Jon Gordon's Recording Fundamentals — Fall Classes Announced
Jon Gordon, an in-demand NYC instrumentalist arranger, producer and recording engineer, is offering two new fall courses as part of his Recording Fundamentals Instructional Series.
Following are the complete course descriptions, as explained by Mr. Gordon:
“Spring into Fall – with two short courses geared toward the singer/songwriter making home recordings. Hone your recording skills and make better demos that are easier to upgrade to “final” status.
Course 1) The Basics of Recording Lead Vocals
The lead vocal is the key element of any song recording. In this course, you will see how it’s done in a professional studio. You will learn techniques and insights you can use on your own. Here is an overview:
Class 1: A recording session with Margaret Dorn, a first-call session singer. We will record
several takes and punch-ins of an actual song.
Topics will include: physiology of the voice • microphones: types, pickup patterns, placement •
consideration of room acoustics • use of a pop screen • mic preamps and preprocessing • gain
structure, avoiding clipping • headphones and cue mix • psychology of working with vocal talent
Class 2: We will create a composite vocal and make a “final” mix of the voice with the music
track. Your notes will be reviewed and incorporated.
Topics will include: comp sheets and documentation techniques • comping/editing techniques •
vocal processing/enhancement/correction • ambient effects • automating volume levels
When you complete this course you will have a detailed overview of the process of recording, comping and mixing a lead vocal, with hands-on experience. You will each get a CD of the final mix we have done together.
Course 2) Intro to MIDI Programming in Pro Tools
MIDI is a powerful tool for creating musical content, with many applications in the Pro Tools environment. But it can be daunting, as well. We will begin to demystify and explore MIDI. Here is an overview:
Class 1: Intro to MIDI setup, control devices, hardware and virtual sound modules.
Basic MIDI routing, track creation and recording within Pro Tools.
Class 2: Intro to MIDI applications- recording and editing, triggering loops, drum programming,
tempo mapping, printing audio. Examine mix files to illustrate uses of MIDI.
When you complete this course you will have a basic ability to create and use MIDI and Instrument tracks in Pro Tools, and an overview of MIDI applications in music production.
CLASSES WILL BE HELD at my studio at 40 W. 27th St. Class size will be limited to 6 students. Cost of the VOCAL RECORDING course will be $175.00/per student. The MIDI FOR PRO TOOLS course will be $150.00/per student. Class fees are payable in advance.
VOCAL RECORDING COURSE: THU 9/24 & THU 10/1 – 6 PM to 8 PM
MIDI FOR PRO TOOLS COURSE: WED 9/23 & WED 9/30 – 6 PM to 8 PM
To register, please contact me by email or phone: jon@jongordon-music.com – 212 725-4270
About Jon: I’ve been an NYC-based instrumentalist, arranger, producer and recording engineer for over 20 years. I’ve recorded and created musical beds for thousands of songs, demos, commercial jingles, and voiceovers. It’s been my privilege to record and mix the cream of NYC session singers and many exciting musical artists.
More info at: http://www.jongordon-music.com.”