Audio Mixing Bootcamp

Course details

In this course, author Bobby Owsinski reveals industry tips, tricks, and techniques for producing professionally mixed audio on any digital audio workstation. He offers recommendations for setting up an optimal listening environment, highlights the most efficient ways to set up and balance a mix, and shows how to build a powerful sound with compression. The course also explains how to master the intricacies of EQ; incorporate reverb, delay, and modulation effects; and generate the final mix.

Learning objectives
Optimizing your listening environment
Setting up sessions, subgroups, and effects
Understanding which mixing elements to avoid
Understanding the principles of building a mix
Panning instruments
Setting up the compressor
Using noise gates and de-essers
Understanding the concept of frequency juggling
Using the magic high-pass filter
Timing reverb and delay to a track
Using reverb to layer the mix
Understanding the Haas effect
Modulating guitars, keyboards, and vocals
Mixing with subgroups
Tweaking the final mix

Concepts

Introduction

Welcome

Improving Your Listening Enviroment

Determining the listening position
Fixing acoustic problems
Setting up your monitors

Applying Eq to the Instruments

Equalizing the electric guitar
Equalizing the acoustic guitar
Equalizing the hand percussion

Equalizing the lead vocals

Equalizing the background vocals
Equalizing the piano
Equalizing the organ

Equalizing the strings

Equalizing the horns
Understanding Reverb
Learning the principles of reverb
Understanding reverb parameters
Timing the reverb to the track
Equalizing the reverb
Using the two-reverb quick setup
Using the three-reverb setup
Adding Reverb
Adding reverb to the drums
Adding reverb to the vocals
Adding reverb to the guitars
Adding reverb to the piano
Adding reverb to the organ

Adding reverb to the strings

Adding reverb to the horns
Adding reverb to the percussion
Using reverb to layer the mix

Adding Delay

Learning delay principles
Understanding delay parameters
Timing the delay to the track
Using delay timing variations
Equalizing the delay
Understanding the Haas effect
Using the three-delay setup
Adding delay to the vocals
Using delay to layer the mix
Adding Modulation Effects
Understanding the types of modulation
Understanding modulation parameters
Modulating the guitars

Modulating the keyboards

Modulating the vocals
Modulating the strings
The Final Mix
Mixing with subgroups
Using mix buss compression

Understanding the evils of hypercompression

Prepping Your Mix
Setting up your session
Setting up your subgroups
Setting up your effects
Learning the Basics of Mixing

Developing the groove

Emphasizing the most important elements
Knowing what to avoid
Building Your Mix
Learning the principles of building a mix
Assigning the drums to a subgroup
Building the mix from the kick
Building the mix from the snare
Building the mix from the toms
Building the mix from the overhead mics
Checking the drum phase

Balancing direct and miked bass channels

Building the mix from the bass
Building the mix from the vocals
Balancing the rhythm section
Balancing the rest of the instruments with the rhythm section
Making a mix without building it
Balancing the harmony vocals
Panning
Looking at the three main panning areas
Panning the drums

Avoiding pseudo-stereo

Exploring Compression
Understanding compressor parameters
Setting up the compressor
Compressing the drums
Compressing the room mics
Compressing the bass

Using the New York compression trick

Compressing the clean electric guitars
Compressing the distorted electric guitars
Compressing the acoustic guitars
Compressing the piano
Compressing the electric keyboards
Compressing the vocals
Compressing the horns
Using Noise Gates and De-Essers
Learning noise gate basics

Using the noise gate on guitars

Using the noise gate on drums
Learning de-esser basics
Using the de-esser on vocals
Learning About EQ
Understanding equalizer parameters
Learning subtractive equalization
Learning frequency juggling
Using the magic high-pass filter
Learning the principles of equalization

Applying EQ to the Rhthm Section

Equalizing the kick
Equalizing the snare
Equalizing the rack toms
Equalizing the floor tom
Equalizing the hi-hat
Equalizing the cymbal or the overhead mics

Equalizing the room mics

Equalizing the bass
Editing the bass rhythm
Equalizing the rhythm section

Conclusion

Goodbye