Review: Online Audio Education from Nail The Mix

As many large-scale recording studios across the country continue to close, the once quintessential path of an up-and-coming audio engineer is changing. Opportunities to “rise up the ranks”—from scrubbing toilets to helming an SSL in a traditional multi-room studio—are fading fast.

Over the past 15 years or so, shrinking budgets have forced the record-making process into private mix rooms and home studios, making mentorship more difficult to come by. At the same time, globalization has raised the bar for us all. It’s no longer enough to be the best engineer in town to make a good living. You must be among the best in the world.

Nail The Mix is a subscription based service that offers intermediate to advanced audio education with a tilt toward heavy music production.

It can be challenging enough for seasoned pros to stay afloat in today’s post-studio world. But for aspiring audio engineers, there are times when the prospects can feel even more daunting.

On one hand, there is an enormous amount of information freely available on the Internet. But separating the wheat from the chaff can be a full-time job. And it’s a pretty lonely one, too…

With all that in mind, I was interested to take a deeper look at Nail The Mix, a subscription-based, online education platform for audio engineers. The brainchild of heavy music producers Joey Sturgis, Eyal Levi, and Joel Wanasek, the service promises to deliver quality audio education without the tea runs, toilet brushes, or crippling debt.

Inside Nail The Mix

Joel Wanasek gives a live mix walkthrough at Nail The Mix.

It’s important to note that Nail The Mix focuses primarily on metal and hard rock music.

If your interests lie elsewhere, it may not be for you (though many of the concepts and techniques covered will apply to a variety of genres).

But if you’re looking to learn the secrets to crafting the hard-hitting sounds of bands like Asking Alexandria, Of Mice & Men, and The Black Dahlia Murder, there’s nothing else quite like this around.

Upon subscribing, you’ll be added to an exclusive Facebook group filled with hundreds of enthusiastic audio engineers. I was floored by the camaraderie these members shared. When one person posted about needing to cancel his subscription because he lost his job, another member offered to cover his dues. You just don’t get those kinds of interactions on Gearslutz.

At the beginning of every month, you’ll receive the multitracks for a new song. These tracks are well-recorded and feature established bands—this month for instance, features a multitrack by the major progressive metal band Periphery—and many are available for use in your own reel.

The multitracks routinely feature intentional challenges aimed to hone your mixing chops. (For example, in June, the tom tracks were not included, forcing subscribers to recreate them from scratch.) After completing your own mix of the song, you’ll submit it for a competition. The winner, voted on by the community, receives a sizeable prize.

Joey Sturgis of Nail The Mix giving away a prize to one of the latest mix contest winners.

Every month culminates in a live streaming event, where you’ll watch the song of the month mixed from start to finish by Joey, Eyal, Joel, or one of their pro-level guest mixers.

These live streams are the real highlight of Nail The Mix, and they faithfully recreate the experience of being a fly on the wall in a studio.

Tuning in reminded me of the thrill of watching my own mentor, Bob Power, mix a track for a class of students at NYU (sans the ramen and lack of sleep). These broadcasts typically last several hours or more, and you can engage by entering your questions in a chat box.

A variety of additional content is also included with your subscription—a podcast, Q&As, and a unique segment called “Mix Rescue” as part of an “Enhanced” subscription, where you can submit your own mixes to be critiqued and cleaned-up during a live broadcast.

Joel Wanasek, pictured here, is one of the key instructors, along with Joey Sturgis and Eyal Levi, all heavyweight producers and engineers in their own right.

Similar to a magazine subscription, you only get access to content that’s released after you subscribe (with the exception of the podcast).

If you’re looking for a larger archive of pre-recorded content, you may want to check out URM Enhanced—Nail The Mix’ sister site.

Summing it Up

If you’re an engineer who’s looking for practical insight into the record-making process, Nail The Mix might just be the ticket.

Intermediate and advanced engineers will find a wealth of knowledge, practical tips and tricks, and a warm, friendly community of like-minded peers. Absolute beginners may want to establish a foundational knowledge of basic mixing concepts, tools, and techniques before hopping into the live streams however, which move quickly and go deep.

Competing services include Dueling Mixes and The Mix Academy. While both offer similar features, neither is as genre-specific. If you live and breathe metal and hard rock, this one’s a no-brainer.

A monthly subscription to Nail The Mix costs $19.99, roughly on par with similar services. For more information, visit nailthemix.com.

Jason Moss is an LA-based mixer and educator. Learn how to craft a clear, balanced low end by downloading these free excerpts from his premium training course, Mixing Low End.

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