There are plenty of resources, both scholarly and otherwise, concerning how to mix audio. Students can find information on the process of mixing and descriptions of the tools used by mixing engineers like level, panning, equalization, compression, reverb, and delay through an online search or more in-depth textbooks by authors like Izhaki [1], Senior [2], Owsinski [3], Case [4, 5], Stavrou [6], Moylan [7,] and Gibson [8]. However, any professional mixing engineer knows that simply reading and understanding such materials is not enough to develop the skills necessary to become an excellent mixer. Much like developing proficiency and expertise on an instrument, understanding the theory and technical knowledge of mixing is not enough to become a skilled mixer. In order to develop exceptional mixing skills, practice is essential. This begs the question; how should an aspiring mixer practice the art and craft of mixing? The discussion of this topic is absent from a large portion of the literature on mixing except for Merchant’s 2011 and 2013 Audio Engineering Society convention papers in which Colvin’s concept of deliberate practice is applied to teaching students how to mix [9, 10, 11]. In order for students to carry out deliberate practice in the mixing classroom, quality multitrack recordings are necessary that help students focus on using specific mixing tools and techniques. This paper looks at the process of recording a series of mixing exercises with inherent audio engineering challenges for students to overcome.
