Jeff Tolbert of filmscoring.info talks about the importance of taking time to learn and relearn sound equipment in this article. He gives several examples of when he needed to produce a sound but was not familiar enough with his equipment to produce the sound he needed. He suggests each month re-reading manuals and taking online tutorials to come to really know your equipment.
Simple yet damn true. Well that and just playing around all the time:
Quick Tip: Get to Know Your Gear
