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

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome

1. Improving Your Listening Environment

02 - Determining the listening position
03 - Fixing acoustic problems
04 - Setting up your monitors

2. Prepping Your Mix

05 - Setting up your session
06 - Setting up your subgroups
07 - Setting up your effects

3. Learning the Basics of Mixing

08 - Developing the groove
09 - Emphasizing the most important elements
10 - Knowing what to avoid

4. Building Your Mix

11 - Learning the principles of building a mix
12 - Assigning the drums to a subgroup
13 - Building the mix from the kick
14 - Building the mix from the snare
15 - Building the mix from the toms
16 - Building the mix from the overhead mics
17 - Checking the drum phase
18 - Balancing direct and miked bass channels
19 - Building the mix from the bass
20 - Building the mix from the vocals
21 - Balancing the rhythm section
22 - Balancing the rest of the instruments with the rhythm section
23 - Making a mix without building it
24 - Balancing the harmony vocals

5. Panning

25 - Looking at the three main panning areas
26 - Panning the drums
27 - Avoiding pseudo-stereo

6. Exploring Compression

28 - Understanding compressor parameters
29 - Setting up the compressor
30 - Compressing the drums
31 - Compressing the room mics
32 - Compressing the bass
33 - Using the New York compression trick
34 - Compressing the clean electric guitars
35 - Compressing the distorted electric guitars
36 - Compressing the acoustic guitars
37 - Compressing the piano
38 - Compressing the electric keyboards
39 - Compressing the vocals
40 - Compressing the horns

7. Using Noise Gates and De-Essers

41 - Learning noise gate basics
42 - Using the noise gate on guitars
43 - Using the noise gate on drums
44 - Learning de-esser basics
45 - Using the de-esser on vocals

8. Learning About EQ

46 - Understanding equalizer parameters
47 - Learning subtractive equalization
48 - Learning frequency juggling
49 - Using the magic high-pass filter
50 - Learning the principles of equalization

9. Applying EQ to the Rhythm Section

51 - Equalizing the kick
52 - Equalizing the snare
53 - Equalizing the rack toms
54 - Equalizing the floor tom
55 - Equalizing the hi-hat
56 - Equalizing the cymbal or the overhead mics
57 - Equalizing the room mics
58 - Equalizing the bass
59 - Editing the bass rhythm
60 - Equalizing the rhythm section

10. Applying EQ to the Instruments

61 - Equalizing the electric guitar
62 - Equalizing the acoustic guitar
63 - Equalizing the hand percussion
64 - Equalizing the lead vocals
65 - Equalizing the background vocals
66 - Equalizing the piano
67 - Equalizing the organ
68 - Equalizing the strings
69 - Equalizing the horns

11. Understanding Reverb

70 - Learning the principles of reverb
71 - Understanding reverb parameters
72 - Timing the reverb to the track
73 - Equalizing the reverb
74 - Using the two-reverb quick setup
75 - Using the three-reverb setup

12. Adding Reverb

76 - Adding reverb to the drums
77 - Adding reverb to the vocals
78 - Adding reverb to the guitars
79 - Adding reverb to the piano
80 - Adding reverb to the organ
81 - Adding reverb to the strings
82 - Adding reverb to the horns
83 - Adding reverb to the percussion
84 - Using reverb to layer the mix

13. Adding Delay

85 - Learning delay principles
86 - Understanding delay parameters
87 - Timing the delay to the track
88 - Using delay timing variations
89 - Equalizing the delay
90 - Understanding the Haas effect
91 - Using the three-delay setup
92 - Adding delay to the vocals
93 - Using delay to layer the mix

14. Adding Modulation Effects

94 - Understanding the types of modulation
95 - Understanding modulation parameters
96 - Modulating the guitars
97 - Modulating the keyboards
98 - Modulating the vocals
99 - Modulating the strings

15. The Final Mix

100 - Mixing with subgroups
101 - Using mix buss compression
102 - Understanding the evils of hypercompression

Conclusion

103 - Goodbye