Loading a Mixbus session into Mixbus 32C?

[ZeHa]

Hi there,

I'm just wondering: if I open a Mixbus session in Mixbus 32C (particularly Mixbus 8 and Mixbus 32C 9, if that's important), will it sound the same? E.g. the EQs are different (3 vs 4 bands), so what exactly will happen to those settings?

In my case, I've started a project in Mixbus 8 (demo version on my office PC - wanted to try something out but then it emerged into an actual project) and I'd like to load it into Mixbus 32C 9 (which I purchased and have installed on my studio PC) in order to export it from there. Now I'm wondering whether that will have any impact on the sound.

The good thing is, in that particular project I haven't used the channel EQs, just the mixbus EQ, which at least has the same bands. Can it still sound a bit different?

But apart from my exact use case, I'd be interested also in general as to whether there are any differences to be expected when transferring sessions from normal Mixbus to 32C.

Thanks!

[Dingo]

Hi ZeHa, welcome the the Mixbus Forum.

When you import a Mixbus project into 32C, none of the channel EQ settings will come across (as you state they are totally different).
The Mixbus EQ's however will come across as will Trim, Fader and bus assignments.

Theoretically there should be no sonic difference. Let us know how you go.

The big advantage with v9 of 32C is added channel Comp / Gate and the extra busses. Also whilst I like the Mixbus EQ, the 32C is just that bit faster to get a good sound happening along with the advantage of both HP and LP filters.

Albeit a bit out dated... here is a link that details the obvious differences between Mixbus and 32C.

[ZeHa]

Okay thank you both, I opened my project now and exported it and compared both WAV files in Audacity (inverted one of them and then mixed them together to see if they cancel each other out). There is a difference, but it's not too notable. One thing I noticed is that the 32C version seems a bit louder (not in total amplitude, but in perception). Maybe that's a result of the different compressors. Btw the only thing I'm using in my project is an EQ in one of the buses (everything goes into that) and a little bit of drive.

About the LPF and HPF, which ones do you mean exactly? In the channels and mixbuses, they are all off. Or do you mean something in the master bus? I tried to enable and disable the master EQ switch, but this had zero effect on the output.

[johne53]

I have never herad about a bell filter. Hmmm ...  

Wow... I wonder if it's called different things in different parts of the world??

You can think of it as being a bit like a notch filter except it works over a wider range of frequencies.

[Dingo]

Equalisers and Filters are two very different beasts.
Bell is an equaliser shape, it looks like a bell.... depending on the Q factor (sharpness of the Bell) it can go from a classic wide bell down to a notch.
I am pretty sure it means the same thing around the world... perhaps just the wrong choice of words to describe.

[ZeHa]

Btw, I noticed that the master compressor (which was engaged in the Mixbus8 project) was off in Mixbus 32C. So that's probably the difference in perceived loudness (the Limiter was enabled in both versions). When I turned on the master compressor and tried to find a similar setting, there was indeed a noticable difference in sound, But the compressors ARE in fact different as far as I know, and also, the compressor in Mixbus8 was set to "Leveler" mode, whereas in Mixbus 32C the compressor has no such modes.

I've got another question now: EDIT: moved question to another thread: https://forum.harrisonconsoles.com/thread-11627.html

[johne53]

It's a long time sine I learned all this but IIRC there are 4 basic filter shapes (here in the UK we tend to use filter and EQ synonymously...)  The 4 types are high pass, low pass, shelving and bell. A notch filter is basically a specialized type of bell filter. Bell curves are most often used for midrange frequencies - i.e. adjusting the sound's "warmness". The other types are most often used for adjusting the extremes - i.e. hi and lo frequencies.

[Lars]

And a bell filter on a 32c console emulation?

"The high and low bands are shelving filters for general tone sculpting, while the 2 middle bands are “proportional Q” design. Optionally, the High and Low bands may be switched to “bell” ( peaking ) shape with the small mode switches at top and bottom."

"NOTE: In the original 32C EQ, and the Mixbus emulation of it, the frequency and gain knobs are labeled as if the “bell” knob were engaged, however the default mode is shelving. In shelving mode, the available gain is +/-18dB and the frequencies are different (because it is a filter corner freq, not a bell center freq). We have decided to keep the labeling of the knob the same as on the actual 32C console. Please note that the knob is labeled for a mode that is not the default, and the text display does not match the tick marks around the knob."

...from the MB32C Manual:
https://rsrc.harrisonconsoles.com/mixbus.../topic/eqs

[johne53]

I can't think of a way you could use hi-pass and lo-pass filters to emulate a bell curve. Remember that the frequencies either side of a bell curve are unaffected by the filter - i.e. whatever comes in, the same signal goes out. But the whole point of hi-pass and lo-pass is that frequencies outside the pass band will get increasingly attenuated. So whatever signal comes in, a lower level signal goes out.

[Tassy]

Yeah! I deleted my posts. Got a bit mislead by the "bell" sign I saw, as tube-sighter, beside the filter knob, but it refers to the Lo EQ as well as in the upper righ cornel of the EQ section the same "bell" regfers to the Hi band for options to change from the default shelf for bell, I have known it for long but due to a brief shortcut in my brain forgot it.
So my question "bell on filter?" was trigered by this mistake.