Audio Education Focus: Are High End Workshops Worth It?
It’s the Wild West in audio education right now.
From all-you-can-eat free advice on YouTube to online course subscriptions and no shortage of audio trade schools and colleges, there’s more sonic learning available every day. In addition to those channels, updated approaches to studio internships/apprenticeships are on the rise, as are tightly focused workshops.
Despite being an industry in transition, people who are serious about audio are willing to pay thousands of dollars for intimate time with top pros. In early November, Flux Studios sold out a 16-seat Master Class with Mick Guzauski and Fab DuPont, for attendees paying $2,090 apiece. Mix with the Masters has made a consistent business of offering high-end, week-long classes with the likes of Steve Albini, Michael Brauer, Chris Lord-Alge, and Tchad Blake, held in the South of France – they’ve held more than 60 seminars to date, attracting lecturers and attendees from 50+ countries.
Vlado Meller
On the mastering side, the Vlado Meller Mastering Workshop is an elite option. Selected students get to spend three days at his Charleston, S.C. studio, benefitting from his 43 years of experience and jaw-dropping discography: Beastie Boys, Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Cash, Charlotte Church, Celine Dion, Duran Duran, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, Julio Iglesias, Michael Jackson, Lil Wayne, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Kanye West, Kenny Loggins, Paul McCartney, Metallica, George Michael, Oasis, Pink Floyd, Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira, Barbra Streisand, System Of A Down, Weezer, and Jack White.
Attendees to the VMMW can expect an admission fee of $3-5,000, depending on their travel and accommodations. Meller has led eight workshops since launching the series in 2013. Two in NYC, followed by six more in Charleston, with the next one scheduled for February 26-28, 2016.
“I had wanted to do these when I was with the major label studios, but they were not interested,” Meller says. “Now that I’m on my own, I can do whatever I want to do. I wanted to talk to the next generation of mastering engineers — the same kind of hands-on training I had back when I started at CBS Records. I learn more with each workshop in terms of how to explain to people what I do, how to engage them and make them more comfortable in a learning environment.”
The attendees’ common thread is a need to know much more about mastering. “Students want to learn my techniques – how I do it, the equipment and technology I use, how I go about getting my business, what kind of clients I’ve had throughout the years,” notes Meller. “The differences between prepping the files for iTunes vs. CD vs. vinyl. And I think they all recognize that this type of workshop is the only way to truly learn.
“If someone wants to learn how to fly, they can read 10,000 books about flying but until you sit next to a pilot in a plane, you’re not flying. I don’t know of any other mastering engineer in the United States who’s doing this type of intensive workshop.”
Stop the Silence
Meller hopes to break the image of mastering as a dark art accessible only to a select circle. “Since I started in the 1960s, it was always very secretive – no one really had an inside vision into what mastering people were doing,” he recalls. “Then in the 1980’s, when everything changed to digital and CDs came out, anyone with a computer was told that they could be mastering.
“But again, it’s a profession that can really only be taught in a legitimate mastering room. You can’t learn it from books, or YouTube, or in a classroom, and the students who are serious about learning all acknowledge that.”
For Meller, the hardest part of the VMMW is reviewing the applications and putting the class together. “We turn a lot of people down because they don’t have the right level of experience,” says Meller. “The group is so small, just two or three people, that to get the most out of it you need to come in with a knowledge of mixing at least, and a basic grasp of mastering. This is not the introductory course. It’s about tuning your ears to the mastering process.
“I like to keep my workshops pretty small in size to insure that all attending are at a similar skill level, so the class can focus on the most advanced mastering techniques without much basic introduction. But once you’re there, it’s one-on-one, hands-on experience from start to finish. I tell participants to bring in their latest projects so I can lend assistance and advice to perfecting them.”
The course is also a valuable experience for a much wider audience: mixing engineers. “They obviously know what they’re doing on the specifics of mixing,” Meller says, “but I’ve found that for them to look at it from the mastering perspective can really shape how they prepare the project, for the final stages going forward.”
The other upside to the small class size is that Meller has time to keep in touch with everybody afterwards.
“When the students go home, and six months later a student sends me a photo of a mastering studio that they’re building in Germany or Tuscany – it doesn’t get any more rewarding than that,” he states. “When they’re engaging me months after they left, with in-depth questions on technique for projects they’re working on, it shows that they’re very thankful for what they learned, and very thoughtful and serious about applying those techniques going forward.
“A constant refrain I hear after the workshops is that they learned more about mastering in a few days than they did in their whole lifetimes before that.”
Meller’s mastering suite in Charleston, S.C.
Attendee Outlook
The other way to view workshops is from the student perspective. What type of audio professional spends thousands of dollars, plus the time and expense of travelling to the Charleston, S.C. destination, to improve their mastering?
SonicScoop talked to three participants from two recent VMMW workshops, and got three different viewpoints on why they came as well as what they came away with.
Name: Kent Hooper
Kent Hooper, far left, at the VMMW.
Website: http://www.houseofbig.com
Pro Audio Role: producer / mix engineer / mastering engineer / programmer
Credits: CeCe Winans, Michael W Smith, Kristin Chenoweth
Why did you want to improve your mastering skills? My reason for attending the workshop was less about bettering my mastering skills, but more about becoming a better mix engineer.
I’ve been able to hire Vlado as a producer to master albums that I have produced and mixed, and I was always blown away with what he did. I wanted to see what he did to my mixes, and why – so I could possibly fix some of the issues he was correcting during the mix process. Of course my mastering skills got better – much better, but that was not the reason I chose to attend the VMMW.
Why did you decide to learn via the Vlado Meller Mastering Workshop, as opposed to another format like online tutorials, a trade school course, etc…? 100% because of Vlado. He mastered many of my favorite albums, and I wanted to see how he worked, and why he does the things he does during mastering.
What was a key technique you learned at the VMMW, that you expect to be applying in your own work? The way Vlado approaches mastering is done with absolute respect to the client. It was great to hear him speak about how about how important it is to not try to change what they give you to master – the client has spent months toiling over their production and mixes, and your job is to make it “10 – 20% better” and not try to reinvent it.
What was the most surprising thing you learned at the VMMW? How completely transparent Vlado was with the information, tips, and techniques he shared with us. There was no ego with Vlado at all, and he answered any question, and showed us everything he knows.
It was also interesting to see that Vlado doesn’t necessarily use gear the way it was designed. He’s been doing this so long, since the early 70’s, and he learns a piece of gear up and down, and squeezes every ounce of what that device can do. It’s easy for me to fall into the trap of getting new plugins all the time, without really diving in and figuring out how to really use all they have to offer.
What were the biggest benefits to participating in an immersive workshop – how do you see this experience helping you as an audio pro moving forward? Getting to see exactly what he does, in real time to mixes. He would pull up mixes, have us give a go at mastering it, then talk to us about what we did that he liked, and things he would do differently. There is no way that could be accomplished by watching a video or taking an online course.
If you took the VMMW again, what would you want even more of the next time? Watching him work. I’d be happy sitting in the back of his studio, asking a question once every hour or so. There’s no substitute for watching someone at the top of their craft and learning from them.
I came up in Nashville a pretty unconventional way. When I moved to town in ’97, I had one of the only Pro Tools rigs in Nashville, and I was pretty fast on it, so I got busy pretty quickly. I did not get into the industry through the typical manner (starting as an intern, then working as a second engineer under more experienced engineers, then getting your own clients and going independent). Because of this, I really missed out on watching other great engineers work. My education certainly had me prepared with the basics, but there is no substitute for hands on experience working under a seasoned professional.
Master track (final impressions): Best thing I’ve done for my career in a very long time. I don’t think it matters what level you are working at, you can always learn something new that can help your craft.
***
Name: Clayton Doran
Clayton Doran (R) absorbs the EQ settings.
Website: Cleotis.webloc http://www.reverbnation.com/cle#DE629D
Pro Audio Role: I am a mixer, mastering engineer, musician, studio engineer, as well as a studio owner.
Credits: Wrote, Recorded, played all instruments and did all production on all of my music Cleotis. Cleotis is on iTunes, Reverb nation, Facebook fan page and YouTube.
Why did you want to improve your mastering skills? To improve my over all production of music.
Why did you decide to learn via the Vlado Meller Mastering Workshop, as opposed to another format like online tutorials, a trade school course, etc…? For one his credits are amazing!! Second his studio is in my hometown so I could go back, take the class, and see family. Charleston SC is an amazing city!!! Also, hands-on is the best approach to audio in my opinion.
What was a key technique you learned at the VMMW, that you expect to be applying in your own work? The Audio Signal Path that Vlado uses! I have always mastered audio with the compressor being first in signal chain then the EQ. Valdo hits the EQ first then the compressor.
What was the most surprising thing you learned at the VMMW? The old cliché that less is more is really true in mastering, with audio that is mixed the proper way.
What were the biggest benefits to participating in an immersive workshop – how do you see this experience helping you as an audio pro moving forward?
One of the biggest benefits was of course to spend time hands on with the tools that Vlado uses to master audio. Also learning the business side of how mastered audio gets delivered to labels etc… will help me in my own studio, and if I ever have to deal with getting masters to labels.
If you took the VMMW again, what would you want even more of the next time? More time with my own audio.
Master track (final impressions): Overall it was a great experience. Vlado is very talented and professional but personal as well — makes you feel like you are part of a family after you finish his class. I would recommend his class to anyone that wants to get into mastering or polish their mastering skills. The only negative is that the price is out of some peoples reach.
***
Name: Maceo Fuentes
Maceo Fuentes (R) made his way to South Carolina from Brooklyn.
Website: http://www.maceomastering.com
Pro Audio Role: Mastering Engineer and overall Music Mad Scientist
Credits: Wu-Tang, Beat Brewers, Skyzoo, Brooklyn Ac, Heltah Skeltah, Nire, Lina Gatineau, Riveraorama, Mickey Free, Truth2Power, and more
Why did you want to improve your mastering skills? After making the transition from tracking/mix engineer to full-time mastering engineer I am constantly looking for ways to help further my knowledge and skill set.
Why did you decide to learn via the Vlado Meller Mastering Workshop, as opposed to another format like online tutorials, a trade school course, etc…? In my opinion there is no person better to learn from than someone who not only is a good teacher but also very successful in their area of expertise.
Vlado is a true innovator, and has been doing mastering at the highest level as long as anyone. It is a rare opportunity to learn from someone who has so much experience and is still at the top of their game.
What was a key technique you learned at the VMMW, that you expect to be applying in your own work? The old saying that “less is more” was really prevalent. Simplifying your workflow so you can focus on using your ears rather than worry about what processor or signal chain to use.
What was the most surprising thing you learned at the VMMW? Again the simplicity of his workflow. It’s not all about the newest trend in gear or software but about using a few key tools and really knowing how to use them to the point they become an extension of what you are hearing.
What were the biggest benefits to participating in an immersive workshop – how do you see this experience helping you as an audio pro moving forward? In an intimate setting like this, I was really able to really absorb some great information with zero distractions. Vlado and his team were extremely welcoming and generous. I now feel like part of the fam and still correspond with them regularly. This has become invaluable as I continue to grow my mastering business.
If you took the VMMW again, what would you want even more of the next time?
More of the same, I feel it was just what I was looking for. It would be interesting to retake it in a year or so to see how my skills have developed since I last took it.
Master track (final impressions): Before going, I was a little worried if I had made the right decision regarding the VMMV, thinking, “Should I have spent the money on a new piece of gear for my studio instead?”
But by the end of the first day, I already knew it was well worth it. The knowledge and connections I gained were priceless. Pro mastering is still considered somewhat of a closed community and to be able to learn firsthand from one of the legends of the craft was a great experience.
— David Weiss
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