simple

[daback-daboot]

to predetermine what sound you're going to get from an instrument is to put one self in a box. To observe how each instrument communicates seperatly with other instruments is to seperate the coloring of ones "go to" instrument. At this place you can see the true character of the instrument you have observed, & THEn can you play match maker with your other instruments.

I just came to terms with the fact that I bought a $1,000 mic to go with my $800 mic pre for my priceless voice. The equation was less than what I wanted & when I listened, I realized that my voice + pre + $cheap mic was the real payoff. I'm a bad listener. This is 50% of why there are bad engineers:

enter the studio with a clean listening pallette. Everything in the studio has a voice, & your role, your voice, is to match those voices. Only then will the record say "This engineer has something important to say."