band as things can get very confusing with too many opinions but it helps to have ideas from someone else. I'd also agree that if a mix is taking more than a few hours there's probably something more fundamental wrong with it. Hey Chewy, I have been in similar positions to yourself, but maybe because i am a bit of a t@&% , I have no problem explaining to bands/artists, A) my limitations, given the equipment/environment I have and the price I charge and B) their expectations given their skills and the price they are paying. The bottom line is, you have done your best, if they want it better, either they should pay you more or you give them the files so that someone else can mix ....OR they pay more at the outset for a higher end studio....DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP TOO MUCH!.....only a little! Dave In other words, four years isn't a long time to be learning your chops. You learn on every mix for decades. Or you should. But three months to mix a few tracks (assuming you're working solid) is a very long time. You need to be clear about when you're solving problems/refining a mix, and when you're learning stuff anew. Fine to take a bit of time to do the former. The latter are lessons to be applied to future projects. If you are too insistent on perfection that's by its nature out of reach, you'll never get to the stage where