Mixbus 32C

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Nestor
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Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

I remember Ken was totally into Mixbus for a while, he said it was about the best sounding platform to mix.

Anybody into Mixbus? I'm rather curios than interested, but if any of you guys is using it, can you tell a bit about your experience on it?
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Bud Weiser »

Nestor wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 1:27 pm I remember Ken was totally into Mixbus for a while, he said it was about the best sounding platform to mix.
And ... did Barbie agree ??? :D

Bud

P.S.:
AFAIK, it´s only very usable for the BEST music ! :wink:
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

:lol:
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

I use it all the time. Reason for tracking and Mixbus 32C for mix/master. I don't use MB with Scope but here's an article on setting up to do that :

http://www.hitfoundry.com/issue_29/mb_mast.htm

If XTC mode comes back - depending on implementation - Ill use Scope more and in Mixbux also.

If you like analog style mixing then its the way to go - except for UAD Luna but you need a Mac for that. Im keen to buyed a Mac Studio and try out the API Vision Console https://youtu.be/jJTxiziX3kg and sonically compare that to MB32C. Workflow & GUI are a lower priority than the sonic output, so Ill use whichever I can get the best 'analog like' sound out of going forwards.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

The point is, can't we just use any other means to mix with an analogue sound? Is it really that good?
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

I think your options are :

1) Mix in any DAW (Cubase, Reason etc) or Scope STM but use plugins (saturation etc) on specific channels to get a more analog sound - eg
....SpaceF Fat or Waves etc.
2) Mix on an analog desk.
3) Mix in any DAW but add an External (analog) summing box.
4) Mix in a DAW that emulates a classic mixer such as:
.....4.1) Reason SSL mixer - looks like an SSL and has its workflow but doesn't emulate the sound (doesn't model the SSL circuits
...........specifically).
.....4.2) Mixbus 32C which emulates the hardware Harrison 32C. Harrison were commissioned to create a 1-1 digital model of their
...........hardware mixer and that's the modelling they use in Mixbus 32C (https://harrisonconsoles.com/history/).
.....4.3) UAD Luna - which doesn't emulate any hardware console initially out of the box, but you can add Neve or API summing to it
.....4.4) UAD Luna with full API Vision console which emulates the full API hardware at circuit level (not just summing) - eg all of
...........channels, buses, summing, master bus etc.

If you know of any more options, feel free to add them to this list.

As to whether they are 'really that good' - that depends on your objectives, taste and skills etc.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by garyb »

there is no such thing as a 1-1 model, not that it matters... ;)
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

Very interesting reading in general.

Well, I have not had ever a mixing console of those people dream about in my hands, I've seen them, I've recorded in them in studios but never had the opportunity to actually work with a Neve or something like that. But well, I listen to music a lot and I can see that my ears can distinguish quite a lot of things that are difficult to distinguish. How do I know that? Because I have had the opportunity to test myself against different mixes people do, using different platforms and mixing solutions and I am able to know instantly which one is this or that. Well, not a big deal, I guess there are one million guys out there that can do the same.

The point is that I don't believe there is "the" platform to do it better than all the others, that is so difficult to be that I tend to believe it is impossible. I have heard some Slate Digital plugins and I think they sound pretty similar to what you can achieve in the virtual Harrison platform, for instance, as far as what I have heard in many music songs produced with these apps.

I'm just curios, of course, it is an interesting topic for us.

As I said, Ken Suguro, (our friend here in the Z from whom I have not heard anything for several years already), was crazy about the Harrison Mixbus, don't remember which one of them he was using, but he was focused in learning it and he was very happy with it.

I modestly think that in today's world there are many ways to get to the same street. Let say we do the job of producing with different platforms with the aim to be as closed as possible in mastering, no matter which platform you use. I guess, there it would be pretty much impossible to know which is which. But most people compare platforms without taking into account that they are in fact, comparing the way such or such individual has mixed the song.

It would be a very clarifying experience to mix with different platforms the same song, with the goal to make it sound exactly the same way, measuring all frequencies, pans, compressors, limiters, etc., and I bet this is today already possible.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

garyb wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:13 pm there is no such thing as a 1-1 model, not that it matters... ;)
That’s why it’s called a model :)
Nestor wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:36 pm As I said, Ken Suguro, (our friend here in the Z from whom I have not heard anything for several years already), was crazy about the Harrison Mixbus, don't remember which one of them he was using, but he was focused in learning it and he was very happy with it.
He passed away sadly
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by valis »

Crazy to think these forums are old enough to have known several who are now passed. In fact it's probably well past due that I take PlanetZ out to drink, the forums are well over 21!
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

Nestor wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2023 7:36 pm As I said, Ken Suguro, (our friend here in the Z from whom I have not heard anything for several years already), was crazy about the Harrison Mixbus, don't remember which one of them he was using, but he was focused in learning it and he was very happy with it.
He passed away sadly
[/quote]

No! Ken, my friend... I can´t believe it! I didn't know. He was very young man... I loved Ken, such a good composer and such a geek, he was always in a vanguard technologically speaking, somebody that would jump into all manuals and learn, learn and learn, until all the possibilities of a software were extinguished.

A soul with such a will to fight, he was eager in every aspect, lately, he was doing some serious dishes, as he was studying cooking and all.

I know we all have to die, we know it from the beginning of life. If there is something that equals us all, it is death. Nevertheless, he was a strong man as far as I remember. What is tragic is the age at which he leaves this scenario.

He was such a gentle, serviceable guy, we did some collaborations, (as we did with Jimmy), I have a song somewhere in the hdd that we did together, a lovely remembrance of our friendship.

Yes, I remember the name of the song, it is "Kenfunknes", (mixture of Ken, Funk and Nestor), he did the song and I've put the drums and the bass. It really has been a hard coming back this year to Planet Z. I am so sorry.

Here you have this little song, to remember him:
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

valis wrote: Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:23 am Crazy to think these forums are old enough to have known several who are now passed. In fact it's probably well past due that I take PlanetZ out to drink, the forums are well over 21!
Planet Z is even older, because there are two versions, the firs, (which is already closed), and this one, that comes from the first that was closed. Planet Z started in 1999, so we are in the order of 24 years of existence already.

I'm asking myself about several other members that used to be around a lot:

Paul Martin, from Canada

Spirit

Neil B

and several other recurrent members I have not heard about for a very long time
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

So have you tried Mixbus ? Easiest way to try it is to import stems from a song you've already tracked in your main DAW. 32C has 12 submix busses - 4 of which I use for send FX.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

No, I haven't yet Dante, I will probably download the demo version and try.

I have a few questions, if you want to answer them:

I guess that you compose, let's say, in Cubase, in Studio One, or whatever other DAW first.

Then you render your finished song as a multitrack in .wav format.

Then you upload all the stems into Mixbus and start mixing.

Do you create all automation in your DAW first or you can use automation in Mixbus as well? If you can use automation, is it good in your experience?

I imagine you can use any midi controller too, like my LX 49+ to control a channel strip, then with the programing of a channel strip you simply navigate to the next and that's it, you have all the channels covered from hardware to software.

About plugins, do you use the plugins that come with Mixbus or you load VST3 plugins?

Well, as you can see, I have no idea about Mixbas, except having heard a very pleasant sound coming from it from some mastered song that are all over the place. Cheers :)
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

In Reason I use UAD2 and Reason plugins. I then export them dry as 24 bit 96khz wav files. I import those into MixBus 32C and add UAD2 plugins to channels, buses and master bus. I have a few templates in MB already setup with the busses loaded up with UAD VST and occasionally Reason Rack plugins.

I don’t use any automation or midi in MixBus. I use occasional automation in Reason.

Rarely ever used MixBus plugins. I do use the MB channel compression / eq / bus drive etc though that’s inbuilt into the mixer.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

that's clear, cheers for your explanations, I will check it out
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by dante »

FYI - links to Automation and External Controller pages in the manual:

https://rsrc.harrisonconsoles.com/mixbu ... automation
https://rsrc.harrisonconsoles.com/mixbu ... controller
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

Very cool info, thanks.
Yes, automation has become a mayor need for me, it solves so many problems and enhances expression in such an important way.

With automation in, Mixbus seems to be a promising mixing environment. They recommend for you to use first just volume, and then, if needed, automation in the video.

I'll let you know once I have experienced some with it, cheers :)
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

Got the demo, a silly hiss noise comes now and then which is bothersome, it would have been better to give you 7 days without this nose, but hey, I understand.

Man, the "sound" it generates is soooo pleasant. "THE GLUE" that comes from Mixbus I have not heard yet in any other plug or app, I have to admit, yes. It is very subtle nevertheless, but soooooo nice. I am surprised I like it that much, because I feel to add it to every modern mix! I believe, nevertheless, this quality of sound it is suitable, most of all, for modern musical conceptions, I don't see it suitable for classical kind of music, maybe I'm wrong.

If you do a nice soup, it will taste good, but if you add some butter and cream to it, being still exactly the same soup, the taste gives you some amazing nuances you will not taste in any other way, this is what Mixbus seems to do to a mix, it adds butter and cream, through a delicious "glue" that is really super attractive to listen at, I am surprised.

Right now, I am thinking of Mixbus more as a big finalizer plugin than as a mixing platform because I do all the mixes in Cubase, eventually and perhaps, in Bitwig 8 tracks in the near future, but as you bring the whole thing already mixed into Mixbus, there is not much room to do more there, except some minor touches. So far, so good, I am nicely surprised, it is true that puts everything together and I would not know how to do it by myself really.
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Re: Mixbus 32C

Post by Nestor »

So far, in my very humble position in regard to the world of mixing and mastering, nevertheless, I would suggest for everybody to try out this app for at least a few days. Really, do it please, it is worth the effort.

I will contradict myself saying there is "something unique" that nothing else that I know or have, can give me when mixing. There is a character, a quality, and this fantastic "glue" that I cannot reproduce with any other thing, or I don't know HOW to reproduce.

I believed Mixbus was just another hype because companies repeat always the same motto or something similar: "Finally, mastering comes to your hands, now you can sound like having a real analog desk, such and such", to try to convince you about their software wonders, and then when I've tried several of them, they were average or just a repetition of most other plugins out there, with the exception of the SSL: https://store.solidstatelogic.com/ which are in a different league, superior to most in my opinion, and some others like iZotope, that are also pretty amazing, very capable and sophisticated in what you can do.

Of course, I could live without Mixbus and mix and master with other options I already have, and I'm sure the final master will sound pretty good anyway, but this "unique" something Mixbus has, honestly, is so nice that you want to use it. I would rather say, "it is very much my cup of tea". It gets into my bone likes.

It is hard to say it is "better" than everything else, that would be fake news, I would say rather, that it has a flavor that totally convinces me and it is delicious and satisfying like very, very few options. For Rock, Jazz, Funk, Songs, Electronic, etc., etc., that would be my preferred finalizer for sure. What a beautiful sound refinement and worth! Cheers :)
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