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Course Primary Skills bk-HWR_p

Hardware & Recording

10 sessions · Mondays, Wednesdays · 2hr each

The physical side of making music

In a digital production world, there are only a handful of things you can actually touch, hear, and interact with. Microphones, speakers, interfaces, cables — these are the objects that connect your ideas to the air. This class is about understanding them.

20 chapters of ground covered

  • Sound and transduction — how sound becomes electricity, becomes digital, becomes sound again. The signal chain from source to speaker
  • Microphones — types, polar patterns, selection for different sources, and how to get the right mic on the right thing
  • Cables, connectors, and balanced audio — the wiring that holds a studio together (and why some of it fails)
  • Audio interfaces and digital audio — sample rate, bit depth, AD/DA conversion, and what the numbers actually mean for your recordings
  • Recording technique — mono, stereo, mid/side, working with vocalists, recording instruments. Several chapters because each situation has different problems
  • Monitoring — speakers, headphones, room acoustics, and treatment. What your listening environment is doing to your perception and how to account for it
  • Routing and hardware integration — patchbays, MIDI, sync, controllers, and connecting external gear to a DAW-based workflow
  • Practical knowledge — cable repair and soldering, session planning, and a gear buying guide that skips the marketing and tells you what to actually spend money on

Prerequisites: None. Useful at any stage — pairs well with DAW Core Skills or as a standalone.

Ready for more? The Recording Studio Masterclass puts these skills to work in a professional studio.

$450 residents

Already a resident? Just the class fee above. Non-residents add Residency at $85/mo. This 20-hour class typically runs 1–5 months of residency ($85–$425) depending on cohort pace. Total: $535–$875. Final price set with the next cohort.

Building This Class

Seats aren't on sale yet. Raise your hand to request enrollment and we'll build the next cohort around your availability.

The more times you select, the more likely we are to build a class that works for you.

What's a residency?

Residency is your Beat Kitchen membership —$85/mo or $700/yr. It includes office hours, gyms, beat challenges, and a community of producers on Discord.

Non-residents can take any class — residency months are bundled into the price. If you're already a resident, check the box above and you'll see the lower class-only price.

Learn more about residency →

Other start dates and times (2 more)
More Dates
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Jul 8, 2026 – Sep 16, 2026 Mondays, Wednesdays, 6 PM Pacific | 9 PM Eastern | 2 AM UK
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Oct 6, 2026 – Nov 5, 2026 Tuesdays, Thursdays, 4 PM Pacific | 7 PM Eastern | 12 AM UK
None of these times work?
Building This Class

Want this class at a different time? Seats aren't on sale yet — raise your hand and we'll build it around your availability.

The more times you select, the more likely we are to build a class that works for you.

Related videos
Find the Break
Mid-Side Recording
Directional Mic: two signals, room sound
A Cable Is What You Run Down It
What students say
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Man’s really passionate about teaching music went in with literally 0 knowledge of music and came out with a lot still got a lot to learn but definitely recommend them

—Spyder

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I’ve been wanting to learn music production for a while and am so happy I found Beat Kitchen. The professors involved in this project are amazing - so talented, thoughtful and supportive. The classes help you develop the foundation and

—Belén, Los Angeles, CA

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I took the “FX, Synthesis, and Mix Primer” class, and it was amazing! This class covers all types of effects, such as EQ, reverb, delay, compression, tremolos, phasers, etc. Not only does the class teach what the effects are and how to use

—Eric, Wisconsin

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Had an Awesome class about Music Theory! It was short but sweet! Being only a music enthusiast and curious on what the class has to offer, Nathan (Instructor) was able to explain it so well and had me captivated on what it is all about. Pretty sure I’ll be attending more classes and just expand my knowledge for sure! -Timothy

—Timmy, San Francisco, CA

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I loved the class I took on music theory. I am a theory nerd, and a music teacher since 2008. I got new insights in this class about things I had learned before. I also thought Nathan did a great job of establishing basic ideas before using

—Jon, Seattle, WA

Explore Classes

Office Hours Weekly. Ask questions, get help, and connect. Included with residency. Production Gym Weekly. Production breakdown of your favorite songs. Included with residency. Theory Gym Weekly. Morning music theory workout. Included with residency. Ear Training Weekly. Test your ears and discuss — music, mixing, and more. Included with residency. Instrument Gym Weekly. Practice and workout on instruments. Included with residency. Weekly Beat Review Weekly. Listen to Beat Challenge song ideas together. Included with residency.
Logic Pro X Core Live Logic Pro course in small groups — navigation, recording, editing, signal flow, and production workflow with a real … Ableton Core Live Ableton course in small groups — learn navigation, recording, effects, synthesis, mixing, and automation with a … Pro Tools Core Master Pro Tools, the industry standard DAW for recording and production. Learn essential operations, workflow, signal … FL Studio Core Master FL Studio with expert instruction. Learn navigation, workflow, MIDI programming, loop building, session …
Music Theory Learn fundamental musician skills including music theory, performance basics, and foundational concepts essential for … Mixing and Synthesis Tools Live course covering EQ, compression, reverb, delay, subtractive synthesis, gain staging, signal chain, and mastering — …
Hardware & Recording Live recording course: microphones, audio interfaces, studio acoustics, stereo technique, and session workflow — …
Logic Pro 1-Day Intensive Full-day Logic Pro workshop for producers. Master navigation, recording workflow, editing, signal flow, and session … Ableton 1-Day Intensive THE TEN CHORDS WORKSHOP Master chord function and write instantly better music in one day. Unlock advanced harmony using the 10-Chord Toolkit … Orchestral 1-Day Intensive
Electronic Music Kitchen Master electronic music production fundamentals. Learn trance, bass music, EDM composition techniques, MIDI programming, … Hip Hop Kitchen Learn to create unique hip hop beats with professional structure, sound design, and mixing techniques. Master looping, … Orchestral Kitchen Master orchestral production techniques including articulation, arrangement, and realistic programming for brass, … Session Player Kitchen Learn professional session player techniques and realistic instrument programming. Master drums, guitars, bass … Vocal Kitchen Learn professional vocal recording, production, and processing techniques. Master microphone placement, vocal chains, …
Beat Building Jam Workshop ideas into songs. Peer feedback. Instructor support. Prep for production Mix Incubator Your lab for carrying a track across the finish line — the forcing function that turns a produced or recorded song into … Production Incubator Your lab for turning a song into a finished production — the forcing function that leaves you with a track ready for the … Recording Incubator Your lab for capturing real performances of your song — the forcing function that leaves you with recordings ready for … Songwriting Incubator Your lab for getting a song started and out the door — the forcing function that leaves you with a draft ready for the …
Mixing & Mixcraft Advanced live mixing course: parallel compression, sidechain, vocal chains, drum mixing, stereo imaging, automation, and … Recording Studio Masterclass Hands-on recording studio masterclass with professional equipment. Learn large format consoles, studio etiquette, and … Songwriter Masterclass Master songwriting techniques with professional composers. Learn melody writing, chord progressions, song structure, … Synthesist Masterclass Advanced synthesis masterclass covering wavetable, granular, FM synthesis, and sound design. Learn professional …

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