School: Recording Workshop – Chillicothe, OH
Dates: Feb 21st – March 25th, 2022 (5 Weeks)
Note: Because the Recording Workshop articles are a multi-post review, I suggest you start with the very first article in this series entitled “Recording Workshop”, then read on from there….. Enjoy!
Week 3
At this point in our training, we had now begun to put our fine-tuned education into actual use. Aside from recording each other’s student projects, local bands from all over the tri-state area came in to lay down some tracks. This is a win-win situation: The student body gets to refine their craft by properly setting up mics, headphones & then tracking the actual music. Most importantly, IMHO, getting the experience of interacting with the dynamics of live musicians working together. For the bands, this is a golden opportunity to record their music free of charge. Even if the student mixes may not be the quality desired at times, the players can take the raw tracks home to re-mix at a later date. The “local artist” sessions were many of my favorite moments during my stay at the RecW. The music is fun to mix and the players themselves were really cool people to get to know.
We began this week by learning Sound for Picture history and techniques, including: How to navigate through DaVinci Resolve video editing software (free to download!), different film formats and speeds, time codes, scoring, lighting, how to obtain a desired video or audio effect, Audio Dialogue Replacement (ADR), distribution formats, loudness standards, different surround sound configurations, and the terminology & acronyms to describe it all, etc.
Later on in the week we audio recorded our own mock “Liberty Mutual” TV commercial over stock video footage. My son did the voice-over work (pictured to the left) and our group edited the commercial spot together under the guidance of teacher Ian Toogood. We also created a tongue & cheek instructional video at the end of week four. Once again, my son Justin took the lead acting and narration role while the rest of us wrote the script and handled the video recording process. The clip is a little rough around the edges due to the time restraint and lack of experience on our part, but it was interesting to create & edit the project.
We also began to discuss the inner workings of power distribution. This subject is highly important due the fact that if raw electrical power is not handled properly, someone can get seriously injured or even killed…. including yourself.
Side Note: I really did enjoy this part of our lessons for the following reason: My father was an electrical engineer with American Electric Power (AEP), he would of loved to have known that his “kid” was absorbing this type of information as part of his recording engineering curriculum. It reminded me that even though he & I had totally different philosophies regarding life in general, we had a lot more in common than either one of us would have expected or admitted…. Love ya Dad!… RIP.
At the same time we were introduced to all the nuances of stage lighting. This made sense considering we were about to do live stagehand work at the Majestic Theatre this week under the leadership of instructor Brian Muth (Owner of Muth Audio Designs). At the venue, we were schooled on safely setting up light trusses that hang 20 feet in the air. How to correctly hook up all the power distribution for all components needed to run sound and monitors for this live setting. There is also a video room in which to record/stream the live event. Most of the lessons of the week were being utilized in this live practical setting. You are literally involved in every aspect of producing a live show from scratch.
Our midterm test was to take place this Thurs. On top of all the new knowledge of the week, everything else you learned previously must be reviewed and memorized in order to score well. Many flashcard rounds and quizzing each other occurred during any free moment found. We grinded it out but was proved worth it when test time arrived.
Once we took the midterm test, my “kids” and I headed to downtown Chillicothe to a little pub & grub called the Pour House. We celebrated a job well done with really great food, beers and a couple of Irish Car Bombs. This really cool spot is located directly next to the Majestic Theater and had some really awesome happy hour food & drink specials…. Well deserved!
During Friday morning lecture, the entire Class of Early Spring 2022 were informed that our group had collectively scored higher than any other class in RecW’s 46-year history. Evidently, the lowest midterm score of our class was at 95%…. Kick Ass!
The weekend once again was upon us. In stark contrast to the week before, the nice warm weather had reverted back to the freezing, snowy climate in which to expect in Ohio during the winter months. The bitter cold is brutal and driving on the icy roads is sketchy, but the snow is pretty to look at especially for a So-Cal family used to daily temperatures of 75° all year around. We decided to slip-n-slide up to Columbus to hang out with relatives during the days off…. Great Times!
Week 4
This week’s lectures brought discussions regarding pre-amps, RF systems, PA design and event communications. We also dove into how to build your own recording studio within a budget that works for you. Acoustic design and the proper use of diffusers were stressed as an important part of construction techniques. This included what not to do during the process. The slide show to accompany the lecture was funny at times when the wrong sound treatments were displayed thus exposing the fails of home studio acoustic design.
We were more frequently “hands on” in the recording studios at this point, really honing the skills introduced to us in the prior weeks. You begin to find your groove as muscle memory starts to kick in quicker with every session. Working with other engineers can have challenges of its own. Sometimes you click with certain personalities & ideas, and sometimes you don’t. Fortunately for me, my son and I worked very well together sharing similar views on tracking and mixing. We were lucky to have been paired together. Others may have different approaches than yours thus making it more difficult to “play nice” during the recording process. This is good practice for possible future endeavors as you might not always get to choose whom you get to work with…. Suck it up Tough Guy & get the work done!
As cabin fever sets in, one evening during the week we decided to head to the Lake White Club in Waverly for some dinner and drinks. It’s a beautiful spot sitting along Lake White. Good food, good people and the scenic view over the water is well worth the winding drive to get there…. Highly recommended.
This was a short 4 day school week, thus giving us a 3-day weekend. Again, much deserved! Once we took the weekly quiz, we headed to the Grand Tavern in Waverly for seafood. It’s a cool little eatery reminiscent of Grandma’s dining room and the meal served would be Granny approved. After we finished up, we drove north up to downtown Chillicothe and did some bar hoppin’ to get a pulse on the nightlife there. Not bad for a Thurs night in this little town. As the hours progressed, we ended up messin’ around in the gameroom at Crosskeys Tavern…. Great time hangin’ with my kidz!
Week 5
The first thing that was brought to our attention on this Monday morning was the finals were to be taken on this coming Thurs. Aside from that, the RecW staff still had plenty to teach us. Instructor Paul Pollard gave a two day class on the music business as it pertains to trademarks, copyrights, performance rights, royalties and the importance of building a library of original works. The idea is, the more you write, record and publish; the better chance you have of something becoming a money maker. Of course we love the art of recording and the music itself, but there is nothing wrong with creating a sustainable income off the craft you’ve worked so hard to perfect. This is great info for any client you may be working with as well.
In lab we were schooled on more elaborate lighting programs and systems. Once “hands-on”, we were instructed to create our own synchronized light show customized to your selected piece of music. Each student displayed their lighting creativity to the rest of the class. The visual programs are a learned skill, but once you get the hang of it, the multifacited visuals are really cool!
Preparing for Finals:
On Wednesday, educator John Truman gave us a sixty minute crash-course on all that was taught throughout our stay. Besides the one hundred-point written final test to be taken the next day, we were also to be graded on the following: Each student must complete two full mixes to be critiqued and graded while played in front of fellow students. The mixes can be created from either a student recording session or music performed by artists in Recording Workshop’s illustrious past. Next, you must quickly piece together a radio commercial using Pro-Tools before the allotted time runs out. Finally, there are a series of tasks that must be performed on the analog, digital and live mixing consoles within a short period of time, the clock is ticking. Yes, students do compete as to whom can finish the fastest…. tick… tick… tick…
To prepare, I went into the different studios on my own time to familiarize myself with each piece of equipment. I also added new flashcards to my collection to test myself at any given free moment. My offspring and I did flashcard drills when the opportunity presented itself, over breaks, meals, etc. Again, mass info learned in a short period of time…. Complete Mind F*ck.
When finals time arrived, we spent the day methodically ripping through it all.
Once the testing was through, we decided to hit one last eatery to celebrate the completion of the program. We found this BBQ diner in Chillicothe named the Seven Miles Smokehouse. Once again, rural Ohio did not disappoint. Check out the size of the “Mad Dog” sandwich pictured…. Damn it was good!
On the very last day of class, the final result was concrete proof that the 5 weeks of work had paid off. The entire Early Spring Class of 2022 had crushed it. Next, we celebrated as we gave each other high fives while graduation pics were taken. Even as an ol’ skool guy, I’m proud of the time spent at the RecW. The senior teaching staff, teacher assistants, and my fellow students were a pleasure to go through this musical learning journey with. Of course, the best part was having shared this experience with my kids, Erika & Justin…. A blessing indeed.
If you are musician, voice-over actor, producer or engineer, and have the funds to do so, join the program at the Recording Workshop and get educated. You will have more control over your career and creative works if you understand what other audio/video technicians understand. You will also gain more respect from professionals within the business by using this knowledge in any given situation…. Stop your procrastinatin’ and do it!
ARTIST VIDEO SHOWCASE
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TEMPERMENTAL / Get Out
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SERG EF / Eye Contact
To get more info on SERG EF, click here: go.sergef.com/music
CAIT DEVIN / Glitter
To get more info on CAIT DEVIN, click here: caitdevin.com
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