Building a music audio production setup often starts with a question: do you need to learn the craft, train your ears, or add more physical inputs? The choices here include a post-production textbook, a CD-based ear-training course, and two mixers at different prices. The right pick depends on the gap in your current workflow, not just the number in front of the dollar sign.
Quick Take
- Soundtrack Success is the lowest-priced learning resource here.
- Dave Moulton's Golden Ears is the dedicated ear-training course.
- The lower-priced mixer option covers the hardware side; the higher-priced mixer option is the alternative.
Listed Price Comparison
| Product | Listed Price | Price Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack Success: A Digital Storyteller's Guide to Audio Post-Production | USD 10.00 | |
| Dave Moulton's Golden Ears Music Production Pro Audio Berklee | USD 139.95 | |
| 16-Channel Bluetooth/USB Mixer (USD 90.64) | USD 90.64 | |
| 16-Channel Bluetooth/USB Mixer (USD 164.09) | USD 164.09 |
Decision Matrix
| If your priority is... | The stronger choice is... |
|---|---|
| Learning audio post-production without spending much | Soundtrack Success |
| Training your ears to evaluate recorded sound | Dave Moulton's Golden Ears |
| Adding a mixer at the lower listed price | The lower-priced mixer option |
| Adding a mixer when the higher listed price is acceptable | The higher-priced mixer option |
Product Notes
Soundtrack Success: A Digital Storyteller's Guide to Audio Post-Production
Jeffrey P. Fisher's 999-page trade paperback is the price anchor of this group at USD 10.00. If your next project is more about narrative audio, voiceover, or sound design for video, this like-new New Edition gives you a broad foundation without touching a console. It's a print resource, so it won't help you train your ear with audio examples, and you'll need a separate practice setup to apply the post-production concepts. The clear strength is price: it's the lowest-priced way here to start learning the vocabulary and workflow of audio post-production.
Dave Moulton's Golden Ears CD Course
Dave Moulton's Golden Ears is a CD-based ear training course aimed at musicians, engineers, and producers. At USD 139.95, it's the second most expensive item here, but it targets a different problem than the textbook: it's designed to help you learn to discern, measure, and describe the physical qualities of musical sounds. The like-new CD format means you can play the exercises on a computer or CD player and work through them at your own pace. The limitation is that it doesn't include a mixer or interface, and the price is more than half the cost of the higher-priced mixer option. If your ears are the bottleneck, this course addresses that directly.
16-Channel Studio Audio Mixer with Bluetooth/USB (USD 90.64)
At USD 90.64, this option is the lower-priced path to a 16-channel studio audio mixer with Bluetooth and USB. The specs describe a tabletop metal console with 16 channels, a 10-segment LED level meter, and frequency response from 20Hz to 30kHz. It also includes a reminder that the mixer has no built-in power supply, so you'll need an external adapter to power speakers. If you're deciding between the two mixer options and want the same channel count and features for less, this gives you the lower price. The trade-off is that you're still buying a mixing console: it won't teach you audio post-production or train your ears.
16-Channel Studio Audio Mixer with Bluetooth/USB (USD 164.09)
At USD 164.09, this option carries the highest price in the group and the same 16-channel specification set: Bluetooth and USB connectivity, a tabletop metal body, and a 10-segment LED meter. If you've already decided on a 16-channel mixer and you're choosing between the two mixer options, this one simply asks you to pay more. The specs don't show any extra channels or a different feature list, so the decision comes down to whether the higher price is acceptable to you. As a hardware purchase, it still doesn't include the post-production guidance of the textbook or the ear-training exercises of the CD course; you're paying for the console itself, not for instruction.
Final Recommendation by Use Case
- For audio post-production knowledge at the lowest price here: Soundtrack Success.
- For critical listening and structured ear training: Dave Moulton's Golden Ears.
- For a mixer: choose the lower-priced mixer option if you want the less expensive route; choose the higher-priced mixer option if you're set on that entry.
