Here is the key to producing a quality sounding track and mixdown of all tracks.

Take individual tracks to your master mixing editor. Then you will need your basic effects rack and a denoiser and dehisser. Do the denoising and dehissing first. Check the track then for quality. DO NOT COMPRESS TILL LAST! Now that you have the "live" sound out, equalize the sound of the track to suit your taste. When done with that, see if it sounds like you want it. If not, add a reverb/echo and adjust it to how YOU like it. The key to good sound quality is the feeling it gives YOU. If it sounds good at this point, take it back to your track building area and listen to it with your accompaniments. If it still doesnt sound right, go back to your master and add VST's. VST = Virtual Sound Technology FX. Personally I use Clone Ensemble, Big Tick Delay, and Kjaerhus Audio vst's (which by the way are free) The sounds you get from these things are like heaven! Once you played with these youll start to hear what your looking for. Remember though, dont over do it with too much and saturate your track. While your doing these adjustments, check your levels and make sure they do not Peak at more than +3 on your main mixing board. Otherwise it will sound like crap. The levels will be bouncing all over the place and crackling on playback.

Now that you've done this. Go to the next track and do the same. If you are looping, you will see that most loops are already set between -6 and +3 anyway. Play only 2 tracks at a time so that you can blend the sounds. If you maximize everything, you will never get a good mix. The compliments of the accompaniments must be precise for proper playback.

NOW is the time for compression. The main thing is not to allow your threshold or attack and release to bounce up and down. Meaning for instance, a synthesizer waveform that rises and recedes in volume. Each time it does this, if it is not leveled, it will be come louder and louder as the instrument stays in that form. Adjust the ratio till it is level. THEN set your volume. Same with any other instrument. Yes, I know it seems like alot of work, but if your gonna be a recording musician, it is better that you know these things. It will help with your ear for mixing trust me. Never.....ever.....normalize!! Sorry to my friend who said so, but this is just not a good quality result. Now when you go back to your track building section, add tracks one by and do the same thing. Once your levels are set and you are happy with it, make another copy so you have it to adjust in case your mixdown does not turn out how you like it. Mixdown all tracks and playback. You can still adjust the song at this time with volume and master effects. If your still not happy.....toss it and bring up the broken down track file and fix what needs to be fixed. As you can see......this can go on forever, but you get the point.
If you would like to get an idea of what kind mixing im talking about, go to my site at http://www.myspace.com/twdmusic. If you look on the right side below my pictures and links, you will see the tools I use. If all of what i've just explained cannot be done on what you are using now, i'd say get out there and buy something that will allow you to have these types of controls! You will notice that no 2 types of Recording Software are the same. Sound wise. So youll hafta just mix and match what works for you. But this should give you a good start. At least I hope so!

Also remember to have good recording monitors. If you use a mic from a karaoke machine, your not gonna be even close, and so on. Same with instruments. Same with speaker monitors.

Happy mixing and recording!!

Rock Hard Rock Forever!!

Tim


P.S. Remember, everything now is in 5.1 and 7.1 surround. So adjust accordingly. 3D Audio Effects are especially handy. Thats a whole nother animal. Same Process though.