Program: Recording Connection for Logic Pro Electronic Music Production

How did we get to where we are as electronic producers and performers? From composers of avant-garde noise music to modern DJs and producers of new media, technology in music is ubiquitous. As we begin our own odyssey, we’ll take a trip through time and see how electronics have shaped the music of our lives, spawned new methods of sonic exploration and transformed the notion of what it means to be a musician. As many... Read more

Embark on a journey with audio as it travels from a speaker, through the air, and into our ears. Examine the true characteristics of sound as they exist in their environment, as well as their physical and emotional interactions with humans. Harnessing sound and acoustical energy is a lifelong journey. One-on-one with your mentor, you’ll sharpen your sonic awareness as it relates to real-world recording sessions, inside a professional environment. Objectives What Is Sound? Waveform Characteristics Hearing Chapter Quiz Blog Entry ... Read more

In this lesson, we move forward on our journey through sound, examining the underlying principles of audio and signal flow in the electrical realm (analog) as well as inside the computer (digital). In today’s age, new tools and ideologies to music making are introduced every five minutes. Understanding the manipulation of audio as the tools evolve over time is a trait shared by the most successful in this industry. With theses guiding principles in mind,... Read more

Welcome to Logic Pro X, the standard for electronic music production. We’ll get you up to speed with your new instrument, which happens to be the most powerful DAW on the planet. At the Recording Connection, tutors are standing by to assist with your workflow, address specific issues, and show you all the ways in which you might customize your Logic environment as well as your home studio to fit your needs as a producer.... Read more

In this chapter, we begin to pull apart the fundamental elements of music itself, such as rhythm, melody, harmony, texture and dynamics. Through our interactive curriculum and remote study sessions, we’ll introduce you to music theory from a producer’s perspective. Understanding a few of these rules can go a long way in learning how to break them in new, exciting ways! At the Recording Connection, you’ll exercise these concepts while producing a project of your... Read more

Building on our previous unearthing of the elements that make up a piece of music, we discuss the form and structure of these materials, and write some music, too! Through the exercises in our curriculum, the student learns how to use Logic as a rapid tool for writing, and begins to produce a 5-song EP, to be refined with each subsequent lesson in the curriculum. In addition to the lessons, you may take advantage of... Read more

MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, has been the default language of electronic musical instruments for over thirty years. As a production tool, one can use it to compose music without committing to the sound of the instrument, as MIDI is just simple set of messages (primarily notes). These messages, generated by hitting a drum pad or keyboard controller, are the DNA to your musical performance, and once fed into a computer, take on many... Read more

Discover a plethora of different methodologies for making sounds from scratch! Through careful examination of the building blocks of synthesis, we gain a deeper understanding of the complex sounds we hear on our favorite tracks, as well those inside our heads. One-on-one with your mentor, you’ll experiment with different synthesis types, from subtractive and FM, to wavetable, physical modeling and beyond, to craft a sonic signature of our own. With a wide palette of tools... Read more

It is finally time to talk about the aspect of the electronic music that most of our students go bonkers over – that is, how to make BEATS!! The beat is the driving force behind a vast majority of repertoire in electronic music. In this chapter, we will discuss the impact that the drum machine and drum software have had on society, as well as how computer drum technology has allowed us producers, composers, and... Read more

Enter the world of sample-based music through an interactive lesson in slicing, chopping and arranging samples, sourced from audio recordings as well as original material. We’ll also discuss different approaches to drum programming, from finger drumming to pattern based sequencing, and unique perspectives on each to add to your arsenal. One-on-one with your mentor, you’ll see his/her unique take on sampling and how it has evolved, from early experimentation with magnetic tape to the latest... Read more

Take control of your machines and immerse yourself in the possibilities of MIDI to breathe new life into your music! At a basic level, a MIDI effect will take the notes played by your hand and warp them in a variety of ways; the results are ear candy, and arriving at these unexpected treasures makes for an interesting contribution to your music. At the Recording Connection, you’ll benefit from remote study sessions with our in-house... Read more

One-on-one with your mentor, learn how easy it is correct time and pitch when a performance isn’t quite where it needs to be. Using Flex Time in Logic, take multitrack recordings of drums and snap them into place so they groove alongside your sequenced rhythms. With Flex Pitch, correct the spots in your performance that aren’t pitch-perfect, as in a magical vocal take that is ruined by just a few sour notes. You’ll also be... Read more

A microphone changes acoustic energy into an electric current that can be altered and manipulated. Any device that converts one form of energy into another form of energy is called a transducer. Microphones are typically the first stop in the signal flow of our recording path. In this chapter, we will look at various types of microphones, explain briefly how they work, and help familiarize us with popular mics we will see in the studio. At... Read more

Equalization and dynamic processing are two of the most established and powerful sonic manipulation tools we producers have in our arsenal. Dating as far back as the early years of broadcasting around the time the telephone was invented, equalization and a type of dynamic processing known as compression were used to facilitate the transfer and capture of sounds. Today, we use these mechanisms to achieve overall balance in our sound, or to effect or manipulate... Read more

Warp, twist, and mangle recorded sound into sonic bliss (or mayhem)! As we tour Logic’s immense collection of effect plugins, you’ll bring out qualities in your own music that were previously unheard. Recorded vocals in your closet? Feed them through the Space Designer, which injects your audio into a variety of environments as if they were recorded there, from car interiors to cathedrals to a tin can in the great void of space! Treating your... Read more

Dig deep into the art and science of mixing records! Through critical listening exercises as well as unique perspectives from your mentor, you’ll master how to shift one’s psyche by various methods of melding the elements in your music. Learn how to automate aspects of your production so you quickly arrive at the sounds you hear in your head. As any Mix Engineer will tell you, a classroom and a textbook alone cannot prepare you... Read more

In the recording world, a master is a finished product – a song that is fully mixed down and radio ready! Mastering is the art of sweetening the mix and preparing the mixdown for duplication. The goal of this chapter is to familiarize us with some of the very basics about the mastering process. Mastering is a very technical process that often involves specific gear that is calibrated to subtly alter a mix in ways... Read more

Exercising our previous knowledge of the building blocks of sound synthesis, we will develop our own library of patches, a creative arsenal to take with you as you venture out into the world as a producer. With our production team in Los Angeles, you will dissect the complex sounds you hear on your favorite records and learn how to go about replicating them. One-on-one with your mentor, you’ll experiment with sound design in the studio,... Read more

Create sample-based instruments from your favorite sounds on records, sounds you collect from your environment, even your own music! Chop, slice and warp to your liking, and compile a sample library that only you own! Learn how to make playable instruments from audio samples we collect in our environment, such as a bass made from a coffee grinder, or a syncopated hi-hat pattern derived from water droplets. You’ll then use this technology to create instruments... Read more

Our journey by no means has ended! Being mentored by our team of producers in Los Angeles, we’ll brainstorm together about how to penetrate the world with your newly released collection of music. The final exam, to be taken at the studio with your mentor, will gauge your understanding of the material discussed on the journey thus far, a twenty-week cycle of planting seeds for your lifelong endeavor as an electronic musician, producer, and performer. ... Read more