This is a preliminary list of production & engineering classes in the theater. It is incomplete and is subject to change as we finalize our instructor line up.
The Secret to Great Drum Sounds – Ronan Chris Murphy
Ronan has been behind the boards recording and mixing some of the greatest drummers in the world including Terry Bozzio, Pat Mastelotto, Benny Greb, Bill Bruford, Gregg Bissonette and more. In this masterclass he will tech you techniques to get amazing drum sounds even if you do not have a big budget or studio. He will explain some vital concepts for drum tracking and demonstrate advanced drum techniques. (He will not be recording drums in this session). The class will focus on working with acoustic drums, but many of the concepts will apply to electronic drums as well.
Spectral Editing for Music – Simone Coen
First there was music, then recording came and with it the ghost of noise. As music professionals we had to learn what is noise, how to interpret it, how to get rid of it and how to live with it. Those were the tape recording years. Then there was CEDAR and the first revolutionary audio restoration processes in hardware first, then in software and plugin formats. Almost 20 years ago then came Izotope RX. As a user from v 1 and after processing millions of files using spectral editing, Simone will guide you through the most common problems engineers and producers have to deal with when recording and mixing/mastering and how to quickly solve them. The class will feature live audio demonstrations of problematic recordings/mixes and show the process to clean them and make them usable. Class will be based on Izotope RX and Steinberg SpectraLayers, two of the leading apps in this specific field.
Compression as Creative Tool -Ronan Chris Murphy
Although compression is just a few simple controls, it is still one of the most misunderstood aspects of music production and engineering. Mastering compression is one of the things that separates the best engineers from everyone else. In this class Ronan will demonstrate how compression is far more than “level control”, and is actually one of the most power tools in the studio for creative control and expression.
Recording Studio Rockstars Live! – Lij Shaw interviews Mike Lembo
Lij Shaw brings his iconic podcast “Recording Studio Rockstars” for a special live in-person edition in Italy. He will sit down with music industry veteran Mike Lembo to talk about a life in music and the business of music production.. Lembo has had a long history in music as a publisher, label boss, and a manager of producers who have worked with Radiohead, Hole, Pixies, Rush, Alice in Chains, The Replacements, Dwight Yoakam, Foo Fighters and more.
40 bands in 4 days in a studio made out of Hay -Lij Shaw
For years Lij has been operating Hay Bale studio, a temporary studio made from Hay at Bonaroo, one of the most important Music Festivals in the United States. In this project he has recorded and mixed hundreds of artists ranging from Jack White and Wilco to Sheryl Crow, The Black Keys, and Bruce Hornsby. In this class in Ripa, Lij will share the challenges of this kind of project, and how he and his team overcame them.
Sampling and Sound Design for Virtual Instruments – Luigi Bruti & Simone Coen
Virtual instrument creator veterans Bruti and Coen have worked for or with many of the top companies in music software including Native Instruments, Ableton, Steinberg, Dexibell, Korg, Cakewalk, and Presonus. In this special panel, they will explain the art and technology involved in creating virtual instruments, including sampling techniques you can use in your own studios.
Mental Health for Audio Professionals -Simone Coen
Disclaimer: this is an introductory class on the oft hidden theme of mental health when it comes to the world of music business and especially audio professionals, like musicians, producers and engineers. There’s no medical advice being given. During this class you’ll learn about the challenges an audio professional may encounter during her or his career and how it’s possible to cope with them through meditation, opening up with the right people and the help of mental health professionals (of course). The content of this class is developed together with a team of psychoanalysts.
“L’arrangiamento musicale per la produzione di un artista – Pepe Gasparini
Il workshop, tramite esempi concreti tratti dall’esperienza diretta del docente, illustrerà il percorso dalla prima idea musicale al prodotto finito: la comunicazione e il rapporto di fiducia con l’artista, l’interpretazione delle idee e degli spunti artistici, le fasi di pre-produzione, la tecnologia, l’arrangiamento, il lavoro in studio di registrazione.” (This class is in Italian)
