[maxim]

i like your music, shaun

i say, work with what you've got, but make it work

there is no formula

all the same tools that can **** your sound, can also make the sound great (even t-rax, i guess, although to my ears, it's a bit squashy for a 2-bus)

don't forget that compression/distortion makes things smaller rather than bigger (and it can make some things smaller than others, which can help with the overall perspective)

when you're talking about your mix being bigger, do you mean wider?

if so, well-applied delays/reverbs can really help an all-sample arrangement

to make it warmer, that's what the eq's for, isn't it?

personally, i think a good mastering engineer is well worth the admission price

what are you monitoring through?