, recordists, mix engineers and mastering engineers using top-notch (i.e. very expensive) equipment. It is now possible to replicate this type of quality in a project studio using inexpensive digital tools, but knowledge of all of these areas is necessary to produce a recording that is in the sonic ballpark of a commercially produced album. Our courses walk you through all of the background theory and give you the opportunity to apply this information in a practical environment to the music projects that you create in our classroom and your own studio. You will receive advice and continual feedback from our instructors - professional producers who daily create the types of polished recordings that you are struggling to create on your own.
I am not that interested in becoming a professional producer or recording engineer – I just want to record my own music and make it sound as good as possible in a reasonable amount of time – can you help me out? Aspiring professional producers and serious hobbyists are equally represented among the ranks of our students. We are here to provide our hobbyist students with digestible blocks of training in a manner that will fit into your busy schedule. We do all of the background research concerning hardware, software and production techniques appropriate to the type of music you want to produce at your own comfort level. It is our job to facilitate your hobby so as to remove any frustrations and barriers when you do find time to sit down and apply yourself to some music production in your project studio.
I am an intermediate producer and I have completed some independent tracks/albums – would any of your training benefit me? Our intermediate and advanced courses are all taught by professional producers who daily apply very sophisticated production, engineering and mastering techniques to a great variety of client projects. These courses give you an opportunity to learn hard skills plus tips and tricks that have been obtained through work on hundreds of projects over many years. If you are not completely satisfied with your current level of music production, our advanced courses will challenge you and take your music to places you might not have imagined.
What is a professional producer? A professional producer is someone who earns a living creating music to a very high level of technical and artistic proficiency. Professional producers are typically very versatile at their craft and prolific in their output. When working on a client project, a producer must possess keen insight into the artistic vision of a musical work, exceptional communication and project management skills, plus the ability to work to deadlines.
How long does it take to become a professional producer? Becoming a professional producer does not occur overnight. It typically takes several years and dozens of projects before one earns this distinction.
How does your course differ from an audio engineering program at a technical college? Our curriculum and training are based on a new and innovative model that is entirely different from the approach of traditional audio engineering vocational schools. The vast majority of schools are structured to teach students to operate according to the skill-set of the traditional studio. We believe that much of this training is out-of-date as the music industry is currently in rapid transition. Traditional training was valuable to students at time when it was only possible to create professional music in large commercial studios with expensive, esoteric equipment. Music was also distributed solely via physical media (vinyl, tape & CD) which had to be mass-produced and sold according to a classic manufacturing model. During the last decade it has become possible to create professional recordings in small project studios and homes using inexpensive digital recording equipment. Music is now chiefly distributed digitally through online sales and peer-to-peer file sharing. The world of music production and sales over the next 20 years will be vastly different from the model that has dominated the previous 50 years of the industry. Our training prepares students to be competitive in the future of the music industry, not the past.
I have friends that produce Electronica and Hip-Hop that took your course and recommend it highly, but I am a Jazz/Folk/Rock/Classical musician – will your course help me to produce music in my genre? Although we initially gained a reputation as specialists in Electronica and Urban music training and production, our training and the music production tools that we use are not particular to any one musical genre. All of these techniques and tools can be applied equally well to produce professional music in any musical style or genre. As producers we regularly create music in a variety of areas that include: Alternative Rock, Industrial, Jazz, World, Classical, Soundtrack, Ambient, etc. We have also taught hundreds of students over the years working in almost every conceivable genre - many of whom have gone on to become recording artists in their own right. We bring these skills and experiences into the classroom to help you achieve the specific musical sound and style that you are after.
I want to make Hip-Hop/R&B, but I didn’t see it specifically listed on your site – can you teach me? Hip-Hop and R&B fall under the category of Urban music in our courses and on our website. We have produced much music in these genres over the years and have taught scores of students working in these styles as well.
My band is looking for a studio to record an EP/Album, can you help us out? We are a full service recording studio with the capacity to record, mix and master music in any genre. It will be our pleasure to record and produce your EP or Album.
My band and I are planning to record an album in a studio on a modest budget - what alternative do you recommend and why? We typically recommend that at least one band member take our Project Studio Basics course in order to gain general familiarity with the software studio as a writing aid and recording tool. Tracking and basic production is often best done by bands themselves using a project studio which we can help you to setup in your home or jam space. We can then assist with additional production, mixing and mastering services to suit your budget and objectives.
My band and I are recording an album entirely in our home studio - what can you do to help make the most out of this record? If you are already in the process of tracking in your home studio, we can help you to optimize your setup so that you record each instrument to a very high level of quality. Then depending on how much of the production, engineering and mastering you wish to take-on yourself, we can provide additional training or production, mixing and mastering services to suit your budget and objectives.
I am singer-songwriter who writes and performs original music and I am looking for someone to help me record and produce an album of my own music - can you help me out? As producers we actively work with singer-songwriters to help them develop their musical ideas and arrangements for the recording process. We typically recommend taking our Project Studio Basics course so that you can gain basic familiarity with the software studio as a writing aid and recording tool. This training is most effective when combined with our production, mixing and mastering services which we can tailor to your project. This will ensure that you achieve the professional sound that you are after for your record. Training is not required however - many of our clients hire us to work directly with them without the benefit of our courses.
So let me get this straight - are you a software training company or what? There is no denying that software training comprises a large part of our classes. However, what sets our training apart is that we focus on teaching you a music production workflow. We have found that students learn much more effectively when they are taught music production skills within a real-world context (i.e. in our classes you learn while actually producing your own music). Learning to use the software is only one dimension of this training approach. We teach you to think like a producer and as a result to use your project studio itself as a highly creative musical instrument.
What music production software do you teach in your courses and why? We have found that a combination of software packages is most effective for music production in all of our courses. The core music software programs that we use in our courses are: Reason, Reaper, Live, Cubase and ProTools. In our intermediate and advanced courses we also use a selection of virtual instrument plug-ins from Native Instruments, Spectrasonics and East West, plus effects plug-ins from Waves, GRM and PSP. Depending on your objectives as a student you may not immediately need to purchase all of the software programs that we use in class (Typically you will need Reason plus either Reaper, Live, Cubase or ProTools). Individual needs vary from student to student depending on the specific type of audio production that you are after. Students in our courses are also entitled to an academic discount from the manufacturers when purchasing their music production software.
I am thinking about buying a computer before taking your course so that I can begin setting-up my home studio – should I just go ahead and make the purchase? Your computer workstation is your main recording tool when you begin working in a virtual studio setup - it needs to be very powerful and reliable. Over the years we have found that computer purchases are hit and miss when students are left to their own devices. On the PC side of things, students often run into compatibility or performance problems when they purchase PCs whose components have not been chosen by providers with digital audio experience. We created our DAW service in response to this, as we are committed to ensure that our students and clients avoid any possible technical frustrations and delays which can distract music creation. The Digital Audio Workstation service ensures that you will purchase a PC that is specifically designed for audio production and is warranted to work as you expect. With regard to Macs there are typically fewer options to choose from when purchasing your computer, but you will need some assistance picking the right model and options for your project studio.
I understand that you use PCs in class, but I own a Mac - will your training still benefit me? Our training is of equal benefit to both PC and Mac users. All of the software that we teach in class is cross-platform and will run identically on a PC or Mac. Projects can also be moved readily between PC or Mac versions of the software. All that differs are a few of the Key Commands and mouse click selections, which we will show to you with your training.
Why do you use PCs in your computer lab and control rooms rather than Macs? We use PCs because it allows us several customization and cost advantages that would not be available to us if we used Macs in our facility. We custom-design and build all of our computers, as well as maintain and upgrade them in-house. We are able to create PCs that are identical in virtual studio performance to the equivalent Macs for about one-third of the cost. This allows us to maintain leading-edge facility that always stays abreast of the latest technological developments in music production and training.
For a fee of $150.00 we will custom-design a powerhouse digital audio workstation to meet your specific musical production needs. The service includes setting-up your new workstation with any music software that you have purchased. We will configure and test every aspect to ensure optimal performance. This includes a restore disk to bring your system back to perfect working order in the event of a catastrophic failure. The service also includes an hour of free tech-support which can be redeemed any time within 12 months of your DAW purchase.
Why do I need the DAW service? Choosing and configuring the correct system is only possible with experience and specific technical knowledge of current components that will work optimally for audio performance. Precursor Productions has 20 years of combined research and real world expertise to make the educated decisions necessary for a trouble-free DAW.
Yes, but we teach you what button to push !! |
