Always EQ and compress individual tracks to start, not a bus. Then if you have a dedicated bus for instrument groups, you can sidechain compression on the bus to allow you to "blend" the effected signal into the original signal allowing you intimately fine control of the mix while maintaining dynamics. How much compression depends on many factors, this primary of which is the nature of the song. But compression is more than a volume tweaker... it is a sound shaper... it is how you make the same kick drum track either go "barooom" or make it go "brump" (as one example). If you have not done so, spend some time learning about Attack, Threshold, Ratio, and Release, and then what is meant by wet and dry in relation to compression specifically.

Oops, I mistakenly called the Attack Ratio Threshold and Release parameters Attack, Sustain Decay and Release, which is incorrect. Sorry for the confusion (Synth guy... ADSR is on the brain).

Thanks again. Ya I've done some ADSR myself so I know where you're coming from in the sea of acronyms. I'm still trying to grasp exactly how to shape sound with a compressor and I'm unable to hear it properly. I understand the basics on it and I will make an effort to make it happen with the help of tools like span. 

tfbattag - thanks for the props, man. This is a super fun song to play live and allows me to rock out with an 8 minute super solo (super describes the length of the solo, not the quality btw - I grab a beer bottle from the nearest drinker and slide up a storm. They're normally too drunk to hear the abomination)

al

I think you're being overly critical of yourself.  This production sounds pretty energetic on my speakers, and your bass, snare, and vox are good performances regardless.  Sonar 6PE is capable of making good mixes, as it has the Sonitus plugs that can provide punch and good EQing.  Should you ever upgrade to X2, you'll be in Nirvana.  BTW, the Zoom R16 is a digital device and not analogue, so your header is a little misleading.

Thanks Lynn, I appreciate mixes the comments. I've heard some stellar mixes from people in this forum and I'm trying to see if I can keep up as best I can with my older gear. I wish I could afford to upgrade but unless I sell my kids, I'm stuck with PE 6. I was calling this analogue recording because I'm not using any digital gear other than the recording medium. You know, real drums, real amps, real bass...... Real pain in the butt, and hard to get a good sound.

Thanks again.

Al

I see where you're coming from about the analogue.  Regardless, you did a pretty good job with the tools you have.  I made several good recording with S6.  There's a song called "Fallout of you Love" on my Soundclick site that was done in S6 that I'm proud of.  Can't wait to hear more of your stuff.

Only listening on lappy so can't really help with the mix side of things other than to tell you that it sounds pretty good for laptop speakers. Great song / performance / arrangement either way.

Listening on Sennheiser HD600 (referred to as "audiophile" grade) cans.

Shad (foxwolfen) has hit the nail on the head.

BTW, the song is good. Work on that production and this will be killer.

Just wanted to add, if you can afford it, contact Danny Danzi (on this forum) and he will mix your song for you and make a video showing you where you made your mistakes and how to correct them. And..... he'll do it all with "essentially" the same tools you have available (all things considered as he may not have 6PE loaded/available).

Just remember, Danny's solution is not a cookie cutter for all songs as any other song may have different issues (unless they were recorded in the same session using exact same settings). Danny taught me a lot about mixing. I still make mistakes, and not everyone likes my mixes but they are far better these days because of Danny.

Thanks guys for all the help and the props on the song. I've downloaded Span and taken a look at it and understand it's purpose. What I don't really understand is how to apply the information it gives me. All the tutorials on it (that I can find) deal with a lot of electro music and not real instruments. If i'm trying to mix bass and kick for example, do I find notches in the eq of each instrument's predominent frequencies to fit in the other instrument? Does anyone know of a good tutorial link for a knowledgable noob? Thanks for the suggestion on contacting Danny.... sounds tempting.

al