Don't be precious about things

I’ve learned over the years that it’s a great idea to throw things away.

Got mix notes that indicate you might want to try a different approach? Get rid of a bunch of the character plugins you’d put on in the previous mix.

Got a master bus that isn’t quite working? Don’t tweak the knobs on the compressor you’ve got on there, try a different compressor.

Plugin menus feeling overwhelming? Move everything you haven’t used in the last 3+ months into an “Unused” folder. (Don’t delete them though, because inevitably if you do that someone will immediately ask you to reopen an old session that uses one of them.)

Got a doubled guitar part or extra backing vocal that you’re having trouble fitting into the mix? Mute it.

Is the whole mix just not quite working? Hit “Save As,” zero everything out, and start again.

Getting attached is how we stagnate. Keep moving forward, keep trying things, and eventually you’ll figure it out.

Always cleaning house — jamie