Mixing Crash Courses

Our mixing crash courses fast-track your journey into the heart of sound manipulation. They are an intensive dive into the world of audio engineering tools, where every moment is packed with essential knowledge and hands-on experience. Through focused lessons and practical exercises, students absorb the core principles of equalization, compression, and mixing. It’s a whirlwind adventure where theory meets practice, equipping learners with the skills and confidence to tackle real-world audio projects and up their home mixes. Our audio crash courses are affordable, practical, and will teach students exactly what they need to know to use fundamental engineering tools and improve their own mixing skills. Our one-on-one audio crash courses are 60-minutes in length and are taught in our Manchester NH recording studio where the student will sit with the engineer at the console. Real-world session material will be used in each lab.

If you are not using EQ to correctly balance frequencies in your home or live mixes, this crash course will transform them from ‘muddy’ to ‘clean’ and provide a huge overall improvement. Learn basic and advanced EQ techniques; in the lab portion we’ll apply EQ across a mix using real session material in our studio.

Here are details on what you’ll learn:

• What is equalization?
• EQ’s role in a mix
• Basic EQ controls: parametric settings, boost and cut, slope vs. peaks & troughs, “Q” control
• Understanding frequency masking
• Your tool for reducing muddy mixes: High-Pass Filtering
• Setting filtering notches
• Lab: setting EQ in a mix: drums, bass, guitars, vocals

Schedule EQ Crash Course

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If you are not using compression to correctly balance dynamics in your home or live mixes, this crash course will transform them from ‘amateur’ to ‘professional’ sounding. Learn basic and advanced compression techniques, and apply compression across a mix using real session material in our studio.

Here are details on what you’ll learn: 

• What is compression?
• Compression’s role in a mix
• Basic compressor controls: threshold, ratio, make-up gain
• Advanced compression controls: attack and release time
• Adding punch with attack time
• Side chaining for vocal w/backing track mixes (voiceovers)
• Lab: Applying compression in a mix: drums, bass, guitars, vocals

Schedule Compression Crash Course

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Learn how to professionally mix a vocal & backing track, regardless of music genre. Apply EQ, compression, and appropriate vocal effects and learn to keep the vocal out front of the mix. Create a mix using real session material in our studio.

Here are details on what you’ll learn: 

• How to EQ and compress a vocal track
• How to sidechain compress the backing track to keep the vocal out front
• Compressing the master bus
• Mixdown and overall mix levels
• Lab: Mix a backing and vocal track applying the above tools

Schedule Vocal Mixing Crash Course

 

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Use the buttons above to schedule your course – pick the day and time that works best for your schedule. Can’t find a time that works? Reach out to us HERE.

About Your Instructor:

Audio Engineer Bob Desmarais started recording in the early 80’s, and in the early 2000’s opened NHTunes as a remote recording service. He opened the current studio location in 2011, doubling his studio space in 2014. In addition to many local bands and vocalists, his studio has recorded regional and national spots for: The History Channel, Showtime, Music Choice, INSP TV, and more, as well as many regional radio and TV spots. Bob graduated with an MBA from SNHU in 2006, and with a guitar certificate from Berklee College in 2011. He has been teaching Audio Engineering and Mixing courses through Manchester Community College for over a decade, and has written several books that are available on Amazon, including: Home Recording: Need-To-Know Essentials to Improve Your Mixes.