[Phase Shift]

Is your attention drawn to the mix or is it that the mix draws your attention to each instrument/part at just the right time?

well, i guess its a bit of both. as a listener, the part or instrument is exciting when it should be, therefore making me like it more. as a mixer, i can honestly "see you" making those moves, making me like it in a different way altogether. stuff i would probably do as well, and a really nice surprise when i first heard the album.

Having worked with the band before and having listened to the work-in-progress pre-production recordings, I had a pretty strong idea how I wanted the record to sound. Fresh and open, but also punchy, strong and full-bodied. I find it always helps to hear the way you want a production to sound (on both the song- and album-level) in your head before you start recording. It makes choosing sounds much easier, too.
But, above all, never be afraid to try something different, something unexpected. You never know where the moment will take you. Sometimes to a place better than you imagined.

There are things I think of which don't end up on a record, either because after executing them and hearing how they sound, I don't feel they are the right direction or the band simply doesn't like 'em.

, i know what you mean. tommorow i'm starting a mix of a band that bears some similarities to sleepmakeswaves ( although now more experimental, more electronic parts instead of trippy guitars) and i have a blurred vision of what it should sound like. i hope its gonna clear up by next week. not so straightforward musicwise as sleepmakeswaves, therefore all bets are off.

I am sick to death of Windows' slow and buggy operation on top of the many annoying things about the way it handles (UI).
I had hoped Win7x64 would be the solution, but alas..

actually i really like windows 7. very fluid n fast.

I disagree. There are other DAWS in which I could have quite easily mixed it.
Samplitude is just a tool.

Having said that some tools are better than others. Here are 3 ways;
1) Some actually produce a better final product than others (imagine a circular saw with a cheap bearings. They have shudder and so the cut will not be as even and straight as one with good bearings). If the summing engine is not solid, your results will be less than perfect.
2) Some tools produce the exact same quality as another, but allow you to do it with less effort.
3) Some tools have bells and whistles that other don't have. (Can you say Mix knob on every plugin? ) Sure, you might not use them all the time, but when you do, it's nice to not have to rely on a third-party addon to get the job done.

in principle i agree. everything is just a tool.some tools are better than others though, as you pointed out. or just help you be better. i am sure you could have mixed it in another environment. Perhaps the end result would be a bit different though. tools usually push us in unpredicted directions. That said, i mix analog, so i don't used samplitude in the same way you use it.

I've actually been on the beta team for Samplitude for the past 3 years and while I won't comment on why, I will say that as of a few weeks ago I moved over to REAPER and couldn't be happier. It's such a joy to mix in REAPER! (And the automation is off the planet!)

Holy crap, you are Monster Dax! now it all makes sense! I used to think you are a really effcient bug tracking bot! You live?! I've been keeping my eye on reaper. its growing, it could take over the world. the principles upon which it was founded are every daw user's dream. Something still doesn't feel right with it.. we'll see.

alex