hi Pauli,
there are rather a lot of project mult's that leave a lot to be desired in their Arrangement, indeed, i've worked with some that haven't even got that far where it seems like the artist (i use that word loosly) has hit the render button on the VST instrument, then gone off for a pee and on return only then discovered the stop button. essentially, a well thought out arrangement by a musician who knows what he/she/they are doing, is pretty well mixed before it hits the DAW, thus making Mixing (note the capitalisation here) a polishing exercise rather than a full-on brutal assault. indeed, i've sometimes wondered in the case of a really basic "mess" if it's been presented in order to see what other people might make of it so they can go off and finish the job themselves armed with the best ideas! nothing would surprise me....
rather than try and make a round peg fit a square hole, it might be healthier, less stressful, and indeed far more educationally conducive to perhaps be more "critically" selective about the project you decide to take on. this process in itself might actually prove a highly valid and credible exercise in it's own right, because in downloading mult's into your DAW and just checking them over first with a critical ear before making a judgement on what to work next, will surely assist in the development process - what's good and why, what's not good and why, etc..
from my own personal experiences, i actually used to choose a project totally at random (no previewing the mp3, or reading the watch-it posts, or checking other's threads to see what had been done so far, etc etc) and force myself to make it work, regardless of it's inherent issues. i've since modified this for my own sanity and personal value on my time! life is way too short!!
so, armed with an arrangement that works (or is pretty darn close as to make no real difference - i.e. you decide how much you are prepared to compromise), you have at your disposal the opportunity of actually "Mixing" according to the real definition of the word. also running parallel to this idea, i'd suggest selecting projects in genres you are familiar with listening to, and/or performing. this way the sonic landscapes and terrain should be more manageable to negotiate because your Terms of Reference will be more accommodating. it's better to take dolly steps and make progress that you can measure and benchmark against rather than perhaps crashing and burning in a pile of frustration - we've all been there, and some of us still are here
i loaded this up in the DAW a few weeks ago now, and actually forgot about it until running an inventory check just the other day, then i thought of you. check it out. i don't know your genre, but this is a funky tune, and a nice beat at 137bpm and 24/44.1, and best of all, i think you will appreciate the arrangement - i think it's one of the better ones i've so far come across. i'm personally looking forward to working this, without having to carve the thing to death.... which will make a refreshing change
Jockers Jacks Kings - MR1204
comments on the strategy are of course, welcome
Dave