Audio Engineering Courses in Boston - Bristol Recording Studios!

Want to become a Pro Recording Engineer or Producer?
Want professional results from your project studio?
Want full control over the outcome of your recording sessions at major studios?
Read on to find out more...

Hands-on Training
Learn by Doing
Beginners Welcome
Small Classes
Microphones
Consoles
Compressors
Equalizers
Effects processors
Speaker Technology
Digital Recording

Learn everything you need from our industry experts to become a successful recording engineer at a fraction of the cost and time elsewhere!

Many students arrive here because they do not want the added time and cost of unnecessary classes required in a university system.

At Bristol Studios, you will study under experienced engineers who are also trained educators. Statistically, our students excel because an accelerated and personalized course like ours coupled with an engineering internship, also available at Bristol Studios, rockets them up to the professional standards needed to get hired in the industry.

With over 25 years of industry experience, Bristol Studios has worked with some of most influential producers and artists in the business. Clients include: Jada (Universal/Motown), Dropkick Murphys (Warner), Yo Yo Ma (Sony), Meatloaf (Virgin), New Kids On The Block (Universal/Interscope), Rico Love (Usher, TLC, Natasha Bedingfield), Madd Scientist (Beyonce, Leona Lewis), Red One (NKOTB, Kat Deluna, Micheal Jackson), The Insomniax (JoJo, Bobby Valentino, Boyz II Men, B5), Jeff Corwin, David "Big Papi" Ortiz, and more.

Learn from working professionals who bring their real-world experience to the classroom. Senior Producer, Chris Billias, has spent the last 15 years creating literally thousands of music productions for Bristol's diverse clientele involving him in all aspects of the music and audio world. He has custom designed Bristol's Audio Engineering Program to create classes that bring the latest knowledge and technology to our students. By using our insight and experience in the industry, Bristol Courses prepare our students for a successful career in the music business. In keeping our classroom size small, our students get the opportunity to work in an actual studio setting where both the theory and practice of audio engineering is stressed. Students receive a true "hands on" education that will give them the skills they need to succeed in this industry.

Our curriculum includes a number of different courses, but there are five main classes that make up the foundation of our program: Engineering 1, Engineering 2, ProTools 1, Reason, and Production 1.

Engineering I
Engineering 1 is designed specifically with the beginner/intermediate in mind. We keep our class sizes small with a limit of 6 students. This way, we are able to tailor the level and complexity of the course to give each student the attention and development they really need.

Learn a good balance of fundamental recording theory and skills by getting instruction in all of the basic concepts of recording as well as practical application. In these small hands-on classes you'll discover the basic technology of recording including microphones, mixing consoles, compressors, equalizers, effects processors, speakers, recording and mixing techniques.

Classes start with basic acoustic principles, microphone theory, use and placement. Then you'll study consoles, patch bays and signal flow, resulting in an understanding of these elements and the ability to apply that knowledge. Moving ahead you'll learn how to confidently operate multi-track digital audio workstations, hard disk recorders and how to get proper signal levels to each. Once you're ready to record you'll cover equalization, compression & gating as well as the pros and cons of recording with and without these processors. Finally when your material is recorded you learn the standard tricks of the trade in mixing and sweetening your tracks.

Engineering II
Once you've got a good grasp of the fundamentals as taught in Engineering 1, we get into all of the latest electronic and computer based recording. Hard Disk Recording Basics, Sampling and MIDI are the basic areas covered. You'll dig even deeper as you get into editing, computer based effects, looping samples, and production concepts.

Engineering Courses 1 & 2 include training in our pro studios on digital consoles using ProTools, Digital Performer, Logic Pro, the latest plugins and a wide array of hardware including Tubetech, Digitech, Roland, Lexicon, Alesis, JBL, KRK, Nuemann, Sure, AKG, M-Audio, and Eventide gear.

Our courses let you explore the diverse world of music and audio production while learning to record, mix, engineer, and create music. You'll study hands-on how music and sound are used in film, television, records, games and new media.

Pro Tools I
ProTools is the state of the art hard disk recording system by the company Avidand is the program most industry professionals are now using. At Bristol Studios it is our mainstay system and we are experts on it, producing recordings for everyone from New Kids on the Block, Dropkick Murphys and Jada (Universal/Motown) to audio for major motion pictures, including Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia). Once you complete Engineering 1 & 2 you'll quickly grasp all of the concepts of Pro Tools and gain the confidence you need to succeed in this field.

ProTools 2
For students already familiar with ProTools. Learn advanced tricks for mixing & editing, total recall automation and elements of 'speed production'.

Propellerhead Reason 5
Learn to use all of the instruments, effects, sequencing and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting and music production. Including Kong Drum Designer, Upgraded Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player, Block Sequencing and Live Sampling. Make your songs self-contained by embedding samples and even ReFill sounds in your file. Mastering Reason 5's self-contained song format makes collaborating with your friends a breeze. Even breezier than before actually. Reason 5 lets you use multiple MIDI keyboards, pads, and controllers for playing and recording your instruments. It is simply one of the best production tools for making the hottest music today.

Now Available! Production Courses! Learn how the industries' top producers compose, arrange, record, edit and mix in the studio. The course also teaches you how to create complete commercially successful songs from smallest ideas and also how to bring an artist's total vision to fruition.

Production I
For those fluent in sound engineering concepts and techniques. Learn how to start and finish songs, tools of produciton, rules of production, composition, arrangement and some music theory.

Production II
Learn Advanced production techniques used by popular producers of today and yesterday. Also learn the modules of production.

Digital Performer
Quickly becoming one of the most widely used hard disk recording sustems! Learn how to set up a DP system, how to use MIDI in DP, Plugins, recording, mixing, mastering and production using Digital Performer by MOTU.

Our Courses get results! Nearly 100% of our graduate interns end up working in the industry! many interns get hired before they have a chance to complete our internship! The engineering internship standards are high and by demanding excellence both technically, administratively and as a team member you'll be transformed into a valuable prospective employee for any recording studio in the world! Contact Jason at 617-247-8689 to register for courses or for more information about courses or our internship program.

SUCCESS STORIES

"I felt the recording course I took at Bristol recording Studios was by far one of the best production courses I have ever taken. The teacher made a complex subject easy and explained things in a way that I could understand. I got exactly what I wanted out of the course and more. I had taken similar classes at [a very prestigious music college in Boston], and I would recommend the Bristol course over the intro to production class I took at [the other learning institution]. After taking the course at Bristol, I am now capable of walking into a studio and making a recording using the required equipment." -MK

"The staff at Bristol has given me that dream and opportunity to succeed in the music business. With their training I have boosted my ability as a musician and now as an engineer and producer." -BG

"The Bristol Engineering Course 1 that I attended on a weekly basis was amazing. When I first started, I didn't believe I could learn so many things in just a 10 week period. My instructor was very clear and precise about every single subject we covered. I would recommend this course to anyone that loves music and wants to know what goes behind it." -A.B.

COURSE SCHEDULE: There are three scheduling options for the classes. We have the classes start as often as possible, basically once 4 people are registered for a class, we get it scheduled and started. Since the class sizes are small (a limit of 6 people) we're able to be quite flexible with the scheduling, as far as which days and what times.

Standard schedule: These classes are once a week for 2 hours, usually in the evening (6-8 or 7-9), but have had them in the morning before when it was appropriate for the class. Each course is 10 weeks long, so to get through all 5 courses takes about a year.

Accelerated program: This gets you through the courses quickly. They meet 4 days a week for 5 hours/day. You get through a course/week and finish all 5 courses in 5 weeks. It's intensive, but you come out the other end already engineering, producing and ready to get on an internship.

Weekend accelerated: This program meets every Saturday and Sunday for 5 hours/day, you get through a course in 2 weekends, or about 10 weeks for all 5 courses.

REGISTRATION: To Register, a non-refundable 50% deposit is required. Balance is due one week before the course start date. Contact Jason at 617-247-8689 for more details.

Here are some samples recorded, mixed and completely done by students before they even finished the courses!

Ol Joe Clark:

Spencer Vocoder:

Unless You're Certain:

INTERNSHIPS: Many course graduates are offered an internship here at Bristol, where they experience the real life demands of a busy functioning studio. We have almost 100% placement for graduates from our internship program. Recent students are currently working at studios around the country; everywhere from Harmonix (the company who created Guitar Hero/RockBand) and house sound at the Opera House here in Boston to FOX Network Studios/ Danny Elfman in L.A, Three Pear Studios in Chicago, All Star Studios in Atlanta to full time engineering here at Bristol Recording Studios.