Audio Engineering and Music Production Courses
Ell enjoys teaching the next generation of artists, engineers, and producers. Ell is currently faculty at the Dark Horse Institute, Michigan Technological University, and the Neutral Zone where he teaches sound mixing and audio engineering. He has presented Music Industry, DJing, Production, and Audio masterclasses, workshops, and lectures at universities including Berklee College of Music, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan among others.
Chose Audio Engineering and Music Production courses at Michigan Technological University, Dark Horse Institute, Neutral Zone Workshops, or Private Instruction.
Our audio engineering course is a 20-week certificate program and the recording arts are built on a real-world, hands-on, full-immersion approach to learning.
Every aspect of this program is aimed at one goal: to prepare you for a successful career in audio engineering and music production. In this comprehensive program, we do not waste a minute of time. We concentrate on the essential elements and core concepts of what you really need to know. You’ll be trained on professional gear that is currently being used to create chart-topping records. You will learn how to set up complex recording sessions and record in a variety of settings, use instead of your consuls, mics, and outboard gear.
On the first day of class, you’ll be working in one of Dark Horse Institute’s four professional recording studios. We don’t make you spend weeks reading textbooks before we let you get your hands on the gear. Classes at Dark Horse Institute are very small—never more than 13 students. That means you will learn by doing, not just watching.
Our instructors have decades of experience recording the “who’s who” of recording artists from all genres of music. They’ve worked on countless Gold, Platinum, and Grammy®-nominated albums and will be sharing their tips, tricks, and tools of the trade with you firsthand.
Our Audio Engineering Program is a 20-week, 500-hour program divided into eight courses, including two real-world recording projects during which you’ll record, mix and master 6-song EPs with professional working bands.
Areas of Focus
- Full band recording, editing, mixing, and mastering
- Microphones and placement techniques
- Signal routing and patching
- Compression, EQ, and digital effects
- Fundamentals of digital audio
- Using industry-standard software – Pro Tools HD
- Software plugins including Melodyne, Elastic Audio, and Beat Detective
- Setting up tracking sessions
- Advanced editing techniques
- Working with MIDI, loops, and beats
- Analog tape machines
- Basic live sound techniques
- Soldering and studio repairs
- Advanced editing techniques
- Intro to sound for film and post-production
- The role of the audio engineer and studio etiquette
- Starting your own business, becoming an independent contractor
- Life skills
Join me for collaborative one-on-one audio engineering classes leveraging industry-standard software such as Pro Tools, Ableton, and Logic amongst others to create professional productions, recordings, mixes, and masters. Our emphasis will be on developing rich and impactful productions utilizing skills such as vocal editing, time alignment, artistic mixing techniques, stereo field optimization, audio repair, and tricks to make your music translate both creatively and technically on a variety of playback mediums. Together we’ll create professional productions, strengthen your abilities to grow technically, and develop your individual strategy to create and sustain a career in the music industry.
Audio Techniques Workshop
(High School Age Students Only) (Free)
Mondays 6:15-7:30 PM EST (Zoom)
Learn the ins and outs of vocal recording, production, mixing, and mastering using the same tools as the industry pros such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton.
No software is required to participate
*Workshop’s schedule follows Ann Arbor Public School calendar.
Private Instruction
Learn the ins and outs of vocal recording, production, mixing, and mastering using the same tools as the industry pros such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton.
I recommend students join my lessons with an open mind and eagerness to learn and grow. Beginning with fundamentals, we’ll work our way towards achieving small goals which will lead to the completion of a final project.
No hardware, software, or experience is necessary to take lessons with me.
Student Testimonies
“Elliott is by far the best instructor I think I have ever had in my life! He is the type of instructor who really cares for his students and gave that family member spirit and when it was time to get serious, you did just that! Elliott will always be in my heart as he helped me get where I want to be career-wise, we love you Elliott”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“I will forever credit Elliott for jump-starting my career. There are no amount of words that could accurately depict how amazing of a professor he is. Period.”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“Elliott is the best instructor I have ever had. I would (and do frequently) go back to the school he taught me at to sit in on his class because I love learning from him.”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“Elliott is a really chill guy, he really knows his stuff too. He really isn’t too harsh and will give constructive feedback when working on stuff. He also helps build things for you. I still use the template he helped me build on almost every project from now on. Super knowledgable and all-around cool dude.”
― MTU Student (Rate My Professor)
“Elliot is personable, easy-going, and an amazing guy. If I met him outside of school I would probably become friends with him in 5 minutes!”
― MTU Student (Rate My Professor)
“His knowledge of the audio world goes above and beyond what was expected. He is the best teacher I have ever had!”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“One of the best instructors I have had in 30 years. Cares for his craft and others ability to understand the craft. He makes sure everyone is involved and that no one is left behind. Highly recommended!”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“He is truely a great teacher! I would 100% recommend him to anyone”
― DHI Student (Rate My Professor)
“Ell knows lots about mixing, mastering, and building a career. I learned a lot!”
― MTU Student (Rate My Professor)
“These past 6 months have been nothing short of a dream I’ve had for years coming to fruition. Music has helped me get through a lot of hardships in my life. Making it a career has always been a stretch. Elliott, you have not only helped me with all the struggles I’ve had in this class, but you also helped me get closer to achieving my dream of working in the music industry, and I can never thank you enough for that.”
― DHI Student
“This is a good class to take if you want production and engineering tips and techniques. Ask Elliott to work on your mixing template.”
― MTU Student (Rate My Professor)
“After taking the Audio Techniques workshops at the Neutral Zone with Elliott, I applied to my dream school and got it! Berklee!”
― Neutral Zone Student
“I had a few lessons with Elliott in advance of me trying to produce my own classical guitar CD. Keep in mind, I was a complete beginner when it comes to recording, audio editing, mixing, etc. I could pretty much just open the software, press “record” and that’s it. In very little time and with very little difficulty, Elliott was able to teach me everything from basic EQing to mixing and audio mastering. Not only do I feel confident in being able to produce my CD in a high-quality way, I also know more about audio recording than I ever expected to know, and after just a few short sessions. I have no doubt I will be utilizing this new knowledge numerous times beyond just finishing this one CD. Elliott can explain what seem like complicated concepts in a basic and very understandable way, even to someone with little to no experience. He was also easily able to cater the content of our lessons very specifically to my goal in mind, while also leaving time to elaborate on broader concepts. Elliott is patient, easy to communicate with, flexible, and very knowledgeable. All around a 5-star teacher if there ever was one. I would strongly suggest that anyone looking to learn about audio recording and editing, whether as a total novice like me or as a more seasoned professional looking to broaden their skillset, to book a lesson with him.”
― Private Lesson Student (Lessonface)