We have been observing Matteo Orlandi's work in digital audio education from behind the scenes for years.
Those were the years of DAC (Digital Aaudio Central, forerunner of many of the current sites and blogs dedicated to digital audio and "parent" of AgeOfAudio) in which the first Video Courses dedicated to the then were reviewed by myself Logic Pro 8 e Final Cut Pro 7, still in the catalog today. A "technological" life seems to have passed if we consider what the new Producer has available with the current versions of both programs or, rather, App as we got used to Apple .
Christmas is also upon us and a gift that we can give to ourselves is that of culture, of knowledge: yes, because it is precisely knowing how to connect the dots of one's multiple experiences that will then lead us to be able to be a reference for others. In other words, it will be that more specific knowledge, built on study on the one hand and on experience on the other, that will allow us to access work and professional situations that only "hacking" on computers can never give us back.
The 2020 of VideoCorsiPro.it
For over a decade Matteo has been exclusively dedicated to the panorama of professional apps produced by the Cupertino house, from Logic Pro X a MainStage as for the audio, coming to Final Cut Pro X, Motion e Compressor as for the video counterpart. Between these two tracks, he spared no effort to propose more generic themes dedicated so much to Mastering as for the techniques of audio recording, as well as some collaborations have determined small "leaks" also towards Ableton Live 9 and 10. So much so that the offer today includes 25 Video Courses dedicated to digital audio and 12 dedicated to video editors.
Before I proceed, I want to point out that some of these are entirely free. For audio lovers I suggest downloading "Loudness Meter"(Link) which, as you can imagine, is focused on modern audio optimization issues or on the two video courses "Psychedelic effect"(Link) is "ScrollText"(Link) to learn a few tricks on Motion 5, App dedicated to Video FX. Still from the point of view of free admission, it should be noted that each Video Course offers a taste of some Lessons to allow the user to personally evaluate the contents.
Structure of the Video Courses
The viewing of the Courses takes place through the specially developed Video Player, available for PC e Mac desktop, how much for iOS and for a few days updated to v2.
In the first case we would have to do with a way to download content on the computer, with the relative advantage of consulting the videos even if you are in a cabin in the Alps, while in the case of iOS everything is managed in streaming mode, therefore it needs to be a stable WiFi connection.
The entire catalog is well organized in a single screen with clear and descriptive icons of all the Video Courses, just as each Video Course collects in a progressive list all the contents by chapter and paragraphs, grouped by Lessons.
Each lesson represents and explains a specific topic with clear didactic objectives. To give an example: the descriptive lesson of a plug.in or an area of the App is divided into sub-sections where the GUI, or graphic window, is in turn divided into the various descriptions of the parameters resident therein, as well as secondary areas , perhaps hidden in other menus, are treated with precision and detail on every functional element present in it. Furthermore, generalized aspects are treated, such as for example the FX of Delay or Reverb, to direct the user to a conscious use of the same.
From an operational point of view, the VCP Player (I have to write down what it means YOU? 😉), in addition to the logic of the basic transport functions (Play / Stop, FF, Rewind), allows various other actions: from positioning the timeline to controlling the volume; the possibility of setting in the Favorites category the videos that are considered most useful to follow, as well as being able to use markers to note specific points of the Lesson.
The images, encoded in a proprietary way, have a resolution largely in Full HD, while the newer ones are in UltraHD, so they can be easily read on any current screen, even if it is one TV 4K to which we connected our Device.
The new Video Courses
Since we have already dealt with Video Courses Pro in other articles, only the most recent will be noted here for which Matteo Orlandi seems to have almost had a change of course, it being understood that all Apple Apps are constantly updated in case there is were major upgrades.
During 2020, therefore, Matteo not only updated several Video Courses, including that of Logic Pro X now come to v10.6, but it has also introduced new themes that speak volumes about the didactic objectives that we wanted to set and that are in line with the latest trends in the world of audio production: "Studio one 5"and "Ozone 9 - Mastering”Should be too clear on the proposed contents; "Music Licensing Vol. 1"(During the writing of this article, Vol. 2 was also presented and made available), on the other hand, remains a little more enigmatic, such as to entice you to browse through the topics covered. But let's go in order.
Studio one 5
It is clear that the entire Video Course is aimed at the Presonus DAW. Matteo has created several hours of structured content in 7 Lessons e 50 video. Although it has been developed to be quick and allow immediate practical application, the Course is not stingy with some clarifications that are also useful for those who have already had an initial approach with the DAW.
It starts from the simple configuration of the sound card to get to the complete realization of an audio project. The treatment of the Virtual Mixer with all the logic of internal routing, and the right annotations to carry out a Mastering processing from the same DAW and, if necessary, the complete production of a CD Master. At the moment, after Apple discontinued the development of WaveBurner (App dedicated to Mastering and integrated into Logic Studio a few years ago), Studio one 5 it is the only DAW that allows a fully integrated processing of this process.
I have not found a Lesson regarding integration with Melodyne, considering that Studio One was the first DAW to incorporate the ARA protocol (Aaudio Random Access) from Celemony, Melodyne's software house. Perhaps an oversight that will, I believe, be filled in the near, imminent, future.
Ozone 9 - Mastering
I think I can note without a shadow of denial that this is the first, complete Video Course of the Suite of signed plug.ins iZotope, clearly indicated for Mastering actions.
Ozone 9 represents the modern evolution of everything you need to optimize your audio files, whose history dates back a long way and which, over time, has been able to earn the respect of many audio production studios in the world. At present, iZotope is among the first companies to adopt Machine Learning applied to audio to allow optimization of both the development of plug.ins and the expected results ready to be introduced into the circuit of audio platforms that exist today.
The Video Course consists of about 3 hours of didactic content, structured in 5 Lessons and 35 videos that explain in detail all the aspects of a plug.in as articulated as Ozone 9 is: from the global interface, differentiated according to whether it is used as a plug.in inside a DAW rather than in stand alone mode, to each FX present in it with all the algorithms and parameters that are part of it.
After the overview of the general GUI and the various functions related to it on which the possibilities of intervention in LR situation stand out, rather than Mid & Side, the 3 subsequent Lessons deal specifically with the analysis of the piece and the various actions implemented to improve the quality and the final yield.
A single, very subjective note is related to the choice of the song used for the whole Course, of a commercial / electronic Dance genre which usually has a rather "flat" dynamic range compared to pop or, better still, to classical / instrumental where the presence of acoustic instruments create greater difficulties of intervention: I would not have minded even a mention of something similar. However, it should be noted that for similar genres in the VideoCorsiPro catalog there is a Course dedicated purely to Mastering, where the combined action of plug.in and analogue outboard guides the user to an even deeper knowledge of this rather complex sector to manage.
Music Licensing Vol. 1
I have to be honest: it is the most intriguing Video Course of recent years, suitable for a large audience of neo producers who want to have precise and functional information on where to direct their efforts. The didactic and notional aspects, presented by Christian Zezza in about 2 hours and 30 videos, they are not entirely obvious and guide the user through a path of musical creation that takes into account not so much how to use a function of the DAW, rather on how to circumscribe and optimize the production times of any production audio with an eye to the target to which it is addressed.
In the 5 central sections of the course, centered on the stylistic aspects of a jingle "Cinematographic", which presuppose a basic musical competence and rhythmic-melodic notions, not only the most appropriate libraries for various instrumental families are indicated, but a whole series of ways of structuring the piece itself are suggested and recommended to get to produce quickly more alternative versions, such as to expand the musical offer according to specific needs of use.
Equally significant is the "bonus" of section 7 where Christian, as composer and editor of his own productions, and having lived a period of his life in the USA, clarifies some modern aspects related to the monetization of music and the world of Music Licensing Business.
Considering that the "time" factor has become the most important production parameter for the modern Producer to present itself adequately on the market, Music Licensing can represent the "philosopher's stone" for those who want to do this job or present themselves as a neophyte in a sector, apparently saturated but at the same time without borders, both creative and territorial.
Conclusions
I have always appreciated Matteo's work, even if at times I have noted a little slow diction times that are symptomatic of all the video courses structured in a linear way with precise didactic objectives: this in the face of a capacity for exposure and clarity that it is not found in any video tutorial made with revenue and without adequate post production A / V. Having overcome this small obstacle, evaluated exclusively on the experience of the writer, the road is then all downhill, with the opportunity to be able to "study" in a productive way even while being outdoors (if the current conditions of social caution exist i allow.ndr).
Today the life of the Producer is somewhat hectic and compulsive. He is very often asked to hurry up and not ignore the results. The competence and knowledge of an ever and infinitely evolving sector makes even the most inveterate digital audio nerd uncomfortable.
Certainly YouTube, and similar, also offer resources in the form of video tutorials. I followed many, also intrigued by the language that the YouTuber on duty uses to make his lessons understandable: in my humble opinion, they range from professional, few, weighted on a consolidated experience from years of career in audio production, to many "nice ”Which mediate the skills acquired with the need to go straight to the point. Most neglect the linearity of how they arrived at the final result, since the goal seems to be more personal, just to let others know that they exist and, at the same time, advertise and indirectly promote themselves to continue working, rather than conducting the lesson. with clear didactic intentions.
Hence, the idea of the Video Course takes on a different meaning, given that in the linearity of the proposal of the video tutorials contained in it, there is not only the aim of teaching one function rather than another within the specific one. DAW or plug-in that is, but it leads those who "study" it to be able to be operational also on related aspects that are part of the very background of the speaker who made it and who has set himself the didactic objective of a clear and exhaustive purpose .
YouTube videos are free, Video Courses are not: the choice is hard!
Promotions
Until the end of the month (December 27, to be precise) the Video Courses are all in promotion: according to the total cost reached, the discount percentage will then be applied directly to the cart. And if it happens that the purchase postpones it to a "more productive" future, write to info@videocorsipro.it.
Good music!
Alfred Capozzi
Useful Information
Sito: Video Courses Pro
