Great improvements have been made in the graphics department, with MixBus 3 looking far more professional than version 2, and the whole interface automatically rescales to match the currently active screen resolution. The dynamics and EQ can now be repositioned in the signal flow, too, including post fader. We particularly like the new Compressor, which now includes adjustable Ratio and a sidechain input. MixBus 3 also includes new algorithms for the Compressor and Limiter. MIDI is edited by zooming into the piano roll-style MIDI track (alas, there's no dedicated MIDI editor window, though there is a basic List Editor), and various MIDI editing functions are applied by right- clicking the MIDI region. "The lack of MIDI has obviously alienated many potential users in previous versions." This includes the implementation of MIDI tracks for internal instruments and external MIDI output, and two instruments are included: Reasonable Synth and SetBFree Tonewheel Organ, neither of which are particularly impressive. The three big additions in MixBus 3 are 64-bit internal operation, support for multicore processors and - most significantly - full MIDI functionality. At $79, MixBus is also very affordable, but bear in mind that it comes with no effects beyond those already discussed. When editing Regions, their behaviour is influenced by three modes (Slide, Lock and Ripple), and this, along with the software's two main screens - Mixer and Editor - makes MixBus highly reminiscent of Pro Tools. You also get unlimited stereo and mono audio tracks, channel strip grouping, stacking of audio within tracks for multiple takes, multi-lane parameter automation, typical on-track editing features such as crossfading and nudge, and audio region-specific functions like multipoint volume envelopes and normalising/denormalising. The other thing that sets MixBus apart from other DAWs is that it's intended to impart the sound and workflow of an analogue or digital mixing desk, so version 3 still features EQ (plus high-pass filter) and dynamics (three modes: Compressor, Limiter and Leveler, the last a low- ratio/fast release compressor) on every channel, every buss and the master channel eight dedicated busses for sub-grouping and auxiliaries and integrated tape saturation (Drive) with adjustable amount for all channels, busses and the master.įurther features carried forward from version 2 include compressor gain reduction metering for all channels and busses, K-System and correlation metering on the master buss, phase invert on channels, and extensive gain staging on each channel via the input trim (+/-20dB), fader (+6 to -inf dB) and compressor make up gain (+10dB). Ultimately, when you buy MixBus 3, you're actually investing in a heavily customised version of Ardour. The most important thing to know about MixBus is that it's based on the open source Ardour DAW project, with Harrison paying Ardour developers to customise it for MixBus, and thus contributing heavily to the source code. So, having a unique approach - as MixBus certainly does - should, theoretically, be a good thing. They then tweaked the whole business to their liking and released it as Mixbus.In fact, it's fair to say that the digital musician has never had it so good in terms of choice when it comes to the central component of the software-based studio. Harrison integrated that console representation with an existing open-source multitrack recorder and editor known as Ardour. The mixer layout borrows from both their legendary 1970’s vintage 32-series, and their 1980’s MR-series consoles. With software “in-the-box” (ITB) mixing becoming the norm, the company decided to take advantage of their reputation and perform a preemptive strike by introducing a software representation of their console product. Harrison Consoles is long known for large-format “big iron” mixing consoles, often used to mix movies and television shows, along with a few record albums (can you say “Thriller”?). But now and again one appears that seems a good fit for radio producers, and interesting for voice actors as well. Most of the newer ones are oriented toward music, and some specifically toward modern electronic music. Yet there seem to be more software editors available, stereo and multitrack, than ever before. It can be a rare occurrence when we switch from one to another. We know and usually understand them, and we’re comfortable with them. These are our old friends, and occasionally our antagonists. For production pros, you can add Vegas on the PC and still more Pro Tools on the Mac. For voiceover folks, the editor of choice seems to be Forge or Audition on the PC, and Twisted Wave or even Pro Tools on the Mac. We’ve been recording, editing, and mixing digital audio for long enough that most of us long ago settled on a favorite program (or perhaps two of them) for their work, and generally we tend to stick with it.
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