Hi, Yoder! Here are some tools that I teach and think are valuable:
Ear Training - Two kinds of ear training are useful: Playing tones in each frequency band gives an absolute reference. However, taking a wide-band subject such as a recording of a piano or full orchestra and using a sweepable EQ to boost and cut at various frequencies is also very useful to show what those frequency areas sound like in context. I received this training but many younger guys I work with haven't. It shows in my work because the young guys say I have an ability to find and work with a particular frequency very quickly. That's probably due to the ear training.
EQ Instruction - Teach the tools: finding an offensive frequency by boosting a sweepable EQ and sweeping it until the offending frequency jumps out. Teach that additive EQ eats up headroom where removing offensive resonant peaks will often achieve the same result and SAVE headroom. Demonstrate the differences between the sounds of Peak/Dip EQ, shelving EQ, and butterworth (roll-off) filters.
Ear Training in Compression - Demonstrate the application of compression and limiting, showing the affects of attack, decay, ratio. Discuss the need for differing attacks for instruments with different attack times.
Mix Development - Teach them how to start with the drum kit, move on to the full rhythm section, and then add the vocals or lead instruments. Teach control of midrange build-up. Teach creation of an ambient "space" for the song and appropriate ambience types for the various instruments to create the sounds you want. As others have said, give them some tracks and have them develop their own mixes.
Perception - Try to get in some instruction in the engineer's perception of sound and how it affects the mix, ie. how the response of monitors directly affects the engineer's decisions and product (ie. bright monitors - dull mix, need to compare mixes on multiple monitors, etc.).
Obviously, I'm a big believer in teaching the basics. Have fun developing the curriculum.
Bob
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