SUCCESS STORIES, JUNE 2011

June 24, 2011 Success Stories

Learn how to construct and run a professional recording studio.

“Today’s session with my mentor was on monitors and studio design. First we talked about the monitors and speakers in my mentors’ studio, as well as why the studio benefits from them. We also talked about their placement in the studio, and why this is so important as well. Next, my mentor and I walked around the studio and talked about how it was built and why thing were set up the way they were. I found this very interesting and I cannot believe how much goes into trying to create to perfect space for the perfect sound. Things that I thought were just decoration turned out to be very crucial to getting a good sound. Since I joined the Recording Connection I am now looking at music in a whole new way and loving every moment of it.”

— Benjamin Crabtree, Denver, Colorado

Work with multiple engineers and experts in a real recording studio.

“My mentors’ studio facility is excellent. So far, I’ve done lessons with three different engineers at the studio, and I’ve really enjoyed getting multiple points of view on different aspects of the work. Knowing that audio engineering is part science, and part art, I’ve found it very helpful to get insight into how different engineers address the challenges they come up against daily. This experience is only giving me more tools and options to use in my own recordings and this is definitely a good thing! Best of all, even the other producers who work in my mentors’ studio have been very willing to share anything they know whenever they can.”

— Christopher Gillard, Fort Lee, New Jersey

Learn what it takes to become successful in your mentors’ recording studio.

“Foremost, the biggest lesson I’ve learned from the Recording Connection program is that, when you work hard, people notice. And in return, people try help you become your best. For me, this meant not being afraid to get my hands dirty and do things like wash dishes, empty the garbage, vacuum floors, and organize the studio. And I did these things without having to be asked. In return, I’ve had, for example, one of the engineers leave doors unlocked for me throughout the studio so I could go in and study the way everything is organized and set-up within my mentors’ studio. I’ve also been allowed to sit in on sessions since day number one with my mentor. On only my second day I was thrown right into the mix and helped retrieve and set-up microphones. Since then, I’ve learned how to zero out the console, done some basic work with patch bay plug-ins, learned to record effects settings for compressors, EQ’s neve’s, and much much more. Perhaps most importantly observed are the daily functions and roles of everyone in the studio, as well as proper etiquette for managing situations with clients, artists and “their people,” other producers, and of course the studio’s staff. My experience has been great with both my mentor, and the Recording Connection program. Every day is different and offers a new challenge and opportunity to learn something I otherwise never would have known.”

— Aaron Joines, Woodbury, Minnesota

Receive Pro Tool training from your mentor.

“Earlier this week my mentor and I had a review session of my previous weeks’ of training with him, and then we started getting into Pro Tools, as well as its capabilities. The amount of customization you can do with one sound wave is astonishing. The world is at my fingertips with the amount of things going on. I look forward to spending hours on Pro Tools daily so I am comfortable with it, getting to know it front to back. This will benefit me greatly in the music industry.”

— Erik Edson, Denver, Colorado

Develop not only a business relationship with your mentor, but a personal relationship that will last a lifetime.

“Today I found out my mentor is a great mentor, not only in audio, but also in life. I have been having a bit of a life problem and getting his input, as well as insight, has been very beneficial to me. He is a very easy person to talk to on any topic in general. However, my mentor could tell I was having an issue and helped me, talking me through it, which is something I do not normally do. So, as if I couldn’t respect him more, I just found a whole new level to respect for my mentor. He has an amazign character and a strong caliber in my life.”

— Jeremie Killinger, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Learn from the engineers how to achieve quality sound from recording sessions.

“This lesson with my mentor is the 2nd most important of all, which to me, knowing the different types mics is always first. This was the lesson of mic placement, as this can make or break a recording. Having learned what different types of mics there are from my mentor last week, when I read about the placement of them through the reading the Recording Connection assigned me, it all connected. The techniques of mic placement are very clever to catch the perfect sound you want. My mentor emphasized that the 3:1 distance is very important, telling me always to record even if it is a rehearsal. Before the full recording session, I am to always explain to the artist that I need to capture the correct volume. So, have everyone play then slowly bringing in the music for headphones and monitors. This will create the correct volume for actual recording. Laster that night, I sat in on my first recording session at my mentors’ studio. They were creating a video and recording for the entertainment company my mentor has as a client. I was saw how a live show works, from the testing of mics and the monitors, to placing a mic next to a monitor to see if frequency is too high. It was amazing how the sound engineer working the session was able to tell what change: frequency, gain, equalizers, by simply listening through the monitors. The session was great and I really enjoyed watching the whole thing come together.”

— Rory McDermott, Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Stream live audio on the internet with your mentor

“This Saturday night I externd at my mentors’ studio, assisting in the set up of the stage for live performances. I worked on tasks such as microphones setup, sound testing, as well as learned about the control board. My mentor had live streaming so I got the opportunity to become familiar with the U Stream program, as well as the camera set up they have in the studio. I was working with one of the studio engineers at my mentors’ studio and he was a very cool guy. He even said he would love for me to help him out during the week whenever they get busy. This was my first experience and it was great, and once again, I am looking forward to going to my mentors’ studio for our next session.”

— Michael Dibble, Rochester, Michigan

June 17, 2011 Success Stories

Prepare yourself for the future.

“This week with my mentor I focused on digital audio. It was very interesting to learn about how the analog audio wave is captured and converted into binary code. Much of my time in my mentors’ studio this week was spent on sample rates, as well as how it can affect the sound of a recording. This included using Pro Tools, as well as its plug-ins, to hear how a tone changes with sample rate. This provided what I know is a great foundation for the rest of my externship, as well as my career in the music industry.”
— Dan Morris, Thornton, Colorado

Make your dreams a reality with the Recording Connection.

“As the Recording Connection program continues, I slowly start to understand more, as well as even further commit myself to pounding this all in my head until every aspect of a modern day recording studio is fully understood, every piece and part I can make work and work with, and I will strive to know the things I have less interest in even more than those of the aspects of this whole deal that I love. This is a craft, and I will master it. I will. I understand that as long as my heart and my work ethic are in line this craft will take me above and beyond my wildest dreams. The process of this craft will go forever for me, taking me out of and past Recording Connections. However, when it is in the past, I will know that my dedication and work within the Recording Connection program got me there.”
— Bryan Polsinelli, Northville, Michigan

Train with the working professionals within the music industry.

“When I went in the studio last week to see my mentor, I sat in on another mixing session of a different project my mentor has in the works. I also got to help set up all the recording equipment, learning how to do a recall by setting some of the equipment to the levels needed for my mentors’ project. Then, the following day I went and saw my mentor, where I was given the opportunity to sit in on a recording session. During this recording session, my mentor and the artists were recording bass and drums for a project. I’ve learned a lot more than I thought I would, and this is only the first two weeks of the Recording Connection program. It helps when I read what the Recording Connection assigns me before I go in to see my mentor, then getting to see or hear about it in the real-life studio, or the other way around. However, my experience is making things a lot easier to understand for me.”
— Kevin Robbins, Kannapolis, North Carolina

Work with engineers and clientele to ensure hands-on training.

“After going over the reading in the recording connection book with my mentor, I was able to sit in on a session with an engineer in my mentors’ company, as well as a client that was adding instrument tracks to one his songs. The client wanted drums and guitar added to his song, so, a drum kit was then set up for a hired drummer. The set up of the drum kit tied in very nice with the reading I had spent the first part of the day going over with my mentor. There were numerous microphones set up to record each drum sound, as well as any ambient sounds throughout the room. This was great for me to see the set up for the client, followed by the microphone placements. After the drum and guitar tracks were recorded, the engineer and his client worked on mixing the individual tracks to the clients liking. Being able to see how the engineer/client interaction takes place is very important for me to learn, so I take advantage of every second I am sitting in and observing. I look forward to future sessions.”
— Oscar Olmeda, Pasadena, California

Receive one-on-one training from your mentor.

“This week with my mentor was an introduction into the basic routing and mixing of amplifiers. What I love the most about the Recording Connection program is the fact that people like my mentor go in depth on the lesson reading the Program assigns me, just like the topic I was training on this week. My mentor always explains everything in great detail as to what the lesson reading is covering. Even though I may already know the basics of amplifiers, it’s when I get to sit down with someone like my mentor and get great detail of the knowledge he has! After the lesson review with my mentor, we went over the many questions I have, in which my mentor proceeded to draw a diagram to give me a visual as well. Here again, even though I feel like I always had a good foundation on things like this, my mentor always takes it to a whole other level and shows me in great detail!”
— Dustin Bannister, Bonne Terre, Missouri

June 10, 2011 Success Stories

Learn Hands-On in a Real Recording Studio

“I just wanted to say hello and send my thanks to you for selecting Cortez as my mentor in the ECC program. My first meeting with him was amazing, but my actually class yesterday exceeded my expectations. I was immediately in this beautiful studio; observing Cortez in action; as he was actually engineering a session on Day 1. I was taking notes, he was asking questions and inserting me into the process as much as possible. More than a few hours later, we went through the material and applied my reading to what actually happened through the day. I was over-whelmed but hungry for more.

I cannot wait until we meet again.

As instructed, I will connect solely with my student advisor(s), Sarah Friedman, from this point on, but since I’ve had more than a few conversations with all of you (especially Mr. Petulla), I just wanted to let you know firsthand how wonderful my experience has been so far. G”
— Ginger D. Davis, Atlanta, GA

Build up your confidence with the guidance of your Recording Connection mentor.

“So for the final session of week 8 with my mentor we started out by going over the reading the Recording Connection assigned me, redefining the differences between maximizers and EQ. We spoke at length about the different ways to get more volume out of a signal. Then we went over the rest of the quiz the Recording Connection assigned me as well, which it turns out, I am pretty proficient at understanding plug-ins. This was the one area I was pretty confident in, and during my lesson review, my mentor reaffirmed that I am not completely ignorant at how these things operate, as well as what their functions are. After the bookwork was done, my mentor and I kept working on my song. Since I have basically no musical ability on a key board, my mentor gave me a crash course in scales and how to find notes and chords. This is very helpful to me when it comes to doing MIDI and it really helps me out.”
— Jeremie Killinger, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Learn how to run live sessions from an expert in your field.

“On the my second session with my mentor, he asked me to come in and sit in on tracking some vocals. After about three hours my mentor aloud me the opportunity to track some vocals in a live session, which is my first official for the opportunity to work hands on. This moment was huge for me. Even though it was a basic process, it gave me an opportunity to sit at the computer and become part of the process. Excitement does not even describe my feeling, it was just a great day.”
— Art Plummer, Northridge, California

Open up the opportunities available to you with your mentors’ own business connections.

“Earlier today I was in the studio with my mentor for 3 hours, where we went over the reading assignment I had in great detail, with my mentor showing me the intricacies of his studio and building design, as well as monitor and speaker design. Everything is going great with my mentor and his recording studio. After my reading review, my mentor asked me to set up a drum session for tomorrow. So, I placed 10 mics, and tested all of them, while manipulating them with the hardware to sound good. My mentor seemed very impressed, which always makes me feel good. Also, my mentor set me up with a friend of his next week, where I get to be an assistant engineer at his friends’ home studio. I should be recording a band for 3 or 4 days and I’m pretty excited about the experience. All is great with the Recording Connection program.”
— Benjamin Brown, Austin, Texas

Look how to become a recording engineer with the guidance of your mentor.

“When I first started the program I had no prior knowledge of how to use a patch bay or even how to use Pro Tools. I think I have progressed a lot since I first started the Recording Connection program. When I first entered my mentors’ studio and saw the main room I thought I’ll never learn how to use all of this equipment. Now, I’m able to set up a session and record myself and other artists all by myself.”
— Joshua DeJoy, North Andover, Massachusetts

Receive hands-on training from the experts in the music industry.

“Today was my first mix down lab with my mentor. I must say, out of all of the lessons, this has been by far the best! I loved getting to sit down and work with the DAW with an actual song that had been previously recorded in my mentors’ studio. My mentor and I started out by clearing out any effects, or other various things added to all tracks, in order to get them at their basic form. After this, I went in and set up levels, reverb, EQ, and several other things. Although my mentor sat by me and coached me through most of the session, it was a really unique experience to be able to actually get in there and really go hands on.”
— Brandon White, Jacksonville, Alabama

Learn what it takes to succeed in the music industry.

“In the first official session with my mentor and the Recording Connection, I learned that this field is not just skill. You must have people skills as well in order to be the best at production. This field includes multiple opportunities for a career path such as, musician, producer, engineer, and a studio manager. Now, being in an environment with everything I ever dreamed of having around me, it will give me the skill set I must possess in order to be successful. This lesson with my mentor taught me the general direction that the digital audio basics will be leading me in. This mainly discussed sampling rate and how it works within the studios format. With starting to get a “hands on” feel for everything in the studio, it was much easier to distinguish the difference between the basics.”
— Elijah Ornstein, Great Neck, New York

June 3,2011 Success Stories

Develop your recording and engineering skills with the opportunity to join the Recording Connection.

“For my third session with my mentor, we went through the motions of reviewing my homework and supplemental material that the Recording Connection assigned me. Next, we proceeded to delve deeper into the workings of Pro Tools. I utilized my knowledge of the quick keys from the previous session my mentor trained me in, imported a track from an audio CD, and did a side-by-side comparison of different sample rate/bit depth adjustments. Out of my own curiosity I asked my mentor how to automate plug-in controls, and as a result, turned Pro Tools’ sample rate/bit depth adjustment plug-in into a “bit crusher” effect! I am continuing to enjoy the vast amount of knowledge I am gaining from the Recording Connection program.”
— Joseph Mancuso, Littleton, Colorado

No time goes wasted while training in a real recording studio.

“My lesson with my mentor this week was about audio processing, which was one of the things I’ve been wanting to get to because I wanted an opportunity to apply plug-ins, as well as to know when they need to be used. I learned how to use the compressors in my mentors’ studio, as well as the functions they offer. Ratio was something that used to confuse me, but now with the training from my mentor, I understand it. When I am in the studio, I sit back and listen to the guys here. I listen to every conversation they have, always try to learn something new. Now, even just by listening in, as a result. Most of the time I learn more than just one thing. I also listen when my mentor talks to clients in order to see how they go about it, paying close attention when they’re just talking to each other about certain projects they might be working on. Everything is a learning experience here in the Recording Connection and I couldn’t ask for more.”
— Aaron Castro, Victoria, Texas

Learn how to work with professional recording equipment with ease.

“This week my mentor and I continued working on my song, spending a lot of time going over how to record MIDI. He showed me how to lay down the snare drum and hi hats with his Korg Oasys keyboard. As we worked on the tracks we talked a lot about arranging music and writing songs, as well as how to edit, and quantize the MIDI tracks. This was so much fun! Doing the corrections and cutting on MIDI is so easy! This has opened so many doors for me and I cannot wait to play with what I learned at home and see what I can come up with. This is definitely another tool in my toolbox. My mentor is such a good guy, I am so glad I got him for a mentor through the Recording Connection.”
— Jeremie Killinger, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Learn how to use Pro Tools like the experts do.

“This week, Larry and I went over my new MBox the Recording Connection provided me with! It came in the night before our session, so I had just enough time to install Pro Tools, and get some audio recorded just to make sure I had it working right. The next day my mentor helped me get my I/O set up correctly. He basically gave me a long, very in-depth, tour of Pro Tools. My mentor showed me all the plug-ins, which ones he liked and did not like, all of the virtual instruments, as well as how to set them up correctly. Next, my mentor and I played around with making some simple drum beats and adding some midi instruments on top of it. He also gave me a DVD with some Pro Tools files of different artist’s songs for me to play around with. He encouraged me to try my best to get them to sound like the original recordings. It was a great week and I can’t wait to get into learning Pro Tools even more with my mentor.”
— Brandon Grable, Washington, Pennsylvania

Become part the recording studio from Day #1 of the program.

“Today was my first official session with my mentor. My mentor showed me around the studio, all the recording equipment, and I met a lot of people that work in the studio. My first lesson started basic, learning about the different careers in the music business, that are both inside, as well as outside, of the recording studio. I also learned about the recording process in the studio, and how everything breaks down. After our lesson training my mentor invited me to sit in on 2 live recording sessions in the studio to observe. It was a pretty fun first day with my in the Recording Connection and a very interesting day with my mentor.”
— Andrew Rodrigues, Pomona, New York