Full List of Courses


Click for the full time course overview <center>This introductory 8-week course aims to introduce a beginner to the world of professional audio, including basic concepts, terminology, standard practices, workflow and equipment.</center> <center>This intensive 36-week course has proven to be very successful in preparing our students for the world of commercial sound engineering and to date over 85% of graduates have found work in the industry within 6 months.</center> <center>Our intensive 16-week Live Sound Diploma Course aims to produce confident, skilled and employable personnel for the live sound industry – from Rock and Roll venues and hire companies, to theatre and corporate functions.</center> <center>Advances in digital techonolgy has led of a convergance in live and studio sound engineering. Our premier course comprises of our Studio Sound and Live Sound Diploma's. Graduates will be employable in both areas of the industry.</center> Click for the short course overview <center>Alchemea's intensive weekend courses aim to give you a fast-track route to improving the quality of your music productions. <br><br> Learn to compose, record, mix and master from the experts.</center> <center>Alchemea's Recording Techniques Course aims to help you to make informed decisions regarding the right microphones and techniques for various recording situations.</center> <center>This course aims to improve the quality of your music mixes by developing a better practical and theoretical understanding of equalisation, dynamic control and time based effects.</center> <center>This course is designed to look at the basic principles of Mastering with a focus on achieving good quality results in a budget environment.</center> <center>This course aims to provide an overview about how to setup up and use a simple music production environment, and explain the basics of the music production process from recording to producing a final CD master. <center>Hotwired <i>Live</i> is an innovative weekend course in Modern and Creative Composition and offers a unique alternative to other more traditional courses.</center> <center>Alchemea is Europe's foremost Avid Digidesign Pro School offering Operator and Expert certification for for music and post production as well as ICON and VENUE certification. Click here for a full list of Pro Tools courses.</center> <center>Alchemea are an Apple Authorised Training Centre offering introductory and advanced Logic Pro Training. Apple's online exam is included in the price and we are proud to have an extremely high student pass rate.</center> <center>This three-day hands-on course introduces students to the primary features and basic user interface of Logic Pro. This <center>Alchemea offers 3 training modules aimed at beginners, experienced users, music producers and DJ's.</center> <center>This two‐day hands‐on course introduces students to the primary features and user interface of Ableton Live.</center> <center>This 1-day advanced production course aims to help you take your Ableton track production to the next level.</center> <center>This 1-day advanced course aims to give you the skills and confidence to use Ableton to perform your music or DJ sets live. footer
Share this page
  • Bookmark and Share

Contact Details

ALCHEMEA COLLEGE

The Windsor Centre

Windsor Street T: 020 7359 3986

London N1 8QG E: info@alchemea.com

The best mastering techniques weekend course from Alchemea

Register Your Interest
Apply Online Now
Mastering Techniques

Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 6pm
£400 (includes course notes)

Click here for information about how to apply
Click here for forthcoming course dates

Course Aim
This course is designed to look at the basic principles of Mastering with a focus on achieving good quality results in a budget environment. Practical examples involve looking closely at, and dealing hands on with problems and situations that a studio-mastering engineer would encounter. The main aim of this course is to look at getting as close to a Pro Mastering reference as possible, in a budget set up. We aim to help you create your final product ready for market, get your music ready for radio play and live performance as well as making your demo’s stand out.

Who is this course aimed at?
This course is aimed at record labels, producers, engineers, musicians, teachers, composers and anyone with a general interest in mastering music. Are you confused by?

  • Multiband Compression & Limiting?
  • EQ Techniques & Phase Linear EQ?
  • Digital v Analogue?
  • Dither & Jitter?
  • PQ Lists & Red Book CD Standards

If so then this is the course is for you.

Beware: This course will not turn you into a top mastering engineer overnight. On this course you will learn the importance of mastering your music in an acoustically optimised environment. This kind of facility comes at a price and unless you have access to this we would still recommend that you consider using the services of a professional mastering engineer to obtain the best possible results.

What will I get from this course?

  • An insight into the mastering process of a skilled audio professional with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
  • A thorough understanding of the process of mastering music including preparation and workflows.
  • Advanced practical mastering tips & tricks with working commercial examples.
  • A solid understanding of the theoretical principles of sound in relation to the mastering process including how EQ and dynamic processors work.
  • A comprehensive course reference book explaining all the topics covered in the class.

Course Schedule

Mastering Techniques Weekend Course Schedule.pdf


About Our Trainer: Sam John
After successfully graduating from Alchemea in 2001 Sam started working in various vinyl mastering rooms around London working as a cutting engineer. Here he honed his vinyl cutting skills on Neumann VMS 70 lathes, mastering a countless numbers of underground and mainstream releases. In 2005 Sam joined Alchemy Soho as a freelance mastering engineer working in Ray Staff’s room.

In the same year Sam also established his own mastering company which now boasts a heady and highly speced balance of analogue and digital technology. Sam's client list is impressive (Nigel Godrich, Aphex Twin, Underworld, Maximo Park and many many more.

Click here for a full bio from Sam's website www.precisemastering.com

Equipment Used
On Day-1 you will cover essential audio theory in preparation for entering the studio on day 2. This will take place in our air conditioned Apple technology classroom. Equipped with Genelec monitoring and projection system every student has access to an Intel iMac workstation.

On Day-2 you will spend time in our state of the art Digidesign Icon (HD3 & D-Control) studio with Genelec monitoring. Our trainer will use commercial projects to A/B tracks, demonstrate mastering techniques discussed on day 1 of the course as well giving you some very useful tips and tricks. We have chosen this studio as there is comfortable cinema seating and it easy to project plug in settings onto our acoustically transparent cinema screen. Everyone in class can hear and see clearly exactly what the teacher is doing.

Pre requisites
It is a common misconception that it is possible to give your music the shine, depth and clarity of a commercial release by good mastering alone. Yes, it is possible to save a bad recording with a good mix as it is possible to save a bad mix with good mastering however this is far from an ideal situation.

We therefore recommend that to get the most from this course you have a good basic knowledge of recording and mixing techniques. If you mixes are muddy and quiet there could be a problem with the recording and/or mix so why not think about taking our relating short course?

Want to learn more?
Our Mastering Techniques Course is part 4 of a series of 4 weekend courses. Each course is designed to complement each other covering a specific area of the music creation process. So, you can take only the one that suits your needs or take them all! You will also receive an 7% discount on your second course, a 10% discount on your third course and a 12% discount on your forth course.

If you feel your Recordings could be improved our Recording Techniques Weekend Course is for you. If you would like to learn how to improve your mixing techniques then you may wish to consider our Mixing Techniques Weekend Course.