Absolutely, Steve…it’s all a learning curve…and it very much works by trial and error…
Some of us here have been at this stuff for years, and I may be a bit “academic” and “tutorial” in approach, but I still recall the “smiling face” syndrome when some technological plan produced a good musical result.
And always at the heart of this is the music, and good music can be made this way. 
So enjoy the journey, and I hope your efforts lead you to great experiences…
Andy