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COURSES
Overview
The Parsons Center for Audio Studies (PCAS) offers a kind of apprenticeship. The faculty members are hands-on audio professionals, leaders in their fields (see their biographies at FACULTY), as well as experienced teachers. Since much about audio is best taught person-to-person, with plenty of give-and-take, class sizes at PCAS are kept small.
Participants come to PCAS for short, intensive courses, from several hours long to two or three days; also for one-week and five-week evening courses. They have come from all the New England states, and from beyond—from as far away as Mexico City. The single-session courses, weekend courses, and summer courses (which take place on consecutive evenings) are especially suitable for participants from outside the region.
PCAS travels, too. If you have a group that wants to learn -- audio basics, listening skills, Pro Tools training, etc. -- PCAS can bring its curriculum to you. The longest distance traveled so far: to Los Angeles, to teach a customized weekend course to several dozen audio engineers and producers. PCAS can customize its courses to suit any needs and interests.
The courses at PCAS build upon each other. To enroll in them, or if you would like help determining which of them would be best for you, please contact the Center staff at Info@paudio.com, or 781/431-8708, x14 or x18. Or visit Parsons Audio, the location and sponsor of PCAS, at 192 Worcester Street, Wellesley, MA 02481.
Schedule
The Parsons Center for Audio Studies has several course offerings coming up. We keep class sizes small, and enrollment is on a first-come first-served basis, so it's wise to enroll as soon as you can.
Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Seminar
Taught by David Moulton; Wednesday, September 17, 7-10PM (3 class hours), at Parsons Audio. Tuition: $125. Special Discount: $50 off Golden Ears CD purchase. For full course description and information, click here.
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- Recently Completed:
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- Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools
Taught by David Franz; four of five Thursday evenings, June 19 through July 10, 6:30-10:30PM (16 class hours); at Parsons Audio. Courseware and snacks provided. $695. For full course description and information, click here.
- Pro Tools 110: Essentials of Pro Tools (Accelerated)
Taught by Brian Doser; Tuesday and Wednesday, August 5-6 and 12-13, 6-11PM (20 class hours), at Parsons Audio. Courseware and lunch provided. $925. With permission of the instructor. This is an intensive version of Pro Tools 110, for people who have enough Pro Tools experience. For full course description and information, click here.
The Parsons Center for Audio Studies MIXING SUMMIT
- Taught by the entire faculty; Friday through Sunday, August 1-3 (27 class hours), at Moulton Laboratories, David Moulton's beautiful, state-of-the-art, surround sound studio in Groton, MA. Enrollment limited to twelve participants. Tuition: $1595; includes handouts and all meals, drinks, snacks, etc. This is a dramatic new offering by PCAS, for intermediate to advanced audio professionals. See details below.
- FX Strategies
- Taught by Alex Case; a series of four stand-alone, one-day courses, for beginners and experts. Each course will take place on a Saturday (see the dates below), 10AM-5PM, with a break for lunch (provided), at Parsons Audio. Tuition is $325, with a 10% discount after the first course. (Also, if you wish: $39.95 for Alex's book on Sound FX. The book is recommended, not required.*)
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- The four courses:
- FX Strategies 1: Reverb -- Saturday, February 23
- FX Strategies 2: Delay -- Saturday, March 15
- FX Strategies 3: Compression and Gating -- Saturday, April 19
- FX Strategies 4: EQ and Distortion -- Saturday, May 3
- For further details about the FX courses, click here.
- Critical Listening for Audio Professionals
Taught by David Moulton, Saturday, May 10, 10:30AM-5PM -- 5-1/2 class hours, plus lunch break). Prerequisites: none. Location: the state-of-the-art, surround sound listening room at Moulton Laboratories, in Groton, MA. Lunch provided. Tuition: $325. For full course description and information, click here.
Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Seminar
Taught by David Moulton; Wednesday, June 4, 7-10PM (3 class hours), at Parsons Audio. Tuition: $125. Special Discount: $50 off Golden Ears CD purchase. For full course description and information, click here.
Pro Tools 110: Introduction to Pro Tools (Accelerated)
Taught by Brian Doser; two 8-hour classes, Saturday/Sunday, May 10 & 11
Pro Tools: Mastering with Your Pro Tools System
- Taught by David Franz and Scott Elson, Tuesday/Wednesday, Feb. 26 & 27, and in May or June (date TBD), 6:30-10:30PM (8 hours total). Classes: Two 4-hour classes (8 class hours). Prerequisites: Pro Tools 101, 110, or permission of Instructor. Class size: maximum of eight participants. Snacks and courseware provided. Tuition: $395. For full course description and information, click here.
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Registration
Course registration is open. To begin the process, or to learn more about any course, send to info@paudio.com, or contact the Parsons support staff (781/431-8708, x14 or x18, support@paudio.com).
Description Overview: All Courses
The Parsons Center for Audio Studies does not offer all courses in each session, or even each year. Some are not currently scheduled. The Parsons Audio e-mail newsletter (to subscribe, click here) and this site will report the latest schedule.
- Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Seminar
- Introduction to Entertainment Law
- Listening Master Class
- Listening with David Moulton
- Microphones & Mike Technique
- Mixing (+ Mastering) with Tom Bates
- Mixing Master Class
The Mixing Summit
- Practical Studio Acoustics
- Principles of Audio for Professionals
- Principles of Mixing for Audio Professionals
- Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools
- Pro Tools 110: Essentials of Pro Tools
- Pro Tools: Mastering with Your Pro Tools System
- Pro Tools: Music Creation & Production
- Pro Tools: Production for Video, Film, Radio & TV
- Pro Tools: Troubleshooting & Maintenance
- Psychoacoustics for Audio Professionals
- Signal Processing for Audio Professionals, I & II
- Surround Sound Weekend
- A Wine-tasting of Small Studio Monitors
Acoustics for Audio Professionals
Acoustics for Audio Professionals is a non-mathematical introduction to acoustics. It provides a solid basis for understanding the physical aspects of how sound works and is perceived, particularly in audio. The course includes discussions of the nature of acoustical waves; concepts of amplitude, frequency and spectra; the behavior of sound in rooms; reverberation; noise; the acoustical behavior of microphones and loudspeakers; and related topics. In addition, the course will examine the nature of hearing and perception of sound, including concepts of pitch, loudness, and timbre; the precedence effect; localization in rooms; equal loudness contours; and other mysteries of hearing.
- Taught by David Moulton
- Classes: five 3-hour classes
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Class size: from four to twelve participants
- Prerequisites: Principles of Audio for Professionals, or permission of the Instructor.
- Locations: the Demonstration Room at Parsons Audio, and the state-of-the-art studio at Moulton Laboratories, in Groton
- Textbook: Total Recording, by David Moulton, available through Parsons Audio at a discounted price of $75, including CD
- Coffee and snacks provided
- Tuition: $645; 10% less for prior participants in multi-session courses at the Center
David Moulton says of his Acoustics for Audio Professionals course:
“Acoustics is the realm where sound exists. We often get so involved in the audio realm that we forget that fundamental fact. We seriously torment and confuse ourselves worrying about imaginary complexities in audio when they’re actually pretty basic matters of acoustics.
“A little study can help. Acoustics is a forbidding topic because (a) it is so immersed in snake oil and (b) it is so mathematical. My effort in this course is to drain off the snake oil and work around the math so it won’t drive you nuts. We’ll look at all the basics, including measurements, room acoustics and, of course, psychoacoustics. And there will be lots of fun discussion of how truly weird stereo is, especially from an acoustical point of view! Gotta love it!”
For the Syllabus for this course, click here.
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Audio for Video: A/V 101 to A/V 106
Training by David Moulton, audio columnist (Inside Audio) for TV Technology magazine, based on his current "A/V 101" through "A/V 106" columns for the magazine. In his inimitable style, Dave will bring those columns alive. A masterful teacher, he will cover in considerable depth the audio basics that video folks should know, including what to try and what not to try.
The topics, among others:
- audio levels: signal magnitude (amplitude & loudness), spectrum, and phase;
- equalization: spectrum, timbre; equalizers and how they work;
- audio compression: what compression is; how compressors work;
- time-domain FX and reverb: ambience -- what it is, how to capture it, and how to create it;
- stereo: what it is, how to use it in television, mono compatibility, etc.;
- surround sound: the state of surround for TV, and what's involved in working with it.
- Taught by David Moulton
- Classes: one 4-hour class
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Prerequisites: none
- Location: the Demonstration Room at Parsons Audio
- Snacks provided
- Tuition: $175
Career & Professional Development Seminars
- Career and professional development is integral to the mission of the Center for Audio Studies. The Center aims to help working professionals improve their work, and to advance their careers. This seminar will be free (sometimes restricted to prior participants in multi-session courses at the Center -- all except Golden Ears). It will feature presentations by the Faculty, and in-depth discussions about such topics as career planning, how to approach prospective employers (i.e., demo reels, cover letters, resumés, the interview, followup, etc.), the range of audio jobs (including non-glamorous ones!), strategies that work, coping with changing technology, financial management, etc.
Taught by the Faculty
Classes: one seminar
Dates & times: For dates, if any are scheduled, see Schedule, above. Saturday session, 1-4:30PM session; 4:30-5:30PM snacks & schmooze.
Prerequisites: none
Location: TBA
- Tuition: free of charge
Occasionally we will have a Career & Professional Development Weekend. It will be an expanded version of the above seminar. It is intended for anyone who works with audio, not just prior Center attendees. Presented by the Faculty, it will focus on career strategies that work, financial management, and coping with changing technology. Speakers will discuss their businesses, how to adapt to changing markets, how to select equipment (including evaluation, future standards, and return on investment), career planning, how to get along with the majors, how to start your own record label, advertising and promotion, entertainment law and management, and more.
There will be two 3-hour sessions on Saturday, plus an evening session. On Sunday, there will be two more 3-hour sessions. In addition, the instructors will be available during breaks and meals for more personal contacts. Lunches and Saturday dinner will be provided. There will be ample opportunity for Q&A and discussion, and for consultation in individual or small group settings.
Taught by the Faculty and special guests
Classes: 15 hours
Dates & times: TBD
Prerequisites: none
Location: TBA
Food & refreshments provided
Critical Listening for Audio Professionals
This course, taught by David Moulton, will develop your critical listening skills for professional audio work, and will address the following topic areas:
- Using our ears for objective and subjective audio analysis.
- Monitoring concerns: how loud, how near, how long do we listen? Which monitors should we use, how do we set up the room, etc?
- The nature of stereophony, including the phantom image, localization, envelopment and the perception of depth;
- The physical and psychological limits of our auditory sense;
- Analysis of dynamic and frequency ranges in recordings, and how they affect the recording;
- Surround sound: issues of production and monitoring;
- Listening ahead: preparing our mixes for future listeners with other speakers in other spaces (part of the act of mastering)
We will discuss detailed and systematic techniques for approaching the audio production process, by ear, in a consistent and professional way. There will be demonstrations and discussions of the underlying acoustical and psychoacoustical principles that affect how we produce and listen to recordings in all styles, both multitrack and live.
Class will be in Dave’s upgraded post-production studio, with a rich array of demonstrations and laboratory tools. Dave will describe monitoring practices for audio production, including how to listen, what to listen for, how to evaluate our work, etc., during tracking, overdubs, mixing and mastering. Two bonuses will be sections devoted to surround sound (complete with a discrete 5-channel surround monitor system) and checking our work on other systems. In addition, there will be several printed handouts provided, as well as Dave’s Critical Listening CD.
This course is updated to reflect Dave’s latest experience and study of “the monitoring problem,” including his work on new loudspeakers for Sausalito Audio LLC, his technical research on room design and perception, and his production work in recording, mixing and mastering. Held in Groton, MA, the seminar starts at 10:30 sharp (arrive anytime after 10:00) and runs until 5:00 PM, with a break for lunch (provided).
A note about Moulton Labs: the studio and house have been restored and upgraded significantly, and now provide a quite luxurious and extremely comfortable experience. The control room has been steadily refined over its twelve years and now boasts a fully developed HD system with 24 bit, 96 kHz. digital audio all the way from the Pro Tools platform to the BeoLab 5 monitors. In addition, a “screening-room” quality 90” HD video projection system has been installed, which permits greatly enhanced teaching and visuals. A sunroom/lounge plus a beautiful stone terrace and waterfall make this a great place to visit and work. Life is good!
Taught by David Moulton
Classes: one 5-1/2-hour class, plus lunch break
Dates & times: see Schedule, above
Class size: from four to twelve participants
Prerequisites: none
Location: the state-of-the-art, surround sound listening room at Moulton Laboratories, in Groton
Textbook (NOT required, but as always we recommend): Total Recording, by David Moulton, available through Parsons Audio at a discounted price of $75, including CD
Lunch provided
Tuition: $325
David Moulton says of this course:
“For me, listening is absolutely at the center of our work in audio. We listen for fun, and we also sometimes get paid to listen for profit.
“My Critical Listening course is about the latter — how we can systematically listen to our recorded work, and that of others, to understand more quickly, clearly and effectively what works and what doesn’t. We do this for the benefit of clients and ourselves.
"I love teaching this course. We get into some really interesting places, and we get to listen to recordings in ways that nobody normally does. We all learn a lot from it. We also start moving past our personal tastes and prejudices and into something deeper and more effective: a sense of how recordings work to evoke various feelings, and how we can get them to do even more of that good mojo. That's valuable!
“Add in some stuff about perception, a fair amount about how loudspeakers and rooms work together (or don't work together, as is often the case), and it’s a ball.
"Critical listening is a great subject. I think this course does it justice!”
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Developing Your Personal/Project Studio
Are you responsible for creating and operating a studio, or do you plan to be, or want to be? David Moulton, who teaches the course, will give a thorough "hands-on" grounding in the necessary concepts, skills, and equipment.
It teaches how to choose the equipment you need, and how to use it. It gives solid training in the nuts and bolts of recording and producing audio. It imparts secrets that will improve the quality of your work. It opens up to you the possibilities of your facility — as a creative workplace, as a business, and as part of the audio/media industry. It will help you work more successfully for your clients.
The course is built around intensive demonstrations aimed at teaching the elements essential for making good sounding recordings. It will spend much time discussing the merits of different approaches and equipment choices. There will be substantial time devoted to discussion, demonstrations, and suggested practices of microphone techniques, equalization, compression, and reverb. Much time will be reserved for addressing whatever issues are of greatest concern and interest to the class. It does not assume any particular experience level on the part of participants.
Taught by David Moulton
Classes: five 3-hour classes
Dates & times: see Schedule, above
Class size: maximum of twelve participants
Prerequisites: Principles of Audio, or permission of the Instructor
Location: the Demonstration Room at Parsons Audio
Coffee & snacks provided
Tuition: $645; 10% less for prior participants in
multi-session courses
Digital Audio Basics, with Tom Bates.A single two-hour session, for free. Many people who work with digital audio know what it is, and recognize it, but don't really know how and why it works. Tom will impart a clear and fundamental understanding of digital audio's essential concepts, so that you'll have an intellectual as well as auditory grasp.In addition to fundamental concepts, Tom will discuss the hot button issues associated with digital audio, including bit depth, sample rate, converter accuracy, master clock issues, jitter, dither, aliasing, and other key aspects. There will be no mathematics in the presentation, and a minimum of diagrams! The focus will be on sound, and the sonic qualities of relative success or failure at each of these issues (i.e., what jitter sounds like, etc.). Some audio examples will be played to illustrate these points. The session will take place in the Demonstration Room at the Parsons Center. Again, it's free to all.
Focus Group Extraordinaire...or some such course title, with three or four of the faculty, from 1-5PM on a Saturday afternoon, in the world-class listening room at Moulton Laboratories. This new single-session course will be an opportunity for participants to play their projects for people who know what they're doing. Careful listening, analysis, discussion, and professional commentary. There will be multiple listenings to each piece, using Dave Moulton's Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 loudspeakers. Class size will be limited to eight participants. $150.
Fundamentals of Audio for Video
Could you use more knowledge of audio-for-video fundamentals? Do you sometimes have to work with audio, but aren't quite sure what the terms mean? Are you less than confident about the nuts and bolts of capturing and handling the audio you need? This course is designed for folks who work in film and TV who don't know much about audio. It starts at the beginning. It allows plenty of opportunity for you to ask questions, to help you acquire the knowledge that you particularly need.
The course is taught by David Moulton, audio columnist (Inside Audio) for TV Technology magazine and educator (Berklee, State Univ. of New York, etc., as well as the Parsons Center for Audio Studies).
The principal topics:
- audio levels: signal magnitude (amplitude & loudness), spectrum, and phase;
- equalization: spectrum, timbre; equalizers and how they work;
- audio compression: what compression is; how compressors work;
- time-domain FX and reverb: ambience -- what it is, how to capture it, and how to create it;
- stereo: what it is, how to use it in television, mono compatibility, etc.;
- surround sound: the state of surround for TV, and what's involved in working with it.
- There will be handouts covering all of this material, for your reference.
- Taught by David Moulton
- class location: Moulton Labs (Groton, MA, near Boston)
- prerequisites: none
- snacks provided
- tuition: $175
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- FX Strategies
- Taught by Alex Case; a series of four stand-alone, one-day courses, for beginners and experts. Each course will take place on a Saturday (see the dates below), 10AM-5PM, with a break for lunch (provided), at Parsons Audio. There are no prerequisites. Tuition is $325, with a 10% discount after the first course. Also, if you wish, purchase Alex Case's definitive new book, Sound FX: Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects (Focal Press). Price is $39. Everyone taking these courses is encouraged but not required to purchase it. As you'd expect, it is intimately connected with the curriculum. It supports the classroom experience, and is a valuable reference for any audio professional. It is available at Parsons Audio.
- FX Strategies 1: Reverb -- Saturday, February 23
- FX Strategies 2: Delay -- Saturday, March 15
- FX Strategies 3: Compression and Gating -- Saturday, April 19
- FX Strategies 4: EQ and Distortion -- Saturday, May 3
Course Description -- FX Strategies 1: Reverb
The courses review the technologies behind the various FX devices. Alex will share a broad range of measurement data, and offer organization and insight into the creative, musical applications of each one. Strategies from the obvious to the not-so-obvious are discussed, demonstrated, and decoded. This course articulates a comprehensive set of strategies for fully leveraging these effects.
Course Description -- FX Strategies 3: Compression and Gating
Compression and Gating are not merely two effects — they are a vast range of effects possibilities. Through the obtuse parameters variously labeled attack, release, threshold, ratio, hold, range, and slope, engineers are expected to modify signals with results ranging from obvious, to subtle, to inaudible. This class defines strategies for the broad range of effects created by audio compressors and gates, as we use them to reduce/control dynamic range, increase perceived loudness, reduce noise, improve intelligibility and articulation, enhance audibility, reshape the amplitude envelope, overcome masking, add creative doses of distortion, and extract ambience, breaths, squeaks and rattles.
Through a discussion of the technologies involved, analysis of various signals before and after the effect, and frequent audio demonstrations, we learn strategies for compression, limiting, expansion and gating, finding a good starting place for all those adjustable parameters, and advancing our understanding of what to listen for and which way to tweak.
- Course Description — FX Strategies 4: EQ and Distortion
Equalization may be the most used effect of all. It is intuitive to apply, and the need for using it presents itself constantly, track by track, mix by mix. Make more effective use of EQ by:
- understanding the parameters, types and technologies employed
- deepening your understanding of the spectral content of instruments found in pop and rock arrangements
- developing a routine for setting up the equalizer in a crowded mix
- defining specific strategies to fix problems, enhance features, fit tracks together, and more
Distortion completes this discussion of spectral management. The harmonics created when devices are overdriven, purposely or accidentally, offer the engineer further ways to manipulate the frequency content of the signals they are working with.
Used together, equalization and compression enable the engineer to fine tune the color of their sounds; taken to acceptable extremes, EQ and distortion are used to enhance, exaggerate and even synthesize wholly new timbres.
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FX1: Time-Based Effects - The Technical Low Down and the Practical Know How So You Can Get Creative Right Now
[NOTE: This course was given in 2007. It was a precursor to the four courses above.]
The first of a two-part series of courses on Recording Studio Effects. If the recording studio is to become a musical instrument, then learning to play effects is one of the most important skills a recordist must posses. The technical detail, the musical value, the cliché applications, and the creative possibilities are discussed through a structured series of multimedia lectures. The families of effects which manipulate time are covered in detail in FX1.
Week One: Signal Flow and Perception
Making effects happen, from DAWs to analog consoles. Key properties of the human perception of sound and masking. Psychoacoustics informs all of our effects strategies.
Week Two: Delay
Delay, so simple in concept, is the basis for many workhorse effects in music production: Flanging, Chorus, and Echo are families of effects whose technical basis is elegant, and whose creative potential knows no bounds.
Week Three: Reverb
The most important time-based effect in the recording studio, reverb comes in many flavors, and serves many purposes. Space and ambience are obvious goals. Non-spatial motivations include timbre, texture, and a strong desire to synthesize new sounds entirely.
Week Four: Pitch Shift
The time axis of the waveform can be manipulated to alter pitch. The results range from obvious to invisible, serving production needs ranging from intuitive to unexpected.
Week Five: Advanced Reverb and Delay
Advanced techniques for reverb and other effects built on delay lines finishes this series of lectures.
- Taught by Alex Case
- Class: five 3-hour classes (15 class hours)
- Dates & times: Not being offered; replaced, for now, by the series of four FX courses, described above.
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: none
- Text book: "Sound FX - Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects", to be published by Focal Press in April 2007. Written by Alex Case. This book suits the course perfectly; will also serve as a handy reference for you in your work thereafter. Since it won't be published until April, Alex will bring many handouts to class.
- Snacks: provided
- Tuition: $645
FX2: Amplitude-Based Effects - The Technical Low Down and the Practical Know How So You Can Get Creative Right Now
The second of a two-part series of courses on Recording Studio Effects. If the recording studio is to become a musical instrument, then learning to play effects is one of the most important skills a recordist must posses. The technical detail, the musical value, the cliché applications, and the creative possibilities are discussed through a structured series of multimedia lectures. All-important amplitude-centric effects are the focus in FX2.
Week One: EQ
Easily the most commonly used effect -- by engineers at all levels. A strategy is developed to bring some order to the infinite range of possibilities EQ offers.
Week Two: Compression
The most misunderstood effect in the control room, compression is so intriguing it seems to call out to all engineers, begging for attention. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly are discussed in detail, demystifying compression, so that we may use it creatively, intuitively and confidently.
Week Three: Expansion/Gating
This cousin of compression offers similar opportunities for achieving terrific musicality, while many possible points of confusion lurk just below the surface. It too benefits from a systematic discussion and analysis of its production capabilities.
Week Four: Volume
While more elaborate effects families can distract an engineer, the humble level control is itself one of the most important effects devices an engineer uses. Dos and don'ts are inventoried so that an engineer can better leverage faders, pan pots and mute buttons.
Week Five: Distortion
It comes in many flavors, each offering its own sonic signature that can be matched to source signals strategically and creatively. And it's not just for electric guitars.
- Taught by Alex Case
- Class: five 3-hour classes (15 class hours)
- Dates & times: Not being offered; replaced, for now, by the series of four FX courses, described above.
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: FX1 recommended
- Text book: "Sound FX - Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects", to be published by Focal Press in April 2007. Written by Alex Case. This book suits the course perfectly; will also serve as a handy reference for you in your work thereafter. Since it won't be published until April, Alex will bring many handouts to class.
- Snacks: provided
- Tuition: $645
Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Seminar
David Moulton’s Golden Ears Audio Ear Training has helped thousands of professionals to more fully appreciate and understand audio. It explores the power and subtlety of sound. It makes a great refresher for experienced audio professionals, and an inspiring beginning for newcomers. It is for everyone who listens.
During the three-hour Golden Ears class, you will experience Dave’s inimitable introduction to systematically developing your hearing. You will learn to accurately distinguish frequency bands, loudness, spectrum, EQ, reverb, and other audio phenomena. Using his renowned Golden Ears CD set, Dave will take you through the listening drills, teaching you how they work and what they accomplish. The course will improve your ability to make or evaluate recordings, or to do sound reinforcement or other audio work. The Center offers the CDs for sale to participants, a$50 of the tuition towards purchase.
Golden Ears Audio Ear Training has been taken by everyone from established professionals (i.e., NPR, WGBH, Harvard, Boston University, Bose Corp., the US Air Force, hundreds of studio engineers and producers, etc.) to relative beginners, including students at Berklee, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, the University of Maine, Emerson College, Full Sail, the Hartt School of Music, and elsewhere.
It is an excellent introduction to the curriculum of the Center for Audio Studies; it gives a good taste of what the other courses at the Center offer.
- Taught by David Moulton
- Class: one 3-hour seminar
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: an interest in audio recording
- Tuition: $125
- Special Discount: $50 off Golden Ears CD purchase
Introduction to Entertainment Law
This is an introductory course. It won't make you a lawyer (Tom Bates, the instructor, isn't one), but it will give you enough understanding for you to have an intelligent discussion about various issues in entertainment law as they will affect your professional work. You'll learn what a producer or engineer should know, including several "gotchas" commonly in contracts. He will pick contracts in several areas of entertainment law, from among the following: recording contracts, distribution contracts, publishing and sub-publishing, synchronization licenses, Internet distribution issues, ring tones and other cell phone download issues, and more. Tom will dissect each, to discern their true meaning, and to assess the impact they might have on your work.
Tom has successfully negotiated and written contracts for 30 years, and has stayed current with the hot button issues of entertainment law. He has always represented himself rather than hire a lawyer, and has never had cause to regret that. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. The class will be six hours long, plus an hour break for lunch.
- Taught by Tom Bates
- Class: six class hours plus lunch hour (one day)
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: none
- Lunch provided
- Tuition: $345 (lunch included)
Listening Master Class
This offering is an intense one-session seminar for people actively engaged in audio production. Each participant will bring in one recording they really like and one they don't much like (or even detest!), and should be prepared to informally present and discuss their choices. Each participant may also bring in a recording he or she is working on, for critical listening analysis and discussion.
Recordings will be electronically and acoustically measured as well as listened to, and there will be detailed discussions of the broad range of technical, acoustic and aesthetic issues pertaining to listening and evaluating recordings in a professional listening context.
This course is open to anyone, but is an excellent continuation of prior listening study with Dave Moulton -- in his Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Seminars, his Critical Listening courses, his informal listening sessions, etc.
Most or all of the listening at David's studio, Moulton Laboratories, will be done using state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 loudspeakers, which he co-created.
If you have questions, please contact the Parsons staff, or Dave directly at dmoulton.ma.ultranet@rcn.com or 978/448-6828.
Taught by David Moulton
Classes: one 3-hour class
Date & time: 1-4PM, Saturday, March 26
Class size: a maximum of six participants
Prerequisites: none
Location: Moulton Laboratories (Groton, MA)
Coffee & snacks provided
Tuition: $125
Listening with Dave (with David Moulton)
Your work (and/or pleasure) probably involves listening. If so, this free session may interest you.
At $19,000 a pair, most of us can't afford to own Bang & Olufsen's wonderful BeoLab 5 loudspeakers. But we _can_ afford to listen to them. We'd like to give you that opportunity. When we did that at our recent Expo, people packed the listening room. So, we've decided that every few months we'll hold a free event that we're calling "Listening with Dave Moulton." You are invited to attend. The session locations will alternate between our Demonstration Room, which has a pair of BeoLab 5s (plenty for a good time!) and a pair of BeoLab 3s (also a BeoLab 2), and Moulton Laboratories, Dave's state-of-the-art, surround sound studio in Groton, with five BeoLab 5s, as well as BL3s.
Bring a recording that you care about, that you'd like to hear through superb loudspeakers. Unless you're used to listening to speakers of the BeoLabs' quality (there aren't many), you'll find listening to them a revelation. We'll play the material that you and other participants bring. Then, with Dave's guidance, we'll talk about it. Topics may include the production and engineering of the recording, monitor speaker design and use, studio acoustics, and others.
Occasionally we'll switch to other speakers, including BeoLab 3s ($3,000 a pair), in order to hear the same material through high quality smaller monitor speakers, which serve a different purpose in the studio. BeoLab 3's, by the way, do an excellent job of scaling down some of the BL5's most attractive qualities.
Dave, you may know, is creator of the industry-standard Golden Ears audio ear training CDs. He is also a highly experienced audio engineer, acoustician, and loudspeaker designer, among other accomplishments. He is co-creator of B&O's BeoLab 3 and top-of-the-line BeoLab 5. He is not a salesperson, however. These sessions will not be sales pitches. They're better than that: They're for listening to recordings, perhaps listening better than you've ever listened before. Many people, including renowned engineers, have described hearing their work through BL5s in that way. "Life-defining", one well-known, LA-based multi-Grammy-winning producer/engineer said. And the sessions are for learning about listening, both by doing and by discussing. Listening with Dave Moulton is always enjoyable and informative.
These sessions aren't about you buying BeoLabs. That said, you don't have to not buy the things. We don't not sell them, and maybe you could put some to good use. In fact, if you can afford them, and if you're in the market for new speakers, you may owe it to yourself and your clients to give them a listen. They're very special. (Right? You tell us.) That's up to you. You can do that at the Listening with David Moulton sessions, or by making an appointment with us for another time. The BL5 and BL3, as well as the BL2 subwoofer, are on display in our Demonstration Room.
By the way, don't confuse Listening with David Moulton with the Critical Listening courses that Dave teaches at our Center for Audio Studies. "Listening" is sure to get into some of the same content, but is more informal and less instructional.
Listening with David Moulton is free of charge. We'll provide snacks. For the sake of optimum listening for everyone, we're limiting attendance to twelve people, so please do RSVP.
- Taught by David Moulton
- Session: one 2-hour session
- Dates & times: See Schedule, above.
- Class size: a maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: none
- Location: Moulton Laboratories (Groton, MA)
- Tuition: none; it's free of charge.
Microphones & Mike Technique
Tom Bates' remarkable course in Microphones and Mike Techniques has proved to be an instant classic, one of the jewels of the Center's curriculum. The response of its students -- audio professionals of every description and level -- has been loud and clear. They enthusiastically praise, among other things, the quality and quantity of the course's content, and the generosity and clarity of Tom's presentation. They also say how much they enjoyed their dialogs with Tom and with each other. (There's a spirit of collegiality in all the Center's courses. A significant virtue.)
Dave Moulton says this of the course: "This may be the best course in the world about using microphones. Tom's approach, which is to go into a good studio with good players, mike them, and closely monitor the results, is obviously the best way to do it. But nobody else does that. No college can afford to. Tom does it to perfection. For learning about mikes, it doesn't get any better than this."
No one who knows Tom, his experience as a recording engineer (which the eight Grammies only begin to describe), and his gifts as a communicator, can be surprised by any of that praise. The course is special.
COURSE DESCRIPTION for 2005
There will be five class meetings at John Weston's fantastic recording studio, Futura Productions, in Roslindale. The unique acoustics of this studio make it an ideal venue for this course. The site for the course's extra session/field trip has yet to be determined, but one likely location is a conceert hall, the Warner Theater, in Torrington, Connecticut.
The course will explore choosing and placing microphones in a manner that captures acoustic instruments in a compelling and flattering way. There will be much discussion of mic choices and the qualities of microphones. Tom is a master of the subject.
The focus of the five classes will be, respectively:
- an introduction to mic techniques, and a general approach to placing close mics for multitrack recording;
- recording pianos;
- recording drums;
- recording male and female vocals;
- recording ensembles, using the various known stereo techniques utilizing two and three mics. The class will construct and record using all of them, and will develop a strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Tom will bring in guest performers for classes 2 through 4. He often advises that a key to successful recording is to work with the best performing artists you can. For these classes he enlists excellent ones. The pianist last year, for instance, and again this year, is Tim Ray. Tim has been Lyle Lovett's pianist for fifteen years. He has played extensively with Bonnie Raitt, Soul Asylum, Victoria Williams, Jane Siberry, Scott Hamilton, Oliver Lake, John Abercrombie, Duke Robillard, and other leading singers and players. He has performed often on "The Tonight Show," "Late Night with David Letterman," and other broadcasts. Miking artists like that is inspiring as well as instructive!
After the first five classes, there will be a special field trip and project. Their content will be determined during the first class, in consultation with class participants. One possible choice, like last year's recording session at Tanglewood, would involve conducting a recording session that applies the stereo mic techniques you have learned during the course. That would be followed a few days later by a listening session and party at Dave Moulton's studio in Groton.
Another opportunity would grapple with an interesting and unusual live sound conundrum. A professional orchestra and full choir (the same group the class recorded at Tanglewood last year) will be miked and amplified to the public during a concert. The performance will take place in a rather dry, sonically unattractive, concert hall. (It would otherwise take place again at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, but that hall is undergoing renovations.) The first of two extra sessions would be a planning session. Utilizing multiple mics and surround sound multi-speaker distribution, the class will design a miking and sound reinforcement system that mimics a flattering concert hall environment for the audience. The project will require fresh thinking about microphone choice and placement, creatively balancing the sonic desire for more distant mic placement, for the acoustic orchestral instruments and voices, with the need for closer positioning, for effective control of live sound. It will use surround speakers, both front and rear, to create an appropriate acoustic environment for the audience. Class members will then attend the concert itself, to assess the effectiveness of their design.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?
Whatever your level and prior experience, you'll find the Microphones & Mike Technique course illuminating and stimulating. It will enhance your listening skills and improve your appreciation and understanding of this complex discipline.
We suggest that you take the course if:
- you work with and/or love audio that passes through microphones, either as recording or as live performance;
- you can take the time (e.g., the five Thursday evenings, plus the special sessions) and pay the tuition.
As simple as that! If you have questions, feel free to contact the Parsons staff, or to contact Tom himself at tom@bates.net. His phone number is 978/448-9259, which you are welcome to call. He is away a lot, however, often in Europe, working on CD projects, so it's probably best to connect with him via e-mail first, in order to arrange a time for a phone call.
Taught by Tom Bates
Classes: five 3-hour classes, plus the additional live sound class and concert
Dates & times: see Schedule, above
Class size: a maximum of twelve participants
Prerequisites: none, except some knowledge of recording processes
Locations: Futura Productions (Roslindale, MA), and (the concert) the Warner Theater in Torrington, CT
Coffee & snacks provided
Tuition: $945, including studio use and performer fees; 10% less for prior participants in multi- session courses
Mixing (+Mastering) with Tom Bates
Tom will bring in tracks from projects he has produced, and mix them live in front of the class. There will be tracks from a variety of genres, including pop/rock, classical, blues, world music, and jazz. At each step of the mixing process, he will describe what he is doing and why he is doing it. There will be a brief visit to the subject of mastering, for engineers who are sometimes required to master their own projects. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.
This course is multi-level, most appropriate for beginning to intermediate-level mixers. The class will be six hours long, plus an hour break for lunch.
- Taught by Tom Bates
- Class: six class hours plus lunch hour (one day)
- Dates & times: Saturday, January 13, 2007, 10AM-5PM
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: none
- Lunch provided
- Tuition: $345 (lunch included)
Mixing Master Class
This course will be conducted in master class format. The students will bring in a project they are working on, or one they wish to review, and will mix a portion during the class. The instructor and other attendees will critique the work and offer solutions to problems, as appropriate. We will spend several hours on each participant's work. To be admitted into the class, applicants must consult with the Instructor (juried admission). Tracks must be available in a format used in the classroom, or be available for conversion in advance. Auditors will be able to listen in, and to talk with the Instructor during breaks and before and after class.
- Taught by Tom Bates
- Classes: TBD
- Dates & times: TBD
- Class size: maximum of six full participants, plus some auditors (non-hands-on)
- Prerequisites: permission of the Instructor (juried admission) and Principles of Audio, or equivalent; approxiimately five years of professional mixing experience needed
- Location: Moulton Labs (Groton, MA)
- Coffee & snacks provided
- Tuition: $645 + studio use fee; $250 for auditors; 10% less for prior participants in multi-session Center courses
The MIXING SUMMIT
- DATES: Friday through Sunday, August 1-3 (27 class hours);
- TAUGHT BY the entire Center for Audio Studies faculty: Tom Bates, Alex Case, Brian Doser, Dave Franz, and Dave Moulton;
- LOCATION: Moulton Laboratories, Dave Moulton's state-of-the-art, surround sound studio in Groton, MA;
- CLASS SIZE: Enrollment is limited to twelve participants.
- PREREQUISITES: The Summit is intended for professionals with at least intermediate-level skills and knowledge. Please see TO APPLY, below.
- LODGING: For out-of-town participants, hotels are available nearby. Please ask the Parsons staff.
- TUITION: $1595 (that's less than $60/class hour) includes handouts and all food (light breakfast and lunch all days; dinner on Friday and Saturday) as well as drinks and snacks. A $400 deposit is required, refundable until a month in advance (July 1). Balance due on July 1. In the event of cancellation (i.e., due to under-enrollment), the cancellation will take place by mid-July, and your deposit will be refunded to you in full.
TO APPLY to participate in the Mixing Summit, or to ask about it, please contact the Parsons Audio staff: Lenore Fauliso (781/431-8708, x14; lenore@paudio.com) or Christopher Stabach (781/431-8708, x18; christopher@paudio.com).
The Summit is intended for intermediate to advanced audio professionals. To enable us to match the program with the participants most likely to benefit, please write a little about your professional experience, audio experience, and desires and expectations:
- How many years have you been involved in audio?
- How would you describe your audio capabilities? Are you an advanced user, looking to learn more? An intermediate user, looking to take the next step? A relative beginner, but very motivated and a fast learner, able to keep up with some advanced study?
- What has been the nature of your audio education? How much schooling? And how much direct experience?
- What do you most want to gain by attending the Mix Summit?
- If you'd like to include a resumé or discography, feel free, but it's not necessary.
INTRODUCTION
Would you like to go to "summer camp" to learn about mixing your recordings? In a nice relaxed, user-friendly atmosphere? With some great audio professionals? Small seminars during the day, some hands-on tutorials, and then hanging out with everybody and listening in the evenings? Maybe some marshmallows around the fire? Some swimming and barbecues to fill it all out?
The Parsons Center for Audio Studies has come up with just that! For a long summer weekend, the entire PCAS faculty -- Tom Bates, Alex Case, Brian Doser, Dave Franz, and Dave Moulton -- will convene at Dave’s beautiful country studio and dig into that most important subject. There will be 27 hours of class/seminar time, spread over three intensive but relaxed days (Friday through Sunday, August 1-3).
The studio is one of the best listening rooms anywhere. It includes five Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 loudspeakers and a full Pro Tools system. Class size will be small: enrollment is limited to twelve participants. That's a 12:5 participant-to-faculty ratio. You'll be with a small group of colleagues, surrounded by expert instructors.
Lunch, dinner, beverages and snacks will be provided throughout. And there will indeed be marshmallows around the fire, lounging by and/or in the pool, walks in the meadows, as well as awesome listening and just plain hanging out with some of the best professionals in the business. Oh yes, and you even get a certificate at the end!
CURRICULUM
1. A thorough course of study focused on mixing. See the SCHEDULE & DESCRIPTION below. Every engineer approaches mixing differently, but certain lessons apply. Each faculty member at the Summit is a highly experienced mixing engineer, and a veteran teacher long devoted to helping other professionals to learn. They will show you many approaches, hands-on. Please see their individual bios at the Parsons web site (http://www.paudio.com/Pages/learning_Pars_Ctr_Faculty.html).
2. Through the weekend, there will be a series of brief Golden Ears Audio Ear Training Sessions, with Dave Moulton. A true tune-up for your listening skills. The Golden Ears series is the established industry-standard for audio ear training. Dave is the series' creator.
3. Private, hands-on Pro Tools tutorials, customized to suit your interests and needs, taught by our Pro Tools experts, Brian Doser and Dave Franz. If you're a Pro Tools user, we strongly recommend that you take advantage of these one-on-one sessions with two leading Pro Tools experts. This is a chance for you to upgrade your skills. You can request the time you'd like (see details below).
4. Q&A and Open Discussion sessions, as well as lots of learning that will take place informally, during the evening listening sessions and during meals, breaks, etc.
SCHEDULE & DESCRIPTION
There will be long formal sessions each of the three days. On Friday and Saturday there will also be short evening sessions. The Pro Tools tutorials will be available at various times through the weekend.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 830AM - 10PM
830am: Light Breakfast -- coffee, tea, juice, bagels, muffins, etc.
930am: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session, with Dave Moulton
10:00am: Introduction to the Summit, and Monitoring for Mixing, with Dave Moulton. Dave will present the nuts and bolts of the mixing environment, with focus on monitoring. Practical aspects of setting up your control room: what you need and what you don't. The "monitoring problem." The importance of sum and difference. Perception of stereo -- and, if there's time -- of surround. Among his other accomplishments, Dave is a Grammy-nominated engineer. See his bio elsewhere at the Parsons web site.
1115am: Break
1130am: Monitoring for Mixing, with Dave Moulton, continued
1245pm: Lunch
130pm: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session
145pm: The Mixing Engineer's Perspective, with Alex Case. The needs and priorities of the mixing engineer. The importance of the mental preparation process, to help the engineer maintain focus and keep creative juices flowing. Laying out a mix. Getting the technical things right: pre-patching, laying out FX, the question of starting with drums, etc. Perception, masking and mix strategies for balance, panning, EQ, compression, reverb, etc. Alex is a noted recording engineer, acoustician, author (of a definitive book about FX), lecturer, and teacher. See his bio elsewhere at the Parsons web site.
300pm: Break
315pm: The Mixing Engineer's Perspective, continued, with Alex Case
430pm: Q&A, with the faculty
500pm: Dinner & Relaxation
645pm: Golden Ears session
700pm: Mixing Panel Discussion about ambience and reverb. Alex Case, Moderator. The studio at Moulton Labs, site of the Summit, is a great resource for this discussion. It's a unique instructional platform. In addition to a full Pro Tools system and state-of-the-art monitoring in stereo and surround, it includes the Lexicon 960, convolution reverbs, assorted Pro Tools plug-ins, and more. The discussion and presentations will consolidate and integrate much of the material that the Summit is covering. In focusing on ambience and reverb, the discussion and demonstrations will get into using reverb not only to simulate spaces and ambience but also other uses. An example: using plate and spring reverb to add texture, timbre, etc.
800pm: Open Discussion, with the faculty
830pm: Fun Listening, until 10pm. Participants are encouraged to bring CDs to check out and discuss, including the good, bad, and the ugly -- sonics that you love and sonics that you don't love. Include some of your own mixes. The group will share constructive insights and reactions.
1000pm: Wrap
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 830AM - 10PM
830am: Light Breakfast
930am: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session
1000am: Mixing, with Tom Bates. A thorough presentation by a gifted teacher, on the nitty gritty of mixing. Setting the soundstage. Working in the soundstage. Setting EQ, compression, etc. Tom will show examples from his long experience at the top of the mixing engineer's profession. Using those projects, he will ask attendees to be the mixers (verbally, telling him what to do). In the process, he'll show how an accomplished mixer works. As an engineer, Tom has won eight Grammies and a number of Emmies. He has engineered the audio for Academy-Award-winning films, and been audio director for a number of top television shows, including Saturday Night Live, Live at the Met, and Live at Lincoln Center. He knows his stuff! See his bio elsewhere at the Parsons web site.
1115am: Break
1130am: Mixing, with Tom Bates, continued
1245pm: Lunch
130pm: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session
145pm: Mixing, with Dave Franz, with emphasis on using Pro Tools. Dave will bring examples of various ways of mixing with Pro Tools. His presentation will feature a rock session. There'll be sound replacement of some of the drums, layering of synths under guitar and bass lines, different approaches to signal routing, dealing with multiple mics (on amplifiers), and more. These days, an increasing number of projects, including many of the most successful, are mixed in Pro Tools. And a remarkable set of tools they are. Dave Franz has mastered them. He is a regularly performing musician, producer, and engineer; a long-time Digidesign-certified teacher of Pro Tools (at PCAS and Berklee.com); as well as author of a definitive instructional book about Pro Tools, now in its third edition. See his bio elsewhere at the Parsons web site.
300pm: Break
315pm: Mixing, with Brian Doser, with emphasis on using Pro Tools. Brian will bring examples of projects that further illustrate the breadth and depth of Pro Tools as a mixing system. He will get into audio post, using a recording he has made of a live concert with video (a four-camera shoot). He'll get into such Pro Tools features as region groups, and working with an Edit Decision List. With another project, he'll illuminate some newer Pro Tools features, involving subgrouping, etc. One important topic will be latency correction and delay compensation. Brian, like Dave Franz, is an experienced musician, engineer, producer, and Digidesign-certified teacher. For many years he was Digidesign's Northeast Product Specialist. He is thoroughly up-to-date about Pro Tools and associated hardware and software, and has had his hands on all of it. See his bio elsewhere at the Parsons web site.
430pm: Q&A, with the faculty
500pm: Dinner & Relaxation
645pm: Golden Ears session
700pm: Panel Discussion about issues concerning levels: mixing levels, monitoring levels, loudness, listener fatigue, etc. There are different ways of handling them. What are the options? With the faculty. Dave Moulton, Moderator.
800pm: Open Discussion, with all faculty
830pm: Fun Listening, until 10pm. Participants are encouraged to bring CDs to check out and discuss, including the good, bad, and the ugly -- sonics that you love and sonics that you don't love. Include some of your own mixes. The group will share constructive insights and reactions.
1000pm: Wrap
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 830AM - 5PM
830am: Light Breakfast
930am: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session
1000am: The Summit of the Summit. An all-day seminar and tutorial, with the entire faculty. Tom Bates and Alex Case will be co-leaders, with Dave Moulton serving as Moderator. This will be the culmination of the weekend. Its objective will be to solidify participants' appreciation and understanding of the mixer's art. Among other topics we'll get into:
- using vocals as the starting point for the entire mix;
- applications of masking to mixing: applying masking to compression, reverb, etc.;
- comping vocals; mix strategies for vocals. Where should vocals sit in the mix? Illustrated using familiar released recordings.
- listening to and deconstructing some familiar, iconic recordings, connecting what we hear to what we've been learning. There will be close listening to these mixes, with detailed analysis by attendees as well as faculty.
- listening to and working with tracks (Pro Tools sessions, etc.) brought by attendees and faculty.
1115am: Break
1130am: Summit of the Summit, continued
1245pm: Lunch
130pm: Golden Ears Audio Ear Training session
145pm: Summit of the Summit, continued
300pm: Break
315pm: Summit of the Summit, continued
430pm: Q&A, with all faculty
500pm: Wrap
PRO TOOLS TUTORIALS: REFRESHING & UPGRADING YOUR PRO TOOLS SKILLS
These fifty-minute, one-on-one Pro Tools tutorials are free of charge, included in the Summit. If you would like to sign up for one, please complete the following questionnaire and return it to us. Also, please select a time for your tutorial from the below schedule. Sign-up is first-come, first-served. The tutorials will take place in a separate room, using a complete Pro Tools system, projector, etc. As much as possible in choosing session times, we've avoided scheduling during the non-Pro-Tools instructional sessions. You might want to compare the tutorial times, below, with the above non-tutorial session schedule, and choose your preference. Please tell us your first and second choices of times. We'll do our best to accommodate you.
QUESTIONNAIRE (Please complete and return it to us.)
1. What kind of work do you do with Pro Tools?
2. What Pro Tools system do you own/use? Which software version?
3. What computer do you use with Pro Tools? What OS?
4. Would you like to bring your system with you, so you can learn on it directly, as well as on the PCAS system?
5. What Pro Tools skills and knowledge would you like to acquire from us?
TUTORIAL TIMES (Please tell us your first and second choices.):
FRIDAY
1130am - 1220pm
145 - 235pm
315 - 405pm
530 - 620pm
SATURDAY
845 - 935am
1000 - 1050am
1130am - 1220pm
145 - 235pm
315 - 405pm
530 - 620pm
SUNDAY
845 - 935am
1000 - 1050am
1130am - 1220pm
145 - 235pm
315 - 405pm
Again, TO APPLY to participate in the Mixing Summit, or to ask about it, please contact the Parsons Audio staff: Lenore Fauliso (781/431-8708, x14; lenore@paudio.com) or Christopher Stabach (781/431-8708, x18; christopher@paudio.com).
The Summit is intended for intermediate to advanced audio professionals. To enable us to match the program with the participants most likely to benefit, please write a little about your professional experience, audio experience, and desires and expectations:
- How many years have you been involved in audio?
- How would you describe your audio capabilities? Are you an advanced user, looking to learn more? An intermediate user, looking to take the next step? A relative beginner, but very motivated and a fast learner, able to keep up with some advanced study?
- What has been the nature of your audio education? How much schooling? And how much direct experience?
- What do you most want to gain by attending the Mix Summit?
- If you'd like to include a resumé or discography, feel free, but it's not necessary.
Practical Studio Acoustics
This is a four-hour overview of the issues involved in recording studio acoustics. The level is basic, oriented toward home studios and similar setups. We’ll cover how to approach control rooms and acoustic spaces, sound isolation, room treatments, air-conditioning, decay and reverb time -- what’s possible and what’s not. We'll try to remove as much myth as possible, and we'll advise participants about how to develop their spaces.
If you want to get a quick introduction and fact-check about studio design concerns, this is an excellent and economical way to start. There will be handouts and a substantial array of support materials.
Taught by David Moulton
Classes: one 4-hour class
Date & times: 12:30-4:30PM, Saturdays, as on Schedule, above
Class size: from four to eight participants
Prerequisites: none
Locations: David Moulton's studio at Moulton Laboratories, in Groton (MA)
Snacks provided
Tuition: $165
Principles of Audio for Professionals
Principles of Audio for Professionals is a course for individuals who have some experience but limited formal background in audio. It will cover the audio signal and its acoustical counterpart, concepts of studio signal flow and organization, principles of level management, and a review of the basic hardware, including consoles, recorders, DAWs, mics and speakers and, of course, signal processing gear. The principles of audio production will also be covered.
David Moulton, who teaches the course, has taught the subject for years. He has written about it in numerous magazines (Recording, TV Technology, etc.), and recently published a comprehensive textbook, Total Recording—an invaluable reference.
- Taught by David Moulton
- Class: six class hours plus lunch hour (one day)
- Dates & times: Saturday, January 27, 2007, 10AM-5PM
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Class size: maximum of twelve participants
- Prerequisites: none
- Lunch provided
- Tuition: $345 (lunch included)
David Moulton says of his Principles of Audio for Professionals course:
“It's a truism that the hardest courses to teach are the basic ones. But I get a lot of pleasure from trying to. I enthusiastically volunteer to teach such classes, and take great pleasure in watching light bulbs go on, new ideas take hold, and big steps in learning and understanding occur in the minds of my students. The fun of it is a big part of why I teach.
“Principles of Audio for Professionals is a basic course for people who already know quite a bit, but didn't get their information in an organized and systematic way. Most of us picked up audio on the fly, and we have numerous gaps in our understanding. Over and over, I run into people who wish to go back and fill in the gaps, not really sure what they are missing, but ABSOLUTELY SURE they don't have it all! If you're such a person, Principles of Audio for Professionals is designed for you.
“We'll start at the beginning, but we'll concentrate on filling in your gaps, building on what you already know, weeding out the misconceptions, clarifying some of the mythology, and giving you the stuff you need to really move ahead quickly in your work.
“As the course description says, we'll begin by considering basic audio, signal flow, and digital audio. Then we'll take up microphones and loudspeakers. You will learn A LOT! Then it's on to consoles, recorders, DAWs and the production process. After that, we'll deal with EQ, compression and reverb. Finally, we'll cover the basics of how to mix, how to edit and how to master stuff, as well as something even more important, how to think about it all!
“If you are a true beginner, with NO audio experience, you may be able to handle this just fine. But we should talk first, so I can get a sense of whether you can do this. Call me: 978/448-6828. If I think you can handle it, I'm willing to give it a really good shot if you are.“Thanks for listening. I hope to see you there!”
“Thanks for listening. I hope to see you there!”
Dave Moulton
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Principles of Mixing for Audio Professionals
This is a course in the basic techniques of mixing, for beginning to intermediate engineers. It is designed to aid those who are mixing but not getting the results they want, who might benefit from fresh ideas and different approaches.
The course will examine the building blocks of mixing, including:
1) Setting the sound stage, and the sonic implications of panning and of placing instruments at varying distances from the listener;
2) Consideration of the most productive approaches to getting desired results from EQ;
3) A comprehensive review of the uses of compression;
4) The finishing of a mix, using effects and reverb;
5) A section on surround mixing.
Among other topics: the fundamentals of treating individual instruments to integrate them into an ensemble, handling accumulating spectral density, and getting the most out of automation. The classes will include thorough discussion of ways to overcome common difficulties.
Participants will get the most out of the course if they are familiar with Pro Tools. Emphasis will be given to "mixing in the box."
Taught by David Moulton
Classes: five 3-hour classes
Dates & times: see Schedule, above
Class size: a maximum of twelve participants
Prerequisites: Principles of Audio or permission of the Instructor
Location: Parsons Audio and Moulton Laboratories (Groton, MA)
Coffee & snacks provided
Tuition: $645; 10% less for prior participants in multi- session Center courses
Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools
An Official Digidesign Pro Tools Course
Most of us who use Pro Tools pick it up on the fly. We mouse and click, learning our way. We fool with it, we record, we do production, etc., and may become quite proficient at it. Like Photoshop, Final Cut, and other software used by professionals, however, Pro Tools is not just another intuitive piece of software.You will benefit from studying it more carefully. And you will learn best live, in person, from a skilled teacher who can focus (often one-on-one) on what you know, how you learn, and what you want to accomplish. The Pro Tools courses at Parsons will expand your productivity and creativity, and enable you to bring more skill to your projects.
The classroom, Parsons Audio’s Demonstration Room, contains a complete Pro Tools system. (Parsons Audio is New England’s full-line Digidesign dealer.)
In Pro Tools 101 you will learn basic principles that you will need to understand to complete a Pro Tools project, from initial set up to final mixdown. Whether your project involves recording of live instruments, MIDI sequencing of software synthesizers, or audio looping, this course will give you the basic skills you'll need. You will learn hands-on, with plenty of opportunity for Q&A, and for one-on-one with David Franz, the instructor. You will share a Pro Tools LE system during class. (If you own a system, you're encouraged to use it, to increase your familiarity with it.) In addition to the official curriculum, David will enhance the course with other material, especially any topics that particularly interest you. At the course's end, you will receive a PCAS Certificate of Completion. An official Pro Tools Course, Pro Tools 101 is the first step on the course track toward acquiring Digidesign Pro Tools Certification.
Topics:
- Getting to know Pro Tools
- Getting inside Pro Tools
- Creating your first session
- Making your first audio recording
- Importing media
- Making your first MIDI recording
- Selecting and navigating
- Basic editing techniques
- Introduction to mixing
- Finishing your work
Software Configuration:
- Pro Tools LE 7 or Pro Tools M-Powered 7
- EQ III
- Dynamics III
- Xpand!
System Configurations:
- MBox 2
- 002 rack
- 002
- MBox
- Pro Tools|HD
- Compatible M-Audio Hardware
- Taught by David Franz
- Classes: four 4-hour classes (16 class hours)
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Prerequisites: familiarity with basic computer skills and concepts; some audio recording knowledge, such as basic understanding of recording techniques, processes, and equipment
- Class size: maximum of eight participants
- Courseware, including Digidesign's 300+-page Pro Tools 101 text book (which is useful for your future reference), and snacks provided.
- Tuition: $695
Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools (Accelerated Version)
An Official Digidesign Pro Tools Course
Are you interested in getting the Pro Tools 101 Certificate but don't want to -- or have time to -- take five nights of classes? Do you use Pro Tools at your job and wish your resumé had the extra punch that more knowledge would give you? PCAS is offering a 2-day, 16-hour, intensive Pro Tools 101 for people who have some experience using Pro Tools. It will allow you to advance quickly to the Pro Tools 110 level (see course description below) and beyond, towards Pro Tools Certification. The course will use the Pro Tools 101 textbook, which we'll provide to each participant. The course's topics, software configuration, and system configurations will be the same as non-accelerated Pro Tools 101. (See the course description above). At the end of the second, final class, everyone will take the certificate test.
- Taught by Brian Doser
- Classes: two 9-hour classes (16 class hours, plus lunch hours)
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor is required. Also: familiarity with basic computer skills and concepts; some audio recording knowledge, such as basic understanding of recording techniques, processes, and equipment.
- Class size: maximum of eight participants
- Courseware, including Digidesign's 300+-page Pro Tools 101 text book (which is useful for your future reference), and snacks provided.
- Tuition: $695
Pro Tools 110: Essentials of Pro Tools
An Official Digidesign Pro Tools Course
Most of us who use Pro Tools pick it up on the fly. We mouse and click, learning our way. We fool with it, we record, we do production, etc., and may become quite proficient at it. Like Photoshop, Final Cut, and other software used by professionals, however, Pro Tools is not just another intuitive piece of software.You will benefit from studying it more carefully. And you will learn best live, in person, from a skilled teacher who can focus (often one-on-one) on what you know, how you learn, and what you want to accomplish. The Pro Tools courses at Parsons will expand your productivity and creativity, and enable you to bring more skill to your projects.
The classroom, Parsons Audio’s Demonstration Room, contains a complete Pro Tools system. (Parsons Audio is New England’s full-line Digidesign dealer.)
In Pro Tools 110, you will get a more detailed look at the Pro Tools system. It covers all the key concepts and skills needed to operate a Pro Tools system. You will learn hands-on, with plenty of opportunity for Q&A, and for one-on-one with Brian Doser, the instructor.You will share a Pro Tools LE system during class. (If you own a system, you're encouraged to use it, to increase your familiarity with it.) In addition to the official curriculum, Brian will enhance the course with other material, especially any topics that particularly interest you. You will learn many skills, tips, and tricks that can't be learned any other way. An official Pro Tools Course, Pro Tools 101 is part of the course track toward acquiring Digidesign Pro Tools Certification. At the course's end, you will take the Pro Tools 110 exam, which you must pass in order to progress to the next level. You will also receive a PCAS Certificate of Completion. The course provides the foundation for the later 200-series Pro Tools Music Production and Post Production courses.
Topics:
- Getting started — Configuring your studio and session
- Controlling Pro Tools — What is an external controller?
- Managing sessions and tracks
- Recording MIDI and audio
- Loop recording and auditioning
- Understanding timescales
- Virtual instruments and plug-ins
- Editing MIDI
- Editing audio
- Understanding automation
- Mixing — Use of sends, returns, and plug-ins
Software Configuration:
- Pro Tools LE 7
- EQ III
- Dynamics III
- Xpand!
- Pro Tools Ignition Pack
- Music Production Toolkit
- DV Toolkit 2
- Synchronic
System Configurations:
- MBox2
- 002 rack
- 002
- MBox
- Pro Tools|HD
- Command 8
- M-Audio Trigger Finger
Prerequisites:
- Basic computer skills
- Some audio recording knowledge
- Some Pro Tools familiarity. Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools is intended as a prerequisite for taking the 110 course. Passing the 101 exam is required before taking the 110 exam.
- Taught by Brian Doser
- Classes: see Schedule, above
- Dates & times: see Schedule, above
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Prerequisites: basic computer skills; some audio recording knowledge; some Pro Tools familiarity. Pro Tools 101: Introduction to Pro Tools is intended as a prerequisite for taking the 110 course.
- Class size: maximum of eight participants
- Courseware, including Digidesign's 300+-page Pro Tools 110 text book (which is useful for your future reference), and snacks provided.
- Tuition: $925
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ABOUT PRO TOOLS CERTIFICATION
Digidesign has made PCAS an official Digidesign Sponsored School. Our Pro Tools 101 and 110 courses use Digidiesign's Pro Tools curriculum. They can prepare you for official Pro Tools certification. PCAS's Pro Tools 101 and Pro Tools 110 are the first two steps on the Pro Tools certification track. We plan to offer the more advanced courses in the future.
Information about certification is available from our staff; also at Digidesign's web site, http://www.digidesign.com. In brief, the official courses prepare you for any of four official Pro Tools certifications, at two levels: Pro Tools Operator|Music, Pro Tools Operator|Post, Pro Tools Expert|Music, and/or Pro Tools Expert|Post. Given the dominance of Pro Tools these days, such credentials can be important, a highlight on your resumé. Pro Tools operators who pass the certification exams receive a certificate from Digidesign, a free Premium listing on Digidesign's Audio Pages Directory, and more.
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Pro Tools: Mastering with Your Pro Tools System
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- Many Pro Tools users want to do some mastering with their system. Almost none know how. Mastering is one of the most sophisticated, important, and least understood of audio crafts. It is the final creative step in the record-making process, resulting in an equalized, leveled, and sequenced master that is ready for replication. There is no substitute for using a professional mastering studio and an experienced mastering engineer. There are times, however, in project studios and elsewhere, when that is not an option. Pro Tools users may choose to master on their own. With care and the right knowledge, they can do a respectable job. If you may be doing your own mastering with Pro Tools, this course is designed for you. It will explore mastering techniques using the Pro Tools system, and will show you how to get the most out of your music. Students will be asked to bring two stereo tracks (on CD) that they will import into Pro Tools and then master.
- The course's teachers (not one, but two!), Scott Elson and David Franz, know mastering well. Scott, for instance, worked at Gateway Mastering & DVD from 2001 until 2006. Gateway, founded by legendary mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, is one of the world's leading mastering facilities. His work there was impressive, including assisting on mastering sessions with major artists, and doing mastering projects of his own.
The classroom, Parsons Audio’s Demonstration Room, contains a complete Pro Tools system. (Parsons Audio is New England’s full-line Digidesign dealer.)
- Taught by David Franz and Scott Elson
- Classes: two 4-hour classes (8 class hours)
- Dates & times: 6:30-10:30PM (8 hours total), dates TBD
- Location: Parsons Audio
- Prerequisites: Pro Tools 101, 110, or permission of Instructor
- Class size: maximum of eight participants
- Snacks and courseware provided
- Tuition: $395
Pro Tools: Advanced (two courses)
• Music Creation & Production
• Production for Video, Film, Radio & TV
The Center for Audio Studies offers these courses for advanced Pro Tools users. (Add to them, if you wish, the seminar in Pro Tools Troubleshooting & Maintenance.)
No matter how advanced a Pro Tools user you are, you probably have limitations that you would like to surpass. Pro Tools is a powerful system, capable of a vast array of tasks, in all kinds of recording, production, and broadcast settings. Whatever your level of skill, you, your clients, and your business will benefit if you improve it.
With the help of Brian Doser, the Center’s advanced instructor, you will learn advanced operational skills, including tips, shortcuts, workarounds, and other ingenious ways—many undocumented—of applying the system. They will enable you to be more productive and creative in your work. And they’ll allow you to take on new kinds of projects, to expand into new markets.
In the course of acquiring new understanding and skills, you will also get an up-to-date and in-depth look at the ever-expanding Pro Tools family of hardware—controllers, input and output devices, interfaces, etc.—and software.
The classroom, Parsons Audio’s Demonstration Room, contains a complete Pro Tools system. (Parsons Audio is New England’s full-line Digidesign dealer.)
Taught by Brian Doser
Classes: five 3-hour classes or four 4-hour classes
Dates & times: see Schedule, above
Prerequisites: permission of the Instructor
Class size: Enrollment is limited to twelve students; minimum is four.
Location: Parsons Audio’s Demonstration Room
Coffee & snacks provided
Tuition: $645; 10% less for prior participants in multi-session courses
Pro Tools: Mastering with Pro Tools
Mastering is one of the most sophisticated of audio crafts. There's no substitute for taking your projects to skilled mastering facilities -- partly for the facility, and very much so that you can take advantage of the skills of a professional mastering engineer. Nonetheless, Pro Tools users can learn do highly respectable mastering. Brian Dose |
