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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
Jul 8, 2026 – Sep 16, 2026 Mondays, Wednesdays, 6 PM Pacific | 9 PM Eastern | 2 AM UK
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.

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What students say
Great class. Nathan is a great instructor. I would definitely recommend Beat kitchen to friends.

—James, Bishopville, SC


Lots of foundational and important information happens in this class. For producers this class is a MUST, for artists its a PRIORITY and for theorists its a MOST DEFINITELY. You will leave the class with something no matter how skilled of a

—ivan, New York, NY


Nathan was extremely helpful in helping better understand the basics of harmony and music theory. The instruction style is small group and having the ability to communicate and not just listen to a lecture makes the learning process more

—Ira, Los Angeles, CA


Very kind and helpful!

—Izzy


One of the greatest, most fun classes I have taken. They open my mind to the possibilities of music

—Alex, San Marcos, CA


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