1. Mixing at a low volume 2. Always comparing it to the demo rough mix 3. Listening through other perspectives (mono, headphones, another pair of different size monitors) These have changed the game for me. What about you ?
I've recently been mixing "Minimal" - Using fewer plugins and getting very good results. Although, I do monitor stems out via an analog console with an SSL Bus+ on the master.
I found that I’ve been using efx , and pro when recording , (low latency mode of course) but when I mix I put the UAD autotune on the leads and it sounds much better in my opinion
We own and operate a commercial facility. We keep the subscription to Antares. I personally like Meta-Tune by Slate. It’s easy to use and not a big CPU hog like Antares. For most tuning, I work in post with Celemony.
My chain: modified Sony C800g - Neve 1073 (sometimes Neve 1081 Classic) - Tube-Tech CL 1B (I prefer my UA 1176, But the clients like to see the Tube-Tech)