Tuition

I offer personal tuition on a one-to-one basis, at my place or yours, on all aspects of music technology, music production, MIDI programming, recording studio techniques, and playing guitar and other instruments in the recording studio.

I specialise in teaching all about Pro Tools, along with Logic Pro, Digital Performer, Cubase and Nuendo. I can provide introductory help with Sibelius and Finale and can also help with most popular audio plug-ins and virtual instruments.

If you need general music technology or music production training, I can devise a course of tuition exactly tailored to your needs.

And if you are interested in learning more about studio recording techniques I can help here as well.

I offer telephone and/or broadband Internet support by special arrangement and multi-way video-conferencing is also available with iSight/.Mac/iChat for Apple Mac.

For more information, prices and bookings email mike@mikecollinsmusic.com

Pro Tools

Pro Tools is the professional's choice and has become a standard in top studios around the world. Recording engineers and music producers often choose Pro Tools software in preference to its competitors as it has a matching range of hardware that is guaranteed to 'get the job done'.

I have worked with Pro Tools since it first appeared in the early 1990's and I wrote the definitive book on the subject, 'Pro Tools 5.1 for Music Production', first published in 2002. The Second Edition, simply called 'Pro Tools for Music Production' is currently available from Amazon or from local bookshops.

Logic

Apple Computers added Logic to its range of software a couple of years ago and now offer two versions: Logic Pro and Logic Express.

Logic Pro comes with the widest range of virtual instruments such as the EXS24 sampler and a great selection of audio plug-ins.

Logic Express is the entry-level version with a bit less of everything - fewer instruments and plug-ins, fewer tracks and so forth.

Digital Performer

Digital Performer has been around longer than any of its competitors and has the best features for film composers and anyone working to picture. It is also highly regarded by people working in 'live' sound - everything from theatres to touring bands.

Cubase

Cubase is probably the best choice for musicians and is also available in cut-down versions at more affordable prices for students and hobbyists.

Yamaha acquired Steinberg software at the beginning of 2005 and is developing very close integration between the Steinberg software and Yamaha's popular digital audio mixers and other hardware.

Nuendo

Nuendo is Steinberg's 'flagship' top-of-the range 'virtual studio'. It offers the strongest competition to Pro Tools TDM systems and has great features for working to picture, for surround formats, and for broadcast sound.

Sibelius & Finale

Anyone who prefers to work with conventional music notation should become familiar with one or both of these packages. Finale has been around the longest and is the leading package used in education in the US, while Sibelius was developed more recently in the UK but has surpassed Finale in both features and popularity.

Audio Plug-ins & Virtual Instruments

I offer tuition with a wide range of audio plug-ins and virtual instruments. Find out more about my book 'A Professional Guide to Audio Plug-ins & Virtual Instruments'

Music Technology & Production

Audio + MIDI software is the key tool used for music production in today's digital project studios.

I prefer to use Pro Tools for music production, but when extensive MIDI programming is required I use Logic, Digital Performer, Cubase or Nuendo instead.

I can help you to learn how to use and get the best out of any or all of these, whether you are at beginner, intermediate or advanced level.

The keys to making quality audio recordings are to use good microphones and microphone pre-amplifiers to capture source sounds, use the highest-quality Analogue to Digital converters to digitize the audio, and capture this onto the recording medium (digital audio tape recorder, optical disk or hard disk) with as little degradation of the audio quality as possible.

I can set you on the path to achieving the highest quality possible with your recordings using the best hardware and software available. I can also help you to learn how to edit, mix and master your recordings more effectively.

Whether you are working on all-electronic dance music using sequencers or with all acoustic instruments and real musicians, I have the experience to help you to make progress with your productions.

If you find the jargon and technical stuff a bit baffling, don't worry - I can help to demystify all this for you. Of course, it helps to know your decibels from your frequencies when you are mixing and to know your bits from your bytes when you are recording digitally.

Computers can be wonderful tools to help make and record music. But they can be creativity's worst enemy when they don't do what you want them to. If you need to get up-to-speed with your new Mac or PC, or with the latest software, I can help with all this stuff as well.

Each person learns in a different way: some by listening and watching, others by trying and doing. I work whichever way works best for you and I will take things just as slowly or just as quickly as you like!

Studio Guitar Techniques

Session guitarists typically play a range of styles so that they can maximize their work opportunities. Most players do specialize in particular styles but it is the exception rather than the rule to play in just one style.

I can help anyone who wants to improve his or her approach to playing guitar on music recording sessions.

The recording studio - whether a home studio or Abbey Road - can be daunting for a guitar player to get used to. One of the biggest adjustments that needs to be made is working on headphones. And learning how to overdub and 'drop-in' to replace sections with confidence can take time. It can also be difficult to get used to working with click tracks. And if you are talking about Abbey Road or other professional studios, then there is the interaction with the studio personnel to take into account. Not to mention microphones versus pickups for acoustic guitars, amplifiers and effects for electric guitars, and advice about tuners, capos and tunings.

Increasingly, guitar players need to know about music technology. Whether you want to write guitar music using conventional music notation or tablature, using Sibelius or Finale software, or to record using Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, Pro Tools or whichever, you will make surefire progress with help from a seasoned professional musician who has worked extensively with all these popular software packages.

Maybe you want to work with vintage instruments and amplifiers, in which case you just got lucky - I have a very tasty collection of these to demonstrate sounds and techniques with.

Or maybe you are more interested to check out the latest software instruments and processors, such as Native Instruments Guitar Rig, IK Multimedia's Amplitube, or Line 6's Amp Farm. Again, I have all of these, along with a vast collection of plug-ins for Pro Tools, Cubase and the rest.

So - whether you need a programme of daily exercises to help develop your technique or whether you need encouragement and guidance while studying particular styles or particular pieces, you will benefit from an initial session for an assessment of your needs and advice on how to achieve your goals. Follow this up with a flexible programme of sessions and practice effectively in-between and you are guaranteed to make progress!

My Qualifications

MSc in Music Information Technology from City University

BSc in Electro-Acoustics-with-Music from Salford University

Studied Classical guitar privately for one year with Richard Wright (RNCM Graduate) and for three years with Oliver Hunt (Professor of Composition, London College of Music) who also provided tuition in General Musicianship, ear training, sight-reading, harmony and keyboard training.

Jazz guitar studies, jam sessions, encouragement and inspiration with and from Barney Kessel, Ray Dempsey, Ike Isaacs, Gary Boyle, Phil Lee, Derek Bailey and Jim Mullen.

Self-taught on acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin, hand percussion, piano and electric keyboards.

I am currently studying the pedal harp privately with Thelma Owen.