Elite Audio Recording Course

Congratulations on your purchase of Wellman Audio’s Elite Audio Recording Course! You are on
your way to making the fantastic-sounding recordings of which you have always dreamed.

The Elite Audio Recording Course is an in-depth learning system designed to equip students with the
knowledge necessary to create their own professional grade audio recordings. We believe that in-
depth understanding is the most important tool you can have to accomplish great recordings. So
this course isn’t just tips and tricks demonstrations. It is a combination of high quality video and
audio lectures as well as demonstrations. We want to make sure entire concepts are fully grasped
in every way. You’ll find, once you fully understand each one of these lessons, all that’s left to making
great recordings is to put them into practice.

In creating this course, we had two main goals in

mind. First off, we wanted it to be universal. We
know that everyone prefers different hardware and
software gear to create their own sound, so it was
important for us to design lessons that apply to eve-
ryone. Our second goal was to make these lessons
streamlined. There is nothing worse, when trying to
learn, than watching hours of “how to” videos to walk
away with only a few minutes of valuable information.
We know how valuable your time is, and that’s why
we have strived to condense each lesson. You can
rest assured that every second of each one of these
lessons is relevant and necessary.

In order for us to achieve these two goals, it became

necessary for us to establish some boundaries for
these lessons. It would be impossible for us to show the ins and outs of every software program and
every piece of audio hardware ever made, so in order for us to make a truly universal course, please
understand that this course is not intended to replace user manuals. We will demonstrate certain
methods on how to use some software, but for the most part it will be your responsibility to know
your way around your own setup.

In order to make these videos streamlined, each lesson builds on the lessons before it. And some-
times with recording, techniques that apply to one instrument, will also apply to other instruments,
so it’s very important that you understand the content of each lesson before moving on to the next
lesson.

And the most important advice we have for everyone is this: have fun! Try to enjoy every step of this
process. It seems so many students think that the quicker they fly through lessons, the better they
will become. But usually learning is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not about how quickly you finish
these lessons. It’s about the knowledge you gain every step of the way.
 How This Course Works

The first few lessons of the Elite Audio Recording Course are designed to establish the core knowl-
edge necessary for successful audio recording. After that, the majority of the lessons show new
techniques for recording different types of instruments. Periodically, there will be additional lessons
called Song Updates, which demonstrate how to put your newly gained knowledge into practice on a
real song. By the time you are finished with the course, not only will you be well versed in various
recording techniques, you will also be capable of putting them into practice with your own music.

Below is a brief synopsis of the course.

01: Introduction

This video is simply a brief introduction to the Elite Audio Recording Course.

02: Studio Wiring

The Studio Wiring lesson establishes core knowledge of cables and signal types used in audio
recording. You will learn the differences between audio cables and how to use each one properly.
Precise wiring is a critical part of clear recordings.

03: Understanding Microphones

Microphones are one of the most important tools for capturing acoustic instruments and vocals. It
is important to understand different styles of microphones and how they work if we wish to use
them properly. This lesson teaches all of that. Proper microphone use can make or break an audio
recording.

04: Studio Setup

This lesson explains the concept of computer recording and helps students to avoid common setup
mistakes. The video explains basic studio setup and configuration. It also offers some tips to help
make your recording sessions run smoothly.
05: Scratch Track- track splicing

Now that we have established some core knowledge, it’s time to start preparing to build a song.
Since recordings need structure and a good foundation, this lesson prepares you for success by
showing how to set up a project and create a scratch track. It also shows the technique of track
splicing. This technique will not only help us begin the creation of our recording’s foundation, but it
can also be useful for editing most other instruments.

06: Drums- recording and quantizing

In most styles of music, drums are the true foundation. This lesson introduces drum recording by
demonstrating the tracking process and explaining the difficulties that may follow. It also shows sev-
eral techniques that allow you to perfect a drummer’s performance, even if the performance is out
of time.

07: Quantize Resolutions

This lesson will help you understand the relationship between the mathematical nature of music and
the recording project. This understanding is key in order to perfect the timing of the drums and
other recorded instruments.

08: Drum Tone- drum replacement

Precise timing by itself does not make a great recording. Good tone is also a must. This lesson
shows techniques of drum replacement that will allow you to perfect drum tone even when working
with a subpar drum capture.

08.5: Song Update- drums

Now that you have seen the drum recording and editing process on various audio clips, it’s time to
start building a song. This lesson shows the beginning stages of our song’s construction using the
knowledge gained in the previous lessons.

09: Midi- understanding and editing

A large amount of digital instruments and effects can be controlled through a digital connection
called midi. We began the exploration of midi in the Drum Tone- drum replacement video. Now it is
time to solidify your understanding of midi recording and editing.
09.5: Song Update-bass

The song we are working with is an electronic rock song that calls for a midi controlled virtual in-
strument bass. So it is time to put our newly gained midi knowledge into practice on our song. In this
demonstration, you will quickly see just how easy it is to track a midi instrument.

10: Mono/Stereo Understanding

The previous lessons have given us a great start in understanding how to record both acoustic and
digital instruments. Now it is time to perfect our understanding of mono and stereo recordings. This
lesson is an audio lesson, unlike the others that were video. It is one of the most important lessons
of the entire course. A solid understanding of the content in this lesson is the beginning of making
quality mixes and achieving the best possible instrument tone.

11: Acoustic Piano- frequencies and tunings

Now that we have a better understanding of just what it means to record audio in mono or stereo,
we can begin the process of recording more elaborate instruments, like the acoustic piano. This les-
son begins the acoustic piano recording process by teaching how to prepare the instrument. It also
teaches a more in depth understanding of tunings, which is necessary in order to achieve the best
possible instrument mix.

12: Acoustic Piano Capture- stereo micing techniques

Since we now have a good understanding of how to prepare our piano, it is time to begin learning
about different piano recording methods. In this lesson, we explore different stereo micing tech-
niques that are not only useful for micing a piano, but can also be used in recording almost any other
instrument.

13: EQs and Frequencies & 14: EQs and Frequencies Part 2- how to EQ

All the previous lessons together have provided a well-rounded understanding of instrument
recording. At this point you are able to effectively capture a wide variety of instruments. Now it is
time to learn more about editing and mixing. These two lessons provide a solid understanding of fre-
quencies, and teach you how to properly control them.
15: Dynamics Processing

Understanding how to achieve the right balance of frequencies is not enough to build a great mix. A
solid understanding of dynamics and dynamics processing is also necessary. This lesson begins by
teaching what dynamics are, then it moves on to teach how to use some of the most universal types
of dynamics processing tools.

16: Electric Guitar and Bass

By now you should be confident in your ability to record. You have solid understanding of various in-
strument capture methods, frequency control, and dynamics processing. Now is the time to start
recording electric guitar instruments. In this lesson we explore amp micing, direct recording, and
software amp simulators. You will also learn the technique of re-amping, as well as some other
techniques that will ultimately lead you to more effective recording and mixing.

16.5: Song Update- guitars and synths

Once again, it’s time to apply previous lessons to a real song scenario. This song update shows the
addition of guitars and other instruments to our song project.

17: Vocals Part 1- dynamics and tone & 18: Vocals Part 2- pitch and timing

Vocals are the focal point in most song styles. Because of that, it is notoriously difficult to achieve the
right vocal mix. These two lessons show the step-by-step process of building the perfect vocal track.
We will also put this process into practice on our song.

19: Effects Processing- sound creation and mixing

We are nearing the end of our recording journey. You now can capture, edit, and mix almost any
type of instrument and vocalist. Now it’s time to raise your creative bar by exploring different effects.
This lesson teaches about various effects processors and how they can be useful in the recording
process. Whether you are looking to build an iconic instrument sound or just looking to perfect the
mix in some way, effects tools are tremendously important.

20: Mastering Audio- final song

Way to go! You made it through the entire song! Well...almost. No project is complete without the
final presentation. This lesson teaches easy to understand methods on how to master, or perfect,
the final presentation of your mix.
21 Second Look- drum micing and recording

So far, each lesson has been building on the previous lessons, to walk you through the recording
process of an entire song. However, sometimes it is necessary to view the big picture before we can
perfect individual pieces. That is why it is necessary to take a second look at drum recording. It has
been said that drums are the hardest instrument to record, but with your combined knowledge,
gathered from the previous lessons, you are up for the challenge. This lesson will solidify your under-
standing of multiple drum recording techniques and help you refine a method that perfectly suits
your own needs.

Additional Content

The Elite Audio Recording Course also contains additional content. The additional content includes
the final mastered song project, as well as a frequency chart and dynamics settings chart.

Inspire - Enable - Create