MixBus 32C coming from Pro Tools HD 12

[AmielMix]

Hi,

I am very curious about Mixbus just for Mixing

I am a Pro Tools user, so I wonder how compares Mixbus 32c, specially because there is no demo to do the test drive myself.

So I see there are 12 main Buses, but can I create sub groups (aux) like in pro tools for example to AC Gtrs, Synth etc or this is all?

****Unlimited stereo or mono input channels, each with unlimited plugins, sends, and hardware inserts. (limited only by CPU and disc speed)

so here says unlimited plug in sends, so I can have any EFFX return I want?

Do you have functions as "Group", Active/deactive group?



Thanks

[Arionas]

Welcome!
I am also a Pro Tools user and I mix in mixbus 32C.
Well, the 12 main Busses are enough for the most applications but in the case you will need more than that you can use the utility busses. In this case I recommend to use them for additional reverb stuff because they are not delay compensated and introduce some latency. Also is always better to group your audio channels to the main busses for the great tape sat and glue.
There is a very clever grouping with easy Activate/Deactivate and surely you can use HW inserts for external processing.

[AmielMix]

Welcome!
I am also a Pro Tools user and I mix in mixbus 32C.
Well, the 12 main Busses are enough for the most applications but in the case you will need more than that you can use the utility busses. In this case I recommend to use them for additional reverb stuff because they are not delay compensated and introduce some latency. Also is always better to group your audio channels to the main busses for the great tape sat and glue.
There is a very clever grouping with easy Activate/Deactivate and surely you can use HW inserts for external processing.

Thank you,

Yes I see you can group tracks in a very cool way and that you can insert HW also.



Now the reason of my ""AUX group" or "instrument Aux subgroup" questions is to process some tracks like for example if you have 4 AC gtrs and you want buss then together to send them to a bus.

what is also not very clear is:

****Unlimited stereo or mono input channels, each with unlimited plugins, sends ...so you can have unlimited EFFX??

Thanks again.

Reuven Amiel

[madmaxmiller]

****Unlimited stereo or mono input channels, each with unlimited plugins, sends ...so you can have unlimited EFFX??

Limited only by the oompf of your computer.

MMM

Edit: ...well... every track/bus adds DSP load, that's the nature of the model. On the upside, you can use everything in the channel strip at no extra load. How many tracks and FX you can add in total totally depends on your machine (read the articles about DSP/CPU load). Keep in mind that higher sample rates also add to the total load and ask yourself if you get any audible advantage off them.
External effects / DSP cards shouldn't add much load, just the IO handling.

[AmielMix]

All seems good to me.
The only concern is this:

In modern production, due to the amount of tracks i get to mix, is good to send many instruments to an AUX track, process them and then send the out put of that aux track to a bus or to the stereo mix bus... etc
I am not saying that to have 12 busses is bad, but actually can be great to have maybe a simple aux track with the option of few inserts and few sends, just to send some instruments there.

I still do not have clear the amount of sends per track that you can have and how they work in Mixbus32c... for example in pro tools are 10 sends.... but you can create way more Effects returns where then in the track from the 10 sends you choose where is gonna go each (effx returns).. and that can be different in each track.

Of course that breaks the concept of a cpnsole where in each track Send 1 always goes to the same Effx Return connected to that send.

Just trying to understand the way Mixbus32c works... and without a demo is hard to know.

[AmielMix]

I think the best way to look at Mixbus is as a DAW with certain limitations that force you into a more efficient and streamlined workflow. That's the way I have approached mixing and mastering within Mixbus (use Reaper and Studio One for tracking).

The sound is the thing when it comes to Mixbus - there is really nothing out there that allows you to get great results so easily. Worth every penny, in my opinion - in spite of the very real limitations (mostly related to tracking). It should be noted that Mixbus is getting constant and timely updates that are quickly filling the gaps, so I'd say, IF all you need is a great mixing application, Mixbus will not disappoint.

Yes, I'm a convert.

I totally understand what you are saying...

[madmaxmiller]

I still do not have clear the amount of sends per track that you can have and how they work in Mixbus32c... for example in pro tools are 10 sends.... but you can create way more Effects returns where then in the track from the 10 sends you choose where is gonna go each (effx returns).. and that can be different in each track.

You need to differentiate between inserts (= sending from and returning to the same place in the strip) and sends (just sending out and returning elsewhere, known as AUXes).
In Mixbus you can very well use a send in a channel strip, then create multiple "utility" buses which are all fed by the return of that FX you addressed with your send - that would be your AUX returns.
In fact you can use as many sends in a channel as you like and as many return buses as you like and their absolute numbers don't have to be correlated.

Imagine a console with channel strips with, say, 27 AUX pots (all of them pre or post fader/comp/eq switchable) and, say, 83 AUX returns. If one AUX send or return is missing, you simply add another one. There is no hardwired number of "slots".

Hope I could explain that comprehensibly...

MMM

P.S. on a real console you would use channel strips as AUX returns whenever you can and the resources allow for it because you will then have your FX on faders... that would be your equivalent to "return buses"

[AmielMix]

I am reading a thread in GS , and people say that there is not auto delay compensation on third party plug ins...is that correct?

Also after the 12 busses, additional busses have no auto delay compensation?

---

This guy in this GS thread put what are my concerns very clearly

" While I may not not fully understand the technicalities of what you're saying, what I'm hearing (reading) is based on the Ardour architecture Harrison either cannot or will not ever add PDC on MixBus or 32C.
While I am also understanding of Harrison's philosophy of creating a real world console in the digital domain, why not, if possible implement some of the common features in most DAWs (Auxiliary Busses w/ delay compensation-if possible, and others already mentioned in this thread), thus most probably garnering a considerable greater user/customer base. I especially b/c it does really sound better. Seems like a win/win to me.
I mix R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop records predominantly, and typically they can have upwards of 70 to 80 tracks where a mix engineering would want/need quite a few more than 12 mix busses/auxiliary tracks/utility busses, due to the myriad of efx typical to these genres. So I don't see how MB or MB32 can properly facilitate mixing these types of projects in its current state."

[Arionas]

I am reading a thread in GS , and people say that there is not auto delay compensation on third party plug ins...is that correct?

Also after the 12 busses, additional busses have no auto delay compensation?

---

This guy in this GS thread put what are my concerns very clearly

" While I may not not fully understand the technicalities of what you're saying, what I'm hearing (reading) is based on the Ardour architecture Harrison either cannot or will not ever add PDC on MixBus or 32C.
While I am also understanding of Harrison's philosophy of creating a real world console in the digital domain, why not, if possible implement some of the common features in most DAWs (Auxiliary Busses w/ delay compensation-if possible, and others already mentioned in this thread), thus most probably garnering a considerable greater user/customer base. I especially b/c it does really sound better. Seems like a win/win to me.
I mix R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop records predominantly, and typically they can have upwards of 70 to 80 tracks where a mix engineering would want/need quite a few more than 12 mix busses/auxiliary tracks/utility busses, due to the myriad of efx typical to these genres. So I don't see how MB or MB32 can properly facilitate mixing these types of projects in its current state."

This is wrong. 3nd party plugins are also auto delay compensated. The 12 mix busses and the hardware inserts as well. Only exception is the utility busses(for this reason earlier I noticed that is better using them for additional reverbs). Myriad efx, at any genre, can lead in a mixing confusion. In my opinion the reason that people are using many efx and plugins in other daws, is that they are trying to catch a "nice" sound, something that in mixbus you have by default.