Curious to hear about everybody's workflow when it comes to mixing. Do you tend to mix in the same session as what you've used for your composition, with the instrument / VI tracks, mixing alongside as you compose? Or do you finish your mockup and then print individual audio stems and bring them all into a new session to start your mix as a fresh process?
I'm all about mixing in the same session! I love how it keeps my creative energy flowing and lets me shape the sound as i go. I find that if i wait to mix until after the composition is done, i start overthinking things and lose some of the magic. Plus, it's just more efficient for me to work this way.
I feel if you haven't printed to audio, you are at best delivering a rough mix. Of course a rough mix is perfectly adequate for many uses and the vast majority of things i do for my own use never go beyond a rough mix.
most of the rough mix is handled through orchestration, midi programming and automation, balancing and positioning instruments in the project, mic selection, reverb if needed etc.
But i always feel it could use another layer of proper mixing using audio stems. And i've always opened a new audio only session in the few occasions i take it to a final mix.