< About | General Info | Pianist | Vocalist | Songwriter | Producer | Live Sound Engineer
Experimenting with GarageBand for iPad
Bryan Woolbert began learning about audio and music production during his time at CharterTech High School for the Performing Arts. Before he was introduced to AVID® Pro Tools in his instrumental music classes, Woolbert experimented with and learned how to use GarageBand for iPad on his own. When he realized the technological power of layering software instrument tracks in a manner that was easy for him to execute on a touchscreen that he could look at up close, he began striving to overcome his initial fears that he would be limited in the music production world by his visual impairment.
"Sounds of Nature" Production Process
Within a couple years, Woolbert would use GarageBand on his iPad Pro (first generation) in conjunction with some external audio apps, a Casio Privia PX-330 connected to a bluetooth MIDI interface, and free nature samples from Freesound.org to record and edit his "Sounds of Nature: Songs from Dreams & Inspirations" EP (which would later be mixed and mastered by expert producer Kit Worton before being released in 2018). Given that GarageBand did not yet support Audio Units at the time, Woolbert was unable to edit the MIDI notes of any track that contained an external software instrument (outside of GarageBand). Furthermore, he had to compensate for small amounts of latency that came from the bluetooth interface by playing notes a little early. Thus, much of the music that can be heard on the EP is exactly the way that Woolbert originally played it with little to no editing.
Obtaining the Pro Tools User Certification
During his junior year of high school, Woolbert took Pro Tools 101 with the Grammy-nominated engineer and musician Lew London during his instrumental music class. London kindly devoted considerable amounts of individual attention to Woolbert during training. The two discovered that Woolbert could in fact operate Pro Tools effectively with the small amount of vision that he has by using the Scroll to Zoom feature on macOS to smoothly magnify the software as necessary. He successfully passed the Pro Tools 101 Exam and proceeded to study Pro Tools 110 with London in his senior year. Woolbert also chose to take an honors level precalculus course during that year which provided a crucial foundation for the physics of sine waves (and thus sound waves). He simultaneously took a physics fundamentals course which gave him insight into electromagnetic waves, the basics of electrical circuits, and several other topics that are relevant to the functionality of audio production technologies. Shortly before graduating as salutatorian, Woolbert passed the Pro Tools 110 Exam and earned the AVID® Pro Tools: User certification for Version 12 (view the official listing on AVID's website by typing in "Bryan Woolbert" here). It is also worth noting that Woolbert gained some studio experience while playing piano on some sessions with bands of other Instrumental majors at CharterTech. He also spent considerable amounts of time alone in soundproofed studio booths during instrumental music classes using both GarageBand and Pro Tools to work on his original music.
Real-World Studio Experience at Right Touch Studios
During the summer of 2016, Woolbert's vocal coach Sal Dupree introduced him to expert producer Kit Worton after hearing a rough track of his original song "Sin's Ender" that Woolbert had made with GarageBand. During his many studio sessions with Worton in the years that followed, Woolbert gained bounds of real-world professional studio experience and knowledge. From the small details such as executing proper vocal technique when singing into condenser microphones to understanding the full process for producing and releasing a record, Worton fondly mentored Woolbert at every possible opportunity while producing his original music (especially while working on the "You Are with Me" EP). He also gave Woolbert his first look at Apple's Logic Pro for macOS. Finally, Worton introduced him to his primary publisher CDBaby, his PRO ASCAP, and the U.S. Electronic Copyright Office (ECO).
Woolbert's First Pro Tools System & Cairn University
After the success of his high school graduation, Woolbert's family rewarded him with a 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro (his very first Mac computer), a Korg Kronos, a Blue Microphones Baby Bottle, a pair of Samson Resolv SE6 studio monitors, and a perpetual license for Pro Tools Standard (which is now only offered as a subscription and is called Pro Tools Studio). With the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Generation) audio interface bundle that he had purchased at the center, Woolbert now had a fully functional Pro Tools system of his own. During his studies as a Worship & Music major at Cairn University between the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2019, he occasionally used this system in his dorm room to create what would later become concept tracks for a couple of the songs on his "Sounds of Nature 2: Songs from Dreams & Inspirations" EP. Although he acquired considerable knowledge about music theory and The Bible, several crucial piano and vocal performance techniques, and real-world experience while working as a contracted live sound engineer during his time at Cairn, Woolbert made the brave decision to transfer out of the university in 2019 due to their lack of a dedicated music production program.
Rowan University Knowledge & "I Just Can't Get over You"
Woolbert transferred into Rowan University in time for the fall 2019 semester where he became a Music Industry: Technology major. While he did study a few quintessential courses that focused on the music business, the program was primarily geared toward music production. On the hardware front, he learned about many types of microphones, cables (and how to properly wrap them), preamplifiers, speakers, and much more. He studied how various types of compressors, equalizers, reverbs, delays, and other effects function, both from a technological standpoint and within the context of a mix. He also examined the process of analog to digital conversion, the arts of sampling, synthesis, and remixing, and several methods of recording, editing, and mixing. He took a Physics of Sound & Music course which provided extensive knowledge about acoustics, standing waves, and more. On the software side, Woolbert received a proper introduction to Logic Pro for macOS during the Fall 2019 semester which he used to produce his original song "I Just Can't Get over You." At first, he fully produced and submitted the track for a graded assignment. After the collegiate production, Woolbert took the Logic session over to Kit Worton where he rerecorded the lead vocals on Worton's superior hardware. The two also made a few minor mixing and mastering adjustments before it was released as a single. Soon after that, Woolbert discovered iZotope plugins and learned to use RX Advanced noise reduction software for comprehensive audio cleanup and repair. He then obtained basic knowledge of mastering skills and standards in his Producing the Record course during the Fall 2021 semester.
Logic Pro X Certification Attempt
During the summer of 2020, Woolbert took (and paid for) the official Logic 101 certification course through Future Media Concepts (FMC) and was instructed by the Emmy-award winning composer David Cottrell. Although he had attained the necessary expertise for the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) along with several additional editing and mixing techniques, Apple permanently discontinued Logic Pro X certification exams during the COVID-19 Pandemic which rendered Woolbert (and many other students) unable to test and obtain the certification.
Upgrade to Pro Tools Ultimate & Senior Year at Rowan
During the summer of 2021, Woolbert acquired a highly tuned 2020 27-inch iMac and a Pro Tools | Carbon audio interface (which came bundled with a Pro Tools Ultimate perpetual license as part of a limited-time deal at Sweetwater). This new Pro Tools Ultimate system combined with the gear that he already owned empowered Woolbert to record, edit, mix, and master his "Sounds of Nature 2: Songs from Dreams & Inspirations" EP completely on his own over the course of the academic year to follow. He also directed the "Glimpses in the Sunset" music video and released it prior to the EP as part of its marketing campaign. The music video, the EP, and a written marketing plan were submitted together as Woolbert's Capstone Project - a final graduation requirement of the Music Industry: Technology program at Rowan University. Woolbert gained internship experience during the spring of 2022 when he served as the lead audio engineer for a podcast production. This involved composing and producing the intro, outro, and transition pieces, as well as editing, mixing, and mastering all of the audio for the podcast. Finally, Woolbert simultaneously had the opportunity to interview some prominent industry figures in audio archiving and digital storage technologies (most notably including the CEO of Glyph Production Technologies) as part of a research project before graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry: Technology in May of 2022.
2022 NAMM Show & Pro Tools Operator of Music Certification
Shortly after graduating, Woolbert attended the 2022 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. At the conference, Woolbert gained additional knowledge in acoustics, immersive audio, and the ever increasing role of artificial intelligence within the music industry, just to name a few topics. He also got the opportunity to experiment with some new technologies, including the Warm Audio WA-CX12 Tube Condenser Microphone. Upon singing into it for the first time, he immediately fell in love with its bright, colorful sound. The example that now resides at Woolbert's home studio is his primary microphone of choice for recording his lead and harmony vocals, among other things. A few months later, Woolbert utilized his Pro Tools Ultimate system to take the Pro Tools 201 and Pro Tools 210M courses online with Pro Tools Expert Wilkis Ideology Figuereo through Itec Audio Studios. Once each course was completed, Woolbert successfully passed both the Pro Tools 201 Exam and Pro Tools 210M Exam (respectively) to earn the Pro Tools Operator of Music Certification for Version 2021 (view the official listing on AVID's website by typing in "Bryan Woolbert" here).
Today
Today, Woolbert uses a combination of Logic Pro for macOS and Pro Tools Ultimate for audio and music production (for a full list of the studio equipment that he uses, you can download a copy of Woolbert's studio gear list from this page). Though he may not be as efficient as a fully sighted engineer, Woolbert is a persistent perfectionist who takes his time to ensure nothing less than excellent sonic quality with every production that he works on. The fact that he has perfect pitch and Chromesthesia gives him a strong edge above the competition within the listening domain when it comes to producing music. Whether he is bringing one of his original songs to fruition or perhaps producing your next record, you can trust that every detail of the production will be considered and addressed to Woolbert's complete satisfaction upon final delivery of the master.
Quotes
"There's nothing more professional than putting forth your whole heart into what you're doing."
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert
"Your ears are the microphones, your mouth is the amplifier, your mind is the sound board."
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert
"Encourage someone, change a life, illuminate the future!"
-Bryan Woolbert
-Bryan Woolbert