Course Descriptions
Instructor Background
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What is "The Sound Lab?"
Located in the basement level of the RME, our educational studio features state-of-the-art recording equipment and instructional courses designed to accommodate new aspiring audio engineers, to intermediate-level students that want to hone their skills. 

The program, which is the only one of its kind in the Quad Cities, consists of three 8-week in-depth courses taken in a sequence. The recording courses will be taught by local musician and audio engineer, Lars Rehnberg. 

How Advanced is the Program?
The series of three 8-week courses progress from a hands on introduction to the equipment, to more advanced techniques, to a capstone project, which features a multi-track recording of a Quad-City musician or group.

The studio boasts full multi-track recording capabilities, professional editing software, and features an isolation booth suitable for recording vocals, drums, or any other electric or acoustic instrument.


Tuition Costs
Tuition for each 8-week program is $400, plus a single textbook required for all three courses (textbook is available for purchase at RME = $40 additional).  Financial assistance may be available for those who qualify.  To sign-up or for additional questions regarding “The Sound Lab at River Music Experience,” please contact Ellis Kell at 563-326-133 ext. 113.

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Financial Assistance
Download Sound Lab Financial Assistance Form

The Moline Foundation has awarded River Music Experience (RME) limited grant funding to be designated as financial assistance for low income and/or at risk youth. Applicable programming includes The Sound Lab @ RME.

Interested parties may apply for financial assistance by requesting an application form specific to a particular program, and may also contact RME with regards to program opportunities for at risk youth.  RME is very grateful to The Moline Foundation for their funding support of our youth programs.

The Sound Lab Expands AE101 Class with Repeat Offering!
Due to overwhelming demand, we are now offering a second chance for people to experience our introduction to audio engineering class!

ENROLL NOW FOR REPEAT OFFERING OF AE101 CLASS!
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Back by popular demand, we are offering our AE101 course againin the Sound Lab at RME!

Audio Engineering 101:
(Tuition = $400, plus $40 for textbook)
May 27 through July 19, 2008 (8-week program)

This session meets Tuesday evenings for class 6-8 pm, and Saturdays for lab 1-3 pm

Course Descriptions
The “Introduction to Recording Class” begins March 3, 2008

Audio Engineering 101 provides a hands-on introduction to acoustics, microphones, audio interfaces, and multi-track digital recording techniques.  The Sound Lab studio uses industry-standard equipment including Pro Tools 7 software, Mbox 2 and Digi003 audio interfaces, and a closet of dynamic and condenser microphones.  Students finish the course with the ability to record and mix broadcast-quality recordings, as well as a working knowledge of current digital and analog recording hardware.

Audio Engineering 102 delves into more technical, but deeply important aspects of audio production such as sequencing and MIDI, compression and gating, advanced miking and mixing techniques, VST plugins, automation, cd authoring, soldering, and the ever-fascinating field of psychoacoustics (interactions between sound and the brain).  In preparation for AE103, students spend time refining studio techniques to becomes more accurate and efficient, and "developing their ears" to be able to discern minute differences in the quality of recordings.

In Audio Engineering 103, students use the studio facilities to produce a capstone project – a multi-track recording for a Quad Cities musician or group.   With instructional guidance, students are allowed to manage the entire recording project – booking the artists, scoring and arranging, rhythm mapping, tracking, overdubbing, mixing, mastering, and delivery.  The effort will require every skill learned in AE101 and AE102, as well as customer service and project management.  After recording wraps up, the class continues with "the rest of the process" – packaging design, promotion, distribution, royalty calculation, and copyright law.  The skills developed in this section make the difference between becoming a reliable audio engineer and becoming a "producer."

Instructor Background
Head Instructor Lars Rehnberg is an award-winning composer, an avid classical guitarist, and Creative Director of River Drive Records.  The fledgling record label received national press on BMI.com and other sites recently when a recording they produced for singer/songwriter Kyle Ferguson won the John Lennon Songwriting competition.  Other recent project include audio and video recordings for the Bix Jazz Festival, Circa '21, West Music, and Chamber Music Quad Cities.

Mr. Rehnberg has studied education for 12 years, audio engineering and acoustics for 13 years, and music theory for 15 years.  He loves to teach, and is fortunate to have had over a decade of classroom experience, from academic tutoring in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois, to High School-level Special Education in Easton, Massachusetts, to Freshman English Composition at the University of Alabama.  He currently sings and plays guitar for the local rock/flamenco/jazz band Ragaman.

Mr. Rehnberg designed the recording curricula for the Sound Lab program with a strong emphasis on real-world production skills. Students finish their first recording after only 4 hours of class time.  The program, which is the only one of its kind in the Quad Cities, consists of three 8-week courses taken in a sequence.