The Experience
What to expect
During our 4-day Song Production Masterclass, you’ll have unparalleled access to the skills and expertise of our team in two of the most iconic recording studios in the world. You’ll follow Sylvia Massy as she leads you through the different stages of producing and recording a song in two world-class recording studios. The first two days will be spent in Angel One at Angel Studios, where Sam Smith, Jacob Collier, Nile Rodgers, Florence and the Machine, Paolo Nutini, Gary Barlow and The Cure have all recorded. On day three you move to Abbey Road’s Studio Three. Here you’ll spend the day mixing in the control room of Studio Three. Studio Three has been home to sessions with Frank Ocean, Liam Gallagher, Florence and the Machine and Krept and Konan and Pink Floyd.
On the last day, you’ll move back to Angel Studios to spend time under the expert guidance of Abbey Road mastering engineer Oli Morgan. Then we’ll wrap up with a debrief 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.
- Microphone selection, positioning, and 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), piano / synths / keyboard
Day 2 – Recording
- 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
An inspiring and incredibly well designed course that gave me the best musical education I could have dreamt of. Life-altering.
David Dargahi, Alumni
The curriculum is fantastic, extremely comprehensive, contemporary and relevant to today’s industry.
Andrea Mastroiacovo, Alumni
This course has helped to develop me into a well rounded producer, engineer, and musician. It has helped open doors to career opportunities that I would otherwise not have had access to. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the fantastic team, course, and resources available at Abbey Road Institute London!
Yvan Chambers, Alumni
The course taught me what it means to be a producer and engineer in the industry, I learned things I couldn’t have learned anywhere else.
Marta Di Nozzi, Alumni
Abbey Road Institute trains you to deliver high quality work that matches industry standards.
Martí Canales, Alumni
I had an incredible experience. The staff have so much to offer and cover so many different areas of music.
Luke Glazewski, Alumni
The Abbey Road Institute helped me to unlock my musical potential.
Cory Lawrence, Alumni
Applying for the diploma was the best thing I could have done for my career. I'm really amazed at how much I learnt in one year.
Lizzie Arnold, Alumni
There is some real visionary foresight in Abbey Road Institute being established to preserve the cultural legacy of Abbey Road.
Youth (Paul McCartney, The Verve, Killing Joke)
It’s a unique experience in so many ways, the location, the calibre of guest lecturers and access to Abbey Road Studios for classes is pretty amazing. There aren't many places you get to record a full orchestra!
Jason O’Bryan, Lecturer
Come with an open mind and a voracious appetite to soak up the magic! Be prepared to work hard - you’ll get out what you put in.