Harrison

Absolute quality! One of my absolute favourite channel strip plugins! Worth it for the Compressor section alone. Also had to get the 32C Bus straight away. Highly, highly recommend.

I've used a half-dozen DAWs over the years. None of them come close to the sound, convenience, and functionality that I found with Mixbus 32C. Before I bought the DAW I had purchased several Harrision plug-ins (channel strip, EQ, compression, etc.) and used them in other DAWs. I was impressed with how these Harrison plug-ins outperformed my "go-to" plugins! Clearly Harrision puts sound quality as their primary goal.

Stepping up to the Mixbus 32C DAW was like reuniting with an old friend. It looked, worked, and sounded like an analog mixing board. The quality is spectacular. Any questions or comments have been responded to in less than 24 hours. The workflow is intuitive and simple. The built-in EQ, compression, saturation (appliable at three...or four...points) almost eliminate my use of third party plugins.

I can't recommend Mixbus 32C highly enough. Try it. Your ears will convince you.

It has a nice overall sound, but, frankly, nothing you cannot achieve with plugins in any other DAW.

Mixbus, which is actually the OpenSource software Ardour, just with a proprietary mixer, crashes or freezes very often. Lots of plugins are not recognized (e.g. the whole Waves portfolio).

I find the mixer GUI hard to work with, even on a huge monitor.

The feature set is extremely limited (which some may actually appreciate). The built-in channel strip compressor and EQ are good enough for a quick rough mix, but you will definitely need more tools for a real mix. Mixbus does not come with any of those tools, unlike all other DAWs, so you have to add that money to the total price.

MIDI support is pretty much non existant, so don't even try to use Mixbus for MIDI production. It is only suitable for audio jobs (recording an mixing).

Mixbus also does not support ARA.

I use Mixbus (very) occasionally on Windows and played around with it for fun on Linux for a while. Sometimes the lack of features can actually be a fun challenge. For serious projects, though, I stick with my primary DAWs.

awsome daw.

just need free updates n we good.

harrison products r well known for their quality.

and NO i am not sponsored by them by any way or form.

+ Unique sound with a vibe - but does not need to be best-in-class... that's a matter of taste. Plus Harrison/Mixbus is not the only one! Anyway, one star for the sound vibe.

- In my workflow Mixbus (32C) turned out to be practically unusable:
When I bought Mixbus and Mixbus 32C, the software delivered way less than promised. Future updates were payed upgrades while it especially was the free Ardour's functionality that improved. Also no cross-grades are offered to the native 32C channel plugin, based on (a part of) the same/similar code.

- In my experience/perception their attitude towards customers is lacking.

Let's get back to the three headlines.

• "Mixbus sounds better" - Correction: does not need to be "better", just a "different" sound.

• "Mixbus is open" - Correction: actually Ardour (the free DAW on which Mixbus is programmed) is open. In my experience Harrison doesn't have an open attitude towards customers. I'm missing fair crossgrade policies and the ability to transfer licenses.

• "Mixbus is ultra-compatible" - Well, the reason why I would still need a main daw next to Mixbus is because compatibility issues and lacking functionality compared to my main DAW.

All in all I can't recommend Harrison Mixbus (32C).

My DAW has a sound and Mixbus 32C is it's name - O -

My name is Randy Rose from Rose studios, and Hindenburg Records.

One may ask, what does it take to turn a faithful Protools user into someone who leaves his workstation

after using it for over ten years... The sound - The Harrison Mixbus 32C has it's own sound, a true analog sound, .

the sound that many in the box engineers may not even know, or remember, oh how quickly we soon forget.

I am a vintage sound enthusiast especially when it comes to recording records, the sound I have always gone

for has been warm, fat, punchy, and familiar most things wonderful often remind of us something we once loved

or experienced, something familiar a matter of fact when we describe something to someone we usually say check

this out doesn't that remind you of this...

The Harrison Mixbus 32C does exactly that, it reminds me of what I originally fell in love with in the recording process

the sound, and the feel, the look of a genuine recording console, not a software engineers version of a console, but a

real console, well to get that sound into a DAW, it would help if for over forty years you engineered, and built the best

analog consoles out there, thats Harrison. The 32C is a real console, the one that ACDC recorded on, the one that

ABBA, and Queen recorded on, and the one that Michael Jacksons Thriller was recorded on. Well, I decided I want those minds

to get me into that sound, and they did. I was blown away with the look of this DAW they nailed it everything a real

console had, and everything available inline in one channel strip the way God intended it to be.

Check this out- it starts out with a beautiful fader with an attenuation gain trim on the top just like the real consoles

would have. You get to keep your faders at zero, where they belong and attenuate the gain with trim knob (ingenious)

and to the right of every fader is the coolest compressor I have heard in a long time. There's a LED showing you the

gain reduction of either a compressor, a limiter, or a leveler - the sound reminds me of a LA3 on the limiter selection

and a 1176 in the compression mode, as well as a killer leveler all at your finger tips all of this, and we haven't even moved

pass the fader. Then we move up to a beautiful pan knob with a mute, and solo, and this is where it gets crazy, you get twelve

mixbus sends all inline in the form of knobs simply add what ever you want to send to it, be it a drum sub, parallel compression

mixbus, reverb, delay, even parallel EQ if you want, once again you haven't pulled down or scrolled any menu's to get this it's all in

one "vintique"channel strip. The next most exciting part for me is the 32C EQ section, this is the best EQ I have ever heard- it's identical to the real

EQ. Harrison modeled this EQ right down to every component resistor, and transistor- it was this test that sent me over the edge...

I own easily ten grand in Universal Audio plug ins, and love them - I have found these to be the best analog modeled plug ins available, and most

people would agree. My very favorite EQ was Universal Audios Harrison 32C EQ, this was my go to EQ for everything

super fat, warm and gooey, and the high end was smooth as silk, I compared the onboard Harrison Mixbus 32C EQ to the UA 32C EQ

and Harrison nailed it. I actually prefer Harrison version, they may have modeled a better channel when they scoped it all out, the problem

would be this, I couldn't use, let's say 24 UA Eq's, and a few of there compressors without the UAD processor even though it's a quad reaching

it's limit, but I could use 24 plus Harrison onboard 32C Eq's on every channel also using there killer compressors on all of those channels

and I would still have a functioning computer after the fact. Remember this is about the music, the sound, and the inspiration - I could go on

forever, but you have to taste and see just how good the Harrison Mixbus 32C really is. Oh yeah, did I mention all twelve mixbus's have saturation

on it, completely variable from clean to Cu-Cu-Ca-Chew, and each of the twelve mixbus's have 3 bands of silky Harrison Eq too - Say what!

One last thing the master section has a modeled 2 track analog saturation that once again I truly prefer the Harrison Mixbus 32C, over

the UA ATR-102 two track model, the Mixbus 32C had a bit more of a glassy silky sheen to it. I will still use plug ins, but after getting the

sounds with the Mixbus 32's onboard compressor and EQ's, I found myself not even reaching for my much previously

needed plug ins. The Harrison Mixbus 32C has the sound of a real console, and it beautiful, the gain structure is unlike anything

I have seen in the digital realm, the ease of use and intuitive nature of the channel strips are so wonderful, and readable - I honestly

forget I'm mixing in the box now, and most of all it​​​​​​​ doesn't sound like I'm mixing in the box.

The Harrison Mixbus 32C has blown the box wide open - This is the DAW that doesn't look, or sound

like anything out there, Mixbus has been the best kept secret till now - but it's time for the world to hear exactly

what has been missing for so many years - The Harrison Mixbus 32C -

Randy Rose. Rose Studios/Hindenburg Records

BASED ON VERSION 5.3

Note: I am working on an article and maybe even a video about the confusion, difficulty, and torment in choosing the right digital audio workstation for your needs. One focus will be on the DAWs that I consider under-appreciated underdogs. .. dark horses. Harrison Mixbus is one of them! In my opinion, more musicians, producers, etc. should be using this fine piece of software, and hopefully what I wrote below inspires more investigation.

INTRO
Harrison Mixbus v5 is a consumer level digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering that takes a unique approach in comparison to the other choices on the market. Not too long ago, many users recorded in another DAW and used Mixbus for mixing. That's changed, or at least should change! Mixbus is now a full-featured DAW that is capable of helping users of all genres complete a project; however, it's clearly geared toward recording and mixing audio. The intention is transparent. It's called, "Mixbus," and it's created by Harrison, a world leader in professional large format consoles. If the name isn't enough, take a look at the interface. It's modded after Harrison's very own hardware. Yet, all DAWs have their own look and vibe. They all have a story and a reason for existing. But what really sets Mixbus apart is the sound. There have been countless comparisons between the major workstations, and the consensus is THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME. .. except one. .. Mixbus! Harrison utilizes an "analog paradigm that embodies form, function, and sound." This DAW looks, feels, operates, and sounds like the analog mixer. The results are wonderful. I have a home studio with budget monitors, and I can hear the difference. I can only imagine a comparison on a high-end system.

Disclaimer: Anyone in any genre can use anything and make great music. You wouldn't believe how I recorded my favorite tracks. However, there's no denying that certain workstations favor certain genres.

Who Should Use This?
Those using mostly live instruments and vocals, who want a "real" studio look, feel, workflow and sound — this is as close as you're gonna get in the virtual world. Those who lean on "found" loops, e.g., Hip Hop, Trip Hop, etc. It has powerful tools for deep audio editing. Note: Mixbus' MIDI handling has come a long way. It's certainly capable and has all the essential tools.

Who Should Look Elsewhere?
Those who work exclusively in MIDI and require deep editing. Those who like to work in clips instead of linearly. DJs.

Tommy Zai's Top Ten Reasons To Use This DAW (not in any particular order)
1. The sound is big, fat, punchy, and warm.
2. No iLok or other annoying protection — uses license files.
3. Attractive, customizable interface with a smooth, user-friendly workflow.
4. Channel strips have built-in high-pass filter and three different EQ bands (low, mid, and high) and "Drive" controls for analog emulation to beef things up.
5. Simulated analog mixing features a sweet in-line compressor with three modes.
6. Master has tone controls, compressor/limiter, and tape saturation for global FX during mix-down.
7. VCA faders are easy to slide and very responsive. The levels don't jump all over the place. — they're silky and smooth.
8. VU meters are accurate, responsive, and easy to read.
9. Harrison knows what's needed to record, mix, and master a great track.
10. Bargain price!!.

Other Reasons This DAW Is Cool
• The whole thing looks bigger than I remember, but maybe it's my eyes.
• Easy to add and tag plugins.
• Resizable transport controls, editing tools, playback modes, counters, etc. are neatly lined-up on top.
• Time-line view.
• Tempo mapping.
• Named buses (convenient and time-saving).
• Bus sends with on/off buttons.
• Real mixer with one knob per function design.
• Channels can be independently resized via toggling between narrow and wide.
• Spill buttons on the mix bus channel.
• Spectral analysis tool is a nice surprise feature.
• CPU will not overload and get sluggish when you decide to adjust channel strip processing as this is "pre-allocated" into host resources.
• I read somewhere that the 'optimize polarity' feature is great, but I never used it. .. need to check it out.
• Sharing and Exporting.
• Well-written manual found online that is downloadable as a PDF.
• Mac, PC, and Linux. Switching computers won't matter.;-).

Cons
• Even though this beast has unlimited this and that, users should conserve resources as it's more CPU hungry than some other DAWs. From what I understand, this is due to the analog stuff going on under the hood. This is no big deal for me as I grew up using a Tascam Porta Studio One with only four tracks. I'm no stranger to being a miser. However, if you like to work big and/or messy, you better have a powerful processor that can handle your clutter.;-)
• Great built-in FX and the add-ons are top-notch (Essentials bundle provides delay and reverb; Character bundle offers plug-ins for drums, bass and vocal processing); yet, you won't be wowed by dozens of on-board virtual instruments. You'll have to use your 3rd party synths, but if you're like me you probably would anyway!
• Favors larger screens.

Hey, what about Mixbus 32C?
Mixbus 32C has enhanced features, is an exact emulation of specific board, and cost more. As far as basic features and functions, these two versions are quite similar. There are slight differences that may or may not help users decide between the two. For example:

• Mixbus has three-band EQ; Mixbus 32C is designed after a different Harrison console that has four-band with the switchable top band between shelving and peaking. It also consists of both high-pass and low-pass filters.
• Mixbus has eight stereo mix buses; Mixbus 32C has 12.
• 32C offers more audio routing options.
• The sound! Mixbus is modeled after the general sound of Harrison consoles; 32C is modeled after that specific unit.

SUMMARY
In 1966, The Beatles stopped touring and began using the studio as a musical instrument. This was ground-breaking at the time. With the Fab Four in mind, Mixbus is extremely musical. It's also user-friendly and easy to navigate. I dig the look, feel, and sound. It's both nostalgic and cutting-edge modern. In short, it's a fun platform to use. Completing a sweet sounding song seems more reachable than with many other workstations. Will it, "forever change the way [I] think about mixing in the box?" Not sure yet, but it just might!! For now, I'm having fun with Mixbus, and I highly recommend that you check it out. They offer a free demo version. Way to go, Harrison!.

Note: Several years ago I used Mixbus v3 and reviewed it (see below). I'm now revisiting this fine updated DAW and intentionally didn't read my old review. I wanted to keep my perspective to be fresh without influencing myself.;-)