The Henhouse Hang
“Mixing With Steve”

“Mixing With Steve” is an exclusive 2-day seminar in the heart of Nashville, focused on audio mixing, at
Steve Dawson’s Henhouse Studio.

Steve Dawson is a multiple Juno Award-winning producer and engineer who has dedicated the last 25 years to recording and engineering records. He loves to teach and has been holding classes at his studio over the past few years. This class will be very in-depth and will take you from the beginning stage of having raw recorded tracks through to amazing sounding finished mixes. Steve uses an array of vintage and modern hardware and software to work, and all of those aspects will be discussed, as well as work flows, sounds, getting levels right, and how to be creative in this process.

Whether you’re just getting into mixing and have no real experience, or have been working at it for a long time and are looking for some fresh ideas, this class is for you! We’ll take raw tracks for songs and learn specific techniques and skills that you can take back with you to your home studio or professional work environment.

This is a small class, with one instructor, and will get deep into the process and art of mixing music. We’ll be discussing concepts and approaches and the entire class will be very interactive between Steve and the participants.

Event Details

  • Classes take place on March 22, 23, 2025

  • Lunches/snacks provided

  • Limited to 6 participants

  • Classes run from 10am - 5pm both days, leaving you time to explore this amazing town in the evenings

  • Rates for 2025: $700 USD


($300 deposit required to hold a spot)

If you have any questions about The Henhouse Hang, Contact us here

Coming from Canada? Let’s meet somewhere in the middle on the terrible exchange rate - Contact us to discuss

“… a dream come true for me: an opportunity to spend a couple of days in The Henhouse Studio with Steve Dawson and a select group of fellow musicians to watch and learn how Steve mixes records. The sessions were well structured, super informative and hands-on.  And the lunch and evening hangtimes with Steve and the group gave us lots of time to get to know each other, ask questions and trade stories. I can't speak highly enough about this experience!”
- Chris (2024 attendee)

Topics Covered

  • Learning the sounds and strengths of various instruments used within the genre (live drums, acoustic and electric guitar, pedal steel, Hammond organ, piano, analog keyboards, upright and electric bass and more)

  • Conceptualizing a mix and how to get it right from the early stages

  • Learning techniques for EQ, compression, panning and effects

  • Utilizing both hardware and software to achieve your goals

  • Mixing “in the box” as well as analog - the differences, the techniques, and the workflow

  • How to set up effects and processing in a digital environment

  • Learn some insight into how to get started using your own templates and routing that will keep things creative and interesting while saving time

  • Learning how to process the mix bus itself before the mastering stage

    …and lots more!

“I have been working in studios, in one aspect or another, since I was a teenager. I have never been fully confident with my mixes. I saw Steve's ad for the Henhouse Hang and thought it would be a great way to get a tune-up on my skills.  I am so glad that I went! The information that I obtained was just what I was looking for.  All of my questions were answered in a low key atmosphere, and I have new confidence in my mixing abilities.”
- Chuck (2024 attendee)

FAQ

  • All levels will be accommodated in this program. We will actually be tailoring it a bit to the people that sign up. Steve works with a combination of analog gear and Pro Tools. It would be helpful to have tried some mixing already, but even if you’ve dabbled with Garage Band or something basic, it will help you to understand the basic concepts coming in. But you don’t need to be an expert at Pro Tools or anything like that.

  • Yes! The studio is in East Nashville, home to several boutique hotels and many Air BnB’s. There are plenty of options and I can help you find one that fits your needs.

  • I do. But most of what we talk about is applicable to any DAW or analog setup. It would help to have some digital recording/mixing experience, but not essential.

  • If that is the case, you may find the main Henhouse Hang in September more up your alley (link at top of page). This one is very focused on mixing and therefore is a bit more technical in nature.

($300 deposit required to hold a spot)

If you have any questions about The Henhouse Hang, Contact us here

Coming from Canada? Let’s meet somewhere in the middle on the terrible exchange rate!
Contact us to discuss

About Steve Dawson

Behind the seemingly endless stream of award winning musical output is one of the hardest working musicians this country has ever produced. Whether he’s turning heads on the concert circuit with his incendiary playing, or pulling the best possible performances out of the many artists that he works with, Steve Dawson is always striving to take things to the next level with innovative slide guitar playing, fingerstyle guitar and songwriting. His work as an artist and producer has garnered 7 Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy). He has become an in-demand guitarist and sideman, touring and recording with many artists and working in the studio with a wide range of acts such as Birds of Chicago, Matt Andersen, Allison Russell, Bruce Cockburn, Joe Henry, Jim Byrnes, Kelly Joe Phelps, Joel Plaskett, John Hammond, and many more.

Steve currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works as a solo artist, sideman, and record producer. He runs the acclaimed independent label Black Hen Music and his recording studio, The Henhouse. Steve also releases a monthly podcast exploring the lives and careers of interesting musicians entitled “Music Makers and Soul Shakers”.

Visit Steve’s website for more information on Steve.