Audio Mixing & Mastering

This workbook turns the course into reps at the console. Each section maps to a course module and gives you exercises, fill-in worksheets, and checklists to run on a real song. Work through it with one multitrack project open so every concept becomes a finished decision rather than a note.

Build a gain-staged session and win the balance with faders before any processing.

Open a multitrack song with all processing removed. Pull every fader down, then build the balance from scratch using only volume and panning. Bring up your foundation first (kick and snare, or lead vocal), then add one element at a time. Stop when it sounds 80 percent finished with faders alone.

For each track in your session, log its peak and average levels, then correct anything outside the healthy range. Aim for tracks peaking around -12 to -6 dBFS and the master bus peaking no higher than -6 dBFS.

Use subtractive and additive EQ to give every instrument its own frequency space.

On three tracks, set an EQ band to a high gain and narrow Q, sweep it across the spectrum until a harsh or boxy resonance jumps out, then cut at that frequency. Log each move so you can see your own patterns.

Plan which instrument owns which frequency range so they stop masking each other. Fill in the home frequency and any complementary cut for the key elements, referencing the course frequency map.

Control dynamics with compression and build depth with reverb and delay sends.

Insert a compressor on your lead vocal. Start with a 3:1 to 4:1 ratio, medium attack near 10 ms, and release around 80 to 150 ms. Lower the threshold until you see 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest words, then set makeup gain and A/B at matched loudness.

Set up your reverb and delay on auxiliary sends and document the settings so the space stays cohesive across tracks. High-pass and low-pass each return so it does not muddy or clutter the mix.

Shape a mono-safe stereo field, then master to streaming loudness targets and deliver.

Build a mastering chain on your finished mix: corrective EQ, gentle compression, tonal EQ, optional saturation, imaging, then a limiter last. Set the limiter ceiling to -1 dBTP and raise input gain until a loudness meter reads about -14 LUFS integrated over the whole song. Compare against a commercial reference at matched loudness.

Switch your mix to mono and audit how each element holds up. Log anything that weakens or disappears and the fix you applied. Keep low frequencies mono below roughly 120 Hz.

Record the final export settings and per-platform loudness targets before you upload, so your release meets each service's spec.