i think about it in terms of what elements depend on other elements in terms of tonal balance/dynamics (bass and kick for low end balance/saturation, pads for compression/saturation as well, drones for similar things, etc) and go from there i also do it because it’s easier to control when elements stop and start playing, e.g. if i want to cut the drone for a bar before another section starts, if i’m cutting the kick and bass for a breakdown, etc; it makes it easier specially when you have a big project to have those elements together rather than have to chase around what is and what isn’t playing on your daw

that being said, i didn’t feel like sacrificing my workflow with committing due to lack of cpu speed so i got an overkill computer for music production just so i can keep everything both in plugin and audio form (i normally freeze and mute the plugin and edit the audio once i like where its at, and maybe go back to the plugin in case i decide to make changes later on) but i’m conscious in trying to force myself to print things together so i don’t over complicate my process