Home Recording: Self-Taught, Courses or Both?

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Cheeky Monkey

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I dabbled in home recording about 15 years ago using a small Fostex 4 track recorder, but didn't really spend much time with it and never really got the hang of it. Therefore, I'm really just starting-out in the world of home digital music recording. My goal is to record an inventory of original songs, doing most everything myself (unless I'd want to bring in a sax player, for example). I'll be doing this as a hobbyist, not to record others or make money from it. I'm starting the learning process by hanging-out here and asking questions of the very few people I know who are doing it. I presently have Cakewalk 9 and N-Track 3.3. Cakewalk seems way over my head at this point. N-Track seems much simpler. However, apart from my quality musical instruments (except a midi keyboard which I don't have and assume I'll need to get), I realize I'll have to invest in much better recording gear (no where near enough PC power) and room acoustics.

One of my local community colleges offers a range of reasonably priced digital music courses. Each is 10 weeks, one night per week for 3 hrs.). I just registered for the "digital music recording" course. I'm sure I'll learn a lot about all aspects of recording, including appropriate gear to get. Following this course, I plan to take the "digital music producing", and then "digital music mastering" course. There's also two midi courses that I may take also. These courses use Cubase, and if I want to buy it (and other gear), I'm told I can do so by taking advantage of the student discount. Although like many members on this forum, I can learn from the web and by trial-and-error (which I know I'll also be doing anyhow), but I'm thinking it's wise to take these courses.

I'm curious as to whether members here who enjoy home recording have learned completely on their own, or by way of courses, or both.

Thanks in advance for anything you have to share.
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
I'm curious as to whether members here who enjoy home recording have learned completely on their own, or by way of courses, or both.
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Completely on my own (unless you want to count the invaluable help of the people on this BBS). However, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right way or the best way. :)

Like most things, when you learn on your own, you are gathering "pieces" of knowledge with initially no basic structure or framework to hang them on. An organized course, otoh, should start by providing that structure. It should teach you what you need to know, when you need to know it, and why you need to know it. Learning on your own means you have to create your own structure (unless you also use books and manuals) You make the pieces of knowledge fit your structure, and then you modify as you learn new things that don't fit the existing structure. Eventually you get there (hopefully).

I would compare it somewhat to music theory. You can learn to play an instrument (and play it well) without ever learning music theory. However, it frequently helps you to understand why you do certain things in a certain way.

Personally I would take the course. Other than the tuition cost, it certainly can't hurt, and may very well help. A lot, obviously, will depend on the competency of the instructor.

BTW, I started on Cakewalk PA9 also. Now using Sonar 3.
 
If you have active relation with a pro friend and you could benefit from his experience as say, free of charge assistant on-the-spot in studio, then I would say no course would offer you this direct learning power.

But, what is fantastic in learning courses something many people never realize, chances are you will meet someone with almost same preferences in music style and genre who will after course is finished still be available to you for potential creative collaboration and learning even more together.

More knowledge you have but more importantly more experience you have more confidence will result,…you will then really know are you lone wolf composer/producer or you like team environment better.

Many people actually rotate between this combination. Some like to make music alone, but desire for experienced hands on desk. Many inexperienced users like to spend all they have for complete recording solution and then give up, because they never gained enough experience and knowledge to support all elements necessary of making competent results.

So in either way, get in any environment that is active in using recording equipment, be very nosy and learn. If this is learning course then learning course you should path next week.

Best of luck.
 
I've taken a few MIDI/Digital audio courses at my local community college, and the teaching has been valuble, especially considering the relatively low costs associated with CC classes. However, when you're taking a class like that at a CC, you usually have a bunch of people who are there for the credits, not because they have a real desire to learn about the subject. In the classes I've taken, we basically learned how to work the software in general, and operate the provided equipment. Not a whole lot of in-depth stuff. That being said, I'd still recommend taking the class, it can't hurt, and it could benefit you a lot.

What I'd also suggest, though, is looking to see if there are any classes or workshops being offered by local studios. A studio here offered a short course in audio engineering (a career training course through the same college), and in 8 hours of classes, I learned more about audio and recording than I have in 3 terms of MIDI/Audio at the college. And then if you can get into a workshop, that's a lot of hands-on experience that can't be beat.

Anyways, go for it. Just keep your ears open for even more opportunities to learn.
 
learned how to record on my own then learned more from running sound at an open mic night....that was an experience i dont plan on doing again. they have classes here at the community college...i was interested in taking it but they make you do some kind of project that doesnt look like its worth much. I saw a clip of what some of the people do and i'd hate to think i spent almost 3k on classes just to be the guy who runs on stage to fix microphones or cables that go out. i think it'd be a waste of my time to be someone's "official microphone go-getter"....unless i was being paid really well.
 
this board has taught me most of what i know.
well, the board, and the links people give to articles and books and stories and ...etc. etc. etc.
 
and sometimes you can listen to people's mp3s and realize what not to do. :)
 
distortedrumble said:
and sometimes you can listen to people's mp3s and realize what not to do. :)
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quite true, listening to my old mixes can teach you

-how NOT to mix the bass guitar loud as heck by way of using cheap speakers to monitor that have poor low end response

- how NOT to record vocals thru a guitar amp with spring reverb on

- how NOT to go with a first take is the best take mentality

but seriously, a community college class sounds like a great opertunity,
and plus it's not that much $. I went to classes that cost
(my dad) $300 a credit hour, usually CC classes are less than that for the whole class.
I enjoyed two things about taking classes:
1. getting taught the theories behind any aspect of audio,
once I found out the science behind recording it really made me want to experiment more.
2. using awesome gear that I'll probably never be able to afford
 
personall i went to a school called TREBAS here in canada.. and it was a great program... got to play on tons of equipment.. including a full sized Neve Capricorn at the CBC glen gould studio in toronto and got to walk away with 3 hrs of opera recordings of my sister... (she's a full dramatic sopprano) so yeah programs like that are really good.. they get you into BIG studios and you lean how to operate both highly professional gear and the most ghetto of settups aswell... it's a good experience but for some people it may be cost prohibitive... i paid $15k for a 9 month course
 
each cc is different but where i live its 36 bucks a credit hour......1 class is usually 3-4 credit hours....the only expensive book is the one on acoustics...besides that its not bad.
 
biotek said:
personall i went to a school called TREBAS here in canada.. and it was a great program... got to play on tons of equipment.. including a full sized Neve Capricorn at the CBC glen gould studio in toronto and got to walk away with 3 hrs of opera recordings of my sister... (she's a full dramatic sopprano) so yeah programs like that are really good.. they get you into BIG studios and you lean how to operate both highly professional gear and the most ghetto of settups aswell... it's a good experience but for some people it may be cost prohibitive... i paid $15k for a 9 month course
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Hey biotek, I live in Ottawa. I assume you're in Toronto (too bad about the Leafs, eh? I'm a lifelong Leafs fan!). Anyhow, each 10 week course, one night per week for 3 hrs., is offered by the Continuing Education department at the community college. I don't think these are "credit" courses, but I could be wrong. At Cdn$310 for each course (about US$240), it's probably a bargain. I'm sure the courses won't rival Trebas (I think there's one in Ottawa), but for my purposes, they should be just fine. Besides, they're geared for the home recording enthusiast, not someone who wants to make a career of it, which I assume is Trebas' is geared toward (?).
 
oh yeah and the other thing about my CC is that you can get a degree in recording engineering, music business, stage lighting, performance and songwriting.
 
Cheeky Monkey,
It sounds like a good fit, you know what you are getting into.

There are a lot of threads out here about going to school to get a job as a
recording engineer, and that is an entirely different discussion.

I would think you would get some sort of college level credit out of the deal.
10 weeks @ 3 hours a week is a little light, but I would think you could get 2-
3 credits. Unless its a workshop or something where you aren't getting graded.
 
Jimbo Jones said:
Cheeky Monkey,
It sounds like a good fit, you know what you are getting into.

There are a lot of threads out here about going to school to get a job as a
recording engineer, and that is an entirely different discussion.

I would think you would get some sort of college level credit out of the deal.
10 weeks @ 3 hours a week is a little light, but I would think you could get 2-
3 credits. Unless its a workshop or something where you aren't getting graded.
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I don't believe you get graded, and I guess really are more like a workshop. As for being a little light, maybe so, but don't forget, each course is 10 weeks @ 3 hours a week. Like I said in my original post, the first (which I've registered for) is "digital music recording". If it's good, I'll probably take the "digital music producing", "digital music mastering" and two midi courses. I should add that prior to registering, I attended a 1-1/2 hr. information seminar/demonstration/overview of the courses. They seem pretty good, and to the point.
 
so how many people do you know went to school for this and have good mixes?....i've known 5 musicians from Berkley's music school and they are all good technical players but they are all in their own little world and it seems beneath them or just plain odd to them to be part of a band.
 
distortedrumble said:
so how many people do you know went to school for this and have good mixes?....i've known 5 musicians from Berkley's music school and they are all good technical players but they are all in their own little world and it seems beneath them or just plain odd to them to be part of a band.
Click to expand...

i think that's hard to say, while most of the audio students at the college I
went to could fall into catagories(stoners, computer geeks, indie rock guys,
hip hoppers) some really tried hard to get good marks and pick the instructors' brains.
And mixing isn't everyone's "thing". A lot of guys went there for live sound, post-production, sound system contracting, so while all these guys/gals do some mixing, they aren't going for the same sound you or i might go for in a mix for a CD.

I got something out of it. Even if I'm not behind a big ole Neve board and just recording at home, it wasn't a waste of time by any means.
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
Hey biotek, I live in Ottawa. I assume you're in Toronto (too bad about the Leafs, eh? I'm a lifelong Leafs fan!). Anyhow, each 10 week course, one night per week for 3 hrs., is offered by the Continuing Education department at the community college. I don't think these are "credit" courses, but I could be wrong. At Cdn$310 for each course (about US$240), it's probably a bargain. I'm sure the courses won't rival Trebas (I think there's one in Ottawa), but for my purposes, they should be just fine. Besides, they're geared for the home recording enthusiast, not someone who wants to make a career of it, which I assume is Trebas' is geared toward (?).
Click to expand...


Leafs suck we don't want your kind in this city(j/k)...haha I still got my leafs suck T-shirt hangin in my window. You will see it if ya ever drive down Frank St. Anyways I am a Flames fan so no biggie.

But that said a course at a community college(Algonquin??) geared towards home recording wouldn't be a bad thing. But also look around at Steve's and Long And McQuade for workshops on specific things. I hear those are good and informative and I don't believe you have to pay. If you do its minimal. I myself have just learned through trail and error and reading books and online boards like this one. It's been lot's and lot's of reading.

Enjoy

Geoff
 
Learning computer software by trail and error is very slow. Use the structured classes as a good starting point and apply what you're learning as soon as possible using the equiptment you have. Keep lots of indexed notes in your computer where you can access the information later. I'm planning on taking classes also. My problem is I have a BA and I have the lowest chance of being admitted here in California. I took a community summer course in AutoCAD a few years ago and I was amazed at how much you can learn in a short time if you have a well structured class with good notes. It would take a year of hunting and scratching your head to learn what I learned in a six week course.

Chuck
 
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