offcenter2005

For mixing and mastering I use mostly waves mercury bundle and that has so many options its ridiculous. And just to add that if someone mixing their own music has a fondness for a specific instrument they love to keep that instrument in the front. Lead players especially love to take their solos and crank it in the mix even if it sounds way too loud.

One thing that i have found is you should never mix or master your own recordings. The main reason in my opinion is you need fresh ears that will hear things in a different way. Ear fatigue or just being burnt out on listening to your own material over and over gets frustrating. I have had so many issues trying to get my songs sounding perfect and they never do. But If an experienced person gets a hold of your masters they can bring a whole new level of life and sparkle to the sound. Not to say That is the case for every one but it sure helps to have an outside take on sound interpretation.