Recording Connection Audio Institute
Locations: United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia
Degrees: Certificate of Completion
Programs: Audio Engineering, Music Producing, Digital Music Producing, Song Writing, Live Audio
Tuition Range: $7,750 - $10,750
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The Recording Connection is one of the few mentor apprentice programs available in the media arts. This form of education allows the student to learn in private, one-on-one sessions from a working, professional audio engineer or music producer. The advantages of this form of education are several fold: students can learn at their own pace; students can learn what interests them most; and most importantly, students learn hands-on, career knowledge rather than text book information.
Mentor Apprentice learning also allows students to learn more in less time. The average course at the Recording Connection lasts for six months due to this accelerated learning process. However, if you are the type of student who likes to sit in the back of the classroom and not participate in discussions, this form of education might not be right for you. Instead, it is geared for self-starters for it is the motivated student who will thrive in this environment.
The Recording Connection Audio Engineering Program and Music Producing program are both based around a structured course curriculum that is bolstered by weekly sessions in the mentor’s actual recording studio. When it comes time to apply for a job in the music business, the experience of having worked in a real recording studio trumps a degree every time.
One other unique feature of the Recording Connection is location. No longer are you bound to attend school where they have their campus. Since the Recording Connection “campus” is a real recording studio, and they have a network of hundreds and hundreds of mentors to choose from, where you go to school is entirely up to you. Don’t have funds to relocate? Need to keep your existing job while attending school? No problem, the Recording Connection can hook you up with a mentor in the area you live. Want to pursue a career in the big time? Again, no problem, the Recording Connection has dozens of world famous recording engineers and music producers in New York, Los Angeles and London.
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Student Reviews
The Recording Connection is one of the few mentor apprentice programs available in the media arts. This form of education allows the student to learn in private, one-on-one sessions from a working, professional audio engineer or music producer. The advantages of this form of education are several fold: students can learn at their own pace; [...]
Review by Umair Jamal
May 18, 2013 5I was into music production before I had started this program, but I wanted to learn how to get the best out of a mix, and I also wanted to learn Protools, so by taking this course, it really helped me bring out my production work, and quality. I have my own label now, and I have my own studio that I work from, so I am working really hard at making my dreams come true.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Nate G.
May 14, 2013 5I have been in the program for 7 lessons now and I can not emphasize enough how much of a benefit it is to have such a seasoned veteran answer any question you could possibly have. Joey Heier is an excellent teacher and has gone far beyond just explaining topics and many times has elaborated on answers to the point where comfort in the studio just comes naturally. Uncle Joey really is one of the best and I hope I will be able to continue learning under such a great influence as I learn the art of Audio recording. Thank you Uncle Joey!
Review by Shawn T.
February 26, 2013 5Ive been an apprentice for about a month now with my mentor and it’s been awesome learning from him. I found a learning experience that I really enjoy and always look forward to going. You will not find a better teacher because he’s cool, fun, and laid back at the same time makes sure that you know what he’s talking about. Joey really cares about his students and makes it easy for you to learn.
Review by Seth E.
January 28, 2013 5I have completed all of my lessons but I am still coming into the studio to learn more practical audio engineering techniques! My mentor’s studio allows me as an apprentice to gain the necessary knowledge needed to assist in actual recording sessions. I feel that I’m gaining a better understanding of everything in the studio because of the time they give us to really soak up the material. Lately I’ve been working on my own music and I’m going to be producing a track with another apprentice from the studio. I think the best thing about the program is getting inside the studio, networking and finding other potential musicians/engineers/producers to collaborate and work with. I don’t think there’s anything better than finding people who have the same passion as you do and are willing to put the time in to create something amazing.
Review by Kaya S.
(Source)
December 21, 2012 5I have always had my own clientele, but ever since the Recording Connection, my own exposure has catapulted. I have more and more potential clients contacting me every day, including clients that my mentor has connected me with, as well as my own networking which has led to my continued success within the music industry. Currently, I have worked with over 50 bands, toured with my existing clientele, as well as worked in many different festivals with multiple configurations. When I first started in the industry, I was pretty unprofessional. Now that I have received training and I am looked at as a real engineer, has affected me personally and business because I am taking every step to be professional in everything I do. I really would like to thank everyone that has put a hand in helping me progress in my education and career has been amazing, thank you!
Review by Kayra M.
December 21, 2012 4There was a lot of great people that I got to meet and work with and record them and have a good time and I didn’t ever think that I would have a chance but hey you’re there and I’m recording those people and pretty soon maybe I’ll meet more and more people that are even more famous but it doesn’t really matter, if you know different people and getting to work with bands it’s all great.
Review by Allie H. (Source)
December 9, 2012 4.8I wanted to become a professional with my music so I signed up. Definitely one of the best things I’ve done with myself. One of the best experiences of being able to go in there every day, you know whenever I’m available, whenever they’re available which is pretty much all day, I mean they have sessions pretty much all throughout the day and night. So that works great with my schedule and the guys down there are just great.
There’s a lot more that goes into just recording a track even if it comes down to just one instrument that I didn’t even know after 10 years of recording on my own. I mean you can take hours to perfect sounds and tones. So I do that, I take my notes and I ask questions.
I take my music very seriously and I think I learned a ton on my own but there’s nothing like that experience and you know the knowledge you can attain from actually following a curriculum and the way you guys have it set up where it’s one-on-one. It’s not a classroom, it’s nothing like that. you’re working with someone whose actually in the recording studio every day. Its his job, it’s not like he’s a teacher. That goes above and beyond what I’ve every really wanted out of it.
Review by Jane G. (Source)
December 5, 2012 5Here’s why I loved this program. There was one day when there was a vocalist putting in some vocals on a song and Michael (my mentor) had to go somewhere, so he let me pretty much run the whole session and record the vocalist.
To actually sit there and do it on my own, it was pretty cool, that was definitely one of the biggest accomplishments of mine. And also the vocalist let me know how good I was at doing this and it was really a confidence boost on that day… He just liked the quickness and efficiency I ran the session.
Another cool thing was setting up before actually recording for Norman Brown, he’s a jazz guitarist, Grammy winner kind of guy. That was a lot of work just setting up the whole studio for percussion, set up in one room and have the keyboards, bass and guitar in the control room and having the drum set up. Setting that up was a nightmare but the coolest thing because it was pretty important for all of the tracks.î
I also have, in October, an assistant engineering job lined up through a connection I made. It’s for a jazz band and they’re going in the studio in late October and asked me to help out with the session.
Review by Carrie E.
(Source)
December 1, 2012 4The main reason I got into the program was one I wasn’t 100% sure as far as which path I wanted to pursue with sound engineering. I was intrigued by recording and being in the studio but I was always more of a live sound kind of person. So that was the main reason I got into the program which was to see what direction I wanted to go and find what path was right for me but ever since I got into the course it’s become more and more clear so as far as my direction. Every day I’m more sure I want to do live sound engineer and it’s because everything I’m learning is great but I’m used to doing things for myself. In the next couple of years I see myself becoming a live engineer, it’s the only thing I do see myself doing especially after this course I don’t really see myself wanting to be doing anything else.
Review by Alex S.
November 26, 2012 4The experience that I would pass down first would probably be, know what you’re getting into. I did the four year college thing and it was only moderately successful, I would call it.
I can’t stand firmly by the whole demand for secondary education because I didn’t have that great an experience with it. If I had gone to school, like a community college, banged out a year, went and worked for eight months and then went back to school I would have been a lot more prepared to do anything and to better know what I wanted to do.
This program fits in great because I managed to do it while not going to school. I could see the program kind of being an issue for someone going to a full-time university so just know that what you think you’re putting into it may not always be what comes out of it. This program worked out great, for me.
I can understand that sometimes it’s just a fit of the person and sometimes it’s just the fit of the teacher. Between going to a university and then doing this program, this program just in general was better for me because that’s what it was, it was better for me. I had more time to commits to this, I had more desire to commit to this and everything just worked out better. My advice to the aspiring engineer is, if you want it you’re going to get it. If you don’t really want it, then find something else to do.
Review by Levi B.
November 17, 2012 5The Recording Connection is not for everyone. I could probably write a book on who can benefit from this program but if pressed to put it into one sentence it would be this. “If you’re the type of person who knows that once they get a foot inside the door, they can get anywhere they want in a company, then the Recording Connection is where to go.” For me they were a blessing. I’d wanted to get into music productioni for quite some time and had spent several months knocking on doors at local studios with a lot of “don’t call us, we’ll call you” as the main result. I finally decided to bite the bullet and at the suggestion of one of the studios whose door I’d knocked on, applied to RC. Six weeks later I was INSIDE THE DOORS at one of the very studios I had no luck getting inside on my own. And instead of being an intern, like I’d been more than willing to start at when door knocking on my own, I was serving as an apprentice. Fast forward some six months and not only graduated, but am now working for the same studio I apprenticed in as a live sound engineer. I can see how some might not get their approach to audio engineering and music production, but for me, the Recording Connection was perfect and got me to where I wanted to be a lot faster than I was able to do on my own.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Kaya S.
November 12, 2012 5My main focus is hip-hop, what some folks would call underground. I do shows, my own shows and been doing it for about five years. It was time to get more in-depth and professional about audio engineering. This program came highly recommended.
Before I even started my first lesson, they let me come in to sit with an artist called DJ Rick One who has produced a lot of beats. He’s worked with Will-I-Am from Black Eyed Peas for a long while. I got to sit in on a session where he would do a “finger for a hook” for a song that is possibly going to be sent to Def Jam. About three weeks later I was actually there when Steve Adler, from Guns and Roses walked in. He was there to record some drums. It was really cool meeting him, he was really friendly and humble he was actually really nice. It was a private session but I actually got to hear some of it in the other room.
I’d looked at Musician’s Institute and LA Recording School before choosing the Recording Connection because the cost was really manageable and seeing the way the hours work around your schedule, you’re working hands on in the studio which is way better than sitting in the classroom, not knowing if you’re going to get the lab hours or getting passed up for opportunities. Looking back at it, one of the better choices I’ve made.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Miles R.
(Source)
November 10, 2012 5I was really looking for an outlet to further my skills, and my mom actually was looking for schools like Full Sail and Berkeley Music and one day she came up to me and she was like, Hey, I was surfing the Internet and saw the Recording Connection. Maybe you want to check it out. So I looked into it and actually the curriculum and the way you teach your students just really appealed to me over the other courses because it s a one-on-one mentor student relationship. I was really nervous going in to the studio at first because I felt like I was really an amateur and when I went in there actually it was a really, really good environment for me. They made me feel like I had someone to talk to about all the audio stuff that I knew, I could actually go to my mentor and ask him about a plug-in or a certain function in a program I m having trouble with and I can just talk to him on that level. When I got out of the program, basically I was already in the process of creating a studio with my friends, so they approached me with a game which they needed audio for. I had never done anything for a game and I just straight up make music so at the time I just wanted to keep making music. My mind was kind of closed to everything else but I told him I would give it a shot and see what kind of stuff I could do for their game. As of now we have a team of five and we work about, I would say from 40 to 60 hours a week on any one specific project. We try producing about 1 to 2 games per week which is pretty difficult but we are accomplishing it, we are doing it. It is cool to see it all come together and go after the same dream we always wanted to and we all have the same goal to get our company off the ground and make something happen with this place and just kind of have fun with it, you know?
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Addison S.
(Source)
November 6, 2012 5I wanted to intern at a recording studio and get hands on experience and I like that the Recording Connection wasn’t a classroom…I graduated high school a year early, I think I’m the youngest one interning so this is my first in a studio.
I had an M-fast track audio box since 2009 and I would do some recordings on that and I would mess with them to make them sound better and I can play some guitar, bass and vocals.
My first or second week I ended up meeting Roberta Flack. Later, Penn Badgley came in to record a song for his movie about Jeff Buckley.
I’m now venturing out into doing live sound engineering and I definitely wanted to learn recording basics too because you have to learn the specific microphones and everything so if I had to record a live concert I want to know everything I have to do it right, which is why I took this program. It’s been everything I hoped it would be.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Hubert P.
(Source)
October 30, 2012 5I picked a great time because it was his busy season when I started The Recording Connection. But the clients were a huge help to me. They gave me real-time experience. It wasn’t just me and my mentor in the studio doing audio tests, which we did do quite a bit of. But being able to be thrown into projects right away was really, really a big help because it allowed me to know that I had to be good right off the bat and I had to be able to produce results relatively quickly.
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Dave S.
October 18, 2012 4The Recording Connection is a really solid program. I am now working and getting paid to be an assistant in two different recording studios.
I came out to L.A. knowing no one and signed up for this school. I worked under Warren Huart a well known producer who has worked with Aerosmith, Korn, James Blunt, Better Than Ezra and hundreds of others. I was not an Intern but an apprentice and I learned a lot under Warren, he trained me. Great guy.
I am now in the business because of The Recording Connection.
I don’t trust the BBB or RipOff Report because anyone can post negative stuff on anyone with those sites. The NFL, MLB, and WolfGang Puck also have bad grades with the BBB so who cares?
The Recording Connection worked really well for me. I met and trained under Warren because of them.I got a job because of them.
Review by Ange H.
October 18, 2012 5A lot of what my studio does is a lot of bands. So one of the first sessions I did was kind of for like a dance-ie type song, so they needed a girl’s voice for the chorus so they let me sing, which was exciting because I got to be furthering my career during my apprenticeship, promoting myself.
I’ve done a lot of sessions for mixing and mastering with some really great producers that work at the studio and some of my favorite apprencticeship sessions have been my sessions after getting so involved with my studio and after getting such a great relationship with the recording engineers and with the producers and songwriters there I decided to take the next step in my career and I’m doing my own album this year.
The studio was cool enough to give me the studio apprenticeship discounts which is awesome because probably my favorite sessions are my sessions which I get to record my music that I’m developing.
We even had Justin Bieber come into the studio but unfortunately I wasn’t there at the time I am so mad that I missed that. I’ve been to production sessions, I’ve been to mixing sessions, I’ve been to live recording sessions from singer songwriters to bands to people that are producing music for films which is pretty cool. It’s been great at helping me achieve my goals.
Review by Dennis S.
(Source)
October 15, 2012 4.8I was looking into internships around Cleveland and my mom actually emailed me a link to to check it out. Applied and got a call back! Funny thing, even though they had plenty of studios to work with in Cleveland, I ended up moving to Los Angeles to take the course there. Not sure how it would have worked out in Cleveland, but it’s worked out great in Los Angeles.
I’m in a band and before I started at Recording Connection we’d paid a ton of money to get our album produced, it was like 8 or 9 songs. But at the end the sound was so crappy I ended up asking the engineer for all the tracks and ended up producing them myself as one of the projects for school. It ended up sounding WAY better than what it did before. So glad my mom found them for me.
Review by tom b.
October 15, 2012 5I joined the program to basically get better at what I already do. I do a lot of home recording, I do have a couple of clients here and there. It was more so to refine my skills, to up my game a little bit…Within a couple of months I was already doing hands on recording in the studio and editing. I learned a lot about MIDI which is something I didn’t do a lot of before but I got a pretty good grip on it.
Eventually I want to open my own little studio, that’s further down the road. Right now I’m just working on my own, trying to make a name for myself and open my own (studio) someday.
What I really like is that since I’ve graduated I can go back to my mentor’s studio anytime I need to (as long as there isn’t a session booked.)
Review by Clay M.
(Source)
October 11, 2012 5Being in an actual studio made a huge difference. It’s not like being at a university where your peers are professionals in their own right, but there’s still a difference between a professional and the actual professionals. Whereas when you’re working in a studio that has real clients and has real bills to pay it’s better because you meet people and you will learn very quickly how to cope with people because if you don’t get these people back in to your studio you’re not having that studio for very long. Being in the studio was really good because I met all of these professionals, I met all of these musicians who have connections and people who know people. It deftly made a big difference.
Review by James Holly
September 10, 2012 5I have to say this is a very innovative approach to learning. At first I wanted to go to a traditional school because that is what my parents wanted. But then I realized that the music industry just does not care about those big stupid schools like Full Sail.
The Recording Connection is swim or sink. They put you in a real studio and you learn from a professional and my mentor was tough, but smart and now i am working at his studio.
He even told me, The Recording Connection is the best way to go because it is cheaper, smarter.
And he has been doing this for 30 years.
Also The Rec. Connection has a staff of tutors that help you with your homework when you get stuck .
I like the program and glad I save the money.
I recently met Tim Palmer the famous Producer at a talk and he told me that Audio Schools are a joke but that he believed in Recording Connection. I can see why.
Debt Accrued: $5,001 - $10,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Robert W.
July 19, 2012 5I found the practical aspect of learning at the Recording Connection to be rewarding. For instance during my session with my mentor on mixing in surround sound, we had a client in the studio doing some recording. The client wanted to record vocals on 4 tracks. He has been working on putting together a few songs to give to his wife and family for Christmas. This guy was a very talented vocalist and I was impressed with his playing of a 12 string acoustic guitar! He also had a track with vocals already recorded. With this track he wanted to re punch some of the vocal parts and sing them differently, mainly at an octave higher. The client had done a lot of listening himself and had already pinpointed certain places he wanted to overdub what was previously recorded. During today’s session I was able to see how to properly utilize auto tune to help vocals without making them sound auto tuned. I basically got a very nice lesson on using auto tune which I was very happy to have. I think it will really help me in the future with producing vocals.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Winfred B.
May 27, 2012 3isn’t really always for everybody, and this was a lot more effective method for me to learn how to become an audio engineer, by actually doing it and using the real producer, as opposed to going to a standard school.|For me, learning to become an audio engineer is more reliable when doing it and working together with a real producer compared to going to a standard school to and get degree.}
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Hue P. (Source)
February 16, 2012 5The thing that really stuck with me, was the amount of things that I learned about the recording industry in a six month time frame. There was so much that I felt that I knew before entering that I was able to expand on. There were so many things that I learned that were just a tremendous help to me. I mean, even if I’m recording something at home with just a little guitar part I have in my head, all of a sudden, all of these things I learned over a six month time period are flooding into my brain.
About mic placements and being cautious of my signal path, and listening for noise, listening for hum in my system, maintenance on my gear. There are so many things that you don’t think about that goes into a recording. But once going through the program, you’re taught all these things, and they stick with you. Completely subconsciously, they’re just always with you. I think that knowing those things is such a huge asset to me.
Review by Charles K.
January 29, 2012 5I love hands-on learning, never been much for book studying. How else would I ever learn so much about amplifiers? I love how not only are they designed to amplify, they can equalize, isolate, combine, and distribute. When we define noise it results from thermal electron movement from transistors and other circuitry. As far as saturation that is when our input is way too big for the DIRECT CURRENT to produce. I love how resistive and networks control the tone of the guitar amp. To me the best example of a distribution amp would be a headphone amp which would provide a single feed to many pairs of headphones. Any engineer should definitely know power amps boost the audio output of speakers to a rated volume signal. Any live audio engineer BETTER KNOW you have an auxiliary send from the mixer to the preamp to one’s speaker monitors.
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Review by Cory A.
January 22, 2012 4.3Recording Connection is a blast. I love my study times in my mentor’s studio. You learn in a real practical environment and can ask just about anything. My favorite lesson was about all the different microphone types used in his studio. I have been learning a lot about the different uses of microphones, what they are best us for, as well as the quality and inner workings of these microphones. There is a lot of information to pick up on in the Recording Connection, but as I get more time in the studio with my mentor I continue to learn more and more. I love being able to sit in on studio recording sessions. In one of these this female artist recorded vocals over the tracks her band had previously recorded. It was very cool because I got to see the client lay down her basic tracks, as well as the overdubs. Then to see my mentor mix them and make them sound good was a great learning experience for me. He did not do the final mixing, however, he touched them up and it was very cool to see this process unfold. Also I have been getting much better at making my own beats. A few days later I showed my mentor some progress I had been making on the my own equipment so a few days later my mentor had me come in with some other people who were recording some tracks; one was a rapper and the other could sing really well. I became friends with them so I now have a new connection with some musicians so we now plan to work on some music to upload onto YouTube. It will most likely be hip-hop so I would make all the beats. I am going on a vacation now but when I get back my mentor said that the studio will be recording with some bigger producers that have years of experience, with engineers that have worked with artists such as 2pac, Snoop Dogg, and Korn. So I am really excited about this and looking forward to meeting him and a few other people that will be there that I can network with. Overall I am having lots of fun and I remain excited to continue learning and getting more experience in the Recording Connection
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Review by Michael Z.
January 17, 2012 4This was by far the most interesting week in the Recording Connection program to date, as I got to learn firsthand a crash course on troubleshooting. The studio I am working at has a bar/restaurant/radio station/stage on the first floor. At about noon a singer was to come on the radio and perform live. Well much to everyone’s surprise a whole 5 piece band shows up after everyone thought it was going to be just a singer/guitar player. Well being from Canada, they didn’t want to haul too much equipment over the border, so they opted to leave their keyboard behind. No problem, the studio happens to have one that they could use. So my mentor and I helped the stage hand get the keyboard set up for sound check. No sound. To make a long story short, 3 cables and 2 D.I. boxes later still no sound. We plugged it into the guitar amp using the guitar player’s cable and then it started working and the fun happened. But then the outlet the bass amp was plugged into started shorting out and the whole stage lost power, and smoke starts pouring out of the amplifier. Not good. Somehow in the middle of it all the keyboard starts working. So we plugged the bass amp into a different outlet and suddenly there were no more issues. Voila, crash course in troubleshooting. None of us know what exactly solved the problem, but all we do know is it was fixed and the show went on without a hitch from there on out. Easily the most random and messed up session I’ve had thus far, and can foresee having in the future. It was easily the best glimpse I’ve gotten thus far into what can happen when working in a studio full time.”
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by BJ F.
November 23, 2011 5Attending the Recording Connection program and completing the set criteria has allowed me to continue to pursue my passion and craft to the extreme. I have a broader understanding of the field and the numerous ways to make financial gains. Currently, I am producing and engineer local Chicago-land talent, commercials for radio broadcast, in addition maintaining my currently mobile DJ business.
Review by Pamela F.
November 20, 2011 5I have been looking for what to me is the perfect learning environment for my son and I came upon your website. It is difficult to describe what I am feeling right now . It is like someone answered my prayers and devise a training program totally with my son in mind, just for him, meeting him right where he is in terms fully hands on, an apprenticeship styled program built right on the doorstep of reality, no traditional classroom styled, textbooks, pen to paper, mockup studios but the real deal. Sending our application today. My faith in education systems meeting the needs of the student has been renewed. Thank you!
Review by Michael B.
November 19, 2011 5The entire experience with the Recording Connection, from start to finish, is great. I learned a lot of new things, as well as refreshed myself on some stuff I already knew. I have learned mic placement, plug-ins, aux sends, live sound recording, and so much more. I now fully understand the different types of microphones and their patterns, what they would be good for, and not so good for, as well as stereo micing techniques and surround sound. My mentor is great and always takes the time to go into detail on anything I did not grasp immediately. I always enjoy interacting with clients and even getting to sit in on and man the console. The number one thing I always take away from my training is the reassurance that this is exactly what I want to be doing in life. I have a passion for it and enjoy it. I truly appreciate everything my mentor does and the time he takes out of his schedule to do it.
Review by Gavin H.
November 15, 2011 5Things are getting a lot interesting every day at the studio with my mentor. For example, on Monday on this week I had been the only person there other than the engineer, so I nearly set up the studio space by just myself for this 4-piece, multi-effects band which was arriving to record a podcast. After that, my mentor did a lesson that the Recording Connection had assigned me. I now have the protocol down: What means what, where every part Mic is kept around the studio, which inputs that Mics, how to space the gobo boards, and the list goes on. I’m really getting the feel for the spot and my tasks are increasing by the day, it’s a blast.
Review by Oscar M.
November 9, 2011 4Since starting the Recording Connection program, a lot of my mindset is different about the audio engineering field. I now have a better knowledge of not only the technical issues with the way things work in the audio industry, but the aspects involving dealing with clients and artists. The techniques I have discovered that deal with mixing and general audio engineering practices has greatly improved my chance to work with, not only my own personal music, but others’ music as well. It’s also much simpler for me to identify difficulty with mixes and the right ways to go about correcting them. Furthermore, my attitude towards professionalism has become greatly enhanced as a result of working with essential persons in the business, and also upcoming artists and clientele. My mentor has told me that I possess the right attitude for the business, which motivates me to be more outgoing in terms of meeting new customers and artists to work with. All in all, this program has really helped me feel confident in my decision to attend, and makes me feel that my future in audio production will be really rewarding.
Review by Avery A.
November 8, 2011 4.3When I reached my mentors’ studio my mentor was actually fixing wires within the equipment so I could see what goes into making the machines in the studio work directly. After we sat down and discussed the initial lesson in the book the Recording Connection assigned me. He showed me how sound energy travels, what phase gives the sound of things recorded, and just how sound is measured. After explaining everything to me we then went to operate the computers and truly hear and see the sound, as well as the other ways it can be changed. I also had got to go into a booth and test the microphones to see if these were wired properly, that’s a very fun experience for me. I am going to be stopping in for two sessions within the next week to see how drums are set up and watch a hip hop group record.
Review by Douglas S.
November 7, 2011 5After I graduated I joined my mentor’s management company, and now I’ve been working with famous rappers, and ghost writers that are with Atlantic Records, and Interscope Records. I’ve worked out of multiple studios and have made valuable connections with
Review by Allie H.
November 5, 2011 4One of the best things about attending the Recording Connection is that they are very flexible. When you have a full-time, eight hour job, plus are on the condo board where I’m the treasurer, and have to travel for my job it makes it hard for a rigid schedule to work. They’ve been very understanding and patient with me, and have accommodated me so much by letting me take lessons on Sundays. I’m gaining confidence in my abilities everyday and can’t wait to mix my first recordings for some bands I know.
Review by Aaron T.
November 1, 2011 5Coming towards the end of my apprenticeship with the Recording Connection I can say I definitely learned a lot. The assignments were very important for me, since they were geared more towards my future goals and understanding of Pro Tools. I went from feeling a little intimidated by Pro Tools, to feeling quite comfortable. A lot of my studio time was spent watching and working with my mentor, editing and mixing his tracks. This gave me a huge advantage when working at home on my own, with my own music. The lessons and the terminology have truly helped me set a very important foundation for what I’m about to embark on. For example; When you are to be an engineer in the future, my training always mentioned terms such as Low Pass Filters, High Pass Filters, Compression, Delay and Reverb. Now, I won’t look at this like I’m totally lost. As I mentioned in one of the journals, while more than half way into the lesson plans I was attending film audio post seminars, and all of a sudden I felt more in tuned with what the professionals were discussing. Whereas just a year prior, when I had not joined the Recording Connection, I felt I wasn’t grasping what these professionals were saying as much as I would have liked to.
Review by Paul D.
September 30, 2011 5I started my course today and had my very first lesson with my mentor, which went very well. It lasted roughly 2 hours just because we were getting along so well and enjoying talking about the lesson reading that the Recording Connection provided me with. Then a few days later I was able to go to my mentors’ studio for about 5 hours to watch the second engineer in charge work on a mix of his own band, was well as other tasks the studio needed assistance with. Then, I even went in the following day for 6 hours to observe Marcus mix while his client was in the studio. After that, I got to sit in on a radio bit that they record for a national 2-minute business spot which was really cool.
Review by Joseph M.
September 30, 2011 5I’ve had the opportunity to mix everything from Rock & Pop to Hip-Hop but my original tracks are electronic dance music. The studio I’m working with has recorded everyone from Big Head Todd to Primus to Widespread Panic and I’ve done a lot of my training using their recorded stems. I’ve been soldering patch bays, patching outboard gear, working in Pro Tools, working on massive mixing consoles, all of which is becoming a second language to me thanks to the training from my mentor Jesse and the material the course is giving me. I feel lucky that they hooked me up with a killer studio, I’m not sure what it is like in other states but according to them they only pair you up with studios that have an established reputation so I imagine this is about how it goes wherever you are. I’d say it’s well worth it.
Review by Roger D.
September 22, 2011 5I did the Recording Connection program in New York City. The studio I trained at had regular interns at it but they did not get the private instruction that I got. Because my mentor trained me, he was able to recommend me for jobs with his colleagues. He did not do that for his other interns. I had no problem with this program and I would recommend it to anyone.
Review by Tim V
September 21, 2011 5This is a good program. It is not an internship, it is an apprenticeship where you learn inside a real studio with a mentor. I liked it. The one on one learning approach was special and I got a job at my studio in Philadelphia. If anyone wants to do this program and is serious, me and my family recommend it.
I have a strong classical background from other schooling, but I have had experience at recording connection with working from electronic music to jazz.
Review by Erik C.
September 19, 2011 5I don’t have a job from this program yet but I did learn a ton and I know how to do much more than my friends who went to Full Sail. I also save a bunch of money. I’m looking to get a job so I’m thinking if I just keep going to the studio in which I trained, I’ll be good to go. The Recording Connection has a good job placement program and I’m going to get going with that next.
Review by William S.
September 16, 2011 5Things are getting more and more interesting every day at the studio with my mentor. For instance, on Monday of this week I was the only person there other than the engineer, so I pretty much set up the studio space all by myself for this 4-piece, multi-effects band that was coming in to record a podcast. After this, my mentor did a lesson that the Recording Connection had assigned me. I now have the protocol down: What means what, where this and that Mic is kept within the studio, which inputs for which Mics, how to space the gobo boards, and the list goes on. I’m really getting the feel for the place and my tasks are increasing by the day, it’s a blast.
Review by Hank G.
September 16, 2011 5I set up a mic because my mentors’ Company was starting an internet radio station and had to record radio spots. I immediately was interested because I went to school for promotion and advertisement so I acquired knowledge on how to write spots for TV, magazines, internet ads, and radio. I made use of a few of my editorial skills to go over the spots, making sure the correct terms were used. I also was helping to come up with ideas as to how to make sure the correct timing was employed per spot and how to add additional seconds to the ad if required. When my mentor realized how engrossed I was, he asked if I just wished to take over and run the show. I replied YES. That had me tremendously happy.
Review by Anthony L.
September 14, 2011 5Most of the people that are skeptical about this program have never done the program. I was too, skeptical I mean. Well, I did the program in L.A. And I gotta to say it really was amazing. I worked with Warren Huart who just completed the new Aerosmith record, Korn, and he was my mentor. He taught me what I need to know. This program is so real. Too bad the internet is filled with a bunch of jerks. Couch potatoes. Haters. The program worked for me.
Review by Susan R.
September 10, 2011 5I recommend The Recording Connection to anyone who is not a fool. I am having a great time with this program. I meet my mentor 3x per week and we are learning not just Pro Tools but analogue recording. The one on one approach is not for fools who think life owes them something. It is for serious kats that want to work hard. I worked hard and now I am working as my mentor’s assistant. No way Full Sail would have gotten me this opportunity.
Review by Mike J.
August 30, 2011 5I am currently enrolled in this program in NYC and am thoroughly enjoying my experience. This program provides me with an incredible opportunity to learn, improve, and network in a professional atmosphere with the professionals in the field.
Review by Jade B.
August 21, 2011 5As soon as I started my classes, I couldn’t have been more happy. I was put in a rather prominent recording studio, which is located right in the heart of Times Square (penthouse level!) and is located in a building with a remarkable amount of recording history (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Tupac to name some). My mentor was exceedingly learned and accommodating from the start and gave me a very cozy and individual learning environment.
Review by Justin L.
August 15, 2011 5Recording Connection will give you the basic and advanced skills of this trade. It will give you a foot in the door with a real studio, full of people who make a living doing what you want to do (which is not easy today!). It will give you a chance to meet the people who make the music you love, through every step of the process. It will give you a chance to prove your value to a very small, very tight-knit group of professionals in an industry that is outright hostile to most newcomers. Remember, at its heart, making records is a service industry. Be of service.
Work hard. Remain positive. Learn how to talk to engineers, producers, and musicians. Look for opportunities as they present themselves, and you could very well be running a studio after your course is over.
Today, I work as a freelance engineer, with opportunities to book sessions at several studios in the area, including the one I studied at whenever I would like. I am a business partner with my instructor, running a business we built together during my time with the Recording Connection. We record in just about any basement or garage we can fit into, as well as on stage and in local studios. I spend my day surrounded by gear, thinking about recording and ways to improve.
Review by G. Green
August 3, 2011 5I’m an audio engineering student at the Recording Connection in North Little Rock, Arkansas and just finishing up the program. Over the course of the program I was able to develop good relationships with the engineer that was my mentor, as well as the producer and owner of the studio. They’ve just offered me an internship through the end of this summer where I will continue to work with and learn from them. If I do well, there’s a good chance of being hired on as an engineer by the end of the year. The Recording Connection is all I hoped it would be.
Review by R. Martens
August 3, 2011 5I found about the Recording Connection after doing research on the Internet to see what all my options were. What really stuck out about the Recording Connection was the affordable price for such an excellent opportunity. So, I applied and was lucky enough to get accepted after talking with the mentor recommended by the Recording Connection.
It exceeded all expectations as I’ve learned twice as much as I thought I would. My mentor was great about expanding on topics outside of the written curriculum, allowing me to sit in on recording sessions and mixes. Sitting in on sessions is how I learned what the professionals use, including the Pro Tools software, and the science of sound.
Upon graduating the program, I was offered a job as an intern, which I gladly accepted. Since then, I’ve been working hard to establish a position for myself and was just promoted to be Assistant Engineer.
The Recording Connection delivers on its promise to provide its students with the opportunity to get their foot in the door. I couldn’t be happier.
Review by Aaron C.
May 20, 2011 5Now that my mentor and I are in week 5 of the program, we have started to cover the console and I found out that everything I thought I knew of them before was true! It’s just a big mouse. I’ve been around different types of consoles in the past, but never actually got an opportunity to work with one before. So, when my mentor let me take the driver seat this week at the studio, and actually get hands on with the console, I was very eager to get going. I am learning basically how the console works, and how it “folds” the tracks over on each other to save space. Also, I’m now able to understand the signal flow of the studio, and figure out the patch bay that my mentors’ studio uses. Also, I have been furthering my knowledge on microphones, learning which ones to use in what situations, but at the same time, understanding that it’s all about my own personal touch. Working with my mentor is very helpful. It’s only been 5 weeks since I first joined the Recording Connection and I’ve learned more than I thought I would know at this time. My mentor has a good way of explaining things to where it’s easily understandable, and this is all I could ever ask for. Moreover, I really feel like his main concern is if I am actually learning
Review by Elijah O.
May 4, 2011 5In the first official session with my mentor and the Recording Connection, I learned that this field is not just skill. You must have people skills as well in order to be the best at production. This field includes multiple opportunities for a career path such as, musician, producer, engineer, and a studio manager. Now, being in an environment with everything I ever dreamed of having around me, it will give me the skill set I must possess in order to be successful. This lesson with my mentor taught me the general direction that the digital audio basics will be leading me in. This mainly discussed sampling rate and how it works within the studios format. With starting to get a “hands on” feel for everything in the studio, it was much easier to distinguish the difference between the basics.
Review by Tom G.
October 6, 2009 5Recording Connection holds its classes in some of the biggest, most well respected recording studios in the world. I called a few of these studios and the studios said that the Recording Connection was a great school and a great way to learn. So I went for it. I went to my private classes with The Recording Connection in a great recording studio here in Boston and I learned tons of great stuff. The Recording Connection and my private mentor were great. The staff was nice, the curriculum I learned from was top notch, and I graduated from the program without any trouble or problems. I am glad I did this program. I’m not sure why they would have an F rating anyway. I guess it’s because they have 30 or so complaints, yet I see other businesses with hundreds of complaints who get A and B grades. Go figure. My experience with them was solid but I suppose not everyone’s will be as good as mine, but then I usually succeed in whatever I set out to do.