Fast-Track Audio Engineering Course by Brenden Ormandy

Designed by Brenden Ormandy, founder of SAD Entertainment Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, this ten-hour intensive course is crafted to fast-track aspiring audio engineers toward excellence. Spanning two five-hour sessions over two days, the course is tailored for beginners or those with minimal audio engineering experience, providing them with a strong foundation and real-world practice in a professional studio setting.

Course Structure:

Day One: Foundations and Toolkit Mastery

• Focus: Familiarize students with essential audio engineering tools and concepts.

• Topics Covered:

• Dynamic alterations, EQ, spatial effects, common philosophies, and terminology.

• Ear training exercises and interactive studio examples.

• Proper monitoring practices.

• Introduction to mastering, with an emphasis on mixing.

Day Two: Practical Application and Real-World Scenarios

• Focus: Apply learned skills in real-world mix scenarios.

• Activities:

• Hands-on mixing exercises with critique and feedback from an in-house audio engineer.

• Exploration of questions related to mixing, mastering, and next steps in the industry.

• Personalized guidance and mindset adjustments demonstrated through practical examples.

Who This Course Is For:

This course is ideal for beginners or individuals with limited audio engineering knowledge. It aims to guide aspiring engineers in the right direction from the outset, emphasizing the importance of mastering the basics before advancing to more complex techniques. The course delivers a comprehensive understanding of fundamental audio processing tools and practical insights from industry professionals.

Course Features:

• One-on-One Instruction: Personalized, hands-on learning tailored to each student’s specific needs, providing a unique and effective educational experience.

• Real-World Experience: Gain practical mix experience in a commercial facility, working alongside professionals in the industry.

• Post-Course Resources: Receive a list of recommended resources and a cheat sheet summarizing key concepts covered in the course, tailored to your progress and evaluation.

Pre-Course Customization:

To ensure the course meets your specific needs, we ask that you answer a few questions before payment and scheduling:

1. What is your current level of experience in audio engineering?

2. Where do you feel your weaknesses lie in the field of audio engineering?

3. Do you understand the basic principles of balance in a mix, and can you hear it?

4. For day two, do you have any complex mixes of your own art that you’d like to work on?

5. How comfortable are you with compression? Don’t worry if it’s new to you; it will be covered in the course!

6. What are your goals in the field of audio engineering, and what do you hope to achieve through this course?

Course Outcomes:

By the end of this course, you will:

• Gain real-world mixing experience in a professional studio environment.

• Understand core concepts such as balance and dynamic control.

• Clearly differentiate between the purposes of mixing and mastering.

• Be familiar with all basic audio processing tools.

• Learn various approaches to tackling mixes and mastering projects.

• Have the opportunity to ask in-depth questions to a field professional.

• Understand how to set up an effective monitoring environment and the importance of using multiple playback systems.

• Leave with a personalized “cheat sheet” covering what was covered in the course, as well as a clear path as to where to go from the courses conclusion.