Will College Teach Me To Mix Like CLA?

The Old School Grind: Is a Degree Your Ticket to Audio Stardom?

Back in the day, if you wanted to learn the ropes of audio engineering, the path was pretty narrow. You either got lucky with an apprenticeship at a big studio (good luck with that!) or you enrolled in a further education program, like a university or college course, hoping it would lead to a placement. There wasn’t really a “learn-it-all-from-your-bedroom” option.

But times have changed. George Lever, a UK-based music producer, shared his experience with a four-year university audio course, and frankly, it wasn’t pretty. He found the curriculum was often outdated by the time it even launched.

Outdated Tech and Mounting Debt

Imagine learning how to program samples on an old hardware Akai S-series sampler (those beige beasts!) when software like Logic Pro’s built-in Sampler (formerly EXS24) or Native Instruments’ Kontakt had already revolutionized in-the-box sampling. That’s the kind of disconnect he faced. For George, this meant racking up around £30,000 in debt for knowledge that was already collecting dust. He reckons he didn’t learn about actual mixing once during his entire course. Ouch.

The Accidental Gear Fund

There was one unexpected upside, though. Part of his student funding included grants and bursaries – money that didn’t need to be paid back. While intended for living costs and course materials (which were minimal for a digital-focused course), George had a lightbulb moment. He got a job to cover rent and food, and then funneled those bursary payments straight into gear.

Think about it: instead of just textbooks, he was investing in the tools of the trade. This could be your first Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, a workhorse Shure SM57 mic, a pair of Yamaha HS5 monitors, or even your first license for Pro Tools, Cubase, or Reaper. This hands-on approach, funded by a quirk of the system, allowed him to start building his actual production business while still at university. He essentially taught himself the practical skills he needed.

The Digital Revolution: Why The Internet Changed Everything for Producers

Fast forward to today, and the landscape is virtually unrecognizable. We’ve got everything at our fingertips. Affordable interfaces like the Universal Audio Apollo Twin or Audient iD4 sound incredible. DAWs are more powerful than ever. And the internet? It’s a gigantic library of information, tutorials, and gear demos.

The music industry itself moves at lightning speed. New subgenres pop up constantly – George even mentioned getting into “trap metal” with artists like Scarlxrd, a sound that probably didn’t even exist when most university curricula were written. Pop, rap, and especially metal are always evolving. Trying to learn modern metal production, which might involve intricate drum sample replacement with Slate Trigger 2, surgical EQ on chugging 8-string guitars using a FabFilter Pro-Q 3, or dialing in aggressive vocal chains with plugins like Soundtoys Decapitator or iZotope Nectar, from a static, slow-to-update textbook is a losing game.

Online Education: Learning to Mix Metal That Slams, Not Snoozes

This is where online education, and platforms like Nail The Mix, come into their own. They can adapt as quickly as the industry changes.

Stay Current, Not Outdated

Forget learning about signal flow on a console you’ll never touch. Online courses can teach you the exact techniques being used on records hitting the charts right now. Want to know how to get that super-tight, modern metal kick and snare sound? You’re more likely to find a pro breaking down their drum bus chain (maybe involving a Slate Digital VBC or an SSL-style bus compressor plugin) online than in a traditional classroom.

Check out how pros tackle challenging EQ situations on our EQ hub page or get insights into making your dynamics impactful on our Compression hub page.

Affordable Expertise

University courses can cost tens of thousands. Specialized online mixing courses? Often just a fraction of that. You’re getting direct access to the experience and knowledge of seasoned professionals – knowledge that took them decades to build – without the crippling debt.

Real-World Application

The best part? Many online platforms, like Nail The Mix, provide you with actual multi-tracks from real bands. You’re not just learning theory; you’re applying techniques to professional recordings, seeing how producers like Joey Sturgis, Eyal Levi, or Joel Wanasek tackle a mix from scratch, explaining every plugin choice (from a specific setting on a CLA-76 for vocals to a multi-band compressor like FabFilter Pro-MB on the master bus) and every decision.

So, How Do YOU Learn to Mix Like a Pro?

Look, the traditional university route might still hold value for some, perhaps for in-depth acoustics or electronics (George did find his acoustic treatment lessons useful for his DIY studio build). If you can leverage it like George did to fund your gear addiction, maybe it’s a path.

But it’s not the only route. And for the specific, ever-evolving craft of modern music production and mixing, it might not even be the most effective one anymore.

You have an unprecedented amount of resources available to you right now.

• Be Proactive: Don’t wait for a syllabus. Dive into YouTube tutorials. Read forums. Experiment with different plugins – many offer free trials!
• Ask Questions: If you are in a formal course, challenge your tutors. Ask them how what you’re learning applies to the sounds you hear on records by bands like Periphery or Gojira.
• Invest Wisely: Your time and money are precious. Consider where you’ll get the most up-to-date, actionable information.

The barrier to entry for making pro-sounding metal is lower than ever, but the knowledge gap can still be huge. Platforms like Nail The Mix bridge that gap by showing you the how and why behind those killer mixes, straight from the producers who are crafting them.

Ultimately, whether college will teach you to mix like CLA is debatable. What’s not debatable is that you have the power to learn, grow, and make incredible-sounding music with the tools and knowledge available today. Don’t let anything hold you back from trying. The coolest moment in music is now, and your journey to becoming a killer mixer can start today.

Want to see how top-tier producers get those massive, polished metal mixes? Check out Nail The Mix and get access to multi-tracks from huge artists and watch the original producers mix them from scratch, every single month.