“I am not your guru, OK? I’m not Rick Rubin with a beard”: Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton promises to be your “cool professor” as he launches a new mixing masterclass that takes you inside the ‘Vulf Sound’

We’ve yet to watch Vulfpeck man Jack Stratton’s new mixing masterclass, but if it’s anything like as entertaining as the trailer, we’re in for a treat.

It looks like this could be the antithesis of some of the EDM-focused, music tech bro courses that have been released in the past, with Stratton promising to teach mixing “in a different way”, and to reveal the secrets of what’s come to be known as the ‘Vulf Sound’.

Describing his method, Stratton says: “We’re going to think of it like real estate,” starting with the “strong foundation” of the kick and snare, before adding the “frame of the house” with some bass, the “electrical and plumbing” via the keyboards, and finally the “interior design” of the guitar.

Having stretched that analogy far enough - “we now have a beautiful house, we’re going to take it to market” - Stratton expands on his approach by telling us that “we’re going to be downloading from the matrix - Mark Ronson, whoa! We’re going to download [Daptone boss] Gabe Roth. We’re wide open - we’re going to download Daft Punk.”

And there’s more: “I am not your guru, OK? I’m not Rick Rubin with a beard here. We’re going to be touching knobs, we’re going to be getting results, we’re going to get muddy in the box.”

Stratton also promises a few mixing stories - such as the one about how a dinner with Bob Clearmountain changed his approach to drum mixing - and pledges to be your “cool professor”. 

“I might show up at the football game and, yeah, we’re all getting girlfriends after this,” he confirms.

Joking aside, Stratton’s seven-lecture course sounds it could be both entertaining and informative. It’s designed to be followed completely in the box, so all you need to graduate is a DAW and some plugins. What's more, it’s currently being offered at a 25% discount if you use the code BLACKFRIDAY. The regular price is $250.

Find out more and sign up on the Vulfpeck website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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