Advanced MusicTechnology and production
Recording Studio Practice
By Brainlag
Rooms, microphones, signal flow, sessions, mixing and delivery, with a virtual studio to make every decision in.
- Level
- Advanced, university-level, for aspiring composers and producers
- Length
- 12 modules, 61 lessons, about 10 hours
- Before you start
- Music Technology basics, or the same knowledge. No notation needed.
What you'll be able to do
- Choose a room position, a mic and a pattern for a source, and explain the trade-off
- Place stereo pairs and hear what phase does between two mics
- Set gain through the whole chain without clipping or noise
- Plan and run a session, and document it
- Mix to a reference and deliver stems to a buyer's spec
- Make studio decisions under time pressure, in the Decision coach
Curriculum
- 2Microphones6 lessons
- 3Placement and stereo5 lessons
- 4Signal flow and gain5 lessons
- 5Monitoring4 lessons
- 6Running a session6 lessons
- 7Recording sources: voices, guitar, piano4 lessons
- 8Recording sources: drums, strings, orchestra3 lessons
- 9Editing and comping6 lessons
- 10Mixing workflow8 lessons
- 11Delivery5 lessons
- 12Capstone: a virtual session4 lessons
How it works
- LessonsShort, focused lessons with scores and audio you can play.
- Interactive toolsTry every idea in a tool built for it, in the browser.
- ProjectsA project at the end of each module, written to a brief.
- CapstoneA final piece that brings the course together, for your portfolio.
Recommended route
- Music Technology
- Sound Design and Synthesis
- Recording Studio PracticeThis course
Questions
Is this a degree?
No. It is a university-level course from Brainlag. It is not accredited and does not award a degree, a diploma or a certificate.
Can I learn recording without a studio?
The Virtual Studio lets you place mics, treat the room and hear the result, and the Decision coach trains the choices. Real sessions are still the best teacher; the course helps you make the most of them.
Do I need equipment?
No. For your own recordings, any interface and one microphone are enough to start.
Why not a degree?
This is Brainlag's view.
A UK master's in music costs about £13,000–£18,500 a year, or £30,000–£40,000 for international students, plus living costs. Undergraduate tuition in England is up to £9,790 a year.
In film, TV and games music, composers are usually hired on their portfolio, their reel and their relationships. Clients rarely ask where you studied.
Film composition degrees are fairly new. Many working composers learned by assisting, orchestrating and writing a lot of music.
These courses teach the same craft to a university-level standard, at your own pace, for the price of a subscription.
Brainlag courses are not accredited and do not award a degree or diploma.
Fees for 2026/27, per year, checked 12 October 2026: undergraduate tuition in England up to £9,790 (GOV.UK); MMus Composition £14,876, or £32,760 overseas (RCM); one-year MMus £16,950, or £37,950 international (RNCM); Master of Composition £14,290, or £32,410 overseas (Guildhall).
Included in Brainlag Music: £14.99 a month or £149 a year