• Introduction (01:06) - We all know that making a great record starts way earlier than the mixing stage. The reality of music production these days is that you are often called upon improving what was done with limited means in the recording phase. The beautiful thing about digital audio is that there are many tools, tricks, and techniques that will allow your song to shine way past its limitations. However, it's important that we know how do the least, most effective retouching and get straight to the point. This master class will teach you the approach and mentality to work, methodically, at a rock mix of a song that has been recorded "far from perfectly," let's say.

• Drums (19:11) - Join Alberto as he explores some effective techniques that are going to salvage, empower, and highlight the foundation of the mix: the drum sound. This includes using triggers and enhancing the original kit with samples while still retaining some of the acoustic, human vibe of the kit itself. Alberto also reveals some tricks to avoiding having the kit sound artificial and lifeless by actually going against the typical mixing moves.

• Guitars & Bass (06:37) - Once the kit is up to par with the necessary energy and support, it's time to work on bass and guitars from their raw DI sounds while still checking the whole instrumental section for coherence and tone. Alberto explores the sonic characteristics and the emotional value of the intended mix tone to underline how some of the more counter-intuitive mixing moves are still aimed at the message of the song, the sonics, and the cohesiveness of the sound of this band.

• Console Mixing (13:07) - Deciding on a coherent, reliable, and musical virtual analog console is one of the best moves to simultaneously limit yourself, add a strong tonal character to the song, and streamline your workflow. Alberto builds his system and prepares some inital moves, based on principles found in the instruments themselves and their roles, so you can take this approach and tailor it to any similar situation in the future.

• Mix Bus (05:31) - It's time to prepare the mix bus to really push the mix to sound like a record. The glue, tightness, and musicality of the song can come to life now that the instruments have been enhanced and optimized through their individual treatments. Once again, Alberto highlights both specific moves for the tone of the song and generic ones that are going to retain their validity and effectiveness on your own tracks.

• Drums: Parallel Compression (04:15) - Now that the whole model is in place, Alberto wants to add a substantial amount of energy and drive to the song by working on the drum kit parallel compression. By learning this very common mixing trick, you can achieve more cohesiveness and support to your kit while also improving the delivery of the whole song.

• Vocals (24:05) - Last but not least, let's address the lead vocals. It's common in these types of mixes to prepare the instrumental so that the singers can record their takes. The issue with this method is that adding the finished vocals last can pose a serious danger for the whole mix. Alberto helps you gain perspective and remain focused while integrating the vocals into the mix even when your maneuvering space around the instrumental mix is very limited.