This is a group composition irrespective of musical knowledge and with pleasantly surprising results. The workshops are informal and involve interacting with others and the tutor as well as practising on the equipment available. Seminars are given on all necessary theory and all relevant information packs are provided for students to keep. Additionally each person records their mix for each session onto a cassette provided by the workshop. At the end of the course participants are able to analyse productions on most recordings, they are familiar with studio equipment and have acquired skills and techniques in their use for recording and production.
Text books are available at a reduced price.
There are 8 rotating advanced courses which can be taken with or after the first course. Students bring in material on various formats to sample as well as various keyboard or acoustic sounds from the studio. All the aspects of sampling, editing and programming the Akai sampler are then covered. Towards the end basic Cubase routines are taught so as to sequence the samples to produce a complete piece of music. Initially a sequenced piece is used to learn how to use all the aspects of the multitrack recorder and mixer for acoustic recording such as Lining Up, Levels, Routing, Bouncing Down, Dropping in and out.