Harrison Mixbus Video Tutorial Series - "Mix Tips"

[tim@harrison]

how do i add vst plugins for effects like ezmix2 or freeverb or waves plugins into the mixbus software

Hey syntheticillusion,

On the Windows version of Mixbus, you can scan for plug-ins via the Preferences window ( Menu>Window>Preferences ). If the plug-ins are not showing up, you may want to try clearing the paths & cache and execute a fresh scan.

Please write to our support team at mixbus@harrisonconsoles.com if you have trouble.


Thanks,

Tim

[Rathead]

Tim,

Where is the place to lodge feature requests and bug reports?

rat

[Crackbaby]

Could you make a tutorial about the included Jack (for windows)?
A tutorial showing Ableton Live going into mixbus would suffice i think

In the protools video you use busses, but that would ignore PDC if i remember the manual correctly. Would it be possible to use Tracks (armed?) instead?

Edit: In the protools video, what audio interface did you set up in Mixbus? Jackrouter also?

[tim@harrison]

Tim,

Where is the place to lodge feature requests and bug reports?

rat

Hey Rat,

You can send feature requests and bug reports to our main support e-mail: mixbus@harrisonconsoles.com

Thanks!

Tim

[codec_spurt]

Well you boys sure are game.

And seeing as it is game on, let's play...


Now I quite like the interface. But boy, does that bright green loop thing blind my eyes...

So, we dive down..

deep into the code...

We need to find a file called 'ardour2_ui.conf' - it is probably here: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Mixbus
We need to open it with a program such as Textpad - it's free - http://www.textpad.com/

And we need to find this line in the code:
<Option name="TransportLoopRect" value="

We then need to change the value to, let's say:
<Option name="TransportLoopRect" value="f2222222"/>


This will take away the nasty green. It will replace it with a sort of ruby hue.
Try it for yourself.

If it all goes wrong, don't blame me.


Who ever thought of having that bright lime green for the loop marker was a sick puppy. I nearly went blind figuring this out.


Now I can work in this program without going half blind.


All the best.

[Syntilla]

We need to open it with a program such as Textpad - it's free -

No it isn't - it's £16.50 GBP / $27.00 USD for a single user.
Maybe you were thinking of Notepad ++ http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ which is free? (They do accept donations, though.) But be warned: their website isn't a lime-green-free zone ...
-
2013 - I'm mixing with a mouse.
I didn't see that one coming.
-
And I wish I'd had those videos 35 years ago.
-
Software's not so shabby, either ...

[Crackbaby]

Im thinking of considering linux as it supports midi control .. could be a fun try Good OS to learn anyway.

I've had quite a few crashes with mixbus on windows. Anyone know if linux is better in this regard?

[tim@harrison]

Could you make a tutorial about the included Jack (for windows)?
A tutorial showing Ableton Live going into mixbus would suffice i think

We may make a video in the future when JACK for Windows is more expanded. At this time, I am unsure how the routing of audio between programs works in JACK for Windows, or whether it is possible.

As far as demonstrating this with DAWs...it shouldn't be too hard to reverse-engineer this method for any other workstation. Just select JACKRouter as your soundcard. We've had a lot of Logic users writing in to say that they easily figured out routing from Logic to Mixbus by watching the Pro Tools video.

In the protools video you use busses, but that would ignore PDC if i remember the manual correctly. Would it be possible to use Tracks (armed?) instead?

In theory, you may be able to work this way, but I am unsure if this would be the best option. Most users who route into Mixbus are doing it simply for the EQ, compression, and tape saturation that already reside in the Mixbus channel strips. If you need to add a plug-in, I recommend doing it in the "Editing" DAW so that all of the plug-in latency is being accounted for in one place.

Edit: In the protools video, what audio interface did you set up in Mixbus? Jackrouter also?

Yep. Mixbus connected to it automatically because it was already running in the background. As I stated in the video, the order in which you open and configure all of the apps is important.

[Syntilla]

Apologies in advance for what is almost certainly a really stupid question ...
... but ...
... would it make any kind of sense to develop this as a plugin?

[tim@harrison]

Apologies in advance for what is almost certainly a really stupid question ...
... but ...
... would it make any kind of sense to develop this as a plugin?

Hey Syntilla,

That's not a stupid question

Developing Mixbus as a plug-in would actually go against what we were trying to accomplish with the software. Mixbus is about being able to use an entire mixer "across the board" with everything you need under your fingertips. All parameters and metering is right in front of you, and there's barely a need for plug-ins.

I demonstrated this in our "Shut Up and Mix" video. Before working for Harrison, I mixed this song in a competing workstation, and it took about 3.5 hours because of the amount of plug-ins I had to use. To make parameter changes, I had to open each plug-in window, and it really ate up a lot of my time. I also was unable to check parameters and meters (like gain reduction) without opening the plug-in window, of course.

The mix that I did in Mixbus for this song took about 25 minutes. I was able to view and adjust all of my EQ, compression, and saturation parameters and check my meters without opening any plug-in windows. In fact, I used one plug-in on the entire mix!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbHwcsU7 ... D_mILAx3Zg

[Syntilla]

Thanks Tim

I'm absolutley with you on what you're trying to do with Mixbus. And I'm actually enjoying switching environments between recording and mixing: back in the day, those fortunate few with a home studio still took their tapes into a professional studio for mixing. And Mixbus is every inch a professional studio.

All I'm thinking is, rather than your trying to develop Ardour into a bells-and-whistles, VSTi-host back-end for the console, it would be nice if I could use Mixbus inside my current DAW.

I guess I supposed it might be a stupid question because, not being that technically minded, I was thinking that maybe VST or similar plugin standards provided much the same audio-routing capability that you're using JACK for.

Either way, I'm not that interested in whether or not Mixbus develops into a full-featured DAW.
I'm interested in using Mixbus to mix.
And if that means exporting audio from my current DAW and using a mouse and keyboard for a control surface, that's what I intend doing.
Other DAW manufacturers have got an awful lot of catching-up to do before I change my mind about that!

[Garycactus]

A couple of weeks ago I discovered Mixbus, and have been following the reviews, videos etc...
BUT,
I noticed that a lot of people want Mixbus to have midi editor with virtual instruments/samplers on the tracks (not just audio).

I hope that Mixbus developers understand that the sooner they add this functionality, the sooner thousand of people are going to say goodbye to Logic/Cubase/Protools etc... .
Including me

Any ideas when?

[codec_spurt]

We need to open it with a program such as Textpad - it's free -

No it isn't - it's £16.50 GBP / $27.00 USD for a single user.
Maybe you were thinking of Notepad ++ http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ which is free? (They do accept donations, though.) But be warned: their website isn't a lime-green-free zone ...

My deepest apologies.

Thankyou for taking the time time to clear up any possible confusion.

I think, what I wanted to say, but excitement got the better of me, after spending two hours in front of my (x-ray level radiation) monitor, with a pair of sunglasses on, and my g/f rudely interrupting me (turning the tables for a change) and saying in that whiny little girl voice of hers: "What are you doing now? - It's four O clock in the morning!".

"Not now dear, I for once am not arguing with someone on the internet, I am trying to put up a little mini-toot about... never mind. Coming soon".


Door slams. I lose my mojo.

And I neglect to finish the last of my sentence. No hot dinner for me tonight!

What I meant to say was: We need to open it with a program such as Textpad - it's free TO TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!



I got a cuddle in the end and a bit of spit on my pyjamas, but I've had worse days on planet Earth. Sorry to hear yours was full of traumas.



cheers.

[Crackbaby]

[Crackbaby]

Just wanted to say that if you use Maschine FX (effect version of ... you guessed it, Maschine), then you can use instruments in Mixbus..
Just put it on a track, open it up and it runs. You would have to use one instance of Maschine FX for each instrument though (if you want it to have it's own Mixbus channel) Otherwise you can naturally use 8x16 instruments should you want it.

Not sure if there's other plugins that are effects, 2in2out, with a sequencer and the ability to load instruments.