M9 — Mixing & Finishing
Status: Outline. · Weeks: 14–15 · Domain 6: Mixing · Final: First Complete Track
Purpose
Light mixing fundamentals for 174: balance, EQ, dynamics, space, export. Students pick their strongest sprint piece, mix it, and finish it as their first complete, intentional track. Deep mixing spirals into 175 (Deconstructing a Mix).
Monday lectures: Wk 14 — (Feedback #4) · Wk 15 — Mixing & finishing: balance, EQ, dynamics, “when is it done?”
Calendar alignment
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Dec 7 — Feedback #4 | Dec 9 — Final kickoff (mixing) | Final plan |
| 15 | Dec 14 — Mixing & finishing | Dec 16 — Closing jam | Final track due Dec 20 |
Articles
| # | Title | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Balance & Levels | Concept | Faders, pan, gain staging in the mix; a static balance first |
| 02 | EQ Fundamentals | Concept | Subtractive EQ; frequency ranges; carving space |
| 03 | Dynamics Basics | Concept | Compression threshold and ratio; taming peaks; glue |
| 04 | Space — Reverb & Delay | Concept | Depth and width; send vs. insert; not muddying the mix |
| 05 | Export & Delivery | Process | Bounce settings, headroom, formats; naming exports |
| 06 | When Is It Done? | Concept | The finishing mindset; diminishing returns; “good enough” |
| 07 | Final Project Brief — First Complete Track | Sprint brief | Pick your strongest sprint piece; mix and finish; the final checklist |
Final deliverable — First Complete Track
Take your strongest sprint piece and finish it. Graded as the Final Project (20%); see the Final Project Guide.
Assessments
- Quick checks per article
- Mixing Review — balance, EQ, dynamics, export basics
Teaching approach
Reuses the loudness A/B, metering, and spectrogram demos from Foundations; planned new demos: a before/after EQ on a loop and a compressor threshold visual with audio. The existing reverb demos from the StemShare player may be tied in for Article 04.
Dependencies
- Requires: M8 (something to mix)
- Spirals in 175: Deconstructing a Mix