I regularly post incomplete stuff to the Showcase to get feedback & suggestions. I have reasonable gear and less than stellar ears so I need other folk to listen.
I also belong to a recording forum that has a specific section for posting mixes to get feedback, comments, suggestions etc.
It's really useful and I try almost all suggestions from both places...not all stay but they are usually tried.
To lessen the finickertiness of the digital domain & it's tendency to promote endless tweaking/unfinished mixes I recommend
fran ashcroft the analogue approach to digital recording and mixing
I've had a great relationship with the author as my Mastering Engineer for over a decade and have slowly moved closer to his way of mix thinking.
Walking away from a mix, taking a break for an half hour or day, knowing when I'm just treading water or going around in circles and stopping are more important to a mix as EQ & panning.
Placing "mastering" tools on the stereo bus while mixing can be dangerous. Yes, I may want to get a glimpse at how the reverb will respond to a limiter and I'll do that but I won't leave it there.
Mastering isn't fixing just as mixing isn't recording. Mastering is, really, about preparing a track for duplication in a given format. For many of us that's getting a great mix and then getting a good -14 or so LUFS based rendering of that mix. Most of the other things thought of as mastering are mix fixes that should've been done in advance of the mastering.
I get other ears for my mix and then send the mix to great ears for mastering...sometimes it needs a fix and is sent back, other times it needs an EQ tweak across the mix that the ME can do easily enough. Occasionally it just needed limiting/compression adjustment to get it a little louder.
The more ears the better, the better the ears & communication the better still.
My favourite home recorded album is the 1st by the Mull Historical Society. He did a great job recording and mixing but used someone else to master and the result are stellar...
I know Bud Merritt masters really well, I know perhaps four people with the ears for that task.

Last edited by rayc; 05/23/23 02:37 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe