Does the course focus on any one genre?

No - it applies broadly, with a specific section on mixing electronic music included alongside general technique.

Is there a private lessons option?

Yes - see Mixing & Mastering Private Instruction.

Do I need a specific DAW to take this course?

No - bring whichever DAW you already use, as long as you have it installed and know the basics.

What FX does the course cover?

Delay, reverb, convolution, harmonizers, pitch shifters, flangers and phasers - and how to use them creatively.

How long is the course?

36 hours, or 20 hours as 1-on-1 instruction.

Mixing & Mastering Class

Name: Mixing & Mastering Class
Price: 1499 USD

GARNISH█CHI

Talk to us

Course — Chicago

Mixing & Mastering Class – Mix Deeper. Master Cleaner.

At a glance

Duration

36 hours

Format

In-person in Chicago or Live Online

You leave with

Mixes with depth, clarity and that final touch of finesse

Taught since

2010 - classic engineering technique, applied to modern records

Who it's for

Producers who know the basics but whose tracks still don't bump

Mixing/Mix-down Course

Mixing & Mastering Course – Make Your Tracks Sound Pro

Struggling to get your mix to sound polished and powerful? Know the basics but your tracks still don’t bump like they should? You’re not alone—and our Mixing & Mastering Course is designed exactly for producers like you.

You’ll learn how to

→Create space, punch, and balance in your mix
→Use EQ, compression, and reverb like a pro
→Polish your final master for streaming and release
→Avoid common pitfalls that kill clarity and energy

Environment, Acoustics, EQ & Separation

→Speaker design for studio monitors
→How to handle your home studio acoustics
→Stereo, mono, stereo & 5.1 surround sound software
→The delicate art of panning and balance
→Specialist EQ tutoring to help your production

Dynamics

→Why is compression so important and how does it work
→Getting to grips with parameters
→Circuitry within compression & other digital emulations
→Parallel processing dos and don'ts
→De-essing and gating techniques
→Achieve amazing clarity in your mix with dynamic controllers

Delay, Reverb and other Awesome FX

→Learn about different types of delay and reverb
→An in-depth look at all parameters
→Spatialization with convolution delays and reverbs
→Harmonizers, pitch shifters, flangers, phasers and creative FX
→How FX can transform your tracks and really bring them to life

Recording Techniques and Introduction to Sound Design

→kd_icon icon_pack="font_awesome" fa_icon="fa-solid fa-arrow-right" size="mkd-icon-tiny" custom_size="" type="normal" border_radius="" shape_size="" icon_color="#ce1713" border_color="" border_width="" background_color="" hover_icon_color="" hover_border_color="" hover_background_color="" margin="" icon_animation="" icon_animation_delay="" link="" anchor_icon="" target="_self"] Balancing, introduction to the art of mixing. Group tracks and advanced uses of routing
→Introduction to sound waves, frequency, and amplitude
→The recording patch in detail, introduction to gain structure
→EQ and compression for recording
→Foldback, headphone mixes, and latency
→Digital, analog, sampling rate and bit-rate explained
→Microphones overview and stereo miking techniques
→Recording specific aspects of Ableton
→Compiling audio takes

Mixing Electronic Music

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→Great tips on filters for FX, punch, ducking and side chaining dynamic controllers
→The best ways to use delay and reverb
→How to turn subtle sounds into monsters
→Interesting electronic mixing techniques which apply to all music
→Learn to improve and analyze every element of the mix
→Electronic listening critique (bring in your music)
→Great tips on filters for FX, punch, ducking and side chaining dynamic controllers
→The best ways to use delay and reverb
→How to turn subtle sounds into monsters
→Interesting electronic mixing techniques which apply to all music
→Learn to improve and analyze every element of the mix
→Electronic listening critique (bring in your music)

Mastering Intro (Click here for full mastering course)

→con icon_pack="font_awesome" fa_icon="fa-solid fa-arrow-right" size="mkd-icon-tiny" custom_size="" type="normal" border_radius="" shape_size="" icon_color="#ce1713" border_color="" border_width="" background_color="" hover_icon_color="" hover_border_color="" hover_background_color="" margin="" icon_animation="" icon_animation_delay="" link="" anchor_icon="" target="_self"] A/B'ing & how to get the best from your separation and EQ
→Leveling, phasers, EQ & brick wall limiting
→The 'dos and don'ts' of using mastering software & plugins
→Learn about the best metering tools and their application
→Live music listening critique (bring in your music)

Prerequisite: This is an intermediate-level course. You’ll need a solid understanding of your DAW and the basics of music production. Not quite there yet? Take one of our DAW courses first—or reach out and we’ll help you figure out where to start.

In today’s crowded music landscape, a clean, professional mix isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. If your productions lack depth, clarity, or that final touch of finesse, we’ll show you how to fix it. Since 2010, we’ve been teaching producers how to elevate their sound using a mix of classic engineering techniques and cutting-edge tricks.

Whether you’re mixing house, hip hop, pop, or cinematic soundscapes, this course will help you dial in a professional sound—fast.

Available in-person worldwide or LIVE online. All learners must bring a laptop with their DAW of choice installed.

In Chicago, the city that gave the world house music, the Mixing & Mastering Class runs the way it does everywhere we teach: small groups, hands-on, with working producers as instructors. If getting to the studio is not practical, the same sessions run live online, using our specialist music collaboration software, Muse. Discover qualities that distinguish us, here.

Testimonials

Hear it from our students.

“Darryl Swann. Enough said. He is a passionate, humble, experienced, and incredible human. He would help any of his students in anyway he could and he loves teaching. We now work together outside of Garnish and I couldn't be happier to have connected with him through Garnish.”

Patrick McCutcheon

Instructors

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Tuition

$1499 + $100 Registration if booked 14 days before start or $1799 + $200 Registration

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