Level 3: Flawless Finish

This level will take your track to chef’s kiss. In it, you’ll learn FM synthesis, vocal processing, bass control, how to perfect your mixdowns, and get an introduction to mastering.

You’ll discover:

• advanced techniques to create complex sounds and more movement in your synths

• how to add a ton of perceived loudness to a sound without having a large increase of peak volume or destroying dynamics

• the tool that lets you almost "undo" previous compression and create more dynamic range in a sound

• how to heavily compress or distort particular frequencies of a sound while leaving other frequencies clean

• how to eliminate background noise from vocal or live recordings, tighten up sounds or loops, and soften harsh transients, clicks, pops, or spikes in volume

• the tool that will add "punch" to a sound that lacks impact

• how to control unpleasant resonant spikes without having to mess with an EQ to cut frequencies

• how to properly set up and incorporate different hardware into Ableton

• what to look for when purchasing hardware

• key pieces of gear to have for recording

• the exact things you must do before every recording to avoid headaches down the road

• how to get the best takes when working with a singer & how to make the most of your time so they don't have to come back and re-record anything later

• layering, panning, and modulation techniques to create rich, wide vocals

• advanced techniques to create interesting low end movement in your music

• how to help your bass cut through on small speakers

• how to master the trickiest and most important relationship in your mix (if you don’t get this right, you’re doomed to be an amateur forever)

• why choosing the right key can be the 'key' to your success with making strong sub content

• why it's pretty much impossible to get an accurate, audible representation of the amount of sub bass in anything other than a perfectly acoustically treated room and what to do to make sure your sub levels are correct, even when working from your headphones

• advanced techniques to create stereo width other than panning or reverb

• the dangers of stereo width that can cause elements to sound hollow or completely disappear in a mix and how to avoid each

• why sometimes trying to get a single synth patch to create a desired sound just isn't possible and what to do instead to add width, character, and harmony

• the subtle art of picking samples to layer and the creative ways to layer them

• ways to abuse warp modes, chopping, reversing, and re-pitching while resampling for more creative sound design

• the 4 things you'll need make sure are right when prepping your final song to send to a mastering engineer

• a checklist of things to look for and to do when mastering (and how to do them without damaging the integrity of the song)

• a simple trick to eek out some extra loudness in a master

• how to use meters so you can be certain about your mastering decisions

• self releasing vs. labels and the advantages & disadvantages of both

• online loudness & where the sweet spot is (how loud is loud enough and how loud is too loud?)

• how to automatically receive royalties for when your music is played publicly on a radio show, dj mix, or even live

• grant opportunities that will put money in your pocket to make music!