Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review 2022: Is It Worth Your Money?

This article on “Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review” will provide you with the opportunity to read an in-depth evaluation of Armin Van Buuren’s Masterclass, including information on how the lessons are presented, who the course is best suited for, the Pros & Cons, and what I enjoyed about it, etc.

Armin van Buuren is a name that is virtually certain to be familiar to everyone who enjoys listening to dance music.

Since nearly the beginning of the electronic dance music genre, this Dutch DJ and producer have been at the forefront of it. Following his significant contribution to the resurgence of interest in trance music, he has gone on to give performances at major festivals located all over the world.

But does Armin van Buuren’s illustrious career indicate that he is an effective educator?

The dance music masterclass that Armin Van Buuren teaches is quite in-depth. This course teaches you how to harness your creativity and share your music with the world, regardless of whether you are interested in making electronic dance music (EDM) or another type of music.

In this Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review, I will be covering a lot of ground. If you don’t have the time to read everything, here is a summary of the most important parts ahead.

Who Is Armin Van Buuren?

Armin van Buuren, who originates from Leiden in the Netherlands, has dominated the field of dance music for some time now and continues to do so.

He has been the host of his radio show, A State of Trance, for the past 20 years; the show is currently listened to by almost 40 million people all around the world.

Armin is not only a very famous producer, but he is also a very successful DJ. DJMag has ranked him as the number one DJ record-breaking five times.

His song “This Is What It Feels Like” was considered for a Grammy award in the year 2014, and he holds the record for the most entries to the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart with a total of 21 of them.

Do you think this is the sort of person who could be able to offer some advice on music appropriate for dancing? Why don’t you find out more by watching the trailer that’s been made for this class?

A.V.B. or Armin van Buuren Has almost 1.6 million followers on Twitter; if you haven’t seen what he’s been sharing recently, you should.

Those of you who haven’t seen the Armin van Buuren MasterClass Trailer should do so immediately by following the link provided.

What Is MasterClass?

MasterClass is now widely recognized as a prominent participant among the e-learning heavyweights, despite only having begun operations in 2014.

It attempts to produce high-quality, professionally prepared courses from instructors who are well-known all around the world.

Their curriculum includes classes in acting with Natalie Portman, culinary with Gordon Ramsey, and performing with Herbie Hancock, amongst others.

The likes of Deadmau5e and Hans Zimmer have also been seen teaching in their music classes.

It is very evident that MasterClass presents an original mode of instruction. However, the celebrity-driven content might not be appealing to all audiences.

Continue reading if you want to determine whether or not this is the path that you should take.

Course Overview – Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review

This MasterClass is comprised of 33 video lessons, with a combined runtime of approximately 7 hours of material. Additionally, you will have access to:

Discussion with other students enrolled in the course held online.
Included in the package is a 43-page workbook that contains many more of Armin’s pointers.

In this section, I’m going to give you an overview of each lesson, walking you through what it covers, how it’s presented in class, and a few reflections on how I felt about each one overall.

As is the case with the majority of MasterClass programs, the first and last lessons are set aside for opening and closing statements respectively. Therefore, I’m going to skip over those here and go straight into the primary instructional sections.

Finding Melodic Inspiration

In this class, there is absolutely no downtime at all!

Armin has a lot of material to go over, so he gets right to the point by sharing with his pupils some of the most important insights on melody and how he gets his inspiration for melodies.

I would say that it becomes very evident very quickly who the audience is for this session, which is what I would say.

Armin, for instance, may talk about chord progressions as if they are simple concepts, while someone who is just starting out in music might not even know what a chord is.

In this lesson, we will go over:

• Learn how to sing your way to a memorable hook with this guide!
• You can put your ideas to the test by using your buddies.
• Finding new ideas through the progression of chords
• Advice from Armin on how to get beyond a writer’s block

Building A Home Studio

You shouldn’t necessarily anticipate that the first thing you will learn in this class will be about how to construct a studio. Students who are only interested in dabbling in the language may never even consider purchasing one.

Armin, though, makes it quite evident how essential space is to the creation of a sound that you want. Advice like this, which is uncomplicated but nevertheless very important, demonstrates his level of experience.

This lesson will teach you how to:

• How to give the recording studio a positive “vibe” to work in
• Regarding the software that Armin employs (Logic Pro)
• How to conduct a test with a Sine Wave
• How to prevent waveforms from interacting negatively with their surroundings and canceling one other out
• Regarding the importance of having a solid master keyboard.

Logic Pro

Armin continues our education by walking us through his primary piece of software, Logic Pro, as a natural progression from the previous course on building a home studio.

This class, like the ones that came before it, felt like required preparation in the lead-up to Armin revealing his true level of expertise.

There was a lot of direct instructional information that I’m positive would be of assistance to individuals who are just getting started in the industry, despite the fact that some of the suggestions contained here could appear obvious to seasoned producers.

• These suggestions are as follows:
• The significance of being organized and using color coding
• Why you should back up your work and how to do it
• utilizing methods of dynamic processing

In The Studio: Melody

‘In The Studio,’ where Armin and Benno de Goej create new trance music from the ground up, will be included in future episodes.

In the Pros and Cons portion of this review, I’ll adequately clarify my thoughts on these types of classes, so continue reading if you’re curious.

As a headline, I’m unsure how effective these were. However, there wasn’t much instruction or explanation, which made it a little difficult to understand at times.

As a result, the opportunity to see a fly-on-the-wall show like this is quite unusual, and there is a lot to be learned by doing so at work as well.

The first ‘In The Studio’ lesson focuses on melody, and it’s one of the best. In this instance, Armin uses an old Satie composition as a springboard for new and innovative ideas.

Pads

The following two lessons will be about pads, specifically how Armin utilizes them in his playing. First, we are presented with this introductory lecture, and then we get to watch him in action during another “In the Studio” segment.

Having these various approaches to educational delivery is beneficial in many ways, including providing a welcome contrast like this one.

The following topics will be covered in this lesson:

• How to build up with lead layers
• Maintaining the purity of your blend
• Why pads are such an important component
• How to unleash your imagination with the help of plugins

In The Studio: Pads and Leads

Another sample of the live collaboration that Armin and Benno have been working on can be found in this portion of In the Studio.

The creation of a lead and the construction of a pad sound are demonstrated for our viewing in real-time.

In addition to this, there are other technical aspects that need to be learned, such as how to make a wide pad and how to add a transient compressor to your lead.

You also get a glimpse of how arduous the process is, as well as how committed Armin and Benno are to seeing it through.

They fiddle with each individual layer of sound until they reach a point where they are satisfied with it.

More Pads

This was a more concise continuation of the pads theme, with directions that were much more specific regarding how to achieve the greatest sound.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• How to discard a concept and come up with another one
• The ideal key for music intended for dancing
• Tutorial on how to use the Capture Recording function in Logic
• Why plexus is such a fantastic addition to trance music

Creating A Groove Pts. 1 & 2

The upcoming round of classes has been grouped together because they cover extremely similar subject matter.

The importance of groove in dance music cannot be overstated.

If you listen to a piece of music and find that it makes you want to tap your foot, there’s a good likelihood that the groove is doing its job well.

These teachings are not ones that you should pass up on, considering that you are learning from a dancefloor icon.

You will get the knowledge to:

• Drum samples and how to work with them
• Utilizing Ableton to add additional layers of percussion
• Getting them to dance by giving them a low kick.
• How to cut down the length of the kick using an LFO tool

In The Studio: Adding Groove & The Big Pay Off

Armin and Benno, following in the footsteps of what they have done in the past, apply what they have learned from a prior lesson to the track that they are currently producing.

Putting groove into this tune requires the following elements:

• Adding a bassline to the song
• Building a riff from scratch
• Creating a robust bass sound by combining a number of different samples

These components of the groove were incredibly interesting, especially considering that we can observe Armin’s advice be put into action in real-time.

In spite of this, the aspect of music production that resonated with me the most was not a particular element but rather the entire process of creating a song.

Armin claims that despite the fact that there is no hard and fast rule regarding time, the two of them will always come up with something fresh each day.

It is common to believe that writing is a very alone activity; nonetheless, there was a continuous conversation in this location.

It’s almost like watching a documentary about the natural world, and it’s really quite intriguing. It is the same as if you were silently observing the masters at work from within their recording studio.

Mixing And Mastering

Mixing and mastering are processes that are used for each and every music that is released these days. In and of itself, it is a type of artistic expression.

This indicates that the information presented here is applicable to any form. However, due to the predominance of electronic instruments in dance music, it is even more important to get the sound just right.

From This, We Learn To:

• Reasons why you shouldn’t mix music on the same day that it was generated
• Getting the bass and kick to have the sound you want
• The equilibrium between the volume and the distortion.
• Maintaining the cleanliness of your reverb
• Employing a frequency analyzer as the method

This lesson is presented with a brief reference to a DJ performance in order to hint at what will be covered in subsequent lessons. You have to make sure that the level of your set is the same as the DJ that came before you; you can’t put a damper on the excitement!

In The Studio: Cleaning It Up

To finish up what they started in the previous lesson on mixing and mastering, Armin and Benno get back to work in the studio. Roughing the mix and dialing in sound are the topics covered in this section.

By ear, you’ll learn how to provide a sense of transience to your song by altering the length of individual notes. Benno conducts most of the talking and walks you through the mixing process, which is a unique feature of this tutorial.

Though having a lesson delivered by Benno isn’t exactly what you signed up for, I like getting a new perspective from someone other than your usual teacher.

Mix & Arrangement Case Study: Be In The Moment

You can learn about Armin’s music by listening to a song from his discography and following along with Armin’s commentary on the mixing and arrangement.

Armin’s unique dynamic of performing and then discussing the song was refreshing. It helped a lot in realizing some of the hints that weren’t so obvious previously.

A similar technique used in the Studio sections would have enhanced the explanations of what was happening at various points in the video.

Additionally, it’s quite evident from this lesson that Armin is extremely enthusiastic about both his own music and the art of music creation as a whole. He’s giddy with delight as he describes the track’s various elements.

Arranging

Keep up with the music. Armin van Buuren’s 17th MasterClass session had a major impact on my thinking.

People want to get up and dance when they hear a nice beat, so you should always be able to hear it in a song. Does it count as “dance music” if no one is actually dancing to it?

An old-fashioned Armin tutorial on how to put together an electronic dance music track is back. The following is a summary of the material covered in this course:

• The importance of a powerful introductory statement
• Tease with music
• Elevating the suspense
• Dropping in a drop
• Designing and developing new and exciting components

In The Studio: Arranging & Percussion

The previous In The Studio session is the penultimate one, and in it, Armin’s lecture on arranging is put into reality.

Armin and Benno will now discuss the following here:

• Incorporating percussion and enhancing the texture
• Putting together an introduction and a breakdown.

There isn’t a lot of direct instruction here, much like the rest of this section of the course.

Nevertheless, while we are working together on this project, we observe the realization of some of Armin’s hypotheses in real-time.

In The Studio: Building The Drop & Reviewing The Track

This is the concluding lesson of “In the Studio,” and now we finally get to reap the benefits of Armin and Benno’s labor as they walk us through:

• The winner is A/Bing.
• How to give a drop the finishing touches it needs to be successful
• Finding the ideal amount of volume
• Critiquing your work

In comparison to the other examples of these In the Studio films, I felt as though this class provided a far greater amount of direction and explanation that was given specifically to the audience.

The opportunity to observe professionals in their field of expertise and gain first-hand, in-depth knowledge of the tasks that they were carrying out was an extremely beneficial facet of this training.

Working With Vocals And Lyrics

This session serves as a teaser for the next three voice classes, in which Armin works with a live vocalist.

Learn from this:

• Using lyrics is not something we should be afraid of doing.
• How to make a sermon?
• the process of creating and modifying audio samples

Armin is a non-native English speaker, thus the effort he put into writing in a different language was pretty inspirational.

Vocal Tracking & Vocal Comping

Both of these tutorials show Armin working with a visiting vocalist in his studio to record some tracks.

We’re able to watch:

• How to get a vocalist excited and engaged
• This is why you should always record your initial attempt:
• The controversy around autotune
• How to merge many recordings into a single audio file

As a result of Armin’s dedication to making the performer feel at ease, it’s enjoyable to witness.

Vocal Editing

Armin will now guide you through the editing process as you enter the final stage of recording vocals.

Here, we get information regarding:

• Performing edits on voice recordings
• The mixing and the effects
• Eliminating the clicks
• Adding reverb
• Why you should just record the vocals in a single session

Singles, Edits & Club Mixes

This is most likely going to be one of the more crucial concepts that we cover over the entire program.

This is due to the fact that it focuses on the intersection of two aspects of dance music that are extremely important, namely, the production of a track and live DJing, as well as Armin’s work.

If Armin is your hero, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. The following topics will be covered in this lesson:

• Making a dance mix out of a pop voice recording
• Adding more depth to the acapella.
• Extended mixes and radio edits are being created.

Approaching Your DJ Set

I have worked in studios before, as I’ve indicated before, but I’ve never been the one behind the decks, so it’s absolutely foreign territory for me.

Because of this, this was the portion of the course that I was looking forward to the most.

My entire life, I’ve spent listening to and watching DJs play. There are a great many things about which I was interested in gaining knowledge and had questions.

Armin’s first lesson behind the decks doesn’t let anyone down, as I picked up some useful skills such as how to:

• Play around with the different decks.
• Use my setlist to create a trajectory.
• Be aware of what’s trending.
• Observe the behavior of the many.
• Consider every performance an opportunity to improve your craft.

Building A Set And Mashups

Lesson 25 explained in great depth what a DJ does. This was particularly helpful to someone like me, a complete newbie.

Even if you already know this, I’m sure you’ll still benefit from Armin’s direct advice.

For those who fall into this category, lessons 26-29 are great for you, even if lesson 25 makes you roll your eyes a little.

You’ll learn about Armin’s experience constructing sets for Tomorrowland in this class.

Here you will discover:

• Editing tracks for stage performances: A step-by-step guide
• How to create a mashup
• Creating a folder structure
• Ableton Live for editing
• Analysis of bpm/key signatures using Mixed In Key.
• combining components from many musical compositions

Approaching The Decks

Lesson 25 went into great detail on what a DJ does on a daily basis. In my case, as a complete newbie, this was quite useful.

However, I’m sure many people already know this and are attending this course for Armin’s direct advice.

If that’s the case, lessons 26-29 are ideal for you, despite the fact that you may roll your eyes during lesson 25.

In order to get ready for Tomorrowland, Armin uses his set-building skills to teach you all about it.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

• How to prepare tracks for performance on stage by using audio editing software
• How to create mashups.
• Getting your files in order
• Editing with Ableton Live
• Analyzing bpm/key signatures using Mixed In Key.
• Making use of samples from a variety of sources

Armin’s Techniques

Here, Armin continues the discussion of live DJing with some precise and thorough suggestions. If you’ve never used a DJ setup before, this tutorial may not be the best fit for you.

If you’ve seen the last lesson, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to follow along.

Armin uses the following strategies:

• Incorporating a reverb or fader to create track overlap
• Increasing the number of channels
• Generally, I stick to a tempo of 132 beats per minute.
• Gradually and carefully altering the tempo

Performance Tips

Armin is just as much of a performer as he is a producer, according to everyone who has seen his work. Watch any of his Tomorrowland sets and you’ll get the idea.

It’s a wonderful treat to hear guidance from someone who knows so much about engaging an audience.

The following are some of Armin’s performance suggestions:

• Microphones should be used sparingly.
• Alternate between well-known and obscure tunes.
• Remember to keep your DJ etiquette in check
• It’s all about who’s in front of the stage.
• Use your time wisely and don’t waste it

Like many of these lessons, the advice here is universally relevant.

Hosting A Radio Show

Since 2001, Armin has presented A State of Trance, one of the world’s most popular dance music events.

Over 40 million people across the world tune in each week, and the show remains as popular as it was when it first began. How could anyone else provide guidance on how to begin a radio show?

The following are some of the things you should keep in mind:

• Getting to know your fans
• Using blogs to stay up to date on the latest trends
• Don’t announce each and every song that you’re playing.
• First, prepare your remarks by writing them down.

Armin’s Early Influences

Armin is teaching us something very intimate yet again. It’s not only a look at his influences; he also takes us on a tour of his life up to this point.

This place is packed with big names:

• In Ben Liebrand’s case
• Jarre Jean Michel
• Theo van Heyning
• Axwell/Ingrosso
• He’s known as John Digweed for a long time

Starting And Growing Your Career

Dance music careers can be jumped-started here:

• Social media: A How-To Guide
• How do you set personal boundaries?
• Developing and distributing demonstrations
• It’s never too late to have a good time!

We’d all be superstars by now if there were a tried-and-true formula for success. This is the best Armin can do in class, and he does it exceptionally well.

This was a great way to wrap up the class. It took Armin eight long years to get his debut tune, and then his entire career went dark.

Pros & Cons – Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review

PROS

1. Perspective From A Prominent Expert

MasterClass has been criticized by many. Being a leader in a profession doesn’t make you a good teacher, they say. Armin van Buuren is a safe bet.

Every tip, trick, and piece of guidance comes from his years of expertise at the top of his field, as seen by his career full of major songs and performances across the world.

It’s remarkable to learn so much in one semester, especially from a teacher with such a stellar career.

Armin knows his soundboard, studio, and DJ setup by the way he talks. He’s also willing and able to explain things plainly. Which is harder? I couldn’t believe he knew so much about making dance music. He’s one of the world’s biggest DJs.

2. Incredibly Instructive

Big names often just talk about their lives and careers in their seminars. Later in the course, we learn more about this. This Masterclass focuses mainly on sound improvement tips. Perfect for wannabe DJs.

Armin details the tools he uses, his process for making music, and tips for achieving comparable results. Armin’s overview of LFO tools will help producers in this course.

Armin played or created a track and then walked you through it. Some areas of the course lacked instructional training, but there’s still much to learn.

3. Various Teaching Methods

Armin could’ve easily talked about his career as I suggested. I would have been pleased. I got more. Lessons vary, with Armin chatting to the camera, showing us his software, collaborating with Benno and the vocalist, and getting behind the decks.

This frequent change in approach keeps teachings new and the audience engaged, which is crucial given the course’s length. But there’s more.

Each setting modification emphasizes Armin’s point. We watch him and Benno in the studio mixing a tune after he gives mixing advice. He’ll also describe the use of a tool on his decks and then use it.

I’m glad Armin and the developers of this class diversified each course. The stylistic shift helped me understand each lesson.

4. Armin’s Mix Of Enthusiasm And Knowledge

Armin’s personality made this course stand out. It’s his main passion. Armin’s breakthrough was slow, so he had to love his work to keep going. This passion shows in his lessons.

Armin’s excitement is contagious. He was often tapping his foot and waving his fists. It was a privilege to witness him grow thrilled about fresh ideas in real-time.

His dance music knowledge matches his passion. Armin has a deep understanding of music as an art form and what makes us want to dance. I doubt any other course combines these elements.

CONS

1. The limit?

It’s one of the platform’s longest courses. Length isn’t a drawback in itself. You can go at your own pace, and most people prefer more content. This course tries to do too much at once, which is my greatest complaint.

Music genres are already unclear. Armin van Buuren Teaches Dance Music is a misleading title. This course included so many things, it was sometimes overwhelming.

This MasterClass might have been better if they focused on one section in more depth. Armin van Buuren Teaching DJing or Music Production would be fantastic MasterClasses.

Subjective. This course’s range is perfect for some. Others may conclude Armin’s insight is worth it, even if they skip some classes. Consider this before enrolling in the course.

2. Could Have Used More Clarification in the “In The Studio” Section

Learning is individual. Some like verbal, direct learning, while others prefer visual, practical, on-the-job learning. This will benefit the latter group. It’s so cool to see Armin make a dance tune that I’m not sure it’s a con.

I’m also not suggesting there’s nothing to learn from this course section. Armin and Benno could have provided more explanation and detail at times.

It’s a MasterClass. Armin utilizes so many tools and applications that I often wondered, “What does that accomplish?” or “Why did he do that?” Considering how well Armin explained other portions of the course, these pieces could’ve been better.

3. Not For Beginners

Rather than a defect, this is more of a cautionary tale.

Technical language concerning music production, mixing, and mastering is peppered throughout Armin’s set. I think it would be difficult for a complete rookie to understand this. Those who are intrigued but have no prior knowledge of trance music should start by learning the basics before diving in headfirst.

However, you don’t have to be a professional DJ to benefit from this training. I had so much fun and learned so much even though I had never stepped in front of a set of DJ decks before.

Armin Van Buuren Masterclass Review: Is It Worth It?

Is Armin van Buuren’s MasterClass worthwhile?

Individual experience is the key to learning. Your expectations, personal learning technique, and prior knowledge will all determine what you obtain from this course.

This course is a must-see for dance music fans. The course overstretched itself by trying to be too many things at once. I think they should have focused more on DJing or music creation.

If you’re only interested in one, don’t take this course. If you love dance music or are ready to ignore this issue for Armin’s insights, check it out. It’s thrilling enough to be taught by Armin van Buuren, but his enthusiasm makes it much better.

The variety of teaching styles was interesting; other MasterClasses should take note. MasterClass has much more for music enthusiasts. All with a money-back guarantee.

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