Why I Like Mixbus

[Tassy]

Hi All Users out there,

I started this thred to get to know, for all of us, all the advantages of Mixbus mainly those I have not used yet

Beside the lot of techical reasons (like great sound, most common aplications do not need plugins, easy access features etc.), Mixbus has the best support I have ever met.

These guys take you very seriously. Problems, questions, suggestions all considered and answered.
Great video tutorials on the DAW features.

And all these for a decent price
Best wishes for all the users and developers
Tassy

[Qualitymix]

Here is my honest opinion and experience. I have used Cakewalk/Sonar since before it was called Sonar. I am definately used to the workflow and abilities/limitations of the software. It is fantastic software, no doubt. I only say that so no one thinks I'm bashing Cakewalk Sonar (I still use it from time to time).

Having said that, I think many many people give unfair reviews/comments about Mixbus because it can't do 'this' or it can't do 'that', when in reality it took me several months of personal use of Ardour/ Mixbus before I really got a grasp of it. (It IS a different piece of software ISN'T IT?!) Now that I've become intimately familiar with the software I can honestly say that there is not much I can do in any other DAW that I can't do in Mixbus. (in terms of editing).
What I love about Mixbus is largely the same as what everyone else loves about Mixbus, the mixing board! Three sweepable eqs, built in compression and sends to mixbusses with tape saturation.
All it really took for me to be conviced that Mixbus was my next DAW was actually taking the time to learn all the editing functions and conventions of Mixbus. I spent a few hours a day for about 2-3 months just learning how to use Ardour 3, writing and recording my own music. When I bought Mixbus, I was ready to spend some time learning how to use it. Thanks to the videos Harrison has put on Youtube, it did not take very long to start diving into the more advanced editing functions.

There is something to be said about actually learning how to use software before writing negative reviews or forum comments about it. I realize that there are some things Mixbus can't do. I also think it is important to understand and learn to work around a program's limitations.

Of course if you know how to use Jack, you can just patch in whatever synth/plugin you want. So in terms of limitation, Jack pretty much levels the playing field, making Mixbus a modular centerpiece only limited by your imagination.
Thank you Harrison.

[Tassy]

Hi Qualytimix
I like two important things you have put in words:
"to learn to work around a program's limitations" is a great statement because it it true for anything you do not only mixing. Mastering any trade needs this knowledge and only the one who knows what cannot be done, newetheless, completes the job by some workaround may say that he can use a tool or device.

The other regards Jack, I used outboard synths or another DAW knowing that MIDI is not supported yet, but if you say that a plugin synth and Jack can make friends if you know how, I would like to learn it in among the fine tutorials Mixbus has on the net.
I will also study more of this Jack guy I neglected so far.
Tassy

[Qualitymix]

The other regards Jack, I used outboard synths or another DAW knowing that MIDI is not supported yet, but if you say that a plugin synth and Jack can make friends if you know how, I would like to learn it in among the fine tutorials Mixbus has on the net.
I will also study more of this Jack guy I neglected so far.
Tassy

Using plugin hosts like Carla and other jack-aware plugin hosts you can use plugins that wouldn't normal load in Mixbus (such as using windows VSTs on Linux, or LADSPA plugins on Windows) With the flexibilty of Jack, I go as far as doing something silly like:

Audio signal goes to a bus, while also being sent to a flanger plugin.
Setting the flanger plugin to 100% wet signal, I then route the flanged signal to like, reverb, delay, compression, loop it back around into the delay again (why not?) then send the (now garbled?) signal back into a bus, or its own track (and record it maybe?). Really only limited by your imagination.

[Kevin Long]

It works. It is easy to use and it sounds really good.

[Shtew]

I'm still getting to know my way around Mixbus.
It's a different kettle of fish!
My main DAW is & has been MOTU Digital Performer, which at this point I'm way more comfortable in.
But...that being said...sonically...[which is what it's all about in the end]...Mixbus sounds GREAT!!!
It doesn't sound like a DAW...more like an analog console, and as is the gain staging as well.
Reminds me of my analog days.
The more time I spend getting to learn it, the more I'm digging it.
The youTube videos help quite a bit, and I gotta say that the Tech support has been super, taking care to answer my newbie emails in a timely & professional manor as I wrapped my head around JACK & the I/O setup.
This forum is way cool too...hopefully I'll learn much here and maybe even contribute something worthwhile as well...;-)
Thanx for having me!

Best Regards, Shtew @ Audio Madness

[buhardilla]

I agree with all opinions: easy use and sound great. But I think Mixbus is little cumbersome respect to other DAW: get used to Jack pilot, no support to control surface, only eight busses .. However I hope change my opinion when I finish the learning curve

[fivepeace]

mh, … well, what can I say with so many pretty good comments ?
My set up: macbook 1260 _os10.6.8 and a mac G5 2GHz with an ULN2 and also quite a lot other studio staff and outboard gear. I am a musician, composer, a producer and a live sound engineer and I do my living on that bloody job and I love it :?)
This is my report after a lot support talk with very passionate Ben there. Thanks again, man !
I use it on a real production what has a customer who has the time to wait on me. After studying a little while I decided to take the risk to do it mixbus. Rudimentary things just have to work from the very beginning on for me and after an hour that seemed to be the case here in mixbus.
It sounds good, yes, but if you want it sound as big and open and clear as possible go to Metric Halo and check the summing in the 80bit MIO mixer -> then you know what the bell rings, folks.
But anyway, yep, for easy production the eq is enough when you recorded fine but for the real thing it is not.
You will need the plugin suite of them to fix the projects you gonna do in the range where mixbus is made for. You get a dry version without even a reverb, mh … I not gonna compare at this point to any other manufacturer, but when mixing in mixbus using your plug faves is a weired operation leading into nirvana ! So, in this case the plugin stuff should be free !!! otherwise it is not seriously to work in mixbus for me cause it steels a lot more time than I expected !
Getting started was easy to handle as long as you now signal path of desks … but even this is not finished yet BUT here I have to say that Ben at the support is doing a great job, thanks Ben again :?)
Mixbus nearly doesn´t like any other 3rd party plug and especially not when use a lot of them in various combinations ! Slipery when wet !
Why ? Nobody knows, maybe because it will take time to feed all platforms all together ?
No problem, but then … ALL THE MIXBUS PLUG INS SHOULD BE FREE !!! till it´s fixed …
wrong strategie in my eyes … you can´t talk in the manuel all the time of what harrison desks all had mixed in the world´s past and then spread the need to make any money with your plugs while others are not working ??? I will never understand this ??? It seems like giving out half done things for full price and take the people´s trust to better it for nothing. So, where´s my money for nothing ? … pah, I´d be ashamed …
I did an easy production on mixbus. 24ch live recording in one go to keep atmosphere real. It took me a very long while to find out wich 3rd party plug and I really use fine ones in wich combination is to use in mixbus and better don´t touch after setting it.
Be careful when you save setting of other plugs afew more times !
Well, once done the sound I go over to Adour to do automation. CPU works on about 70%. Should be fine I´ve thought by myself … but it seems to be not … I felt like a snail creeping over an earthquaking leave. Sizing tracks is a horror but works … Volume automation has a essential big bug ! After set level you have got to leave the funktion on ESCAPE before do anything after !!!
cause just resizing the track will change your automation curve at the very end vive versa.
Watch out -> Be careful.
It took me a while to get it and Ben helped me with again.
I love the solo features and the edit modes are very practical to use once you get familiar with them. Location window is a nice. Range and repeat functions are positiv tricky and fast.
Both of the programms have fine group options to be expanded a little, please, as we already talked about with Ben, yes … and another horror is not to be able to pair channel setting, woah … who forgot that ??? Let´em do the dishes … by the way, who is responsable for the key commands in sizing the workfield, tracks ? I put a few ideas with ben on the plan, we´ll see …
I couldn´t find any flow in that at all except for make screen smaller … not a good omen .
There is one big mistake in the gui presentation of plugins, too: you cannot set a knob over the border limitation of the graphics of the plugin wich certainly is answered by your wrists after a while :?(
All in all it is a absolutely different maschine wich acts analog. Just forward and rewind and feel home :?) For me there is no need to design a look like a desk in a software, just because it´s nice looking and Mama will buy it ? Think! : a real desk is much bigger than a labtop or a 30`screen and it´s 3d!
This is a big difference. Overview is the keyword. Bus design because of mixBUS takes too much space. Colours all over the strip is much cooler when it comes to flow: THINK ABOUT !
Just work pure in it and you´ll be fine, that´s my advice to users and for Harrison it is:
give out the plugins for free, cause others are just dangerous to use !!
FOLKs, that can´t be so hard in the purse of the world´s leading real mixing desk company, he ?
A good thing is the recording stability and sample accuration even with a lot of unnessesary plugin stuff loaded.
Routing is a nice feature, too :?) Send structure is fragil.
You can make a lot of lovely mistakes leading to new sounds cause it acts analog … I like that
So, all in all: I will go ahead on a production with a young band working in mixbus over all platforms and keep this dated up here if s´body wants or not - starting by the beginning of 2014.
… a last question to mixbus´s Ben: when will the next update come out … and will it be a 2.3.2 Version ? I´d really appreciate to have free updates till the thing runs straight … minimum, isn´t it ? cheers, 5

[Ben@Harrison]

I agree with all opinions: easy use and sound great. But I think Mixbus is little cumbersome respect to other DAW: get used to Jack pilot...

Please note that it is not necessary ( or suggested! ) to use JackPilot. You should just start Mixbus, and choose your sound I/O from Mixbus's Audio Setup tab.

[madmaxmiller]

My set up: macbook 1260 _os10.6.8 and a mac G5 2GHz with an ULN2 and also quite a lot other studio staff and outboard gear. I am a musician, composer, a
...
You will need the plugin suite of them to fix the projects you gonna do in the range where mixbus is made for. You get a dry version without even a reverb, mh … I not
...
Mixbus nearly doesn´t like any other 3rd party plug and especially not when use a lot of them in various combinations ! Slipery when wet !
...
Both of the programms have fine group options to be expanded a little, please, as
...
All in all it is a absolutely different maschine wich acts analog. Just forward and rewind and feel home :?) For me there is no need to design a look like a desk in a software, just because it´s nice looking and Mama will buy it ? Think! : a real desk is much bigger than a labtop or a 30`screen and it´s 3d!
...

Bahh... Maybe you try not to use an antique Mac. There are lots of FREE plugins under Linux which fit. Linux would be your friend anyway, since you want everything for FREE. And if you like it more sophisticated you can buy LinuxDSP's plugins. (They are not FREE)
Through Jack you can send your signal through everything which provides a connector, including outboard gear. However, send is a bit unstable though, never rename a send bus...
But with that you need to go to Paul from Ardour. Btw hey, you could use Ardour anyway, it's in version 3 (knows now MIDI tracks) and FREE. Support Ardour and you support Mixbus' development indirectly. And it's not looking so "desky" For the Mix engine stay with your 80bit blahblah device.

I like the analog desk look with a full channel strip and that my surface knobs are all represented on the screen. For many tracks that's good enough and to sculpture lead voices/instruments you will always need plugs.
Tastes are different, obviously...

Anyway, yes, there's lots to do still but the way is good. Anybody who went through the iLock hell and the update politics of a well known DAW market leader will appreciate the uncomplicated license handling and fair price (1 license for ALL your personal machines and no dongle-juggling!). For that I'm happy to pay extra if I want the Harrison plugins (yes I have them all). Has it ever crossed your mind that Ben (who apparently spent a good chunk of his time to help you) has to make a living, too?

Just my 2 cents...

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I agree with all opinions: easy use and sound great. But I think Mixbus is little cumbersome respect to other DAW: get used to Jack pilot, no support to control surface, only eight busses .. However I hope change my opinion when I finish the learning curve

Jack is a great tool, you will learn to love it. You can send your signal everywhere, around 25 corners and then back
You have only 8 MIX buses with EQ, Compressor & tape saturation: you can create as many "utility" buses as you (and your computer) can handle and throw things and plugins into them till your workstation gets red hot

MMM