ENROLLMENT OPENING SOON - JOIN THE WAITLIST BELOW FOR EARLY ACCESS

FOR BEGINNERS IN LIVE SOUND

Lost in the Noise?

Learn What Actually Matters 

in Live Sound

 

You don't need to know everything. You need to know what counts.

 

Build a fundamentals-first foundation so you can walk into any gig with clarity and confidence—regardless of venue, band, or setup.

 

Created by Award-Winning FOH Engineer Michelle Sabolchick (Cyndi Lauper, Goo Goo Dolls, Gwen Stefani & more)

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Start Learning What Actually Matters

No prior experience needed • No expensive gear required

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Most people try to learn live sound backwards...

They focus on gear instead of the fundamentals that actually make a mix work.
 
They jump between consoles, plugins, and techniques—without ever building a clear understanding of how it all fits together.
 
That’s why it still feels confusing… no matter how much you learn.

 

 

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone: 

 
You've Googled "how to mix a band" but still don't know an XLR from a DI.
 
You've played around with the soundboard, but can't figure out what all the knobs and buttons actually do.
 
You finally got the equipment wired together, but you're not sure how it all works, and you have no idea how to make it sound good.
 
You've been around live sound for a while and would love to try mixing, but the idea of messing up in front of a live audience is terrifying.
 
Or you worked hard to put together a great-sounding show  and spent the whole night fighting feedback instead.
 
Every time you're in front of a different console or setup, it feels like starting over.
 
And when something goes wrong: no sound, feedback, a mix that falls apart, you don't always know where to start or what to fix.
 
 
So you try different things… but you're not always sure why they work — or why they don't.
  

  

You don't need more information.

You need the right information-starting with the fundamentals. 

 

 

The truth about learning live sound:

 

Many aspiring engineers fall into the trap of thinking they need to learn every piece of equipment and software before they can be good at this. Or they focus on plugins and computer programs, thinking that's what separates a good mix from a bad one.

But here's the secret — not even professional engineers know every piece of gear inside and out. The best engineers in the world can create a great mix without a single plugin. What they all have in common isn't the gear they know. It's the core principles they understand.

Those principles are the shortcut. Once you understand them, the equipment starts to make sense. You stop feeling lost every time something is unfamiliar and start feeling confident, no matter what you're faced with.

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Here’s what actually matters:

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Signal flow and gain structure...

Because everything depends on getting those right first.

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Knowing how to shape and control sound...

With tools like microphones, the soundboard, EQ and Dynamics.

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Being able to handle real-world situations...

Managing feedback, building a mix, and solving problems when they come up.

Not All Live Sound Advice Is Created Equal.  

Who You Learn From Matters...

 

Hi, I'm Michelle — Parnelli Award-winning FOH Mixer of the Year, WAMTN Resonator Hall of Fame inductee, and Full Sail Hall of Fame inductee.

 

For oer 30 years, I've been the sound engineer for artists such as Cyndi Lauper, Gwen Stefani, Goo Goo Dolls, Kesha, Melissa Etheridge, Styx, and many more.  I’ve mixed thousands of shows all over the world on stages ranging from small clubs to stadiums and at festivals from Coachella to Download.

I've spent my entire career doing the thing you want to learn how to do. And I've watched many aspiring engineers struggle, not because they weren't talented or motivated, but because nobody ever showed them what to focus on first.

It’s easy to search for information on live sound, but it’s hard to tell what’s actually correct when you don’t know what you don’t know.  There’s a lot of bad information out there, so who do you trust?

That's exactly why I built Mixing Music Live.

Everything in this course comes directly from what I use on the job — the same fundamentals, the same principles, the same approach I rely on night after night, on real stages, in front of real audiences. No filler, no theory for theory's sake. Just what actually works in the real world.

You'll be learning from someone who has spent over three decades earning a living doing this — and who has distilled everything that matters into one course built specifically for people who are serious about getting started.

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After Mixing Music Live, You’ll Know How To:

- Walk into a live sound setup and understand what you’re looking at.

- Set up and run a soundboard.

- Choose and place microphones for clear, usable sound. 

- Get clean, controlled levels using proper gain structure.

- Use EQ and dynamics to improve clarity and balance.

- Put together a mix.

- Control feedback and keep it from taking over.

- Troubleshoot problems and know where to start when something isn’t working.

Knowing these fundamentals is where every great live sound engineer starts. The confidence comes with putting them into practice, and MML gives you the foundation to do exactly that.

Simon Boniface-
"I must say that this has been the best course that I have done."

Is Mixing Music Live Right For You?

 

Mixing Music Live is designed for you if:

âś” You want to get into live sound but don't know where to start

âś” You've done a few gigs but feel like you're winging it every time

âś” You're a musician who wants to understand and control your own live sound

âś” You work in church audio or live events and want to build a real foundation

âś” You've spent hours on YouTube and forums and still feel lost

âś” You're serious about learning this the right way, from someone who has actually done it

 

 

This course is NOT for you if:

âś— You're an experienced engineer looking for advanced techniques

âś— You're looking for a course focused on a specific console or piece of gear.

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  Madison Murphy -
"I wasn’t sure where to start. Now I actually feel ready to run a board for a show for the first time.”

Ready to Build Your Foundation in Live Sound?

Learn live sound online at your own pace with mixing music live taught by professional sound engineer Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato

MIXING MUSIC LIVE

 

The premier online course built around one goal — giving you the knowledge and confidence to show up to any gig and know exactly what you're doing.

 

Start Learning What Actually Matters

WHAT YOU'LL GET WHEN YOU ENROLL

Mixing Music Live is a self-directed ONLINE video course that you do at your own pace.

41 Video Lessons

7 Quizzes

Downloadable Course Workbook containing PDF files to assist with Lessons

Downloadable Audio files of instruments and mixes to practice setting Gates, Compressors, and EQ

Certificate of Completion

Bonuses Including:

Troubleshooting Flow Chart

Frequency chart

Guide for Common Microphone Choices

and more...

 

INSIDE THE COURSE

speaker cable used in mixing live sound

MODULE 1:

GETTING STARTED
 
 
YOU'LL LEARN: 
  • The most common terms used in live sound
  • The  parts of a sound system
  • The difference between FOH and Monitors
  • The different kinds of cables you'll be working with and which to use for what
patching the soundboard running sound for a live concert

MODULE 2:

SIGNAL FLOW
 

 

YOU’LL LEARN:
  • How the signal gets from the source to the soundboard and then to the PA Speakers
  • How to wire a stage
  • How to create Input Lists and Stage Plots 
  • Stage Directions
setting gain on a soundboard mixing live sound

MODULE 3:

THE CONSOLE & GAIN STRUCTURE 
 
YOU'LL LEARN: 
  • What all of the knobs, buttons, and faders do
  • How to set proper input gain on your channels to get the best quality audio signal
  • How the signal travels through the soundboard
midas digital console how to use a soundboard

MODULE 4:

THE DIGITAL CONSOLE

 
YOU'LL LEARN: 
  • The difference between analog and digital consoles
  • How to work your way through the digital soundboard from the input to the output, and a quick start guide
  • How to patch and assign outputs on a digital console
  • What are VCAs, DCAs, and Groups for, and how to use them
audio compressor dbx 160A

MODULE 5:

THE TOOLS

 
 
YOU'LL LEARN: 
  • The different types of EQ
  • How to use noise gates, compressors, and effects
  • How to choose a microphone and proper mic placement
  • How to properly wrap a mic cable
31 band graphic EQ on a midas audio console for EQ'ing the PA system

MODULE 6:

DOING THE GIG
 
 
YOU'LL LEARN: 
  • How to EQ the PA to work with the room acoustics
  • How to run a proper line check and soundcheck
  • How to build a mix and mix monitors from FOH
  • Basic troubleshooting

BONUS MODULE

YOU'LL GET

Bonus Lessons Including:

  • Wireless Microphones and In-Ear Monitors
  • How to build a show file for a digital console
  • Mixing Sound for Theater
  • The number one thing you can do to get rid of feedback!

and more...

YOU'LL  ALSO  RECEIVE  THESE  OTHER  GREAT  BONUSES

BUY IT NOW & OWN IT FOR LIFE

When you purchase Mixing Music Live, you become a member of the MML community and have lifetime access to the course and all updates.  This means that even if you aren’t quite ready to start, you can get in now and do it at your own pace!  Revisit the course as much as you need and at any time for a refresher.

LEARN ON THE GO

Watch the course on any device, anywhere you can access the internet.  You can also access the course via your smartphone with the FREE mobile App, giving you the convenience and ability to refer back to lessons whenever you need to.  Need to remember something you learned while you're doing a gig?  You can access the course wherever you are.

DOWNLOADABLE  MP3s OF EACH LESSON

Any time you can't watch the videos or just want to review a lesson offline, you can download the audio from all of the lessons from the course and listen while driving, or whenever you can’t watch.

COURSE TRANSCRIPTS

If you find it easier to learn by reading along with the video, you'll find downloadable PDF transcripts available for each lesson.  Great for taking notes and highlighting things you want to remember!

Enrollment opens soon

Join the waitlist for early access

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT MIXING MUSIC LIVE...

 

These are people who started exactly where you are—
unsure where to begin and overwhelmed by all the information.

Now they have a foundation they can actually use.

Jess LeBlanc 

“Before this course, I struggled to understand the technical side of live sound.

This course explained everything clearly, with great examples and real-world situations. It helped me finally understand how it all works together.” 

 

Rachel Suffian  

“My biggest takeaway was finally understanding the inputs and outputs on the soundboard and how signal flow actually works.

I also found the sections on EQ, inserts, and ringing out the PA incredibly helpful. The resources included in the lessons are something I still go back to.”

Simon Boniface     

“This has been the best course I’ve taken.

The way everything is presented and demonstrated makes it easy to follow and really reinforces the learning. It’s clear this comes from real professional experience."

 

Syrilyn Tong     

“I used to feel intimidated by large digital mixers, especially since I don’t have regular access to one.

After this course, that feeling is gone. The lessons on dynamics and the drum files gave me a way to actually understand what I was doing without needing a live setup.”

 

 

Jenni Main     

“After completing this course, I have a much better understanding of signal flow and how everything connects.

I now feel confident that I could set up and operate a system on my own, which I wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

 

 

Roberto Gittens 

“This course gave me a solid starting point and is worth its weight in gold.

Learning from real professional experience made a huge difference. After completing it, I feel capable of planning and running a show or church event on my own.”

 

 

FAQ's:

The only thing standing between you and doing this is deciding to start.

 

If you’re like most people who want to mix live music, you probably can’t wait to get your hands on the soundboard.  But there is so much more that goes into mixing a great-sounding show than just pushing faders and turning knobs.

 

You need a real foundation — the kind that lets you walk into any gig with confidence instead of hoping for the best.

That foundation is what Mixing Music Live gives you.

The engineers who succeed in live sound aren't the ones who knew everything before they started. They're the ones who started with the right fundamentals and built from there.

 

This is where you start.
Enrollment Opens Soon
Join the Waitlist for Early Access