Back then
Mixing music on an analog desk with outboard gear, a true profession that takes us back to the beginning of professional multitrack mixing. What a joy, running the tracks of your tape recorder through high end consoles, with first class compressors inserted, a 480 reverb permanently connected to the sends, patching every single piece of studio hardware into the channel strips, and twisting massive knobs until you heard what you had in mind.
There was only one downside to this beautiful way of creating a mix: the lack of total recall. You could write down the values of each knob on every piece of gear, stick a large sign on the desk saying “Dont Touch” until the final mix was final def final, but revisiting a mix was virtually impossible if anything happened inbetween.
At the same time, moving faders were usually three or four people at the desk, minding their own fader group during the final mix print. And if one person messed up, the entire mix needed to be done again.
At this day it all probably sounds a bit prehistorical, but it never stood in the way of incredible sounding music that will still be listened to in the next centuries.
So how about now?
Tape machines have been replaced by fast computers with an almost unlimited track count, outboard gear turned into relatively affordable plugins and all fader or literally any other parameter movement can be automated and stored.
Bad recordings can be enhanced, vocals can be tuned, and nowadays AI can help you with loads of other issues that used to require skills and experience.
If we look at it this way, the quality of the music should be a hundred times better or at least better sounding than fifty years ago.
I am old school, I believe that you can only bend the rules if you know what the rules are, so I believe in a thorough understanding of what a creative recording and mix process is, and for that you need time, a lot of time, just like learning to play an instrument.
You can give a cook the finest meat and ingredients, the best kitchen tools and staff, but it still takes a chef to bring the perfect steak to the table.
No shortcuts.

