I’ve said this before.

I’m a pretty lazy guy. But honestly, it comes in handy when I’m working on a mix.

I know people who absolutely LOVE to automate everything. Every track has volume automation. Plugins are automated all over the place. Effects sends, EQ settings, compressor thresholds…nothing is safe.

Back in “the day,” you mixed through a regular old console, and there was no such thing as automation. The faders didn’t move unless you moved ‘em with your hand.

Now, inside the comfort of your little computer world, you can automate every single aspect of a mix. J

ust because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you should.

And chances are you are hurting your mixes.

So take a few steps back. 

Remember that Tootsie Roll commercial? “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” What if you tried to mix a song in as few moves as possible. What would that look like?

Would you realize that you tend to waste your time on stuff that doesn’t really make a difference to the mix?

Would you start mixing faster AND better?


But if you’re feeling stuck, I’d say it’s worth a shot.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-automation. It’s a valuable tool that I will use in a heartbeat…in the right situation.

I outlined those specific situations in one of my recent weekly VIP training videos.

To check it out for yourself, and see the ways you can (and can’t) use automation to get better mixes, sign up here:


Joe Gilder
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