Frequently
Asked
Questions
Is there a downloadable demo for Mixbus?
Does Mixbus support MIDI
sequencing or virtual instruments?
No,
Mixbus does not currently support MIDI sequencing or MIDI
instruments.
On Linux and OSX, Mixbus supports MIDI for transport and mix
control.
MIDI sequencing is underway for a future release. Users wishing
to
join in the development process can try the Ardour3 beta releases.
What is JACK?
JACK is a powerful
system service that allows applications to route audio between each
other, the soundcard, and even the internet. On Linux, JACK is
pre-installed on systems with realtime audio performance. On
OSX, JACK is installed on the system as part of the Mixbus
installation process. On Windows, a simplified version of JACK is
installed for use by Mixbus, which other applications do not
see. Please note that the
user does not have to aware of JACK. Mixbus performs all
of the setup and operation of the JACK server using its "Audio Setup"
dialog, and handles audio routing using its own methods.
Why does Mixbus require a
3-button mouse and fullsize keyboard?
Mixbus is a
professional application that operates
most efficiently if
functions are immdiately accessible.
Mixbus
uses the middle-click button to quickly enable and disable plugins
among other features. The scroll wheel is used for zooming and
panning
in the editing canvas. The right-click button provides popup
context
menus. Many OSX laptops in particular do not support right- or
middle-
clicking very well. So we suggest that users purchase an
inexpensive
USB 3-button mouse for operation with Mixbus.
Similarly,
Mixbus has a very wide range of editing functions available. A
full-function keyboard with number pad will allow the user instant
access to many more features than a typical laptop keyboard
allows. We
suggest that users find an inexpensive full-size USB keyboard for use
with Mixbus.
Does Mixbus use an iLok or
other hardware copy protection?
Mixbus does
not utilize hardware copy protection.
What are the "well known
flaws" of other workstations?
It is our
opinion that the "gross" defects in many
workstations include
internal clipping, lacking dither stages in the DSP processing,
insufficent ramping of dsp coefficients, multiple
bit-depth/format conversions, out-of-control gain stages causing
plugins to work outside their intended range, routing choices that
cause latency/timing errors, inability to see meters such as compressor
gain reduction without opening the plugin dialog, and poor
user-interface integration.
Of course different
workstations will exhibit these problems
to different degrees. Our goal was to design a mixer using the
"best practices" that we have developed over the course of 30
years. Multiple subtle design decisions, accumulated over a long
history, allows Mixbus mixes to sound better than other DAWs.
Does Mixbus have a video
player window? How do you sync to picture?
Mixbus does
not currently have a video player
window. This
feature is under development.
On OSX, there is a free video player
called Jadeo which is
available here: http://mir.dnsalias.com/oss/xjadeo/osxjadeo
On Linux, you can install xjadeo
using your distribution's package manager.
Mixbus
will synchronize via JACK to any JACK-enabled application. There
are
many JACK-enabled apps that provide adio processing, MIDI sequencing,
video editing, or other functionality. For example, future
releases of Blender, the free
cross-platform
open-source 3d rendering and video editing tool, will synchronize the
timeline with Mixbus via JACK. Availability will vary depending
on
your operating system.
What audio file formats are supported?
Mixbus can record files in these formats,
using selectable
16bit, 24bit, or 32bit (float) precision :
- WAV
- Broadcast WAV
- WAV64
- AIFF
- AU
Import file formats supported by
libsndfile ( all platforms )
- WAV and Broadcast WAV (Microsoft)
- AIFF/AIFC (SGI,Apple)
- AU/SND (Sun, DEC, NeXT)
- RAW (Headerless)
- PAF (Paris Audio File)
- IFF / SVX (Commodore Amiga)
- WAVE (Sphere Nist)
- SF (IRCAM)
- VOC (Creative)
- W64 (Sound forge)
- MAT4 (GNU Octave 2.0)
- MAT5 (GNU Octave 2.1)
- PVF (Portable Voice Format)
- XI (Fasttracker 2)
- HTK (HMM Tool Kit)
- CAF (Apple)
- SD2 (Sound Designer II)
- FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
- Ogg (Ogg/Vorbis)
Additional import file formats supported
on OSX:
- AAC (.aac, .adts)
- AC3 (.ac3)
- AIFC (.aif, .aiff,.aifc)
- Apple Core Audio Format (.caf)
- MPEG Layer 3 (.mp3)
- MPEG 4 Audio (.mp4)
- MPEG 4 Audio (.m4a)
- NeXT/Sun Audio (.snd, .au)
What kind of controllers work with Mixbus?
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