Basics of Mixing – Making Your Tracks Sound Better

Sound Hall Studios is excited to offer a Basics of Mixing class in Henrico, VA for musicians, producers, and content creators ages 16 and up who are ready to take their recordings to the next level. Whether you have been recording at home and want cleaner results or you are curious about how professional mixes are made, this six-week workshop gives you the practical skills and hands-on experience to make your tracks sound better.

With six weekly classes students will learn the essential concepts and techniques needed to create clear, balanced, and professional-sounding mixes ready for digital release.

Class Details:
6-Week Mixing Workshop
Ages: 16 and up
Dates: November 9 through December 14, 2026 — 11/9 | 11/16 | 11/23 | 11/30 | 12/7 | 12/14
Day: Mondays
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Class Size: Limited to 8 students
What You Will Learn in This Mixing Class
This beginner mixing workshop in Richmond, VA covers everything you need to know to transform a raw recording into a polished and release-ready track. Throughout the six-week class students will learn:

– How to use volume and panning to create space and balance in a mix
– EQ techniques to shape the tone and clarity of individual tracks
– Compression to control dynamics and add punch and consistency
– Effects including reverb and delay to add depth and dimension
– Automation to create movement and enhance musical impact
– The fundamentals of mastering and preparing music for digital distribution platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music

Every lesson builds on the last. Rather than overwhelming students with too much at once each class introduces new tools and techniques step by step so that by the end of the course you can take any recording and mix it with confidence.
Workshop Project — Mix and Release a Complete Track
The best way to learn mixing is to actually mix. Throughout the six-week course students will work on a complete mix project of their own choosing — a song, an acoustic recording, a podcast episode, or any other audio project. Each week students will apply the concepts covered in class to improve their mix one element at a time.

The final deliverable in Week 6 is a fully mixed and mastered track prepared for release on digital streaming platforms. Students leave the course with a real polished mix they created themselves.

A Practical Path to Better Sounding Music

Mixing is the difference between a recording that sounds amateur and one that sounds professional. Whether you are a musician who wants to release your own music independently, a podcaster looking to improve your audio quality, or someone who simply wants to understand what goes into a great sounding record — this workshop gives you the foundation to do it right.

At Sound Hall Studios we believe learning should be practical, hands-on, and immediately applicable to your real creative goals. Small class sizes mean more individual attention and more time with the tools.
Meet Your Mixing Instructor — Ryan Colton
Ryan Colton is a Richmond-based recording engineer and music technology professional with over two decades of hands-on studio experience. He holds a certification in Music Recording Technology from JSRCC and launched his career with an internship at PK Studios in Richmond before co-founding Spilling Sounds Productions, a project studio in Richmond\’s West End, where he recorded local and regional artists across a wide range of genres including rock, metal, punk, folk, gospel, and bluegrass.

In 2014 Ryan founded Distilled Sounds, through which he has continued to work with a diverse roster of clients including Downbeat Switch, Poison Ivy League, Deja Foo, Elana Lisa and The Hot Mess, and Elmore Hotel. In 2022 he relocated to Glen Allen and built a more sophisticated studio facility to further enhance his professional services.

Ryan loves helping artists shape musical ideas into well-crafted recordings and brings that same passion to every class he teaches at Sound Hall Studios. When he is not behind the board you can find him on stage as an active member of The Grey Cells.
A Note Before You Register

The Basics of Mixing workshop is designed to build directly on the foundational recording skills covered in our Basics of Recording workshop. While enrollment in the Basics of Mixing class is open to all students ages 16 and up, we strongly encourage participants to complete the Basics of Recording workshop prior to enrolling in this course. A solid understanding of recording fundamentals — including signal flow, gain staging, session organization, and tracking workflows — will significantly enhance your experience and your ability to apply mixing concepts effectively from day one.

Not yet taken the Basics of Recording workshop? We highly recommend starting there first. Visit our Basics of Recording course page to learn more and register.

BASICS OF RECORDING — LEARN MORE

Member Discount
This class is a premium workshop at Sound Hall Studios. Active Sound Hall Studios members receive 10% off registration. To use your member discount please contact Sound Hall Studios or visit us in person to register. Member discounts are not currently available through online registration at this time.

Call: 804-816-2350
Monday through Friday: 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM