The Reverse Engineer
Degree-alternative program that will give you pro-level skill sets in production, mixing and mastering.
Membership
Short course library, weekly virtual events, monthly mentor check-ins, and member community.
The Profitable Engineer
Career & business mentorship to monetize your skill set and get guidance from industry pro's.
The problem with being self-taught.
Most musicians get stuck at an intermediate plateau. For many creatives it’s tempting to jump right into a DAW and start making music. However, without a proper understanding of the technical, left-brained side of music (frequencies, dynamics, etc,) it’s impossible to actually achieve the sounds we imagine in our minds. Countless artists and producers plateau at an amateur/semi-pro level because of this. They have great creative potential, but lack the tools to consistently achieve industry standard results.
The tips and tricks found on Youtube or in cheap online courses lack the depth needed for us to develop the deeper understanding that sets us apart as professionals.
Traditional education is failing musicians.
Truth bomb: having a degree won’t improve your chances of having a successful music career.
The only thing that matters is that your music holds up to industry standards. Traditional education has failed to adapt to the rapidly evolving music industry, resulting in outdated curriculums and overpriced degrees. We focus on what keeps students ahead of the curve: results-driven education, one on one mentorship with real industry experts, and community driven support. Our students achieve better results quicker, and more affordably than they would through traditional academia.
This approach works
Learning how to master teaches you essential audio skills that help inform your ability to mix properly. Mixing and mastering skills in turn allow you to produce with the end in mind, preventing common audio mistakes and blunders before they even happen. When it’s time to unlock your creativity, there are no technical stumbling blocks in your way. You are free to express yourself and truly create what is inside your mind.
One-on-one
mentorship
Get lifetime one-on-one mentorship with 50+ hours/week available for live coaching and feedback with a team of professional engineers & producers so you never get stuck.
Training
platform
Our comprehensive and continuously updated curriculum is design to stay ahead of the fast-paced music industry and help you develop the skills and instincts needed to compete with anyone in the industry.
Active
community
When you join, you get access to our thriving community of artists, producers and engineers. You will learn from hundreds of supportive, like-minded individuals who have already walked the path.
How our students learn
Mastering
- Accurate Listening Environment
- Pro Level Ear Training
- Objective Mindset
Mixing
- Connect Left and Right Brain
- Develop Instincts/Process
- Master the Tools
Producing
- Unlock Creative Flow
- End in Mind Perspective
- Emotional Connection
Meet your personal mentors
Rob Mayzes
Rob is a lifelong musician, audio professional, educator and owner of Mastering.com and Stratfield Studios.
Caleb Loveless
Caleb is Director of Education at Mastering.com and co-owner of danger.less productions and Black Fox Mastering.
Will Evans
Will Evans is President of Mastering.com. Previously, Will was CEO of Spitfire Audio, owner of Tape Club Records, and a lecturer at the legendary Tonmeister program.
Jake Kodweis
Jake Kodweis is an American music producer, songwriter, musician, educator, and founder of Jake Makes Metal.
Dane Holmes
Dane is a veteran of the industry, an educator, and co-owner of danger.less productions and Black Fox Mastering.
Kevin McCloskey
Kevin is a self made Grammy nominated, multi-platinum mix engineer based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Daily One-To-One Mentorship
Regular Sessions Include
Mastering
Learn and ask questions about the final stage of music production, from loudness to sound quality.
Goals & Mindset
Discuss career goals, creative mindsets, and strategies for success.
Open Topic Q&A
Bring any questions you have, whether they are about the curriculum or personal projects, we have a saying here: ‘refuse to stay confused’, so ask questions and keep moving forward towards your goals.
Female Producers Call
Bring any questions you have, whether they are about the curriculum or personal projects, we have a saying here: ‘refuse to stay confused’, so ask questions and keep moving forward towards your goals.
Mixing
Get specific questions answered about mixing techniques and workflows based on the tracks you’re working with or mixes you’re referencing.
Open Feedback
Get 1-on-1 feedback in a group setting from various mentors, students can hop on at any time while the call is live, a great option for people who have the flexibility and want to learn from others in the community.
Music Analysis
Dig into professionally released music you love and break it down with a mentor.
Plugin Breakdown
Deep dive into specific plugins and their uses with a mentor.
Production
Focused on production only, bring your own work or songs you love for production breakdown and guidance with live demonstrations and ‘in the DAW’ support.
Pre-Submit Feedback
Book a specific time slot to get dedicated 1-on-1 feedback, ideal for those with tighter schedules looking to receive guidance and support on their music/assignments.
Acoustic Truth
Bring questions about room acoustics, measurement maps, or calibrated headphones. Hit acoustic truth and feel confident in your listening environment.
Student-Led DAW Call
Get help with challenges in your specific DAW from other students and mentors.
Here’s what students are saying:
The Reverse Engineer Program by Mastering.com is hands-down the most comprehensive course for music production, mixing, and mastering. What sets it apart—and truly blows your mind—is the reverse approach to teaching.
They start with the fundamentals of mastering and gradually work their way down to the finer details, covering every EQ, compression setting, volume adjustment, and tool you’ll need to achieve a professional-grade result. Every module is meticulously designed to explain not just how to make adjustments, but why each move matters.
From big-picture concepts to fine-tuning specific frequencies, the lessons are intentional and practical. The quality of mentorship is unparalleled—you’re learning from industry veterans with decades of experience, all distilled into one extraordinary program.
Even after just a few weeks in the program (at my own pace), I’ve already been able to apply the skills I’ve learned to real-world projects and create a source of income.
This course is worth every penny, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to elevate their skills and achieve professional results. It’s a game-changer!
Mastering.com is damn near perfect. What makes Mastering.com great is the community… Not only is the course curriculum top-notch, but you get so many opportunities to see principles in practice during numerous mentoring sessions. I feel like I have improved 3 or 4 levels since joining the student body. The best investment in audio engineering I’ve ever made!!
Best online training out there
You want to learn how to produce, mix , or master at a professional level? This is the place to learn how. I don’t feel lost anymore. I have a complete solid workflow. I have no gaps in my knowledge. This is one of the best decisions I’ve made.
This company, Mastering.com, are literally the most sincere and ethical folks you will ever encounter.
TRE is the best investment in myself that I’ve ever made.
The Reverse Engineer advantage
Engineer
Education
online courses
Price
- Yes
- Maybe
*Financing available, get started for as low as $244/month
Discount for faster payment
Curriculum breakdown
Part 1: Mastering
- Welcome To The Reverse Engineer
- Choosing Your Path
- The 2 Most Powerful Words
- Concepts Come First
- Expectations Going Forward
- Listening Environment
- Order Sonarworks Sound ID Reference
- Approaching Mentorship
- Section 1 Recap
- Section 2 Overview
- Computers & Interfaces
- Studio Gear Overview
- Storage & Backups
- Choosing Your DAW
- Know Your Shortcuts
- Getting Organized
- File Format, Sample Rate, & Bit Depth
- Section 2 Recap
- STOP! Are you ready to move on?
- Section 3 Overview
- Room Acoustics Basics
- Your Ears Are Your Guide
- ACTION ITEM: Tone generator
- Setting Up Your Room
- ACTION ITEM: Set up your room
- Speaker and Subwoofer Setup
- ACTION ITEM: Set up your sub
- The “MEDIA” Process
- “MEDIA” Expectations
- ACTION ITEM: Prepare for MEDIA
- A Quick Word About Patience
- M is for Measure
- Inclusion of a Subwoofer
- ACTION ITEM: Measure
- Measure Recap
- !!! Anti-Rabbit Hole Message !!!
- E is for Examine
- Examining Impulses
- Reflection Generator
- ACTION ITEM: Reflection points
- Destroying Desk Reflections
- Examine Recap
- !!! Patience Reminder !!!
- D is for Decay
- Waterfall Controls
- Tone Generator
- Decibel x SPL Search
- ACTION ITEM: Decay
- Decay Recap
- !!! Rule of Thumb !!!
- I is for Interference
- All SPL Graph
- ACTION ITEM: Move your listening position
- Interference Recap
- Acoustic Treatment 101
- Acoustic Treatment 201
- The Math of Building Panels
- Jim’s Room Journey
- “MEDIA” Goals
- ACTION ITEM: Hit your benchmarks
- EQ Compensation
- Sonarworks Sound ID
- ACTION ITEM: EQ Compensation Software
- Room Construction and Soundproofing
- Section 3 Recap
- Section 4 Overview
- Beyond The Cube
- Training Your Ear
- Your Greatest Asset
- Purchasing References
- Observing Dynamics & Transients
- Observing Loudness
- Music Analysis
- What Is Mastering?
- 5 Truths of Mastering
- Starting To Master
- Referencing Mindsets
- Reverse Problem Solving
- Bringing It All Together
- Section 4 Recap
- Section 5 Overview
- Campsite Lingo
- Home On The Range
- EQ Anatomy
- EQ Mindsets for Mastering
- Balance & Enhancement
- Tools For Handling Frequencies
- Live EQ with 1 Tool
- Live EQ with Multiple Tools
- Even More Live EQ!
- Section 5 Recap
- Section 6 Overview
- Peaks & Transients
- Tools for Handling Dynamics
- Taming Transients
- Anatomy of a Compressor
- Controlling Dynamics
- Enhancing Dynamic Intent
- Live Limiting & Clipping
- Live Dynamics Demonstration
- Section 6 Recap
- Section 7 Overview
- Making It Loud
- The End of the Loudness War
- Mastering Limiter Arsenal
- Live Limiting
- Questions About Loudness
- The Big Picture
- Section 7 Recap
- Section 8 Overview
- Listening Levels
- Aliasing & Oversampling
- Dithering
- Converters & DC Offset
- Transient Shaping
- Mid Side & Stereo Imaging
- Analog vs. Digital
- FiDef
- Audio Restoration & Phase Rotation
- Summing
- Advanced Mastering Compressors
- Upward Compression & Parallel Compression
- Mastering EPs & Albums
- Stem Mastering
- Live Stem Mastering
- ISRC
- Mastering For Vinyl
- Masters for CD & Vinyl
- Section 8 – Recap
- Section 9 Overview
- Shadow Mindsets
- Online Presence
- Connecting With People
- Getting Inside Your Client’s Head
- Getting Assets From Your Clients
- Delivering The Finished Product
- Handling Revisions
- Become a Mastering Engineer
- Start Connecting With People
- Section 9 Recap
Part 2: Mixing
- Week 10 Overview
- Your First Mixing Exercise
- Adventure
- Collecting Client Info
- Mixing Client Checklist
- Bouncing Multitracks
- How To Be A Good Dentist
- Mixing Transformation Cheatsheet
- Mixing Is Not Editing
- Editing Tools & Processes
- Editing Exercise
- Prepare To Succeed
- Gain Staging
- Gain Vs. Volume
- Polarity Vs. Phase
- Live Session Prep
- The BOING Method Cheatsheet
- Prep Your Mixing Session
- Week 10 Recap
- Feedback
- Volume Is Everything
- Mixing With Zero Plugins
- Live Volume & Panning
- Volume & Panning Cheatsheet
- Volume & Panning Exercise
- Initial Automation
- Live Initial Automation
- Initial Automation Cheatsheet
- Initial Automation Exercise
- Bringing It All Together
- Prep, Edit, & Balance Cheatsheet
- Part 1: Live Prep
- Part 2: Live Edit
- Part 3: Live Balance
- Prep, Edit, & Balance 5 Tracks
- Week 11 Recap
- Feedback
- Week 12 Overview
- Back To Camp
- Sonic Characteristics Chart
- Groups vs. Tracks
- Mixing EQ Arsenal
- Problems
- Relationships
- Balance
- Enhancements
- 4 EQ Phases Cheatsheet
- Live EQ
- EQ 5 Tracks
- Week 12 Recap
- Feedback
- Week 13 – Overview
- Problems
- Enhancements
- Compressor Types
- Dynamics Processing Cheatsheet
- Live Compression
- Saturation
- Mixing Dynamics Arsenal
- Compress 5 Tracks
- Week 13 Recap
- Feedback
- Week 14 Overview
- Reverb Exercise
- Delay Exercise
- Reverb Types
- Delay Types
- Listening for Space
- Spatial Processing Arsenal
- Applying Spatial Processing
- Setup Your Mixing Template
- To Send Or Not To Send?
- Inserts vs Sends
- Processing The Process of Spatial Processing
- Spatial Processing Cheatsheet
- Live Spatial Processing
- Add Spatial Processing to 5 Songs
- Week 14 Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Vocal Analysis Exercise
- Editing
- Baseline
- Character
- Space
- Observing Vocal Layers
- Observing Vocal Layers Worksheet
- 4 Vocal Mixing Phases
- Putting It All Together (Live)
- Live Vocal Mixing w/Dane
- Live Vocal Mixing w/Caleb
- Live Vocal Mixing w/Jake
- Finalize Your Vocals
- Week 15 Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Finishing Mixes
- The Danger of the Car Mix
- Finish 5 Mixes
- Delivering Mixdowns
- Step-By-Step Mixing Checklist
- Mix 5 Songs
- Learning To Drive
- Total Mixing Workflow
- Mix 5 More Songs
- Emotional Intent
- Emotional Intent Live
- Observing Emotional Intent
- Mix Another 5 Songs
- Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Breakin’ It Down
- STOP! Gut Check
- Deep Dive
- Sidechain Compression
- Parallel Processing
- Mid Side Processing
- Dynamic EQ & Multiband Compression
- Modulation
- Stereo Imaging
- Other Tools & Techniques
- Build Your Arsenal
- Full Mixing Session LIVE
- Mix This!
- Recap
- Feedback
- Learning To See
- Learning To See Worksheet
- The Market & Your Offers
- The Offer Builder Tutorial
- Selling Audio Services
- Solution Selling Framework
- Solution Selling Practice
- Following Up
- Following Up Practice
- Service Positioning
- Outbound Beastmode!
- Feedback
Part 3: Recording & Producing
- Production Overview
- Establishing The Vision
- Pre-Production Cheatsheet
- The Pre-Production Form
- Create Your Pre-Production Form
- Session Setup
- Sample Organization
- Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Subjective vs. Objective
- Studying Music
- Musical Diversity
- How To Be A Good Filmmaker
- Building Blocks of Song Structure
- Song Structure Analysis
- Arrangement Elements
- Live Arrangement Analysis
- Arrangement Analysis
- Hooks
- Hooks Throughout History
- Observing Hooks
- Target Analysis
- Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Designing Your Blueprint
- Audio Gestalt In Production
- Sound Selection Is The Most Important Thing
- The MOST OVERLOOKED Aspect
- Emotional Intent In Production
- Building Roller Coasters
- Variety Deep Dive
- Initial Vision Walkthrough
- Initial Vision Worksheet
- Recap
- Feedback
- STOP! A Word of Warning…
- Live Sound Sources
- Guide To Microphone Types
- Perfect Mic Placement
- Go-To Mic Positions
- Live Sources Deep Dive
- Recording Assignment
- Samples & Loops
- Samples In Music
- Live Samples & Loops w/Dane
- Sample Yourself
- Samples & Loops Assignment
- Virtual Instruments
- Realistic-Sounding MIDI
- Virtual Instrument Libraries
- Live Virtual Instruments w/Dane
- Virtual Instruments Assignment
- How To Get Great Performances
- Sound Selection Is The Most Important Thing
- Karaoke!
- Bizzarro Karaoke!
- Recap
- Feedback
- Week 23 Overview
- Exploring Movement Live Discussion
- Explore Movement
- Live “Random Emotion Generator” Demo – Jake
- Live “Random Emotion Generator” Demo – Dane
- Live “Random Emotion Generator” Demo – Caleb
- Random Emotion Generator
- Live Production Walkthroughs
- Contrasting Movement
- Week 23 Recap
- Feedback
- Week 24 Overview
- Exploring Atmosphere Live Discussion
- Explore Atmosphere
- Live Atmosphere Collab – Caleb & Dane
- Live Atmosphere Collab – Dane & Jake
- Live Atmosphere Collab – Caleb and Dane 2
- Atmosphere Collab
- Live Production Walkthrough – Jake
- Live Production Walkthrough Dane
- Live Production Walkthroughs – Caleb
- Contrasting Atmosphere
- Recap
- Feedback
- Week 25 Overview
- Character Discussion
- Explore Character
- Live Collab – Hatred
- Live Collab – Pleasure
- Live Collab – Irritation
- Character Project
- Character Walkthrough w/Dane
- Character Walkthrough w/Jake
- Character Walkthrough w/Caleb
- Character Project
- Week 25 Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Recording Lead Vocals
- Stacking Vocals
- Editing Vocals
- Vocal Recording Deep Dive
- Vocal Production Project #1
- Live Vocal Discussion
- Explore Vocal Production
- Vocal Production Walkthrough #1
- Vocal Production Walkthrough #2
- Vocal Production Walkthrough #3
- Vocal Production Walkthrough #4
- Deep Dive Walkthroughs
- Vocal Production Project #2
- Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- Production Process
- Total Production Workflow
- Prepping For Mixing
- Production Deep Dive
- Production Project #1
- Full Stack Producing
- Full Stack w/Dane & Caleb (Part 1)
- Full Stack w/Dane & Caleb (Part 2)
- Full Stack w/Dane & Caleb (Part 3)
- Full Stack w/Jake (Part 1 – Production)
- Full Stack w/Jake (Part 2 – Production)
- Full Stack w/Jake (Part 3 – Production)
- Full Stack w/Jake (Part 4 – Mixing)
- Full Stack w/Jake (Part 5 – Mastering)
- Final Project
- Recap
- Feedback
- Overview
- A Vision For Producers
- Next Steps
Community
Who's This For?
#1
Self-producing artists who have a clear sound in their head that they are unable to translate to their speakers.
#2
Artists, engineers and producers stuck at the “intermediate plateau” who are no longer getting results by searching YouTube for tips and tricks.
#3
Beginner-level artists and producers who are looking to supercharge their education and tackle some advanced concepts with the help of our team.
Certification
Certification is a process by which you can know if you’re reached a standard of quality with you production, mixes and masters. It is to be completed when you feel ready.
It you pass you will receive an official Mastering.com Gold Record Plaque. If you do not pass initially you will receive information about what to improve to reach the required standard of quality.
To certify you will submit a full produced, mixed and mastered track to us for review. You will also submit a detailed breakdown of each part of the process. The track and recording will be graded individually by the mentorship team.
If you pass, congrats! If you fail, don’t be unmotivated. Failure is part of any great process. For feedback we will suggest parts of the program to go back and work on. This will help you refine your skills to future success.
The Reverse Engineer is a high-level mentorship program designed with one goal in mind: to help you make professional-quality music at home.
FAQs
The Reverse Engineer is our lifetime mentorship program for artists, engineers, producers, and composers who want to make professional-quality music at home for themselves and for others.
You will get access to our extensive curriculum, covering mastering, mixing, and production. Each section has 9 or more modules, and goes extremely in-depth. By the end, you will be able to produce, mix and master music to a professional level in any location. Access to the curriculum is for life.
We teach in reverse, starting with mastering, to give students a deep understanding of the end goal, so they can reverse engineer the rest of the process. Starting with mastering also helps students to gain proficiency in the technical areas of music production, since mastering is the most technical part of the process. Then, when learning mixing and production, they can focus on being creative instead of hitting technical roadblocks.
You will also get lifetime access to our extensive mentorship calendar with 50+ hours of live coaching and tuition available every week. These calls take place in a group setting, and when it’s your turn, you can enable your camera and audio to have a 1:1 conversation with the mentor for as long as needed.
In addition to the curriculum and the mentorship, you will get access to an exclusive community on the Skool platform, where you can meet your peers and build your network – arguably your most important asset in this industry. Access to the community is also lifetime.
Not at all. In fact, a large chunk of our students are serious hobbyists simply recording music for their own pleasure or to leave a legacy behind.
Of course, we also have a lot of aspirational people who are looking to develop a career in the industry, and the program caters to both ambitions.
It’s completely up to you. The program is designed to be flexible. You can go at your own pace, and since you get lifetime access, there is no rush.
Some students commit to the program full-time, but most students already have a day job and are working on the program on weekends and evenings.
As this is a mentorship program and we work directly with every student, there are no refunds.
If you have any concerns or doubts that are preventing you from starting, it’s best to discuss this with the admissions team by scheduling a call on this page.
We can cater to all skill levels. If you’re at a beginner level, we have optional resources you can go through e.g. DAW walkthroughs, that more advanced users can skip.
