Hi guys,
I'm used to working with an external mixer and I'm wondering how this will work with Mixbus. I have a 24 I/O soundcard. Each input channel in mixbus will go into a channel in my external mixer. So I might not use the Mixbus channels, but most likely the compression on each input channel. Will I still benefit from the Mixbus-sound with this setup?
Hope I'm making myself clear
While I'm not an expert, I think your proposed setup kinda defeats the purpose of using Mixbus.
I can't speak for the actual specifics, but aside from the Harrison channel-strip comp and eq, there really isn't much added on the channels. The "mojo" seems to come from the buses and tape saturation. (see thread "under the hood")
I've done one (really painful) mix in MixBus, and while I really do like the channel-strip comp/EQ, I don't think that I would drop my old workflow for just those two items.
(07-22-2015, 05:22 AM)paal Wrote: [ -> ]Hi guys,
I'm used to working with an external mixer and I'm wondering how this will work with Mixbus. I have a 24 I/O soundcard. Each input channel in mixbus will go into a channel in my external mixer. So I might not use the Mixbus channels, but most likely the compression on each input channel. Will I still benefit from the Mixbus-sound with this setup?
Hope I'm making myself clear
You can use the inserts of your external mixer to connect to MB.
Route the MB canalstipe outputs directly to the outputs of your soundcard and the soundcard inputs to the MB inputs. Don't forget to switch off the masterbuttons. Hit the input monitor buttons of each canal.
Than you can use on each canal of your external mixer the MB compressors and eq's. (if latency is not a problem for you).
I think this should work.
I've used mixbus this way for many years. You can come out one at a time through your interface or with some tracks mix them through the group busses (mix busses) and out to a couple of faders or aux returns on your console. The same thing can be done with the main out. This also gives you the option of using any of the mix functions of the interface you have, eq compression etc. Then you go from your console back through the converters and back on to 2 tracks so that your mastermix is included in your session. I would normally use the mixbus main outs to listen to the analogue console return, (the mix). This way everything is in sync and you can punch in on your mix. You can also on a mac open another instance of mixbus (in terminal window (open -n -a "mixbus")) and record your mix into that. Jack sometimes complains. I call it hybrid mixing, the best of both worlds. I would for instance mix the bass drum and the snare together (assign to the same output at the bottom of the module) go out to a track of a tape machine and then into the console. Push them ahead in time to match the delay thru the tape machine. This way you have real "tape" in your mix. Do the same with your bass and lead vocal. Mix the rest of your drums through a mixbus stereo out to your console. Bring the guitars and keys out to your console and send them out to amps mic them up and you now have a live band playing into your master mix. This covers up allot of digital plugin sins. You will be amazed at how good it can sound. It's layers of mixers and only limited by your needs and imagination. It's a lot of work but it will give you a sound that no one else can touch. Outside the box? Definitely!
Hi..
Having a setup like yours is infinitely flexible, providing you can come in on a channel and back out. (e.g direct outs from the desk) which I think you have. The magic of mixbus is mostly in the summing of the buses.
You can choose to use the EQ on your desk, or go to an analog compressor via an insert on your desk, or plug fx inline, using the inserts..
You don't necessarily have to use your hardware for your channels either, but maybe other processing you want to do... here is an example below..
ON the track I'm working on at the moment, once I recorded in the stems (using the desk and doing some preliminary EQ). To mix with compression on the master bus, I like the sound my old Klark Teknik DN-504 better than any plugins I have (even when set to a ratio of 1:1).. So I setup 2 channels on my desk as a stereo insert from the master bus in Mixbus. These channels are simply using the inserts on the desk and then return back to Mixbus .. (mixbus insert send -> desk input -> compressor (via desk insert send) -> desk (via desk insert return) -> mixbus (via direct out from desk)
I also liked the reverb setting I had setup in hardware and also a modulation effect I had in other hardware. So I setup 2 channels to receive the signal from the mono insert send (I just used one half), and use the aux function of the desk to send to the fx units...... patched the fx units to return stereo signals to 4 channels on the desk (2 stereo pairs).. to act as the insert returns .. These are setup on busses within mixbus..
mixbus insert send (mono) -> mono channel on desk -> fx unit (via aux bus on desk) -> stereo input to desk (2 additional mono channels) - mixbus (via direct outs on mono channels)
So in total I'm using 8 channels through my desk but not one of them as processing for instrument tracks... However, that option is there if I choose to use the EQ on the desk instead of the Harrison ones or a plugin..
If you are going to simply sum using your desk (assuming you don't want to use any submixing techniques..) then you can probably just use Ardour.. which will save you some money and give you exactly the same editing power.
You could also use your desk for analog summing of the mixbusses ... If you feel your desk summing sounds better than Mixbus
cheers
Allan
I had a setup like this for a while, 2x M-Audio 1010 LT and an Alesis Studio 32 with direct outs/tape returns... Until I found myself staying in the box all the time. So I cleared out the huge cable clutter and recors through a Presonus 1818VSL with a hooked up ADA8200 for 16 channels. That saves me 4 connectors in each channel on the way in. Just keeping in mind, Connector=Resistance=Noise, plud the extra cable from the mixer to the actual interface... Now just 1 USB cable goes to the computer instead of 32 unbalanced audio cables
But everyone to his needs and taste I say.
MMM