Basics of Recording – What to Know Before You Hit Record

Sound Hall Studios is excited to offer a Basics of Recording class in Henrico, VA for aspiring recording engineers, musicians, and content creators ages 16 and up who are ready to learn what it really takes to capture great audio. Whether you record at home, in a project studio, or dream of working in a professional environment, this six-week workshop gives you the foundational knowledge and hands-on experience to do it right.

With six weekly classes, students will learn the essential concepts and techniques needed to set up and execute a professional recording session with confidence.
Class Details
6-Week Recording Workshop
Ages: 16 and up
Dates: September 21 through October 26, 2026 — 9/21 | 9/28 | 10/5 | 10/12 | 10/19 | 10/26
Day: Mondays
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Class Size: Limited to 8 students
What You Will Learn in This Recording Class
This beginner recording workshop in Richmond, VA covers everything you need to know before you hit record. Throughout the six-week class students will learn:
– Recording formats and sample rates
– Signal flow and gain staging
– Microphone selection and placement
– How to set up headphone mixes
– Session preparation and efficient tracking workflows
– How to organize and manage a complete recording session

Every lesson builds on the last. Rather than overwhelming students with too much at once, each class introduces new concepts step by step so that by the end of the course you can walk into any recording environment and know exactly what to do.
Workshop Project — Produce a Professional Demo Recording
Learning to record is best done by actually recording. Throughout the six-week course students will plan, record, and organize a complete multi-track recording of a project of their choice — a simple song, a spoken-word piece, a podcast segment, or an acoustic performance. Each week students will improve a different aspect of their project based on the concepts covered in class.

The final deliverable in Week 6 is a fully recorded and organized session folder that demonstrates proper recording practices from start to finish. Students leave the course with a real recording they produced themselves.

A Practical, Hands-On Introduction to Recording

Recording is a skill that opens doors. Whether you are a musician who wants to capture your own music, a content creator looking to improve your audio quality, or someone who has always been curious about what happens behind the glass — this workshop gives you the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence to get started.

At Sound Hall Studios we believe learning should be practical, encouraging, and immediately applicable to your real creative goals. Small class sizes mean more individual attention and more time behind the gear.
Meet Your Recording Instructor — Ryan Colton
Ryan Colton is a Richmond-based recording engineer and music technology professional with over two decades of hands-on studio experience. He holds a certification in Music Recording Technology from JSRCC and launched his career with an internship at PK Studios in Richmond before co-founding Spilling Sounds Productions, a project studio in Richmond’s West End, where he recorded local and regional artists across a wide range of genres including rock, metal, punk, folk, gospel, and bluegrass.

In 2014 Ryan founded Distilled Sounds, through which he has continued to work with a diverse roster of clients including Downbeat Switch, Poison Ivy League, Deja Foo, Elana Lisa and The Hot Mess, and Elmore Hotel. In 2022 he relocated to Glen Allen and built a more sophisticated studio facility to further enhance his professional services.

Ryan loves helping artists shape musical ideas into well-crafted recordings and brings that same passion to every class he teaches at Sound Hall Studios. When he is not behind the board you can find him on stage as an active member of The Grey Cells.
Member Discount
This class is a premium workshop at Sound Hall Studios. Active Sound Hall Studios members receive 10% off registration. To use your member discount please contact Sound Hall Studios or visit us in person to register. Member discounts are not currently available through online registration at this time.

Call: 804-816-2350
Monday through Friday: 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM