Optimal FX Chain Order!!!!

[jamcat]

Still today, though? Many engineers I talk to have assistants who clean up the files before they begin mixing.

What exactly are they cleaning up, though?
A long time ago, I used to trim and NR destructively. I cringe at that now.

We're really talking about broad concepts here. Anything you might do to enhance individual audio tracks outside of the context of the bigger mix would fit within what I call "tracking" and anything you do to make all of those tracks work together as a cohesive song is what I call "mixing." You "get good sound to tape" and then you "fix it in the mix." That still should apply, even if it's no longer literally true.

[MadDogE134]

extreme levels, killing snakes and excessive breaths and remedying resonances and bleed SHOULD have been attended to at the tracking process and quite often are not hence why i fix these things first before i even start mixing. makes static mix easier when i begin to actually mix

enhancements like additional saturation, notching/side chaining/ducking, shelving and roll off filters are all part of my mix process as with fine tuning gain levels with comps and automations etc. mixing to me is settling things into their place and making things fit together.

i tend to do triage THEN i do therapy lol but perception is a funny thing... you will see things how you see things. in the end you do you and i'll do me. i am done here

cheers

p.s. i am my assistant