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Session Properties
Menu Reference » Session Menu » Session Properties
Session properties are settings for the currently loaded session. These are session-specific controls such as the timecode format, audio file format, and monitoring setup for this session. Menu Options Timecode Tab Sync Tab Fades Tab Media Tab The audio…
Session Archive
Getting Started » Starting a session » Session Archive
Using the “Archive” utiliity, you can create an “Archive” of a session snapshot which automatically compresses the snapshot, the audio+midi files, and other necessary files into a single compressed file. Archive Name: the name of the…
Session Snapshots
Getting Started » Starting a session » Session Snapshots
What is a session snapshot? A “snapshot” is a file that stores the current session settings including the track layouts, audio & midi regions, markers, tempos, faders, EQs, and plugins. Snapshots all share the same audio data in the session…
Session Templates
Getting Started » Starting a session » Session Templates
What is a Session Template? Once you’ve created a session and set up your track routing, plug-ins, etc, you may want to reuse that setup for a future project. A template contains everything except the actual audio and midi data: track layouts, plug-ins, and…
Session Menu
Menu Reference » Session Menu
The Session menu provides the main functions of session management: New: More here Open: More here Recent: More here Close: More here Save: More here Save As: More here Rename: More here Snapshot (& keep working on current session): More…
Starting a session
Getting Started » Starting a session
What is a Session? A “session” is the document type that Mixbus opens and edits. When a new project is started Mixbus will create a session folder where it stores all information regarding that particular project. When a session is saved and later…
Session File Management
Getting Started » Starting a session » Session File Management
Session Folders Every session is stored on your disk as a folder. A session folder contains everything pertinent to the session: Audio files (or links to them), snapshot files, the waveform display cache, your exported mixes (unless the default location has been…
Preferences
Preferences
This page discusses the preference folder. If you would like to learn about the preference window please visit Preference Window Your Mixbus preferences are stored in 2 places: Session->Properties This stores the preferences for the current session For more…
Regions Tab
Editing » Edit Window Overview » The Editor List » Regions Tab
This shows the audio regions that have been recorded or imported into the session. The full-length audio file is shown and the underlying “regions” are the different excerpts from it. You can grab a file, or a region excerpt, and drag it into the…
Power-User Topics
Power-User Topics
Session folder layout Navigating to a session folder will display a series of files and folders: instant.xml : this file stores the most recently-used mouse mode, playhead location, and other transitory information. {snapshot name}.ardour : each of these files…
Playlists
Editing » Playlists
Playlist Overview : A track has a series of Regions on a timeline. Each Region represents a part of a sound file (or MIDI file). The order of these regions, and additional region properties such as gain/controller curves, fades, and mute/unmute status, are stored in…
Meterbridge
Menu Reference » Window Menu » Meterbridge
The Meterbridge can be found under Window>Meterbridge and can be toggled via a check box. The Meterbridge window is a compact and re-sizable view of all meters for all tracks, mix buses and master bus levels available during a session. 10 metering standards are…
Status Bar
Getting Started » Status Bar
The status bar provides information about your Mixbus’s status including current settings and realtime performance indicators. Right-click on the status bar to enable or disable the available displays. File: Audio file format setting (from…
Clean-up
Menu Reference » Session Menu » Clean-up
Bring all media into session folder: !Located under Session>Bring all media into session folder. This important function serves 2 purposes: • Allows portability of sessions • Allows for the archiving of sessions This function will locate all audio and MIDI data…
Transport, Markers, and Rulers
Getting Started » Navigating the Editor Canvas » Transport, Markers, and Rulers
Ruler Bar The ruler bar runs along the top of the edit canvas. A number of timelines can be shown via View>Rulers, or by right clicking in the blank area just to the left of the marker labels. Available Rulers include: Min:Sec : Minutes and Seconds elapsed…
Getting Started
Getting Started
Getting Started (Overview) Mixbus is an editor that works on a document format called a Session. A session is a folder on your hard drive that stores all of your recordings, edits, and mixer settings together. Unlike a word processor, Mixbus does not allow you to…
Templates
Templates
Mixbus allows you to create “Session Templates” and “Track templates” to partially automate your workflow: Session Templates A “session template” is a file that stores all the settings for a session, except for the actual audio,…
View Menu
Menu Reference » View Menu
Maximise Editor Space : when this is enabled, the Mixbus “editor” window will try to make itself fullscreen. The exact behavior will differ depending on your OS version. Maximise Mixer Space Primary Clock > Focus On Clock : the primary clock will…
Snapshots Tab
Editing » Edit Window Overview » The Editor List » Snapshots Tab
The snapshot list: This lists shows the available snapshots in the current session. A “snapshot” is a complete recall all of the track, region, mixer strip, and plug-in information. All of the snapshots share the same session audio data; this means…
Audio Tracks
Recording » Audio Tracks
What is a track? How do I create one? A track is the fundamental building-block of a Mixbus session. You can create new tracks by creating empty tracks ( using the New Track/Bus dialog ) or by Importing existing audio files as new tracks. Mixbus supports audio…
Audio Connections Manager Window
Menu Reference » Window Menu » Audio Connections Manager Window
The Audio Connections Manager window allows you to view all active Audio port connections in your session. This is a global overview allowing you connect any source to any destinations. Destinations and Sources include: Hardware. Audio Tracks MIDI Tracks Audio…
Metadata
Menu Reference » Session Menu » Metadata
Session files include “metadata” which can include information about the project including the composer(s), engineers, etc. Metadata is stored inside the session file in a simple XML format. The Metadata dialog is launched from the Session menu: The User tab…
Exporting Files
Exporting Files
Please watch the following video for an overview of exporting features in Mixbus: Differences between Bounce, Consolidate, and Export Mixbus has multiple ways of “rendering” audio into contiguous audio files. Bounce The least-used method, …
Editing
Editing
In Mixbus, audio and MIDI data is presented as “regions” on a timeline. All editing operations apply to the regions. Some of the things you can do to a region: move it, trim the start/end, set the fade-in/out length, and adjust the gain. Additionally…
Mix Tools
Menu Reference » Track Menu » Mix Tools
What are Mix Tools? In the main menu, under the “Track” menu, you will find several operations which can automate certain tasks that are commonly encountered while mixing. Currently, 4 Mix Tools are provided: Reset Mixer This tool applies to all the…
Importing Files
Importing Files
Importing via Drag&Drop Audio & MIDI Files may be imported to Mixbus by dragging and dropping them from a file browser into the editor window. The file will be imported to the track where it is dragged; if you want to create a new track for the file, then drag the…
Tempo, Metronome, & the Grid
Tempo, Metronome, & the Grid
Defining a Song’s Tempo and Meter Mixbus allows simple creation and editing of a musical time/tempo map for each session. The meter and tempo map is controlled with the Meter and Tempo rulers. To show these rulers, right-click in the ruler area underneath the…
Monitor Strip
Mixing » Monitor Strip
The “monitor section” is a signal path that may be inserted between the master bus in Mixbus and the input of your interface, particularly useful if you do not have a good hardware monitor controller in your setup. The Monitor Section allows you to…
Mute and Solo
Mixing » Mute and Solo
What are Mute and Solo? The simplest explanation of Mute and Solo are: Mute: When enabled, the mute button prevents the track from being heard. Solo: When enabled, the solo button mutes all the tracks except this one. ….but there are many subtleties,…
Tempo Maps
Tempo, Metronome, & the Grid » Tempo Maps
What is a Tempo Map? By default, every Mixbus session starts with an initial Meter marker of 4/4, and an initial Tempo marker of 120 bpm. However, the user may add additional Tempo and Meter “markers” which change the tempo on the timeline. See: Tempo,…
Audio Midi Setup Dialog
Getting Started » Audio Midi Setup Dialog
The Audio Midi Setup dialog appears automatically when you create a “New” session. This step allows you to choose the session’s sample rate, as well as the soundcard settings and other details. *The sample rate that is selected during the initial…
Transport Menu
Menu Reference » Transport Menu
Start/Stop Play > Play Selection Play w/Preroll Start/Continue/Stop Play from Edit Point and Return Play Loop Range Start Recording Stop and Forget Capture: this stops the current recording, and permanently deletes any audio files that were recorded…
Scripting
Scripting
What is a “script”? A “Script” is a text that follows a specific format, and operates like a small program inside the main Mixbus program. This text (or “script”) can be typed inside Mixbus, and immediately used by Mixbus, rather…
Recording MIDI
Using MIDI » MIDI Tracks » Recording MIDI
A step by step guide to record MIDI performance data. 1. Plug in your external MIDI equipment into the input of your MIDI interface or USB connector on your computer. 2. During session set up be sure system MIDI is enabled (CoreMIDI for Mac and MME for…
Regions and Ranges
Editing » Regions and Ranges
Editing in Mixbus is based on two closely related but different ways to select audio in the Editor window: the “Region” and the “Range”. Regions A Region is also commonly called a “clip”. It is a piece of an audio track spanning a…
Preferences Window
Menu Reference » Edit Menu » Preferences Window
The Preferences window can be found under the menu item Mixbus->Preferences in OS X, and under the menu item Edit->Preferences in Windows and Linux. *The Preferences window defines your global preferences, that apply to all of the sessions on your machine. Global…
Track Templates
Getting Started » Adding Tracks and Buses » Track Templates
Track templates store the settings of a track so it can be re-used in another session. Track templates store the track’s name, plugins, and mixer settings ( such as panning, EQ, compressor, and mixbus/master sends ) Creating Track templates: To create a…
Audio Input & Output
Getting Started » Audio Input & Output
Input Mixbus uses an internal audio routing system to make audio connections between Mixbus, your sound I/O, and other parts of Mixbus. With a new session, Mixbus makes these connections: The master bus is connected to the first two physical output…
MIDI Tracks
Using MIDI » MIDI Tracks
What is a track? How do I create one? A track is the fundamental building-block of a Mixbus session. You can create new tracks by creating empty tracks ( using the New Track/Bus dialog ) or by Importing existing audio files as new tracks. Mixbus supports audio…
Transport Toolbar
Getting Started » Transport (Play, Stop, etc) » Transport Toolbar
Transport Toolbar: The Transport Toolbar resides at the top of the main window. The transport buttons (far left) are always available; many of the other elements can be shown or hidden from Preferences->Appearance->Toolbar Transport buttons: The transport…
Locations Window
Menu Reference » Window Menu » Locations Window
The Locations window provides another view of the Location Markers, Loop Range, Punch Range, Ranges, and CD Ranges that appear on the “rulers” of the Editor window. This window allows you to see all of the existing markers in one window with all of the…
External Synchronization
Clocks & Synchronization » External Synchronization
Synchronization Mixbus can synchronize to external hardware or software in three ways: LTC (Linear Time Code, sometimes called SMPTE) fed from an audio input. MTC (Midi Time Code) fed from a MIDI input Midi Clock (sometimes called Midi Beat Clock) fed from a…
Adding Tracks and Buses
Getting Started » Adding Tracks and Buses
Adding Tracks, Buses and VCA’s This section describes how to add tracks, buses, and VCA controls to your session. If you wish to import existing media, you should visit the Importing Files section. What is the difference between Tracks, Buses and…
Primary Windows: Editor and Mixer
Getting Started » Primary Windows: Editor and Mixer
This document will reference the Editor and Mixer windows. These are the two primary windows that are used to operate Mixbus. You can navigate between the two windows using the Editor and Mixer buttons at the top right corner of Mixbus: You can also detach either…
Bundled Plugins (unlicensed)
Bundled Plugins (unlicensed)
Mixbus comes with a number of plugins pre-installed. A few basic plugins do not require any further licensing. The “XT” plugins do require a separate license for each to enable their control panels. When you purchase a license for one of these plugins…
Summary View
Getting Started » Navigating the Editor Canvas » Summary View
The “Summary View”, located at the bottom of the edit window, is a condensed view of the entire session between the “start” and “end” markers. By default, the Summary view is not shown. But you can enable it by visiting the…
Window Menu
Menu Reference » Window Menu
Click on an item to visit the topic Audio/MIDI Setup Editor Mixer Preferences Meterbridge Scripting Toggle Editor+Mixer : a shortcut to switch between the editor and mixer windows (or swap between them, if they are attached to the main…
Mix Tips
Appendix C: Videos (Training and Tutorial) » Mix Tips
Harrison’s Mix Tips Video Series. This video explains side-chaining in Mixbus 3. Harrison’s Mix Tips Video Series. This video explains gain staging in Mixbus 3 This video demonstrates how to use grouping and bussing to enhance your…
Post-Export Command Reference
Exporting Files » Post-Export Command Reference
The “Post Export Command” can be used to operate on files after the export process has completed. command arguments Arguments may be passed to the command interpreter using these aliases: %f Full path and filename of the exported audio file %d Directory…
First Time Configuration
Getting Started » First Time Configuration
First Time Configuration Dialog boxes: The first time you launch Mixbus on your machine, Mixbus will prompt you for a few basic setup options. You can change these preferences later. A welcome message will appear. Click the“Forward” button to…
Groups
Groups
Tracks (and busses) may be assigned to a “group” which imparts some special behaviors. For example, you might want to put the drums in a “group”; in this case, adjusting the fader on one track will apply to the others. What is a Group? A…
Range Editing
Editing » Range Editing
Click above for video instructions. Range editing allows you to select and delete contiguous selections of times, on multiple tracks, without worrying about the individual regions in the track. Once a range is selected, the most common operations are: Delete…
Mixer Window Overview
Mixing » Mixer Window Overview
Mixer Strips – Inputs, Mixbuses, Master, Monitor, and VCA’s. 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…
x42 Whirl
Bundled Plugins (unlicensed) » x42 Whirl
x42-whirl recreates the sound and properties of the electromechanical rotating speaker device that brought world-wide fame to the name and products of Don Leslie. *This plugin requires a license to enable the control panel. To purchase a license, visit…
Master Strip
Mixing » Master Strip
Mixbus provides a single Master channel. The Master channel provides the final output signal for listening via speakers or exporting to wav files. The Master channel has a built-in transparent signal limiter (with look-ahead) to avoid the distortion that occurs in…
Auditioning
Editing » Auditioning
Before you can edit, you must be able to hear what you are editing. Mixbus supports 2 different kinds of auditioning: Auditioning a raw sound file or region with the “Auditioner Path”: Mixbus provides a secondary audio path called the…
Plug-in Tags
Plug-ins » Plug-in Tags
Tagging Plug-ins Introduced in the version 5 update, plug-in tagging allows the user to append their entire collection of plug-ins with an arbitrary amount of tags to make plug-ins easier to find across all of Mixbus’ interfaces. The new Plug-in manager: …
Region Menu
Menu Reference » Region Menu
This menu give the user access to many editing features for regions or tracks in the canvas. The region you intent to work with must first be selected or the menu selections with be grayed out. Region menu includes: Insert Region From Region List : If a region is…
Gain Staging
Mixing » Gain Staging
Click above for video instructions. What is Gain Staging in Digital Audio? Digital audio represents the audio waveform as a series of numbers, each number indicating a voltage in the electrical signal when it was converted from (or to) an analog signal. More…
Pre-Roll Recording
Recording » Pre-Roll Recording
What is Pre-Roll Or Count-In Recording? These recording modes allow the user to hear some prior material, or a count-in, before recording is initiated. *Another benefit of recording with pre-roll is that Mixbus is actually capturing your signal during the count-in…
Mixbus Conventions & Tips
Getting Started » Mixbus Conventions & Tips
General Conventions Over 40 years, Harrison developed a methodology for our user interfaces. We aim to make the easy things very easy, while keeping the hard things possible. If you are going to access a feature hundreds of times each day (like: boost the bass, or…
Installation – Linux
Installation » Installation – Linux
*A note about Linux distributions (distros): While an expert system administrator can adapt nearly any distro 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 distro’s are designed…
What’s New in 32C v6
Mixbus 32C » Differences between Mixbus and Mixbus 32C » What’s New in 32C v6
Mixbus 32C v6 adds the following new features and improvements: 5th generation processing engine including latency compensation and cue-monitoring. Mixbuses 1-8 can now assign to mixbuses 9-12, permitting their use as dedicated FX buses or matrix…
Scrolling and Zooming in the Editor Window
Getting Started » Navigating the Editor Canvas » Scrolling and Zooming in the Editor Window
Scrolling The editor canvas may be scrolled up/down and left/right to display a different selection of tracks or time on the timeline. Vertical Scrolling Mouse Wheel: The primary method of vertical scrolling is the mouse scroll wheel ( or the 2-finger drag,…
Editing MIDI Regions
Using MIDI » Editing MIDI Regions
A MIDI region is exactly like an audio region, except that the information inside the region is MIDI performance data, not audio. *In the same way that audio regions have underlying audio files that are actually stored on disk, a MIDI region has a MIDI file in the…
Mackie MCU-compatible fader controllers
External Control » Mackie MCU-compatible fader controllers
Mixbus supports fader controllers that use the Mackie “MCU” protocol To use a Mackie control device, you must follow these steps: Consult the device’s manual, and configure the device for “Mackie Control” protocol ( not HUI ) Open…
Installation – OS X
Installation » Installation – OS X
Installing Mixbus: Mixbus provides 2 packages for Mac OSX: 64 bit ( for Intel Mac computers running 10.7 or newer ) 32 bit ( for Intel Mac computers running 10.6.8 ) !If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Mixbus (v2.x or v3.x) it is advisable to keep your…
Multichannel instruments
Using MIDI » Virtual Instruments » Multichannel instruments
Some virtual midi instruments provide more than stereo outputs. This allows (for example) a drum instrument to provide a separate output for each virtual “microphone”. Mixbus provides 2 multichannel “drum” instruments: “Black Pearl…
Edit Window Overview
Editing » Edit Window Overview
Basic Editing Concepts Users familiar with other DAW conventions will quickly adapt to the recording and editing features of Mixbus. *LOGIC users: you will notice that dragging a region to the blank area below the editor tracks will automatically create a new…
Installation – Windows
Installation » Installation – Windows
Mixbus on Windows uses the Windows standard installation process. Double-click the installer to launch the process, and follow the directions for a “Typical” installation. This will install Mixbus to the default location. As of v4.0, the Mixbus installer is not…
Snap and Grid
Editing » Snap and Grid
What is “Snap” and “Grid”? “Snap” will cause mouse drags to jump to the nearest snap setting. Snap can be set to multiple options: markers, region start/ends, and the grid. ( those are all enabled by default. change them in prefs ) Grid…
Object (Region) Editing
Editing » Object (Region) Editing
Click above for video instructions. Object (Region) Editing The basic element of audio editing in Mixbus is the Region. Another common name for a Region is a “clip”. A region represents an audio file (or a portion of an audio file) on disk. Regions can…
Audio Time vs Music Time
Tempo, Metronome, & the Grid » Audio Time vs Music Time
What is the difference between Audio time and Music time? Audio time ( or “real” time ) is the length and tempo of a performance as executed and recorded. Whereas “music” (BBT, for Bar-Beat-Tick) time is a series of arranging data (notes and…
Plug-ins
Plug-ins
Plug-ins *This chapter covers the general principles of plug-ins in Mixbus. To learn about using plugins in your mix, visit Using Plug-ins Mixbus can load plug-ins in several formats, depending on your platform. Mixbus can only use plug-ins that meet these…
Video
Video
Mixbus can load a (single) video file to associate with the session. The video reference is displayed in a ruler above the editor, and (optionally) also shows moving video in a separate video window. Mixbus does not allow editing of the video. However, you can…