New York-born and multiple Grammy-nominated sound engineer Dave Pensado is possibly one of the most prolific YouTubers in the pro audio scene, with this ‘Pensado’s Place’ channel currently having over 178,000 subscribers for his popular Into The Lair series of studio tips and advice.

Dave has teamed up with online tuition specialists Groove3 to create a series of courses that are straight talking and down to the point, as what is typical of Dave’s familiar YouTube style. Titled ‘Recording Vocals with Dave Pensado‘ the course is aimed at inexperienced engineers looking to increase their chops and learn pro techniques from the master.

Dave’s almost fatherly approach often refers to bad and incorrect techniques, offering sensible ways to approach issues and micing challenges. The video series is not so much a hands-on lesson, but rather a casual one-on-one chat. Dave’s casual conversation style is as if you are sitting there with him sipping on a coffee in the studio.

Subjects covered include the rudimentary construction and workings of microphones, recommended placements and some post-processing tools to get the most out of your recordings. Other handy tips like how to create a relaxed mood in the studio and get the best performance from your performers are all great advice. There is a full recording session included so you can see first-hand how the masterworks with a vocalist and fellow engineers.

Dave has a very endearing and approachable teaching style that removes apprehension, but at the same time retains a level of respect with his confident, slow pace in a way that you only get from someone with many years of hard-earned experience in the field. With his (very) long list of a-list superstars under his belt like Pink, Michael Jackson, Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce, Elton John and Christina Aguilera – he has plenty of street cred to back up his advice.

Primarily aimed at new studio engineers who will gain the most from this series, there is a lot to learn here for even seasoned studio cats. At under $100, you couldn’t even hire Dave for an hour of the time included on the course, let alone watch back over it anytime you like. For a student, this is absolutely required watching and should be in the collection of any serious recording studio engineer.  Highly recommended. 

For full details visit the Groove3 website right here www.groove3.com

$94.99 for purchase, $2.99 for a 72-hour rental, or available for streaming with the Groove3 All Access Pass for $15.00/month.