And I agree with you sjoko2! I have spent 18 hours on a mix once. Several mixes at about 15 hours.
I have ran stuff back through preamps, guitar amps, other mixers, track direct to effect processors, etc........Whatever it takes to get the "texture" I am after.
I never understand really why so many here have such a tough time mixing something. You guys have all the time you could ever want to work on your projects. It is not like people are paying you for your time! In those kinds of situations, where I am either mixing for my own ends, or the deal with the artist is to "mix until it is right" for a certain price (I have done quite a few of those!) I will spend whatever time it takes to make the mix as good as I can get it. It is during those times that you don't see me around here much. I am too busy trying to deal with the mix!
Mostly though, I have to work on budgets. That is why I do the "mix until it is right" stuff, so when I HAVE to get the mix right within 4 or 5 hours, I have enough experience with trying stuff to have a feel for what will work in a certain situation.
Marathon mixing takes a great degree of concentration, stamina, and patience. The mix will go in and out of "sounding good" several times before THE mix happens. Then you will find yourself spending yet another 4 or 5 hours just messing with little things, like Low Pass filters on the reverbs, and release times on kick drums, and fader moves on the guitar tracks. I am not sure many people have what it takes really to dedicate themselves to mixing like this. You REALLY have to be into it!
So Funky, I am not really trying to be mean here. It is just that you can spend as much time as you want on your material to get it right. Put in the time at the console, and you will then know why I responded the way I did! You will then see how hard it is to explain how and why you make certain decisions in a mix, and how it is impossible to share "secrets" in mixing. There are few "secrets" (although, there are some "tricks" I don't share....
tough shit for you guys! I am holding on to them for a bit!
), only a lot of stuff you try and see if it works. You would be surprised sometimes at what kinds of things do work!
Dig in! Start on those marathon mixes! Try everything you can think of on whatever instrument you are working on to make it sound the way you NEED it to sound in the mix. Nothing is "wrong" to do. If it ends up making the track sound right, then it is the "right" thing to do.
Ed