You will learn all about sound, hearing , studio setups and acoustics.

A good song only comes into its own when the production is good from beginning to end. However, a good recording is quickly forgotten because: "we'll fix that in the mix". A waste of time, because it's better to start with a good recording!

You will learn all about recording techniques, routing in a recording studio and mixing "real" instruments, focusing on vocals, guitar/bass, synths/keyboards and drums.

We compare the "industry standard" equipment like nice pre-amps and mics from Neve, Lewitt, Coles etc. with more affordable alternatives; because can you actually achieve the same results with them?

Does an "American build" guitar really make that much difference? Do you really need a tube amp or does a digital pedal or software sound just as good?

Do you really need about 12 super expensive microphones to record drums, or do you also come a long way with a simple microphone set from Shure? OR: just use software?

Based on this kind of practical examples, you will learn everything about microphone technique, what kind of sounds you can get out of guitars with amps, software and nice pedals and how best to record. How to record real drums properly, and how to make sure the musician can perform optimally with a good headphone mix and the right vibe.

Of course, a good recording must also be properly mixed. This is also the time when, as an audio engineer, you can add your own flavor and character. To do this, you need to develop a kind of "sound library" in your head that allows you to flawlessly sense what a track needs.

We focus on mixing various styles of music. We assume that you already have some experience with mixing and plugins, but you certainly don't have to be a pro to participate!

Using lots of practice, but supported with a comprehensive package of theory, you will learn everything you need to be able to put down a good mix, in any genre.

A good mix deserves a good master! During mastering, you optimize the mix so that it comes out at its best. And this is another moment when the engineer can add his character to the track (in consultation with the client, of course).

We will get to work mastering various styles of music. Both digital and analog.

Of course, we have the well-known plugins from Ozone and Fabfilter, for example, at our disposal. But it becomes really fun when you can give your taste and color to a track in different ways. Therefore we pay a lot of attention to plugins with a lot of character. AND we have really cool hardware from brands like Goly Audio, Vertigo, Neve and HUM Audio.

You'll see that mastering is not necessarily some kind of "mystical art form," but simply a skill you can learn. And it's super fun to do: after all, you get the most out of the music! That being said, there are definitely rules you need to follow. Also, you usually have to take into account what is in fashion at the moment. All this is covered extensively in this module.

Unique in the Netherlands: lessons in Dolby Atmos mixing in our 9.1.4 Dolby studio.

No one is sure if this is going to be the new standard now, but immersive is slowly taking hold in the music industry. More and more songs are also being mixed in Dolby, and it has its place anyway in games, movies and augmented reality such as Apple Vision.