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Art of Mixing Course

Overview

Detailed and comprehensive, the Art of Mixing Course is designed to equip you with the skills of an advanced mix engineer and features real multi-tracks (for demonstration purposes) in a range of musical styles. Art of Mixing is taught on Logic, spans 8 weeks and is part of the Mixing and Mastering programme. It's jam-packed full of classic and cutting edge mix techniques. This course contains practical video tutorials including some very special exclusives with top industry professionals sharing their own mixing tips, tricks and techniques. Balancing, panning, aural perception, EQ, compression, limiting, gates, and effects are covered in detail. You will also learn to listen to music from a critical perspective and understand the science behind the sound. As with all Point Blank Online music production courses, you upload your assignment each week for DVR™- expert video feedback from professional sound engineers who have worked with La Roux, Primal Scream, Sugababes, Freemasons. Lily Allen, Brand New Heavies, Stevie Wonder, Dave Stewart, Sade, Tina Turner and Jamelia, Sex Pistols, Trevor Horn and more Nuff said! If you want to find out how professionals mix records, enrol now.

Includes a minimum of 480 mins video / 8 x DVR™ (1-2-1 video feedback)/ 8 hours live masterclasses /1 year access / over 160 pages of course notes / 24/7 access to forum / exclusive audio resources to download. Optional: sign your track to Point Blank Music distributed by iTunes, beatport, Juno Download and Amazon.

Preview

Content

Week 1: Critical Listening

What is a Mix? Learning to listen
Environment: monitoring, acoustic treatment
Mix Technology: analogue and 'inside the box'
DAW Mixer: mix environment, signal routing
Automation: offline vs online, automation modes

Week 2: Image and Balance

Metering: optimising headroom at master bus
Level balancing: balancing your tracks
Panning: creating stereo images with panning
Balance/pan in practice: different sound sources
Enhancing stereo image with width and pan

Week 3: Dynamics

Dynamic range: compression and its uses
How compressors work: parameters explained
Compression in practice:practical tutorials
Limiters: using limiters within a mix
Noise gates: parameters, practical tutorials

Week 4: Equalisation

The physics behind sound and music
EQ in practice: assessing your audio
How EQ works and why we use it
Different EQ types and designs explained
Sound of EQ: analogue v digital

Week 5: Reverberation and Spatial Delays

Natural Space: ambience, reflections and reverb
The Technology and Anatomy of Reverb
Editing parameters, 3D mixes, blending, EQing
Editing delays, Tempo Sync and Note Values
Depth: using Delays to create depth in your mix

Week 6: Creative Mixing

Using FX for sonic textures and fluid transitions
Tape delays, ping pong, dubstyle and filtered
Modulation FX: chorus, phasers and flangers
Distortion FX: overdrive and amp simulation
FX Automation: for creative/technical purposes

Week 7: Mixing Vocals

Assessing how to present the vocal in your mix
Cleaning up pops, clicks, breaths and stomps
EQ, compression, tricks & advanced processing
Vocal rides: using automation to perfect vocals
How to treat backing vocals in the mix

Week 8: The Mix Process

Mix process: using all tools and techniques
Creating “Mix Dynamic” with volume automation
Mix bus compression, choosing the right one
Mix bus EQ: linear phase EQ vs 'character'
Bouncing your mix for mastering

Click for free course sample

Featured Student

Alfonso Pisanelli

Just going through week 2 and it's fantastic & frigging eye opening ... learnt more here in 2 weeks than i did in 12 weeks at another online music school ....

Reviews

Brady Landry

Course rating: 10/10

I loved what this course offered me. The DVR feedback is really cool considering an engineer/producer that knows the ropes and has great understanding of music in general id reviewing my work. I enjoyed the course and look forward to putting the knowledge gained to use for many years to come.

Matthew Wells

Course rating: 9/10

This is third PB course and my favourite so far. 8 weeks ago when Ian turned that attack knob I heard no difference what so ever. But after his patience and insight in the DVR's I feel I can now identify the different elements of a mix and know how to use the tools to make the sound that I want. The approach is perfect in that you learn the core principles of sound and mixing - that you can then go away and apply to any genre. I wish I'd taken this course earlier instead of trying to learn from only text books and forums - I'd wasted a lot of time. Thanks Ian I'm really looking forward to using my new skills! Although in a way you have ruined my life unless mixing suddenly starts involving more women and more sunshine...

Sjoerd van Setten

Course rating: 10/10

That is very simple. It was amazing, awesome, great, etc. This is by far the best course here on Point Blank i followed. And ofcourse all the credits to Ian and the rest of Point Blank to make a course like this happen. Can't wait for part two:) Stuart

Gavin Hackman

Course rating: 10/10

brilliant course where I have learnt all the skills ive been trying too online for ages, best course ive done at PB yet

chad imes

Course rating: 10/10

good vibes -great course material -for the most part really great assignment material (the songs we were given to mix were really great songs which makes a big difference) -the instructor was always kind, humble and inviting as well as knowledgable instilling an air of openness and confidence in the group. I don't like the "pick one" format for questions 10 and 2 -it hurts my brain to try and make any one of those answers kind of work.

Pan Lemos

Course rating: 10/10

I took this course after feeling I had reached a brick wall with my mixing skills. It has been immensely helpful to me. In particular the tutor on this particular course (Ian Sherwin) took a very keen interest in the course and in our work, took his time and got into as much detail as he could with us. He designed the course carefully to give us material that was of lasting value and he worked hard and conscientiously for us and with us. It is clear from the feeling in the group that I am not the only one who appreciated this tremendously. I feel very lucky to have been on this course.

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