About this Event
“Secret Sauce: Modern Mixing and Recording Masterclass”
Step into real-world studio production with a practical, hands-on masterclass built for modern music workflows. Over 10 weeks, students learn how to set up sessions correctly, record clean audio, edit with intent, and mix with clarity and impact. Each class blends essential theory with guided demonstrations and practice, using professional session habits that translate to any DAW.
This course is taught in Pro Tools, but the concepts apply across Logic, Ableton, and other common platforms. Students will work through key mixing stages (drums, music, vocals, FX, automation, mix bus) and finish with a strong understanding of export formats and mastering basics for release-ready delivery. Students will also learn how to use AI as an assistant for faster decision-making, recall notes, revision planning, and workflow checklists—without replacing foundational engineering skills.
Week 1 — Foundations + Session Setup
- Studio basics: signal flow, gain structure
- Session setup: sample rate/bit depth, routing, organisation
- Intro to microphones + polar patterns (cardioid/omni/figure-8)
Week 2 — Drum Mixing: EQ + Phase + Punch
- Frequency focus + EQ fundamentals
- Phase/polarity checks
- Drum bus workflow + simple parallel techniques
Week 3 — Compression + Parallels + Sidechain
- Compression controls (attack/release, ratio, threshold)
- Parallel compression for energy
- Sidechain basics (creating space and groove)
Week 4 — Music Mixing: Width + Clarity
- Panning and stereo image
- Masking and midrange clarity
- Saturation basics for tone and density
Week 5 — Vocals: Editing + Tuning + Core Chain
- Clean vocal editing workflow (comping, cleanup)
- Tuning overview (pros/cons and when to use it)
- Build a core vocal chain (EQ, compression, de-ess)
Week 6 — Vocals: Dynamics + FX (Depth + Emotion)
- Vocal level control (clip gain vs automation vs limiting concepts)
- Parallel vocal compression
- Practical FX sends (short verb, long verb, slap, tempo delay)
Week 7 — FX + Automation (Movement + Transitions)
- Reverb/delay types and practical setup
- Automation basics (throws, transitions, hook lift)
- Clean FX routing and gain control
Week 8 — Mix Bus + Translation
- Mix bus gain staging
- Gentle bus compression/limiting concepts
- Referencing + mono checks for real-world playback
Week 9 — Final Polish + Deliverables
- Fixing the “last 10%” (balances, harshness, low-end control)
- Printing clean versions and optional stems
Week 10 — Mastering Basics + Exporting
- What mastering is (and isn’t)
- Simple mastering chain concepts
- Export formats and practical delivery settings (WAV/MP3)
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Redfern Community Centre, 29-53 Hugo Street, Redfern, Australia
AUD 0.00
