Workshop on spectral mixing - Winter 2026

[James O'Callaghan]

Hello all, and happy new year!

Because I've had continued interest, I'm offering a fifth edition of my workshop on spectral mixing.
I thought I would share here again in case anyone was interested personally, or perhaps to forward on to their students. 

This workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their audio mixing skills in electroacoustics, electronic dance music, sound design, or acoustic recordings. I will provide hands-on example sessions in each of these genres and offer opportunities for participants to share work and receive individual feedback.

Here is a short video presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXI5NmrqDls

I'm looking for up to 10 participants to join the session, starting in 2 weeks on January 18th! We'll meet weekly for 5 2-hour sessions at 2PM EST (11AM PST, 8PM CET, etc.)
Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIL732rueL8JdKtztrC8Yv6KcpAv7dPQ5hkA1XBheeS6epkg/viewform?usp=header

Beginning with audio cleanup, and moving through equalization and filters, temporal and dynamics processing, and other tools, the workshop aims to illustrate how to create spectrally balanced and lively mixes. It is designed for people with at least a basic knowledge of a DAW (digital audio workstation).

I will be demonstrating concepts and offering the example sessions in REAPER. The concepts taught in the course, however, are meant to be ‘software-neutral’ — I also have significant experience in ProTools, Logic, and Cubase and will be happy to give feedback to participants working in their DAW of choice.

We will meet for 5 weekly 2 hr sessions virtually via Zoom, where I will give presentations, offer opportunities for participants to present their work and ask questions.

By the end of the workshop, participants should have a good sense of how to clean up their sounds, how to balance sounds across the frequency spectrum to achieve clarity, how it is important to treat spatial and temporal processing differently across the spectrum, as well as how to create greater richness and fullness in their mixes through spectral and dynamics processing. We will be looking especially at EQ as our main tool, but also devote time to compression, spatialization, distortion, reverb, and delay-based effects. Topics will include gain-staging when applying effects, the relationship between spectrum and human hearing and acoustics, comparisons between mixing and acoustic ecology, and ways to manage depth of field in mixing (foreground/background).

Participants may bring their current projects for individual feedback on their mixes, and I will also provide text documentation, including my electroacoustic technical documentation booklet that I used in my former teaching at McGill University and private instruction.

The cost for the course is $400 CAD, 250€ or $290 USD, but I will offer a sliding scale for motivated participants in economic precariousness.

The language of instruction will be in English, but participants are welcome to pose questions and receive feedback in French.

Thank you, and wishing you all a happy 2026!
James