LEVEL 1-AUDIO START

Mixing and bringing studio sound to the stage
You already know the basics. You understand EQ, compression, AUX sends, groups and effects. You record your own music, produce tracks, play in a band or already have some experience in live sound engineering.
Now it's time to take the next step.
How do you make sure a track that sounds great in the studio doesn't lose its character when the band takes it to the stage?
That's exactly what we'll be exploring in this workshop.
FROM THE STUDIO TO THE STAGE
Modern music is often produced in ways that simply can't be recreated with just a few instruments on stage.
Layers of synthesisers, backing vocals, samples, effects, automation, changing instrument sounds, processed drums and sound design elements – all of these contribute to the production and character of a track.
But in a live environment, we're dealing with a real band, a PA system, monitors, microphones, room acoustics and conditions that are completely different from the studio.
How do we bring these two worlds together?
Over the years, working on live concerts and theatre productions, including collaborations with artists such as Sweet Noise and Sandra, where rock sounds meet pop, electronics and elements of studio production, I've developed several highly effective techniques for bringing the character of a studio recording to the stage.
And that's exactly the experience I want to share with you.
The goal isn't to make a concert sound like an exact copy of the record. It's about preserving its character, energy and recognisable sound while keeping the authenticity of a real live performance.
WE TAKE A REAL TRACK AND TURN IT INTO A LIVE PRODUCTION
We won't spend the whole workshop talking about theory. We'll open a real project. We'll listen to the studio production and ask ourselves: What exactly makes this track sound the way it does? We'll break the song down into its individual elements. We'll examine instruments, effects, panning, dynamics, automation, additional layers, samples and production techniques. Then we'll start building its live version.
Together, we'll decide:
- What should be performed by the musicians,
- What can be played back using stems,
- Which elements are worth triggering,
- Which production elements are truly essential,
- What we can leave out,
- What needs to remain under the sound engineer's control,
- And what should be controlled by the musicians.
Next, we'll build the routing, playback system, effects and mix.
From a DAW project to a complete live show.
MIXING – BUT WITH A CLEAR PURPOSE
We'll work with DAWs, live mixing consoles and QLab.
EQ, compression, gates, saturation, effects, groups, parallel compression and automation won't be presented as separate "magic tools".
We'll use them when they actually solve a specific problem.
We'll also explore how mixing approaches change depending on the environment:
In the studio, at FOH, what works in a small club versus a stadium, in monitor mixing and in live streaming.
Because the same audio signal may require a completely different approach depending on where it's ultimately heard.
STEMS, PLAYBACK AND PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
You'll learn how to prepare a studio production for live performance. We'll work with stems, backing tracks, samples, click tracks and additional production elements. I'll also explain why putting an entire production into a single stereo backing track isn't always the best solution. We'll explore which elements should be separated and routed to individual channels on the mixing console, allowing the sound engineer to maintain control over the mix depending on the PA system, venue acoustics and live performance conditions.
DRUM TRIGGERS AND SOUND CHANGES WITHIN A SONG
A modern live show doesn't have to use the same snare sound throughout the entire performance. We'll explore the possibilities of drum triggers. You'll learn how to combine the natural sound of an acoustic drum kit with samples and how to integrate electronic elements into a live production. And we can take it even further.
Verse – one sound.
Chorus – another.
Bridge – an additional layer or a completely different instrument character.
I'll show you how to program these changes so they happen automatically and stay synchronised with the rest of the show.
DAW + QLAB + MIXER – MORE THAN JUST AUDIO
Modern concerts are increasingly about more than just music. They also involve video, lighting, multimedia and show automation. That's why we'll work with both DAWs and QLab. We'll explore how to build a system in which different elements of the show work together. Music can trigger a specific event. Playback can be synchronised with video. A transition between song sections can trigger changes in other elements of the show.
Lighting, visuals and audio can all follow a shared timeline.
We'll discuss synchronisation, cues, MIDI, timecode and communication between different devices and software.
The goal isn't to replace the lighting or video engineer.
The goal is to understand how all elements of a production can communicate with each other to create one cohesive live experience.
WHO IS LEVEL 2 FOR?
This workshop is designed for people who already have a basic understanding of audio and want to take their skills further.
For live sound engineers who want to better understand music production.
For studio producers who want to learn how to bring their productions to the stage.
For musicians preparing their own live shows and backing tracks.
For people working in cultural centres, clubs and local venues.
For bands that want their live sound to reflect the music they've created in the studio.
And for anyone beginning to realise that modern sound engineering involves much more than simply operating a mixing console.
WHAT WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DO AFTER THE WORKSHOP? I want you to finish these three days being able to look at a finished production and think:
"OK. I know how to take this to the stage."
You'll understand how to analyse a track, prepare stems, samples and backing tracks, build routing systems, use DAWs and QLab, work with triggers and plan basic synchronisation between audio and other elements of a live show.
But most importantly, you'll start seeing a concert as more than just amplifying a band.
You'll start seeing it as a production.
Because great live sound doesn't have to stop at making sure every instrument can be heard.
It can preserve the character of the original recording, capture the energy of real musicians and become something even bigger – a complete, carefully designed live show.

LEVEL 2 - STUDIO LIVE

LEVEL 3 MIX LAB STUDIO/LIVE

20 years of experience. Studio and live. Techniques that really work.

This workshop isn't about showing you where to find a compressor or explaining what EQ does.
At LEVEL 3, we assume you already know the basics. Now it's time to go much deeper into mixing itself, decision-making and shaping sound.
Over more than 20 years of working in recording studios, at concerts, on tours, at festivals, in theatres and on major productions, I've developed my own collection of techniques and tricks of the trade. Some originated in the studio and were adapted by me for live sound. Others were developed precisely because traditional studio approaches simply didn't work in a live environment. During these workshops, we'll break them down and explore exactly how and why they work.
WE MIX. A LOT.
We'll provide specially prepared multitrack recordings and mix them on real live mixing consoles.
You can work on our equipment, but you're also welcome to bring your own mixer. If you regularly work on a particular console, it's worth practising new techniques on the equipment you already know, so you can take those solutions straight back into your everyday work. But our goal isn't to create one single perfect mix.
We'll experiment with different approaches and ask questions:
Why does this work? What happens if we do it differently? And will the same technique work under completely different conditions?
A CLUB IS NOT A STADIUM
What works brilliantly in the studio doesn't always translate to the stage. But even a technique that works perfectly at a large outdoor concert might fail completely in a 200-capacity club.
We'll compare mixing approaches across different environments:
Small clubs and cultural centres, larger concert halls, outdoor events, festivals and large stadium sound systems.
We'll explore how our approach to dynamics, EQ, spatial effects, compression, parallel processing, groups, effects and the overall mix changes depending on the venue, PA system and scale of the event.
LIVE ↔ STUDIO
A live mixing console won't be our only tool during this course. We'll also open a DAW and mix a live concert recording in a studio environment.
This gives us a fantastic opportunity to compare two worlds. What can we do with live multitrack recordings when we're no longer restricted by the time pressures of a concert?
How far can we take the processing?
And most importantly:
Which studio techniques are worth bringing into a live environment, and which are better left in the studio?
We'll compare both approaches using exactly the same material.
WE OPEN REAL SESSIONS
I don't want to show you only carefully prepared examples where everything always "magically" works.
We'll open real sessions and mixes. We'll analyse studio mixes of tracks you may already know, exploring them from the inside out – track by track, group by group, plugin by plugin.
You'll discover not only what was done, but more importantly, why those particular decisions were made.
Then we'll compare those decisions with the realities of live sound.
SPECIAL GUEST – ŁUKASZ KACZMAREK
Our special guest will be Łukasz Kaczmarek – a sound engineer with extensive studio experience who is also an excellent live sound engineer, working with many leading artists.
This is a particularly important part of the workshop for me. We don't want to present one single "correct" way of mixing.
We'll compare our workflows, techniques and approaches to solving the same problems. Sometimes you can achieve a similar result by taking completely different routes, and it's often these differences that teach us the most.
BRING YOUR OWN MIX
If you have your own multitrack recording of a live concert, bring it along.
It could be a recording of your band's performance, a production you've worked on, or a project you've been struggling with for a while, trying to achieve a particular sound.
We'll open the session and work on it together. We won't just talk about what could have been done differently.
We'll load up the tracks and put those ideas to the test.
WHAT WILL WE EXPLORE?
Among other things, EQ and creating space for individual elements in a mix, conventional and parallel compression, transient control, groups and bus processing, saturation, spatial effects, working with vocals, drums, bass and guitars, creating depth in a mix, automation, gain structure, managing the dynamics of an entire band, and the differences between studio and live processing.
But above all, we'll focus on something more important than any particular plugin or parameter – making the right decisions.
Because after years of experience, you realise that great mixing is less and less about how many processors you can use, and more and more about knowing when to use them – and when it's better to do nothing at all.
THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER'S COURSE
LEVEL 3 is designed for people who already have some experience in sound engineering or audio production and want to take their skills to the next level.
For live sound engineers, producers, musicians producing their own music, engineers working in clubs and cultural centres, and anyone who already knows how to create a mix but wants to approach mixing with greater understanding and intention.
I don't want you to leave these workshops with a list of settings like:
"Compressor – ratio 4:1, attack 20 ms."
I want you to leave knowing:
Why those settings might be right in one situation, why you'd choose something completely different in another, and when you shouldn't use the compressor at all.
That's what LEVEL 3 – STUDIO/LIVE MIX LAB is all about.

LEVEL 4

IMMERSIVE AUDIO

Studio • Live • Dolby Atmos • L-ISA • Sound Design

Stereo is just the beginning.
Level 4 takes us into the world of immersive mixing, both in the studio and in live productions.
Here, we stop thinking of mixing purely in terms of balancing instruments, panning, EQ or compression. We gain another incredibly powerful element – space. How do we place the listener inside the music?
How can we use space not just as an impressive gimmick, but as a deliberate production tool? How do we create an immersive music mix? How can we apply the same approach to concerts, theatre productions, films and sound design?
These are just some of the things we'll explore during Level 4.
DOLBY ATMOS – MUSIC IN 7.1.4
Today, immersive mixing is no longer reserved exclusively for cinema or large concert installations. It's becoming increasingly common in mainstream music distribution, so we'll explore Dolby Atmos and how it changes the way we approach mixing.
At DAARS Studio, we have an excellent 7.1.4 monitoring system, which means we won't be learning about Atmos through diagrams or YouTube videos.
We'll sit right in the middle of the system and start mixing. We'll begin with music we already know in stereo, then open it up into a three-dimensional sound field. What do we do with the vocals? Where should we place the instruments? What about drums and bass? How can we use the overhead speakers? What do we do with reverbs and delays? How do we create depth?
When should an element remain fixed in front of the listener, and when should we introduce movement?
And above all, how do we create an immersive mix that still sounds like music rather than a technology demonstration?
FROM DOLBY ATMOS TO LIVE IMMERSIVE SOUND
The studio is only one part of Level 4.
We'll also explore how the same principles can be applied to concerts and theatre productions.
One of our reference points will be L-Acoustics L-ISA and productions created at the Grand Theatre in Poznań.
Following its modernisation, the Grand Theatre became the first opera house in the world to combine an immersive L-ISA system with the Ambiance active acoustics system.
However, this won't be a course dedicated to one particular system or theatre. We'll use it as a real-world example of what's possible when we're no longer restricted to conventional left/right stereo.
R+J – IMMERSIVE SOUND AS PART OF A PERFORMANCE
We'll examine the production of "R+J" and explore how music, pre-prepared audio material, effects, electronics and live musicians can be brought together in a single immersive environment.
We'll open real project sessions.
You'll see how stems are prepared, how routing and audio objects are organised, how automation works and how the entire production is structured.
We'll also discuss how to design these elements in advance within a DAW, so they can be reliably controlled during an actual performance or concert.
DORIAN GRAY – FROM SOUND DESIGN TO IMMERSIVE AUDIO
Another fascinating example will be "Dorian Gray".
For this production, I worked on sound effects alongside composer Elżbieta Sikora.
And during Level 4, we'll follow a similar creative process. We'll create our own sound effects and place them within an immersive environment.
We'll explore how an ordinary recording can be transformed into an element of a fictional world.
How can we create an acoustic space that doesn't physically exist? How can we make a sound appear behind the listener, travel across the room or surround the audience?
How can movement, reverb, delay, layering, automation and sound manipulation help us tell a story?
This is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in moving into sound design, film sound, theatre sound, multimedia installations or other audiovisual productions in the future.
Because once we start thinking of sound not only as a way of mixing a song, but also as a tool for creating entire worlds, completely new professional opportunities begin to open up.
SPECIAL GUEST – KRYSTIAN KOŁAKOWSKI
Our special guest for Level 4 will be Krystian Kołakowski, who has been involved in sound engineering at the Grand Theatre in Poznań for many years.
Krystian also participated in the development and implementation of the opera house's new sound system, collaborating with specialists responsible for the L-Acoustics solutions.
This will be a fantastic opportunity to discuss not only the technology itself, but above all the practical realities of working with such a system during actual productions.
ORCHESTRA – A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD
Together with Krystian, we'll also explore orchestral microphone techniques. How do you mic dozens of musicians without destroying the orchestra's natural balance? When should microphones provide reinforcement, and when should they simply offer subtle support to individual instruments?
How should we approach strings, wind instruments, percussion and soloists? How can we use ambient microphones?
And how can we translate those recordings into an immersive mix?
It's a fascinating contrast to mixing pop, rock or electronic music.
STUDIO → MUSIC → LIVE → FILM → THEATRE
And that's exactly what Level 4 is about.
I don't want to limit this workshop to being a "Dolby Atmos course" or an "L-ISA course". Technology will simply be our tool.
The goal is to learn how to think and mix in three-dimensional space. Sometimes that will mean mixing an album in Dolby Atmos. Other times, a concert. A theatre production. Sound design. A film.
Or perhaps a type of production we can't even imagine today.
ADDITIONAL HOURS – GRAND THEATRE IN POZNAŃ
For interested participants, we're also planning the possibility of additional hours at the Grand Theatre in Poznań, subject to the venue's availability and production schedule.
You'll have the opportunity to see how a professional immersive sound system is built, explore L-ISA and Ambiance, examine the routing and speaker configuration, and understand how these systems are used in real productions.
This will complement the work we've already completed at DAARS Studio:
First, we create and mix. Then we explore how similar ideas are implemented in a large-scale venue.
WHO IS IT FOR?
Level 4 is designed for people who already have mixing experience and want to expand their professional skills:
Live sound engineers, music producers, studio engineers, electronic music creators, theatre sound engineers and anyone interested in sound design or film audio.
You don't need previous experience with Dolby Atmos or immersive sound systems.
However, you should already understand the fundamentals of mixing, routing, EQ, dynamics, BUS/AUX, FX and automation.
LEVEL 4 – MIX & IMMERSIVE AUDIO
It's not about making sounds fly around your head. It's about learning to use another dimension of mixing – space.
And knowing when to turn it into a spectacular effect, and when to use it so subtly that the listener doesn't even notice the technology – they simply feel as though they're inside the music.

MARCIN BARAN

+48 512323298

marcin@baranaudio.com