One type of engineering is getting the sound from point a to point b sounding as good as possible. Another type of engineering is treating the sound arriving at point b or along the route from a to b at the proper points so that when it arrives at the speakers is sounds like you were asked to make it sound (or what is "best" that your experience and other education tell you). The mixing part is then getting all those faders and stuff lined up so each sound is at the right level, etc. "Placing" each sound in the mix. Of course, mixing has now become its own instrument, thanks to Eno, Orb, FSOL, Public Enemy, etc., etc., where the act of twisting a nob on the mixer live while a sound is playing (especially fx) is part of the performance as well as the mixing and producing. DJing is a distillation of this process to two volumes and a crossfader. I don't know if the Orb used automation on the early stuff or not (Thrash, any answer?) but this is a way to record these movements in real time. Of course now you can do this in your pc with a good ProTools interface. I produced quite a few pieces when I lived in New Orleans that I left the final mix to my partner because I couldn't get it right. I'd done all the engineering, played most of the instruments, tracked and retracked vocal parts, while working with a First Nation Minister who played the jawbone of an ass that was strung with three strings that were tuned according to the moment, and by the time it was all recordered and ready to mix I couldn't hear it clearly anymore. Just a little project studio using a Tascam Portastudio 488 cassette 8-track. We had a reel to reel but never could get it working. So my partner mixed it and I said, "GREAT!!!" We still have the DAT. Sigh... Strange how the world can collapse on you suddenly. Speaking of stuff I've produced, I've got some weird new stuff up at my iuma site. It's all made from voices. I think the first five or six that are on the opening page are new. http://ifpr.iuma.com Please hit me with your feelings about them. I'm particularly fond of "Eat Dirt" but it may be a bit punk-ish for many on this list. www.psychicreform.com Who let that monkey in here!?! Dada is dead. Watch your overcoat.