Tracking, Editing, and Mixing Audio

This unit covers multitrack audio and MIDI capture, performance editing, mixing fundamentals, and dialing in common signal processors within a home-recording DAW. Students build on prior lessons about gear and session setup to produce clean recordings, realistic MIDI parts, polished edits, and balanced mixes in preparation for final production and mastering in Unit 4.

Learning Objectives

• Apply proper signal flow, microphone selection, placement, and gain-staging techniques to capture clean multitrack audio in a DAW session.
• Demonstrate recording and editing of MIDI data, including quantization, velocity adjustment, virtual instrument routing, and humanization to create realistic instrumental parts.
• Edit audio performances using comping, timing correction, and pitch-correction tools to produce cohesive, musically accurate takes while preserving performer intent.
• Apply mixing and signal-processing techniques (EQ, compression, reverb, delay, modulation, routing) to balance tracks, create depth and clarity, and evaluate processor settings for optimal sonic results.