The Experience

What to expect

During our 4-day masterclass, you’ll have unparalleled access to the skills and expertise of our team in the most iconic recording studio in the world. You’ll follow Haydn as he leads you through the different stages of producing and recording a song. The first 3 days will be spent in Studio Three where Florence and the Machine, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Frank Ocean and Liam Gallagher have all recorded. On the last day, you’ll move to Room 5 for mastering with Christian Wright, followed by a debrief in our Institute classroom to review and digest what you’ve learnt throughout the masterclass. The four days will cover:

Day 1 – Recording

• Introductions & meet the team
• Recording session set up – studio signal flow and patching, the recording path, console considerations.
• Lester Smith presents Abbey Road legendary microphone collection.
• Microphone selection, positioning, the recording path.
• Session management – Pro Tools templates
• Production considerations (tempo / use of click track / song mood, arrangement & dynamics)
• The recording path – console settings, EQ, dynamics, outboard, plug-ins
• Recording technique – drums, bass, guitar (acoustic and electric), keyboards (grand piano, synths, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes).

Day 2 – Recording

• String orchestration/arrangement workshop
• Percussion recording workshop
• Recording technique – lead vocals, backing vocals, strings (violin, cello), percussion.
• Session review
• The importance of the monitor mix
• Mix preparation

Day 3 – Mixing

• Session management / workstation (DAW) & desk configuration / project settings.
• Artistic considerations
• Gain staging & level balancing
• Monitoring
• Panning
• EQ (desk, plug-ins & outboard)
• Dynamics (compressors, gates, expanders, limiters, desk, plug-ins & outboard)
• Time-based effects (delay, reverb, chorus, phase, flange)
• Grouping/bussing
• Session automation
• Bus / mix-bus compression
• Mastering preparation

Day 4 – Mastering & Review

• Session preparation
• Expectation management
• Artistic considerations
• Technical considerations
• Mastering workflows
• Tools (monitors, eq, dynamics, limiting, converters)
• Technique
• Software v Hardware
• Vinyl mastering
• Deliverables
• Session review
• Q&A