The Art of Studio Communication can be challenging to navigate. One of the most intriguing things about making records is the possibility of collaborating creatively with other people. Bringing different points of view and experiences to the table always enhances and enriches the final result of the project. However, collaboration also brings other challenges into […]
As we reach the final chapter of our Mixing Guide 101 series, we turn our focus to one of the most frequently applied techniques for mixing: mix bus compression. We’ve explored the mindset, considerations, and different techniques to apply while mixing. And shown you how creating a mixing template can improve efficiency and craft your […]
When we ask engineers how long it takes to mix a song, the most common answer is, ‘It depends.’ That’s because every mix is different. Some might take days to finish, while others just a couple of hours. The real question is, how long does it take to get a mix going? Starting from an […]
Mixing is one of the most important skills a producer or engineer needs. It is both technical and creative and requires keen attention to detail to help find what the song needs to sound engaging and interesting. To do this, there are certain practices you can apply to help improve your workflow and make your […]
Does your process tend to look a little like this: The time has come for you to finally start mixing, but you feel overwhelmed by the task? You’ve worked endlessly on the structure, the arrangements and the lyrics, but something isn’t quite clicking yet. Where do I start? What software do I use? How do […]
Sylvia Massy is a Grammy-award winning music producer, engineer and mixing connoisseur. During a recent guest lecture with Sylvia Massy we sat down to talk about all things vintage microphones, music production, sound engineering and more. Sylvia regularly delivers guest lectures for our students, which include insightful talks, workshops and recording sessions that has kept […]
‘A Beginners Guide To Vocal Production’ is about understanding music production’s crucial fundamentals. The human voice is a unique tool that captivates, inspires, and moves an audience like no other instrument. Vocalists are often said to be the heart and soul of a track, but to capture raw emotion, one needs more than just a […]
As a modern-day Music Producer, you have to be able to wear different hats to accomplish successful production. You need to know how to record audio, program MIDI, mix, release and sometimes manage the music you make. One of the most important things about the job is being able to understand how the musician thinks, […]
The internet offers a whole world of possibilities for music collaboration. From sharing music, finding musicians to collaborate with, and producers to record your songs, to sharing recording sessions with musicians worldwide. The main limitation has been streaming high-quality audio in real time for professional audio work. Two decades ago, when real-time streaming audio was […]
Over three days in November (7th, 8th & 12th), coinciding with the 91st Anniversary, Abbey Road Studios opened their doors to the next generation of artists, producers, composers and creatives for Abbey Road Amplify, a free festival featuring panel discussions, masterclasses and Q&As. The Art of Sampling Masterclass Abbey Road Institute lecturer Jason O’Bryan gave […]
It’s been almost a year since The Beatles: Get Back documentary was released. It features hours of previously unreleased videos and audio of the band’s rehearsals and recording sessions. The 8-hour documentary is a huge celebration for any Beatles fan. But it doesn’t stop there. Any musician, producer and sound engineer can learn and relate […]
If you’re a film fan and wait right till the end to watch the closing credits of a film you may have seen the titles ‘ADR mixer’ or ‘ADR editor’ scroll up on the screen. Perhaps you’ve wondered what ADR or ‘Automated Dialogue Replacement’ is. Like many of the roles in audio post-production, this is […]
Sampling has been one of the most influential and inspiring tools in modern music. It all started when sections of recorded sound were repurposed and used for different music recordings. As technology progressed this experimentation became easier and more affordable. Nowadays with almost limitless computer memory, modern software and an infinite list of online samples, […]
Drums are always fun to record. They sound great in the room with the drummer, but when it comes to recording you have to take a lot of things into consideration: microphones, phase, dynamics, frequencies, textures… and most importantly, how to combine all of them and transfer that sense of power felt in the room […]
Ever since its debut in 2012, Dolby Atmos has been a revolutionary way to deliver films and music to the public. We have seen studios, artists and cinemas around the world incorporating this technology into their workflow to create immersive audio experiences. Even streaming services like Netflix, Amazon or Apple Music have started asking for […]
“It looks like a bloody Christmas tree!” That’s how sound engineer Arthur Haddy started the history of the most beloved classical and film orchestra recording technique. We are, of course, talking about the “Decca Tree”. The Decca Tree is an array of between three and five microphones that provides a well balanced and mono-compatible stereo […]
Frank Barretta has been an integral part of Angel Studios’ history. Starting out as a tea boy, then tape op for de Wolf Music in Soho. Frank joined the team at Angel as it opened in the early 80s and occupied different roles over the years. In part one of our interview with Frank, we […]
A recording studio is a collaborative and creative space, designed to capture those magical moments or ideas that happen during a session. The room where RECORDS are created. That’s how they’ve always been pictured in documentaries, interviews and films. But they are also much more than that. Studios are full of complex relationships, insecurities and […]
In the Studio: Recreating ‘How Long’ by Ace One of our more important assignments (as well as a favourite for students and staff alike) is the recreation of a well-known track. Students are asked to choose a piece of music and record it, with the aim of getting as near to the original track as […]
Affectionately known by both staff and students as simply ‘The Custom’ our Custom Series 75 powered by Neve console is an integral part of our students’ experience with us. We put a great emphasis on developing both creative and technical skills throughout our course, and recording and mixing on the console in our dedicated studio […]
Producer and musician Jason O’Bryan joined the team at Abbey Road Institute London as a senior lecturer in 2015. After establishing a successful career working as an in-house engineer his career shifted to focus on producing and engineering for the Dub Pistols. His music has always been heavily influenced by his early interest in hip […]
There are myriad choices to consider when you are planning and setting up for a recording session. One key area that always generates much debate and discussion, is microphone selection and placement. Those decisions you make prior to recording that ensure you capture the sound both you and the artist you’re recording are aiming for. […]
The Beatles brought her to Abbey Road Studios during a visit to London. A brochure whistled ‘Abbey Road Institute’ in her ear and told her to follow her heart. Her dedication made her apply for a visa and move from Ottowa, Canada to London, after which she spent a full year studying with us, developing […]
A unique aspect of Abbey Road Institute is the requirement for our students to play an instrument. From guitar and piano to drums and singing; a basic understanding of instrumentation is a key tool for successful producers and engineers. As a student, you’ll frequently find yourself performing throughout the course, from the ‘recreate a track’ […]
This summer, we held our inaugural Song Production Masterclass. Over four days at Abbey Road Studios, Haydn Bendall (Kate Bush, XTC) produced an epic session with up-and-coming indie band The Kings Parade. Audrey Riley arranged and performed strings with her quartet; percussion was courtesy of Lauren Kosty, and the song was mastered by Abbey Road […]
Producer and guest lecturer Daniel Boyle has produced and mixed albums for seminal reggae artists such as Max Romeo & Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Daniel produced the Grammy Nominated ‘Back On The Controls’ for Lee Perry and has been working in the industry for nearly 20 years. He began his career as an in-house engineer for […]
Sylvia Massy is not one to follow rules. From her advice on mic’ing a chicken to recording vocals through a cell phone satellite delay, Sylvia is a sonic voyager doing things in her own unique way. It was with great pleasure we welcomed her for a day in Studio Two. The setting was perfect as […]
A Day in Studio Three From Amy Winehouse to Brockhampton, Studio Three has been home to some of the most exciting and innovative recording sessions. Last Friday our new March class got the opportunity to see Studio Three firsthand for their masterclass recording session. Musical act Swanie featuring, alumni Claudio Cignitti, came in to record their […]
So you’ve been part of a full symphony orchestra recording session with the Royal College of Music. It’s in Abbey Road’s famous Studio Two. You leave that memorable experience with a hefty Pro Tools session. What’s next? It’s time to work on the mix. An Inside Look Mixing a session like this gives the students […]
Just as Hozier’s Wasteland Baby! grabbed the number 1 spot on the Billboard charts, we were delighted to welcome Andrew Scheps, the man who mixed the album, for an insightful masterclass at Abbey Road Institute. Scheps is the kind of mixer that people endlessly search for clues about how he achieves such lively, exciting mixes. […]
Our music production students had the unique opportunity on Monday to spend the day recording in the famous Studio Two at Abbey Road with the Royal College of Music’s Chloé Piano Trio, comprised of George Todica (piano), Maria Gîlicel (violin), Jobine Siekman (cello). Grammy-winning producer and engineer Stephen Johns and John Dunkerley demonstrated the techniques […]
Analogue versus digital: If you want a lively discussion between sound engineers and music producers, this might be a good place to start. Our recording studio and mixing studios have plenty of outboard gear for our students to work with. However, we also make sure our students are fully prepared to work entirely in the box. […]
We all collectively freaked out at the opportunity to be in Studio One with drummer Ralph Rolle and bassist Jerry Barnes of The CHIC Organization yesterday: Two incredibly talented musicians and producers, both with long, successful careers. Our March students were extremely lucky to be in the control room as they worked on some soon-to-be […]
Sylvia Massy is a recording studio legend: Her credits include Tool, Johnny Cash and Prince. She’s equally adept working as a producer, mixer and engineer. Pickles, cheese dogs and electric drills have all been used during one of Sylvia’s recording sessions (yes, really). It’s said that good things come in threes, so we’ve picked our […]
Is there a more revered microphone than the Neumann U47? Prized for its incredibly detailed and buttery smooth sound, the U47 is without a doubt one of the best microphones in the world. When we talk about providing our students with industry-standard equipment, we don’t just mean the latest digital technology (although we have that, […]
Last week, four of our students won the opportunity to have a track mastered by Abbey Road Studios engineers Geoff Pesche (Gorillaz, Coldplay, Dizzee Rascal) and Christian Wright (Ed Sheeran, Bjork, Radiohead). Naturally, the whole class was in the studio during the process so that Geoff and Christian could shed some light on the often […]
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of playing a hardware synth. So when our students asked for one, we listened. We now have the Arturia MiniBrute 2 available to our students! While our esteemed lecturer, musician and producer Jason O’Bryan is (patiently) waiting for his turn to play with our new hardware, we asked him […]
Recreating a track is one of the best ways to build a foundation for your music production skills. It requires you to use every ounce of both your musical and technical knowledge to match the reference material, and will no doubt require you to master new techniques along the way. It’s an important assignment at […]
Marta Salogni is everywhere right now mixing, producing and recording countless artists including Bjork, The xx and The Orielles. Her hard work saw her take home the 2018 MPG Breakthrough Engineer of the Year Award. Abbey Road Institute students were treated to a masterclass with Marta last week but Campus Manager Mike Sinnott couldn’t let […]
When you read the words “Abbey Road Studios” what do you think of? The Beatles? Pink Floyd? Radiohead? What about “the birthplace of modern music production?” Abbey Road Institute’s curriculum is drawn directly from the studio’s long history of sound recording and technical innovation. In fact, the studio itself is an innovation. Abbey Road’s past […]
Earlier this year we launched a competition with ReverbNation to offer one artist the opportunity to come to Abbey Road Institute in London and record with producer, engineer and lecturer Pete Dowsett and our current music production and sound engineering students. ReverbNation is a platform which supports emerging artists to build their careers. Amy Pinnock, […]
Welcome back to alumnus Jack Chown And band Winterfalle recording with our students at Abbey Road Whilst it’s a regular part of the teaching at Abbey Road Institute, it’s always exciting to be recording a session in Abbey Road. Especially when it’s your first time. This was the case for our September class last month. […]
Back in Studio Two It’s all in a day’s work for our diploma students – recording a brass band, two soloists (violin and piano), learning from multiple Grammy Award-winning engineer John Dunkerley and watching alumnus Chris Cook co-produce the session. The morning session It was an early start for our most recent recording in Abbey […]
And a lesson from expert Abbey Road Engineers Alex Scannell and Stefano Civetta. Last week our March students were part of a recording session in Studio Three with the band Desert Ships. They worked alongside highly experienced engineers Alex Scannell and Abbey Road Studio assistant engineer and Pro Tools expert Stefano Civetta. We’ve been working […]
After their Kickstarter Campaign, the guys from KEEMOSABE are back at Abbey Road! Welcome back to Abbey Road Institute and congratulations ON the successful outcome of your Kickstarter project. How do you feel right now? Thank you so much for having us back! We feel great. The precious support of our fans makes us feel incredible, […]
Our students learn from multiple Grammy Award winning engineer John Dunkerley in a recording session with the Royal College of Music. The next generation of music producers and sound engineers along with Institute Programme Director Carlos Lellis, our alumni Hugo Bechstein and multiple Grammy award winner John Dunkerley were recording with the the fantastic philharmonic […]
Our latest recording session at Abbey Road We were excited to be back in Abbey Road’s iconic Studio Two at the end of May with not one but two Grammy winning engineers and producers; the renowned senior engineer Haydn Bendall and guest lecturer and producer Ricky Damian along with the band ‘Bob and the Apple’. […]
Recording session with our students in Abbey Road “Burn” was the track our students recorded with our students bands Keemosabe, Lewn and S. Fidelity in Studio Three this week. And burn they did – their set was on fire! This was our March students first dedicated recording session in Abbey Road’s commercial studios, with more to come. Alongside Programme Director Carlos […]
Bonjour, Guten Morgen and Good Morning! Each of these different ways of saying “hello” were heard during the last four days at Abbey Road Institute London as we welcomed our students from Abbey Road Institute France and the latest graduates from Abbey Road Institute Germany. Saturday and Sunday was spent in Abbey Road Studio’s Two and Three with the […]
From Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” to Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances” Learning in a professional studio environment is an integral part of the experience at Abbey Road Institute. And Friday 23 March was another opportunity for our students to get up close and personal with professional engineers and musicians. We had the pleasure of recording in the Abbey Road’s Studio Two with […]
