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HARRISON MIXBUS
USER MANUAL
MIXBUS V2.0.2
OS X & LINUX
6-7-11
user manual
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T Ta ab blle e o of f C Co on nt te en nt ts s Page Section Heading Number ---- Copyright Information 2 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Features & Specifications 4 3.0 Installation 5 4.0 Getting Started 8 5.0 Jack I/O 10 6.0 Overview 12 7.0 Signal Flow 14 8.0 Input Channels 15 9.0 Mixbus Channels 16 10.0 Master Channel 17 11.0 Mixer Conventions & Tips 18 12.0 Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts 19 13.0 Edit Window Overview 24 14.0 Mixbux Automation 28 15.0 Editing Tools & Modes 30 16.0 Object Region
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1 1. .0 0 I In nt tr ro od du uc ct tiio on n Mixbus - Bringing real console mixing to the DAW Welcome to Mixbus! Mixbus is an “analog console” that has been incorporated into a Digital Audio Workstation. The Mixbus engine was developed in-house at Harrison Consoles, where we have been designing high-end digital and analog consoles for over 30 years. Many influential works such as Michael Jackson's Thriller (the best-selling album of all time) were recorded and/or mixed on Harrison consoles.
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2 2. .0 0 F Fe ea at tu ur re es s & & S Sp pe ec ciif fiic ca at tiio on ns s Mixer Features: • Precision DSP algorithms developed by Harrison and used on their world-renowned large format digital mixing consoles. Mixbus also incorporates elements from the rich history of Harrison analog designs. Mixbus has been optimized to provide a classic Harrison “analog” sound. • Straightforward “what you see is what you get” mixer layout based on Harrison's renowned 32-series and MR- series musi
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3 3. .0 0 I In ns st ta alllla at tiio on n Installation - OSX Because Mixbus is a professional product which is intended to be interconnected with other professional products, it requires attention to your system setup before it is ready for use. Installing JACK: Before running Mixbus, you must install the Jack package. Jack is a system service that allows for the interconnec- TM tion of audio between applications. For example, you can use Jack to record the output of Apple Logic directly in
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3 3. .0 0 I In ns st ta alllla at tiio on n Installation - Linux A note about Linux distributions: While an expert system administrator can adapt nearly any distribution for use with Mixbus, it is easier for most users to start with a distro that is designed for use in high-performance audio. Some distributions that are designed for audio include AVLinux, UbuntuStudio, and 64Studio. Mixbus has been test- ed on these distributions as well as vanilla Ubuntu and Fedora. A further list of distrib
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3 3. .0 0 I In ns st ta alllla at tiio on n Installation – All Platforms Download and Install the License file: Once purchased through the store, you should receive an email with a download link for your license key. Please download the file and save it to your Desktop (the Home folder and Downloads folder will work, too). When launched, Mixbus will find the license file and convert it to a hidden file in your home folder. The license file is used to display your name in the New Session dialo
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4 4. .0 0 G Ge et tt tiin ng g S St ta ar rt te ed d Getting Started When Mixbus is first started, you will be presented with the “Audio Setup” dialog. On future launches, you will be presented with 3 tabs in the New Session Dialog: In the “New” tab, you can type the In the “Open” tab, you can select The Audio Setup tab selects the name of a new session, choose a any recently-opened session. soundcard interface, sample rate, folder location, and optionally Double-click the session to open and
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4 4. .0 0 G Ge et tt tiin ng g S St ta ar rt te ed d you have created some track templates, the templates will appear as additional choices in the “Channel Configuration” menu. Mixbus also allows the creation of busses which may be used to combine tracks together into groups for further pro- cessing or utilitarian tasks such as headphone cue feeds. Busses do not have the processing or delay compensa- tion features of the Harrison Mix Bus Channels. In general, the built-in Mixbus summing engi
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5 5. .0 0 J JA AC CK K I I/ /O O About JACK Mixbus uses an internal audio routing system called "JACK" to make audio connections between Mixbus, your sound I/O, other programs, and even between parts of Mixbus. In many cases, you can use Mixbus without ever being aware of JACK connections. By default, Mixbus makes these routes: • The master bus is connected to the first two physical output ports. • Track/Bus inputs are assigned sequentially from the physical inputs whenever a new track/bus
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5 5. .0 0 J JA AC CK K I I/ /O O I/O ("system") and any Jack-aware applications that are currently running, including Mixbus ("ardour"). Under each tab is a list of Jack ports. Click on any port name to connect it to the currently selected input. • Rescan: If any new Jack applications were launched since the dialog was created, click Rescan to show the new state of the software. Note: If you select the "ardour" tab, you will see that you can select any Mixbus port to feed the track, includ
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6 6. .0 0 O Ov ve er rv viie ew w Mixbus - Editor and Mixer Windows This document will reference the Editor Window, the Mixer Window, and the Editor Mixer. The image below indicates the areas that are being referred to: Editor Window Mixer Strips Mixer Window Plugin Window Editor Mixer A Mixer Strip is a vertically-aligned group of controls which affect a single track or bus. The Editor Window can show a single mixer strip in the Editor Mixer, while the Mixer Window shows all of the mixer stri
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6 6. .0 0 O Ov ve er rv viie ew w Mixer Window When viewed in the Mixer Window, Mixbus resembles a traditional analog console. Input Channels are on the left, while the busses and master are located on the right side. The audio signal flow is generally left-to-right. The signal starts at the input channels (which might be live inputs or playback tracks), progresses through the mix buses, and into the master. The channel’s EQ, Filter, Compressor, panning, bus summing, and master bus processing
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7 7. .0 0 S Siig gn na all F Fllo ow w While it is possible to add additional “utility” buses using the Mixbus editor, most users will find that the built-in Mixbus signal flow is adequate for all but the most complicated projects. Hard disk Hardware Hard disk Hardware Playback Input Playback Input Input Input Input Meter Point Meter Point Meter Point Master Bus Channel Channel Input Input Input Input Meter Point Mix Bus Pre-fader Polarity Polarity Input Mute Pre-fader Pre-fader Pre-fader Pol
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8 8. .0 0 I In np pu ut t C Ch ha an nn ne ells s Track Name Record Button Click to rename and other utility functions. Click to arm/disarm the track for recording. Input Selector Polarity Invert Button Click to select input for the track from sound card Click to invert the polarity of the signal. or app. Pre- and Post-fader redirects Plug-in Controls Right-click here to add or remove redirects. Controls from the plug-ins can be mapped here for Redirects may be sends, insert paths, or plug-ins
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9 9. .0 0 M Miix x B Bu us s C Ch ha an nn ne ells s There are 8 “mix bus” channels. These are fed from the mix bus sends of the input channels. Name button Polarity Invert Button Click to rename or other utility functions. Click to invert the polarity of the signal. Sidechain (SC) input button Pre- and Post-fader redirects Click to select an audio signal which will be routed Right-click here to add or remove redirects. into the compressor sidechain. Redirects may be sends, insert paths, or
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1 10 0. .0 0 M Ma as st te er r C Ch ha an nn ne ell Mixbus provides a single Master channel. The Master channel provides the final output signal for listening via speakers or exporting to wav files. In addition to the features listed below, the Master channel has a built-in trans- parent signal limiter to avoid the distortion that occurs in overly loud digital signals. Name button Click to rename or other utility functions. Pre- and Post-fader redirects Note: There is no “input” button for
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1 11 1. .0 0 M Miix xe er r C Co on nv ve en nt tiio on ns s & & T Tiip ps s Mixbus Knobs and Faders: • When a knob is in the “default” position, the indicator is very dim. This allows you to scan the mixer for set- tings that are not at default. • Mixer strip knobs can be double-clicked to instantly return them to their default value. • Holding Ctrl/Cmd while turning the knob provides a fine-adjust mode, while Shift+Ctrl/Cmd allows super fine adjustments. • Mixbus knobs and sliders inc
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1 12 2. .0 0 R Re ed diir re ec ct ts s: : P Pllu ug g- -iin ns s, , S Se en nd ds s & & I In ns se er rt ts s Redirects The black box at the top of each channel strip is the "redirect box". Mixbus uses the term "redirect" for the items that can be inserted into a channel strip: plug-ins, sends, and inserts. In the picture to the right, the track has a reverb plug-in, an insert, and a send. The reverb and the insert are pre-fader (because they are above the fader entry) while the send
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1 12 2. .0 0 R Re ed diir re ec ct ts s: : P Pllu ug g- -iin ns s, , S Se en nd ds s & & I In ns se er rt ts s Plug-ins Mixbus can load plug-ins in several formats. Mixbus can only use plug-ins that meet these criteria: • The plug-in must be a supported format on your platform (see below) • The plug-in must be installed in the standard folder for your platform. • The plug-in must be compiled for your platform. (Intel/PPC, OSX/Linux, 32-bit/64-bit) • The plug-in must support either 1>
