Toronto Music Mixing

Learn how to mix & master your music

FROM A PROFESSIONAL

"I started as a DIY music creator who wanted to sound better but didn't know how. After attending expensive audio college and years of working in professional studios learning from Grammy-winning talent, I found the answer. Now, I'm saving you the trouble and giving you the blueprint to create the sound you've always wanted."
Dan "5PiECE" Lombardi
1-on-1 Lesson Instructor

why do lessons with ME?

Cut through the noise

Stop trying to make sense of conflicting advice online. Learn cutting-edge techniques directly from an expert with real-world experience in professional studios, working alongside Grammy-winning talent.

Learn proven strategies

I'll teach you my step-by-step mixing process that will help you mix faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Feel more confident

You'll understand the mixing and mastering processes better and become a more intentional mixer. Know exactly what you want to do in a mix and how to do it.

Get personalized feedback

Lessons are customized to you. We'll work through your own tracks, and I'll provide direct, constructive feedback tailored to your music and your goals, helping you grow exactly where you need it most.

Ask questions, get answers

Lessons are live online, so you can ask your most pressing questions and get answers in real-time.

Sound better

I'll help you become a better mixer which will translate into better sounding music. Attract more fans and praise with pristine mixes that you created yourself.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dan “5PiECE” Lombardi is a Toronto-based audio engineer, mixer, producer, and educator with over a decade of experience in the music industry.

A graduate of the Metalworks Institute of Sound & Music Production, Dan received his diploma with honors in Audio Production & Engineering. He honed his skills under the mentorship of Grammy Award-winning producer Noah “40” Shebib (Drake, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys) at SOTA Studios, gaining invaluable experience in a world-class environment.

With a resume that includes engineering at Toronto studios like DNA Recording Facility and Vespa Music Group, Dan brings real-world expertise to his teaching. He has worked alongside global talent such as Sean Paul, !llmind, MADEINTYO, MurdaBeatz, and WondaGurl, and has a deep understanding of what it takes to produce professional, industry-standard sound.

While he works in a variety of DAWs, Dan’s preferred workflow is creating in Ableton and mixing/mastering in Pro Tools.

GET A FEEL FOR MY TEACHING STYLE

WHAT DAW DO I TEACH IN?

Ableton Live

Avid Pro Tools

LESSON PRICING

One-hour lesson hosted online.

$100 USD

FAQ

Lessons are hosted on Google Meet, where you'll be able to see my screen and my DAW in real-time. I also use AudioMovers to stream high-quality audio directly from my DAW, so you can hear exactly what I'm hearing as I'm making adjustments.

Booking your lesson is quick and easy. Simply click on any of the booking links on this page to view my real-time availability.

Once you've selected a time that works for you, you'll be redirected to a secure Stripe page to complete your payment. After your payment is processed, your booking will be confirmed.

I'll reach out shortly after to get your files so we can hit the ground running during your lesson.

I teach creators of all skill levels—from complete beginners to advanced mixers with college education. Mixing is a lifelong craft, and I'm constantly learning and refining my process. I'll share those insights with you in every lesson, helping you grow no matter where you are in your journey.

You can learn how to:

 

  • mix a song from start to finish step-by-step
  • master a song for maximum fullness and loudness
  • make vocals sound high-end and professional
  • blend and balance instruments together
  • improve vocals that weren't recorded well
  • optimizing mixing and mastering for streaming platforms
  • get tracks to sound clean and less muddy
  • achieve separation between instruments
  • fix clashing instruments and vocals for added clarity
  • and much, much more...

These are just examples of topics that may be covered. Each lesson is tailored to the individual student's based on what they want to learn and/or are struggling with. All, some or none of these topics may be covered in the process.

We definitely can! Each lesson is customized to the student based on what they want to learn and/or are struggling with.

 

At the beginning of each lesson, we will do a brief assessment and discussion to determine what topic or area we will focus on. This means if you are struggling with something specific, you can let us know and we can help you!

In each one-hour lesson, we will focus on one to two key topics to ensure you fully grasp the concepts and can apply them effectively. Mixing and mastering are dense subjects, so my priority is to provide you with actionable skills and a solid understanding of the "why" behind what we're doing. This way, you can start seeing a real difference in your mixes right away.

While I do teach some of my techniques and strategies for free on my YouTube channel, they are often disjointed and hardly connected in a way that makes the whole mixing process clear and streamlined. I never show you how I mix and master from start to finish. Instead my videos are often micro-focused on a specific task or goal. 

In lessons, we do exactly that. We work through a full track and handle every aspect of the mixing and mastering process in the proper order, while ensuring you understand what's happening, how and most importantly: why. This is entirely customized to you and the song you provide.

The other benefit of lessons over my free YouTube videos is that I'm actually able to coach you and directly help you improve your weak spots. You get to ask questions and get answers. This is like a coaching element that you can't experience by simply watching my videos.

You will need a computer with a stable internet connection, a working microphone to communicate, and a song or beat ready for us to work on. Headphones are highly recommended to ensure you can hear the details of the mix and to prevent audio feedback.

No, you don't. All lessons can be conducted using the stock plugins that come with your DAW or free plugins available online. If you already own specific plugins you'd like to use, we'll identify them at the start of the lesson and incorporate them into our workflow.

I teach students that use different DAWs all the time; whether its FL Studio, Logic Pro X, Reason, Cubase, Reaper or something else altogether.

While I teach lessons in either Ableton or Pro Tools, what I teach is not specific to any DAW. These strategies and techniques are the same regardless of what DAW you use; the only difference is you may execute it slightly differently if you are using a different DAW.

You will learn valuable skills and strategies in every single lesson. However, becoming a professional mixer takes time and consistent practice. Most of my students find that the best results come from applying what they learn over several sessions, and many choose to book a lesson bundle to maximize their progress.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please provide at least 48 hours' notice to receive a full refund or to reschedule your lesson at no extra cost.

Lessons canceled with less than 48 hours' notice are non-refundable and will result in the forfeiture of your full payment.