Mixing for Guitarists: Make Your Recordings Sound Huge

You’ve recorded your guitar parts… now what?

This one-hour workshop is all about taking those raw tracks and turning them into a proper mix that sounds great on any system – from studio monitors to phone speakers.

Designed as a follow-on from our “Creative Guitar Recording” session, this workshop shows you how to use compression, EQ, reverb, panning and basic mix bus processing in a clear, guitar-focused way. You don’t need to be a tech wizard – just comfortable with basic recording.

In this practical session we’ll walk through a full mix, step by step, focusing on guitar-friendly techniques:

• Compression made simple
• • How to use attack, release, ratio and threshold without frying your brain
  • Tightening up rhythm guitars vs smoothing out leads
• EQ for clarity
• • Getting rid of muddiness and harshness
  • Carving space so guitars, bass and drums all sit together
• Space & depth with reverb and delay
• • Creating width and ambience without washing everything out
  • Keeping guitars upfront and exciting in the mix
• Balancing the whole track
• • Volume, panning and automation for dynamic, musical mixes
  • Simple mix-bus processing (gentle compression & limiting)
• Translation: making it sound good everywhere
• • Checking mixes on different speakers/headphones
  • Using reference tracks like a pro

You’ll see exactly what’s happening on screen and hear the difference in real time, with the chance to ask questions as we go.

This workshop is perfect if you:

• Play guitar and record at home (DAW of your choice – Logic, Reaper, GarageBand, etc.)
• Came to our Creative Guitar Recording session and want the next step: mixing
• Have demos that sound “okay” but not quite radio-ready or gig-ready
• Want to understand why your plugins work, not just click presets

You don’t have to have attended the first workshop, but we’ll assume you know how to record a basic guitar track into a DAW.

• Optional: a USB stick or link to one of your own guitar sessions/stems
• A notepad / your laptop if you like taking notes
• Your questions about your own mixes!

We’ll provide example sessions to work from, so you can still participate fully even if you don’t bring anything.

• Length: 1 hour
• Format: Live, small-group workshop with demos, tips and Q&A
• Location: Guitar Academy Petersfield (studio/reception area)
• Suitable for: Teen and adult guitarists with basic recording experience

• A clear, repeatable mixing checklist you can use at home
• Confidence to use compression, EQ and reverb on your guitar tracks
• Practical tips to fix your current mixes straight away
• Fresh inspiration to turn your ideas into finished songs

If you’ve ever thought, “My playing’s fine – I just wish it sounded bigger and clearer,” this workshop is for you.

Also check out other Music events in Petersfield, Entertainment events in Petersfield, Workshops in Petersfield.