If you've ever wanted to learn what it takes to make it in the music industry or you just simply want to learn more about the art of studio production, Dynamo is the place for you!

Did we mention that ALL of our programs are FREE?



EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Our programs have a lot to offer! Take a look and get involved!

  • Public school partnerships and educational support with curriculum development

  • Community partnerships and support programs

  • Artist development

  • Full production recording programs

  • Student Internships

  • Studio techniques and best practices

  • Audio engineering

  • Mixing & mastering

  • Film and Cinematography

  • Photography

  • Open studio blocks & crash course mini-lessons

  • PBL program models


Music Video Production

Part I
In the ever-growing music industry, having great-sounding music is essential, but what helps to promote artists to the next level is having something to visually engage the audience: a music video. During this two hour class students will get a crash course in basic filmmaking techniques while shooting a scaled down acoustic music video of a local artist. Not only will they get to work with an industry professional filmmaker, the students themselves will also get to participate in the filmmaking process.

Topics Covered:

  • Session Management

  • Film Composition

  • Understanding and Operating a Film Camera

  • Gear Selection

  • Working with Audio

  • Lighting Techniques

  • Shot Techniques

  • The Art of Capturing B-Roll

Part II
Following the film component of the Mini Music Video Production program, students will have an opportunity to come back for a film editing class on November 16th. During the editing phase, students will begin piecing together the footage they captured during Part I of this class using industry standard editing software.

Topics Covered:

  • Basic Editing Techniques

  • Integrating Audio

  • Applying Filters and Transitions

  • Syncing Audio to Video

  • Working with Multiple Cameras

  • Basic Color Correction


Audio Engineering: Vocal Production

Vocals are the heart of any hit song and they are what the listener will focus on before anything else. You can have the greatest instrumental recordings of all time, but if the vocals are off even slightly then nobody will take your music seriously (let alone pay their hard-earned money for your music). Engineering and producing high quality vocal recordings starts first with a high quality vocalist. After that, the engineers and producers step in to pull the rest of the project together. During this program students will work with a producer/engineer to learn their method for recording, editing, and mixing pro-level vocals in the recording studio environment.

Topics Covered:

  • Signal Chain

  • Mic Placement and Mic Techniques

  • Mic Selection

  • Tracking Vocals and Building a Tracking Mix

  • Bussing

  • Mixing Vocals with EQ and Compression

  • Effects: Delay, Reverb, and Chorus

  • Vocal Tuning

  • Software Plugins vs Analog Equipment


Music Production in the Ableton Live Production Suite

During the Ableton Production program students and participants will be learning the ins and outs of creating music and other forms of media production within the revolutionary production suite, Ableton Live. Led by Ableton-Certified producer Nick Hudson, we will cover the basics of midi programming and audio recording within Ableton while also diving into some of the more advanced features of the Ableton Live production suite. Topics will range from sampling, sound design, midi production, implementing effects, automation, etc. We will even teach you how to use Ableton in a live situation and perform using some of Ableton’s unique features. This DAW has become an essential component of pretty much every genre of music — especially pop and hip-hop — but also an essential component of any live performance.

Please note that this class meets once a week and runs for ONE FULL MONTH, meaning that we will be building off of what we learned in the classes prior. All are welcome at any point throughout the month, but it is highly recommended that all attendees commit to attending each class to get the most out of what this program has to offer.

Topics Covered:

  • Navigating Ableton

  • Basic midi programing and midi production

  • Recording audio in Ableton

  • Sound design with Ableton “Operator”

  • Ableton “Instrument Rack”

  • Ableton “Effects Rack”

  • Midi Effects

  • Automation

  • Sample slice to midi functionality

  • Sound design with Sampler in Ableton

  • Running VSTs within Ableton

  • Live set control through Ableton Live.


Audio Engineering: Mixing Audio & Post Production

Mixing the audio captured in a recording session is one of the most important components of the music production process. Yes, the record should already sound 80% like what the final product will sound like after the band has left the studio, but that last 20% is where the mix engineer comes into play. After the recording session is complete, the mixing engineer will take all of the audio from the recording session and mix it together to sound its absolute best. Think of it this way: a mix engineer's job is to enhance the sound in a way that makes the song sound like something you'd want to pay money for. Although this is a more challenging part of the process, we are offering this program to advanced learners that want to take their recordings to the next level.

Topics Covered

  • Creating a Mix Session

  • Equalization (EQ)

  • Signal Flow

  • Gain Structure

  • Aux Sends

  • Compression and Side Chain Compression

  • Effects

  • Sub Mixing

  • Gating

  • Basic Mastering


Drop-In Crash Courses at the Chattanooga Public Library

Drop-In Crash Courses are meant to be fairly ambiguous because it is time that is open for almost anything related to studio production or musicianship. At all times a certified Dynamo Studios team member will be in the room working with the students involved. Library patrons can choose from a list of studio techniques to address their musical tastes or needs.


Audio Engineering: Full Song Production, From Start to Finish

Have you ever wondered what it takes to record music in an audio recording studio? In our full song production program students will have the opportunity to see what it takes to work with a band and a professional audio engineer/producer. Throughout this Full Song series, students will be learning by actually producing and engineering a band with guidance from industry pros. Students will learn the techniques needed to create a polished final product, everything from advanced mic techniques, to session management, to advanced mixing principles, etc. This is THE program for anyone that is wanting to take the next big step towards a career in the music industry.

Topics Covered:

  • Song Writing and Arrangement

  • Pre-production and Post-production

  • Demo and Scratch Track Production

  • In-Depth Vocal, Drum, Guitar, Bass, and Auxiliary Sound Production

  • Mic Placement and Advanced Mic Technique

  • Building the Signal Chain

  • Analog Outboard Gear and Digital Plugin Techniques

  • Advanced Mixing Techniques


Audio Engineering & Production: Beat Making & Digital Music

Whether you produce tracks in a professional studio, or are an aspiring musician working from your bedroom, in this course students will learn to operate and navigate DAW software with ease by creating original beats and synth-based music. Regardless of where producers stand in their career, most agree that the tools/skills mastered through this type of program equip learners with the most essential foundational skills needed to excel in the pro-audio world. In a nutshell, when you walk into a studio you will be able to walk the walk and talk the talk of an experienced producer or engineer. Aside from the technical experience gained by learning to engineer and produce beats, this genre of music making lends itself to collaboration. Most top songs featuring beat making have a wide variety of musicians, vocalists, and engineers involved throughout the process, as opposed to rock music which typically has a small number of people involved throughout the process. Because of the collaborative nature of beat making, students and music professionals alike will get the unique opportunity to work with a wide variety of music professionals.

Topics Covered:

  • Signal Flow

  • Midi

  • DAW Navigation

  • Synthesizers and Percussion

  • Session Production

  • Basic Music Theory

  • Software Instruments


Audio Engineering: Acoustic Guitars & Singer Songwriter Vocals

Singer songwriters make up a very large part of the music industry today. These musicians can be found at your local coffee shop, music venue, or on any major radio station. They are EVERYWHERE, which is why it is so important that they have solid recordings that separate them from the rest of the pack. Throughout this program students will learn the basic skills needed to successfully record the two most important parts of any singer songwriter’s project, the acoustic guitar and vocals. Each student that successfully completes this program will walk away with the basic skills needed to approach singer songwriter sessions with absolute confidence.

Topics Covered:

  • Signal Flow

  • DAW Navigation

  • Session Production

  • Gain Structure

  • Software Plugins

  • Session Tracking Mix

  • Basic EQ

  • Basic Compression

  • Mic Techniques

  • Mic Selection

  • Vocal Production & Engineering

  • Acoustic Guitar Production & Engineering


Audio Engineering: Drum Production

Drums are a vital part of a song and serve as the literal heartbeat of music. The drummer creates the head bobbing, fist pumping, foot tapping, head banging energy that makes a song come to life. When it comes time to record drums in the studio, audio engineers must implement a variety of production tools and techniques to capture the perfect sound. Throughout this program students will learn the fundamentals of engineering and producing great sounding drum tracks.

Topics Covered:

  • Selecting Your Drums

  • Types of Drums

  • Basic Drum Tuning

  • Selecting the Perfect Microphones

  • Mic Techniques For Drums

  • Playing with a Click.

  • EQ & Mixing

  • Building a Drum Session in ProTools


Audio Engineering: Full Session Recording Crash Course

The Studio Production program is geared towards providing participants with an immersive and diverse learning experience that results in them walking away with an arsenal of production skills that will open countless doors for them in the real world of music tech and audio production. All participants will have a chance to participate in the process of producing and engineering the most common studio instruments found on almost every song ever released: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals, and keys. We will work as a team to complete various scenarios where each team member will fill a different role in the production process. Each student that successfully completes this program will walk away with the basic skills needed to approach full studio recording sessions with confidence.

Topics Covered:

  • Signal Flow

  • Midi

  • DAW Navigation

  • Synthesizers and Percussion

  • Session Production

  • Basic Music Theory

  • Software Instruments

  • Gain Structure

  • Software Plugins

  • Session Tracking Mix

  • Basic EQ

  • Basic Compression

  • Mic Techniques


Audio Engineering: Live Sound Engineering

What would a concert be without a live sound engineer? It would be a muddy sounding mess! Live Sound Engineers are critical to any live performance as they are the people tasked with making the music sound amazing in every venue that hosts concerts no matter what the acoustics of the room sound like. Each student that successfully completes this program will acquire the basic skills needed to successfully engineer audio in just about any situation that has live audio.

Topics Covered:

  • Signal Flow

  • Gain Structure

  • Aux Sends

  • Basic EQ

  • Compression

  • Gating

*** Once students have successfully completed this program they will have the opportunity to shadow a real audio engineer at a local music venue. Details for this opportunity will be provided to students that successfully complete the Live Sound Engineering program. ***