Certificate in Advanced Modern Music Production

Learn how to produce and mix to the same level as hit records in this

7 module, certified, online course with industry experts

What's included in the course?

7 Live interactive Classes every week with tutor Aubrey Whitfield

Feedback on your songs from industry pros

2 Expert masterclasses with industry pros on mixing and mastering

Certified course with course certification upon completion, complete with an online assessment

Instant access to x13 recorded masterclasses + over 130 drum samples and effects

Access to one-to-one support from Aubrey during the course via Whatsapp and Email

Module 1: Music Composition & Songwriting

When: Sunday 27 August 2023 @15:00 BST

Module 1 starts at the beginning. You will learn how to optimise your songwriting to create hit records off the cuff. From looking at the key commercial songwriting approaches used by hit songwriters, to crafting lyrics that sell, to understand the theory behind songwriting to make you. a better songwriter.

We'll also analyse key music trends and how you can keep ahead of the latest trends to ensure your songs retain commerciality

Commercial composition and songwriting techniques
Song structure and arrangement
Use of lyrics in modern songwriting
Use of rhythm in drum-beats and melodies
Chord sequencing and melody creation
Common chord sequences of hit records
Key signatures, time signatures and basic scales
Composing musical and memorable 'hooks'

Composing bass lines
Current music trends and adapting to new trends
Writing songs optimised for maximum streams and sales
Remixing and alternative mixes
Listening and analysis of recent hit records

Module 2: Sound Engineering

When: Sunday 3 September 2023 @15:00 BST

Whether you record from your bedroom studio or a professional studio space, this module will equip you with the skills to engineer your recordings to the highest possible standards. From microphone placement techniques, to removing noise from recordings, achieving optimal recording levels and preventing phase correlation issues - this module will ensure your recordings are pristine going forward!

Digital Audio basics
Microphone Choice for optimal recordings
Microphone techniques for vocals, guitars and drums
Properties of Sound: Pitch, Timbre, and Loudness
Professional recording practices
Signal flow and routing
The Noise Floor and Signal to Noise Ratio (including Gain Staging)
Standard Operating Levels: Reference Levels
Headroom, Dynamic Range and distortion
Buffering and Latency
Samples rates explained
Preamps and DI’s
Audio Interface Configuration
Analog Audio Connections and working with analog hardware
Phase coherence
Digital metering
Monitoring During Recording
Audio editing and processing – comping, timing correction & cleaning-up audio
Audio specs
File types for importation and exportation into your DAW

Module 3: MIDI Programming

When: Sunday 10 September 2023 @15:00 BST

MIDI is a key feature of modern music production. In this module we'll dive into some of the key midi functions that can bring your production to life. From making piano VSTs sound like real pianos, to programmed drums sounding like a live drummer, to advanced midi editing, performance, quantisation and pitch editing - by the end of the module you will understanding all things midi!

Which DAW is right for you?
What is Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)?
MIDI Sequencing techniques for use in any DAW
What Makes an Expressive Musical Performance?
Real-Time Recording
Metronome Settings
Viewing MIDI Recordings
Record Modes
What Makes an Expressive Musical Performance?
Editing MIDI Sequences
Tempo and Keys
Changing a Time Signature
Setting the Clip Length
Note velocity
MIDI Editing
Bars, Beats, and Subdivisions
Drum mapping
Editing Note Length
Event-Level Editing
Quantization
Correcting Durations and Dynamics
Editing Pitch
Editing Song Form: Cut/Copy/Paste Operations
Midi 2.0

Module 4: Audio Editing

When: Sunday 17 September 2023 @15:00 BST

Now that you can record audio to pristine standards, we will take a look at how you can manipulate audio to create the results that you want. You'll learn how to make your very own audio loops, how to slice beats, how to tune vocals, how to sync audio in time and how to deal with audio restoration issues. This will be a creative module designed to really get you thinking about how you can take a static piece of audio and turn it into something interesting and unique.

During this module you will learn:

Advanced editing techniques
Making Audio Loops
Editing a loop
Audio Clip Warping
Defining Regions
Rendering MIDI Tracks to Audio
Beat slicing
Change Gain and Normalisation
Fade In/Out
Changing Tempo and Pitch
Vocal tuning
Aligning audio in time with the tempo
When Audio hasn’t been recorded to a metronome

Module 5: Creative Music Production

When: Sunday 24 September @15:00 BST

Module 5 will focus on the fun side of music production! You'll learn key tricks to programming drums and melodic patterns, to choosing the right virtual instruments for a hit record sound, and learning how to sample to top standards. You'll learn about creating your own effects and how fusing genres together can help you create your own signature sound.

But most importantly we will answer that ever important question - how do you know when your track is finished! Aubrey has the answer for you.

During this module you will learn:

Genre analysis and development
Fusing genres together
Developing a production strategy
Rhythmic and melodic patterns
Production aesthetics
Creating a rhythmic feel
Virtual Instrument choice
Choosing the best instrumentation for your track
Advanced drum programming and drum patterns
Producing with guide vocals
Sampling and resampling
Use of loops
Use of Arpeggios (Arps)
Use of effects (risers, reverse cymbals, reverse vocals)
Finalising a production - when do you know if a track is finished?

Module 6: Mixing and Mastering to Top 40 Chart Standard

When: Sunday 1 October 2023 @15:00 BST

Now you know how to produce to top level standards, let's take a look at the mixing side of music production. You will learn the key elements of a mix and how to use them to your advantage to create professional level mixes. You'll also learn how tweak your mixes so they are suitable for TV and film and video games.

During this module you will learn:

The 5 fundamentals of mixing
How to mix objectively
How to judge when a mix is finished
Using compression to achieve a balanced mix
Using EQ to achieve a balanced frequency spectrum
Mixing for TV and film
Mixing for video games
Testing your mixes
Mix compatibility for audio-visual
Mix compatibility for streaming sites (LUFS, True Peak)
Mastering tools and techniques

Module 7: Developing a Sustainable Career in the Music industry

When: Sunday 8 October 2023 @15:00 BST

A much requested module for this course - now you can produce, mix and master to professional standards, you will want to know how you can get paid work as a producer. This module will teach you more about the music industry landscape, how you can get in there with the record labels and produce major artists, as well as understanding your rights, royalties and copyright laws.

You will learn how to further your career as a producer so that you can get regular paid work from high calibre artists and labels.

During this module you will learn:

Different roles in the music industry
Routes to a successful producing career
Getting work from the record labels
Getting to work with major level artists
Finding artists to work with in a competitive industry
Expectations of a music producer
Personal qualities and etiquette
Producer Awards, Guilds and recognitions
Developing a portfolio and showreel
Developing a rate card
Online marketplace sites
Applying and securing funding for music producer
Finding a mentor
Understanding producing fees, contracts and royalty rights
Collaboration
Networking opportunities
Using social media to further your career
Music release strategy - frequency, timescales, Spotify and playlists
A music producer’s career trajectory
Expected earnings as a music producer or as an artist
The future of AI in music production - should you be worried?
Developing a virtual team of musicians

Expert Masterclass 1: Mixing With Travis Ball

When: Saturday 30 September 2023 @TIME TBC

In the first of your expert masterclasses, you will build on what you've already been taught about mixing, and learn from US based Mix Engineer and Live Mix Engineer, Travis Ball about how he approaches his mixes and achieves that professional mixed sound.

About Travis Ball

With the start of music lessons in 3rd grade, Travis began first as an instrumentalist and now continues on as an award winning mix engineer. In the last 17 years he has taken his love of performing music and turned it into a passion for audio engineering and now operates out of his private mixing studio in Nashville TN.

Since initiating his professional career as an engineer, Travis has mixed studio recordings for bands and artists of virtually every genre with an emphasis in pop and rock. In addition to his studio work Travis has also toured the world with emerging bands and artists as well as Grammy winning acts.

Through his extensive experience in the production side of the music industry, Travis is able to approach every mix with an extreme level of detail and finesse to ultimately achieve a final product that is commercially competitive, but also has a level of musicality, emotion, movement, and dynamic. At the end of the day, music is art and Travis strives to make each song he mixes a masterpiece.

Got a question for Travis? Email your course tutor, Aubrey and contribute to the masterclass

Expert Masterclass 2: Mastering With Chris Pavey

When: Saturday 7 October 2023 @15:00 BST

In your 2nd expert masterclass, you will learn all about mastering from UK based mastering engineer, Chris Pavey - the go-to mastering engineer for your course tutor, Aubrey Whitfield. You will hear about Chris's extensive experience mastering a range of genres and how both hardware and software contribute to a modern mastering sound.

About Chris Pavey

In 2012 Chris mastered his first record - and he's never stopped! He works from his customised mastering studio in Cambridgeshire UK, where he has been able to work with a truly amazing roster of artists and musicians. He studied music technology at university, and went on to work for Cambridge University, archiving/restoring audio collections, before finally setting up his own mastering studio.

Chris understands that mastering is the final step in the music production process where a number of issues or points come to light in a project, and it’s precisely why this final step is extremely important. It needs to be handled carefully and with complete support for the artist at every stage.

As Chris wisely says "there is no secret to mastering, only an unending dedication to perfection. I believe this is what creates that magic when you hear back a great record for the first time, and thats all I ever want to do for the incredibly talented people I’m honoured to work with".

Got a question for Travis? Email your course tutor, Aubrey and contribute to the masterclass

Instant Access To Supplementary Course Materials When You Enrol

Enrol for this course online today, and you will gain instant access to a tonne of pre-recorded masterclasses by Aubrey as well as drum samples, loops and effects. Below are the full list of goodies waiting for you!

x13 Pre-recorded Masterclasses including:

- Mixing a song live for a major record label

- Modern Mixing Techniques for Producers

- Drum Bus Processing

- How to use multi-band compression

- Vocal Production

- Mix Bus Processing

- The Complete Mixing Masterclass

- Understanding EQ

- Understanding Compression

- Modern Mastering for Producers

- How to use the 1176 Compressor (deep dive)

- How to use the SSL G Comp Compressor (deep dive)

- The Complete Logic Pro Masterclass

Download Aubrey's Logic Pro X Template (using Logic's stock plugins)

- Aubrey's go to stock plugins all loaded and ready to go

- Aubrey's go-to settings

- Aubrey's arrangement layout and window

- Aubrey's mastering settings and plugins

Access to Aubrey's own sample and loop collection including:

- x20 kick samples

- x20 snare samples

- x20 - Clap samples

- x20 hi-hat samples

- x10 Impact boom FX

Access to Aubrey's 'Hybrid Acoustic Drums Soundpack' which includes:

- 5 different drum kits (in WAV format)

- 22 drum loops

-41 individual drum hits

ENROL ON THE COURSE AND GET ACCESS TO ALL OF THE ABOVE BEFORE THE COURSE EVEN STARTS

Enrolment & Eligibility on the Course

Eligibility

This course is for anyone who wants to learn advanced music production. You will learn everything there is to know about modern music production, which makes this course suitable for all levels of experience and ability.

Suitable for users of all DAWs

Although the techniques demonstrated will be shown in Logic Pro X, all techniques demonstrated can easily be replicated in any DAW (Pro Tools, Ableton, Cubase, FL Studio etc)

Course Fees

The fee for taking this course is £164.00 (£131.20 + £32.80 VAT) and is due in advance of the course start date. All major debit/credit cards are accepted.

Course Enrolment

You can enrol for the course via the booking form at the bottom of this page

Once you are enrolled you should receive an automatic email confirming your place on the course.

Option to pay in 2 monthly instalments

You can also pay for this course in x2 monthly instalments of £82.00 by setting up a payment plan. To enrol on the course via the payment plan, simply visit this link to get started: https://www.aubreywhitfield.com/plans

About a week before the course start date, Aubrey will be in touch with the sign-in details for each live class, which will take place over Zoom. Please ensure you register with the correct email and regularly monitor your emails for course updates.

**PLACES ON THIS COURSE ARE LIMITED TO ENSURE SUPPORT IS GIVEN TO EACH STUDENT. PLACES ARE TAKEN ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS