Keeping track of ...well... your tracks, is vital. What you are referring to is a track sheet. You don't need to buy them, though. Just make a chart with 8/ 16/ 24 slots in it (or whatever the number of tracks is you normally use), and list in each box what you record in that track. You can also add any notes that you might need to recall later on, such as mic position, levels, signal routing, etc. Some engineers even have diagrams of their mixers and all their outboard gear and draw in the position of all the knobs and faders for every song.
The good news is DAWs have drastically simplified most of this process. You can name tracks and even individual clips in a track. Every timme you save the file, all your fader, effect, pan, and other setting are memorized as well. This really saves a lot of time recalling a mix. Back in the old days you either had to mix a song all in one sitting, or put "do not touch" notes all over the studio when you left for the night and pray nobody messes with anything.
It also makes it easier to keep track of other info. I often name my clips with the chord progression they contain. That way if I have to put my song aside for a month for some reason, I don't have to remember what I was playing. Most software also has a "notes" or "info" page per song, where I always list anyone that contributed to the song so that should it ever become a number one hit I can properly credit them.
Of course, all this only works if you make regular backups!
The one thing I still list on paper is "to do" notes, mainly becasue I make that list away from the computer. I'll burn a CD of a rought mix and listen to it for a few days, listing things I want to tweak. Then I return to the DAW, do the tweaks, and repeat until I've done the best I can.
Tip of the day: The shortest pencil remembers longer than the longest memory.
Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
