Harrison Labs MIXBUS User Manual

HARRISON MIXBUS

USER MANUAL

MIXBUS V2.0.2

OS X & LINUX

6-7-11

user manual

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Mixbus User Guide

Harrison Consoles Copyright Information 2011

No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, transmitted, stored on a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of an authorized officer of Harrison Consoles, 1024 Firestone Parkway, La Vergne, TN 37086.

Disclaimer

Harrison Consoles makes no representations or warranties whatsoever with respect to the content of this document and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. We reserve the right to make alterations as technical progress may warrant at the discretion of Harrison Consoles. Harrison Consoles has no obligation to notify any person or entity of any changes and/or revisions to this publication. We reserve the right to change materials and specifications without notice.

Proprietary Information

The information contained in this document is the property of Harrison Consoles. and is proprietary to and a trade secret of Harrison Consoles. This document and the information contained herein and derived therefrom are not to be disclosed to any person without the express written consent of an duly authorized officer of Harrison Consoles.

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Copyright Information Introduction Features & Specifications Installation Getting Started Jack I/O Overview Signal Flow Input Channels Mixbus Channels Master Channel Mixer Conventions & Tips Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Edit Window Overview Mixbux Automation Editing Tools & Modes Object Region Editing Importing Files Exporting Files Clocks & Sync Tempo, Click & Grid Monitoring Locations Window Rhythm Ferret Window Keybindings Window Preferences Mixbus Options Generic MIDI Control Surfaces Logic Control Protocol Keyboard Shortcuts - Linux/Windows Keyboard Shortcuts - Mac Appendix A: FAQ Appendix B: Release Notes Contact Information

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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. Harrison continues to be a major force in the ultrahigh-end professional audio community. World-class film, post and music facilities use Harrison consoles. For more information about Harrison, visit our website at http://www.harrisonconsoles.com.

This document describes the Mixbus “analog console” which Harrison developed for the Ardour DAW. It assumes that you are comfortable with typical Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) conventions and terminology, and Ardour in particular. For more general information about Ardour, please visit http://www.ardour.org. Additional online resources are available from the Mixbus Help menu.

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Section 1.0 - Introduction Mixbus User Guide

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 MRseries music consoles.

• Unlimited stereo or mono input channels (based on available CPU power) featuring EQ, filter, compression, 8 mix bus sends, and mappable plug-in controls on every channel.

• 8 Stereo mix buses (can be used for groups or auxes) featuring tone control, compression, and tape saturation.

• Stereo Master that features tone control, compression, tape saturation, and final limiting.

• K-meter on master output helps you make dynamic, polished-sounding mixes.

• Stereo phase correlation meter indicates mono-compatibility of your mix.

• Plug-in delay compensation to support effects such as parallel compression.

• Sidechain input on mix bus compressors.

• Comprehensive metering with peak, peak hold, and compressor gain reduction visible on every track and bus.

Editor/DAW Features:

• Every track/bus has unlimited pre- and post-fader inserts, sends, and plug-ins.

• Non-destructive, non-linear editing with unlimited undo.

• Fast and intuitive audio editing with “smart” mouse editing modes.

• Dynamic automation of fader, pan, and plug-in parameters.

• Pitch/time stretching, transient detection, and varispeed playback.

• Object-oriented, per-region volume, dynamic volume, crossfade in/out, and mute functions.

• Standard file formats (BWF, WAV, WAV64, AIFF, CAF & more...)

• Supports LADSPA plug-ins and any JACK-supported audio interface (OSX and Linux)

• Supports AudioUnit plug-ins (OSX version only)

• Supports LV2 plug-ins (Linux version only)

• Transport control via Level 2 MMC or MTC (master or slave)

• MIDI CC control with 1 click

System Requirements:

• OSX Intel or PPC Running 10.4*, 10.5, or 10.6.

• Linux system (x86 or x86-64) with working sound and JACK.**

• 2 or more cores. 1Gig+ RAM recommended.

• A 3-button mouse with scrollwheel is required.

• 100 MB available hard disk space.

*on OS X 10.4, system must be fully updated to 10.4.11

**For Linux, an audio-based distribution such as AVLinux, UbuntuStudio, 64Studio, or CCRMA is recommended. But any recent Debian-, Ubuntu-, and Fedora-based distribution should work.

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Section 2.0 - Features and Specifications Mixbus User Guide

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 interconnection of audio between applications. For example, you can use Jack to record the output of Apple Logic

directly into

a Mixbus track for live processing or recording. Mixbus requires that Jack be installed.

Jack is included in your Mixbus application download. If you already have Jack installed on your system, then you can skip the first step of the installer.

Double-click the appropriate version of Jack to install for your system.

As part of the installation process, you will need to provide the Administrator password for your Mac – enter it and click OK.

When updating to a new version of Jack, you should first uninstall the previous version using the uninstaller in Applications/Jack. You can also find additional Jack documentation in this folder.

You can download new versions of Jack, or learn more about it at:

http://www.jackosx.com

Installing Mixbus:

To install Mixbus, simply drag the Mixbus icon to the Applications folder. If you would like Mixbus to be shown in the Dock, then you should open the Applications folder and drag Mixbus to the Dock.

Audio Input and Output, and “Aggregate” devices:

Mixbus is designed to work with professional I/O cards connected via USB, Firewire, or PCI cards. If you are using the internal soundcard on an Intel Mac, you must first create an Aggregate Device which combines the internal microphone and the internal speakers into a single I/O device. While these directions are slightly different for each Apple product, you can follow the directions on the Apple website.

OS X 10.5: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215 OS X 10.6: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956

Aggregate devices also provide a method to use multiple soundcards as a single device. For example, you can "aggregate" 2 different 8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels into Mixbus.

Continue to Download and Install the License File, on the following pages.

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Section 3.0 - Installation Mixbus User Guide

Note: The first time you launch Mixbus, it may take several seconds while it caches the available fonts and plug-ins. After this initial instance, future launches will be much faster.

Note: PowerPC (G4 and G5) users who wish to use the built-in soundcard do not have to create an aggregate device. Users with external soundcards (USB, firewire, PCI, etc) do not have to create an aggregate

device.

Note: Once installed, you do NOT have to use the included Jack control application (JackPilot). Mixbus can control Jack directly via the Audio Setup tab.

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 tested on these distributions as well as vanilla Ubuntu and Fedora. A further list of distributions is at: http://www.linux-

sound.org/distro.html. It is beyond the scope of this document to compare these distributions.

Soundcard (I/O) support:

Support for professional sound I/O is limited on Linux. However there are some excellent options available at various price ranges. Normally, no driver or configuration is needed to use a soundcard if it is supported by your distribution. It is important to choose a distribution that has good pro-audio support.

Unfortunately, support must be determined on a per-device basis. The ALSA project provides a fairly comprehensive list of USB, PCI, and built-in devices. There is a separate list of Firewire devices. When in doubt, check with your distribution's documentation, user forums, or support.

Installing JACK:

Before running Mixbus, you must have Jack installed. Jack is a system service that allows for the interconnection of audio between applications. For example, you can use Jack to record the output of the Hydrogen drum machine directly into a Mixbus track for live processing or recording. Mixbus requires that Jack be installed.

Your Linux distribution must include support for realtime Jack and associated audio I/O hardware. Please verify that your underlying audio system is appropriate for professional audio usage before purchasing Mixbus.

Many modern distributions include a “package manager” utility for installing software from an online repository. JACK can often be installed directly from this utility.

Downloading and Installing Mixbus:

After your purchase, you will receive a link to download the installation package.

You must first unzip the package using your distributions archive utility. Most distributions will allow you to unzip the file by right-clicking on it, and choosing “extract here”.

Once unzipped, a folder will appear with the installer (install.sh). In most distributions, you can double-click this file to launch it directly. If this does not work, then use a Terminal window to “cd” to the folder and execute the script manually.

The installer will detect your system type (32- or 64-bit) and install the correct version of Mixbus, as well as install any needed menu and desktop links to Mixbus. Finally, the installer will check the suitability of your system for realtime audio, and report any problems that it finds.

Continue to Download and Install the License File, on the next page.

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Section 3.0 - Installation Mixbus User Guide

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 dialog when Mixbus launches. If Mixbus reports that your copy is UNLICENSED, please contact Harrison for support.

Unlicensed copies of Mixbus will generate noise from each track input. The noise will increase with each new track added.

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Section 3.0 - Installation Mixbus User Guide

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:

How does audio I/O work in Mixbus, and what is JACK?

Jack is a very advanced program that “lives” in-between your soundcard driver and your audio applications. Jack allows you to route the inputs and outputs of Mixbus into your soundcard. It also allows you to route the audio inputs and outputs of your other applications (such as Ardour, and Hydrogen) to each other and to Mixbus.

One thing to know about Jack: because of its “special” position between your soundcard and other audio software, it runs at a fixed sample rate once it is started. If you want to run a session at a different sample rate, you must first stop, change the settings, and restart Jack.

If you don't want to worry with Jack, you can allow Mixbus to start and stop Jack for you. Mixbus will prompt you for the Jack settings when it starts in the Audio Setup tab. Mixbus will automatically stop Jack when you quit Mixbus. Mixbus will also remember your settings for you. Note, however, that Mixbus does not stop Jack when a session is

“Closed”. Instead, you must completely “Quit” Mixbus and restart it if you want to open a session at a different sample rate.

Creating Tracks for recording

When you are ready to record, you must create tracks. Use the “Add Track/Bus” function which can be found in the Session and Track menus. You can also create tracks by rightclicking in the grey track area under the track headers, or by Importing new tracks from existing audio files.

You can create as many tracks as needed. Mixbus supports Mono and Stereo tracks only. If

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Section 4.0 - Getting Started Mixbus User Guide

In the “New” tab, you can type the name of a new session, choose a folder location, and optionally select a template as a starting point. Any session may be saved as a “session template” which will then be available as an option in the template selector.

In the “Open” tab, you can select any recently-opened session. Double-click the session to open the default session snapshot, or use the triangle expanders to pick a particular snapshot in the session. Use “Browse” to look for sessions on your hard drive.

The Audio Setup tab selects the soundcard interface, sample rate, and buffer size for the session.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A session's sample rate is determined when it is created. If you open a session with a

sample rate other than the rate the soundcard has been initialized with, Mixbus will alert you. There are external utilities available which can convert a session to a new sample rate, but this requires sample rate conversion and may impart subtle artifacts into the recordings. Music projects are typically created at 44.1kHz, while most audio-for-video projects utilize 48kHz.

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 processing or utilitarian tasks such as headphone cue feeds. Busses do not have the processing or delay compensation features of the Harrison Mix Bus Channels. In general, the built-in Mixbus summing engine is sufficient for most bussing needs. But if your project is large enough to need additional bussing, they are available here.

The “Tape” track mode creates tracks which may not be edited, and in which the underlying file is overwritten with new data when recorded into (i.e. destructive recording).

Need Help?

Getting started with a new DAW can be a challenging task. While Mixbus shares conventions with many other popular DAWs, it can still be a little difficult at the beginning. Rest assured that it is worth your time and effort to learn Mixbus.

For technical issues, bug reports, and feature requests, email support is available from Harrison Consoles:

mixbus@harrisonconsoles.com.

If you'd like to chat with other users of Mixbus, you can visit our internet chat area. The easiest way to visit the chat room is to select the Help->Chat menu option from Mixbus. This will open your web browser to a page that allows you to chat with other Mixbus users. If you are unable to open the Mixbus window and see the “Chat” option, just enter this URL directly into your web browser: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=ardour-mixbus

Another mechanism for support is the Ardour forums at: http://www.ardour.org/forums This is a good place to get involved with the open-source aspect of Mixbus; you can be directly involved with new features, bug fixes, and the overall direction of the Ardour DAW.

"Once you have reached the level of a Harrison Console, you are ready for new flights of engineering imagination. Unlimited. Unhaltered. Uninhibited by the bounds of technical obstructions. YOU BECOME THE STUDIO. You are the living extension of the electronic link between the perfect sound and the perfect mas-

ter. You are the ultimate conductor in the universe of recorded music" - Harrison 4032 brochure, circa 1975

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Section 4.0 - Getting Started Mixbus User Guide

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 is created.

• The Auditioner and the Click are connected to the first two physical output ports.

However it is possible to change any or all of these routes using the tools provided in Mixbus, or a third-party routing app such as JackPilot (OS X), Patchage (Linux), or qjackctrl (Linux). Other things that can be routed via JACK include Track Sends, Track Inserts, and Mixbus sidechain inputs.

Track I/O Selections

Track inputs can be assigned directly from the mixer strip, by clicking on the "input" button.

The menu provides these selections:

• Edit: launch the Track Input dialog for this track (see below)

• Disconnect: remove all JACK connections from this track's input

• "in 1" ... "in N": These are shortcuts to the physical soundcard inputs on your system

Similarly, the Master Bus has an "output" button which can be used to select the ports that the master bus output will feed.

Track I/O Editor

The track input editor window allows you to connect any Jack output port to the track/bus input:

• Add/Remove: Add/Remove an additional JACK port to this track. (this is normally disabled in Mixbus, where tracks are either mono or stereo, but it is kept for compatibility with Ardour.

• Disconnect All: Removes all Jack connections to this track's inputs

• in: displays the Jack ports that are connected to this track's input(s). Click on a port name to disconnect it.

• Available connections: There are tabs for your sound

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Section 5.0 - Jack I/O Mixbus User Guide

Note: JACK connections use a floating-point 32-bit format, which means that headroom is essentially unlimit-

ed. You don't have to worry about "clipping" the sound when routing from one application to another. You may route a single JACK output port to several inputs, and an input port can be routed from several different outputs (the summing of these signals is done automatically).

Note: The "shortcuts" won't display a connection to the inputs until

you choose it this way from the menu. So don't be surprised if there's nothing checked in the menu but you are still connected to a JACK port when you view JACK connections in another way.

Tip: Each track/bus also provides

a direct JACK output port. This can be useful if you want to use Mixbus as a multitrack record/playback machine. Every track output can be directly patched to a physical soundcard input or output. To access this feature, click on the track's "name" button and then choose "Direct out". Mixbuses also have this feature which is a good way to create a cue feed to the headphones of the artist.



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.

Track/Bus Inspector

Found under the Window menu, the Track/Bus Inspector allows you to route the track inputs, outputs, and redirects from one convenient location. The tracks/buses are listed on the left, and the right side is similar to the track I/O dialog, but it allows connection to redirects as well.

The Jack Menu

The Jack menu provides some "global" controls over Mixbus's connection to Jack.

• Disconnect / Reconnect: Mixbus can be "disconnected" and "reconnected" with the Jack server. Normally this is only used for troubleshooting.

• Latency: On systems that support it, the latency "buffersize" of the soundcard can be adjusted "on the fly" with these menu entries. A smaller latency setting makes Mixbus feel more responsive, and reduces the delay from soundcard input to soundcard output. A larger latency setting provides less DSP usage, and a more stable system with fewer clicks or glitches, even with a high CPU load.

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Section 5.0 - Jack I/O Mixbus User Guide

Note: If you select the "ardour" tab, you will see that you can select any Mixbus port to feed the track, includ-

ing another track/bus output, or the output of the Master bus. This is a quick way to "bounce" the output from one or more tracks to a single track, or to set up a routing scheme for complicated effects setups. Ardour's routing provides nearly infinite flexibility, but does not guarantee the timing of complicated routing, so please check the timing of any complicated bus setups.

Note: The Mixbus sends, and the Master assign button, are not re-routeable with JACK routing. The mixbus

and master sends are an inherent part of the Mixbus engine. By default, all tracks are connected to the Master bus.

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:

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 strips side-by-side, like a traditional mixing desk.

The Mixer Window may be shown using selections under “Window” or the keyboard shortcut (ex: Alt/Opt+M). The Editor Mixer may be shown and hidden from within the “View” menu or the keyboard shortcut (Shift+E by default).

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Section 6.0 - Overview Mixbus User Guide

Editor Mixer

Editor Window

Plugin Window

Mixer Strips

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 are performed inside the proprietary Harrison's channel plug-in.

In Mixbus, like other audio workstations, each recording track has its own mixer strip. These mixer strips resemble the input channels of a traditional analog mixing console. Input channels can be configured to be mono or stereo and by default include all the DSP processing that makes up a real console channel. This is the major difference between Mixbus and other DAW mixers. No time is wasted searching for and adding the necessary high-quality mixing tools.

Just to the right of the input channels are the 8 mix bus channels. Mix bus channels are used to collect the outputs from the input channels into groups. For example, in a typical music project, you might send the drums to mix bus 1, the vocals to mix bus 2, instruments to mix bus 3, and use mix bus 4 as a parallel effects bus, like reverb. This allows you to easily adjust the relative levels of these groups and apply processing to them.

The master channel is the final mixer strip on the right. Typically, the master channel will be connected to your monitoring system (speaker outputs). The output of the Master channel is the final output of your project i.e. your 2 track master file. This output is rendered to the final .wav file when you export the session.

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Section 6.0 - Overview Mixbus User Guide

Input Strips

Mix Buses

Master Bus

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.

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Section 7.0 - Signal Flow Mixbus User Guide

Hard disk Playback

Hardware

Input

Channel

Input

Polarity

Pre-fader Redirects

Input Trim

EQ / Filters

Dynamics

Fader

Post-fader Redirects

Pan

Master Bus

Assign

Mix Bus Assigns

Direct

Output

Pre-fader

Meter Point

Post-fader

Meter Point

Input

Meter Point

Mono Channel

Pre-fader

Mute

Post-fader

Mute

Main Mute

Hard disk Playback

Hardware

Input

Channel

Input

Polarity

Pre-fader Redirects

Input Trim

EQ / Filters

Dynamics

Fader

Post-fader Redirects

Balance

Master Bus

Assign

Mix Bus Assigns

Stereo Channel

Input

Meter Point

Pre-fader

Meter Point

Direct

Output

Pre-fader

Mute

Post-fader

Mute

Main Mute

Post-fader

Meter Point

Mix Bus

Input

Polarity

Ton e

Dynamics

Fader

Post-fader Redirects

Balance

Master Bus

Assign

Direct

Output

Tap e

Saturation

Pre-fader

Meter Point

Input

Meter Point

Mix Bus Channel

Sidechain

Input

Pre-fader Redirects

Pre-fader

Mute

Post-fader

Mute

Main Mute

Post-fader

Meter Point

Master Bus

Input

Ton e

Dynamics

Fader

Final

Limiter

Master Output

Tap e

Saturation

Pre-fader

Meter Point

Input

Meter Point

Master Channel

Pre-fader

Mute

Pre-fader Redirects

Post-fader Redirects

Post-fader

Mute

Main Mute

Input Trim

K-14

Meter

Phase

Meter

Post-fader

Meter Point

Track Name

Click to rename and other utility functions.

Input Selector

Click to select input for the track from sound card

or app.

Plug-in Controls

Controls from the plug-ins can be mapped here for

quick access. The number of control slots avail-

able depends upon the resolution of the computer

screen. A higher resolution will yeld more slots.

EQ Section

3 Band EQ - The lighted button at the top left

enables or disables the EQ. Each band has +/- 15

dB of boost or cut with a sweepable center fre-

quency.

High Pass Filter (HPF) - 12 dB/oct filter with a

Frequency range of 20Hz to 1kHz.

Master Assign (MSTR) and Pan

Click MSTR button to assign this signal directly to

the master channel. Pan control adjusts Left/Right

image (Mix Buses and Master Bus). Pan is

“balance” for stereo inputs.

Mute, Solo, and Track Slate

Displays the track name and values as knobs are

adjusted. Use Track Name to change the slate.

Ctrl/Cmd+click on slate to change channel width

between narrow/wide in the mixer window.

Input Trim

The input trim knob can adjust the input level with

+/-20dB of gain.

Fader Automation

The button under the meter (“M”) allows the user to

select the fader automation mode – Manual, Play,

Write or Touch.

Fader Level Display

Fader level can also be set by entering a value.

Mix Group (Grp) and Meter Controls

The Grp button allows faders to be assigned to Mix

Groups which link fader, solo, and mute controls.

The meter point button selects between input, pre-

fader and post-fader.

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Section 8.0 - Input Channels Mixbus User Guide

Record Button

Click to arm/disarm the track for recording.

Polarity Invert Button

Click to invert the polarity of the signal.

Pre- and Post-fader redirects

Right-click here to add or remove redirects. Redirects may be sends, insert paths, or plug-ins. Redirects positioned above the “---Fader---” are pre-fader and those positioned below are postfader.

Mix bus Sends

Each send may be enabled or disabled with the lighted button. The level of each send is adjustable from -90 to +15 dB. Note: Mixbus sends are post-fader and post-pan.

Compressor Section

There are 5 controls for the Harrison channel compressor: The lighted button enables/disables the compressor, a threshold slider next to the fader adjusts the threshold of the compressor, a “speed” knob, a knob for make-up gain, and a Mode selector (“L”). The mode may be one of 3 selections: Level, Compress, or Limit. These modes accommodate the most common compression techniques. The bar to the right of the threshold slider shows gain reduction in red.

Peak Meter

A single bar is shown for Mono channels, dual bars for stereo.

Peak Hold Value

Double-click on the peak hold value to clear it.

There are 8 “mix bus” channels. These are fed from the mix bus sends of the input channels.

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Section 9.0 - Mix Bus Channels Mixbus User Guide

Polarity Invert Button

Click to invert the polarity of the signal.

Pre- and Post-fader redirects

Tape Saturation

The pointer meter indicates the amount of saturation that is applied to the signal. Use the “Tape Sat” knob to adjust the signal for the preferred analog tone.

Compressor Section

There are 6 controls for the Harrison mix bus compressor: The upper lighted button enables/disables the compressor, while the lower engages the sidechain. A threshold slider next to the fader adjusts the threshold of the compressor, a “speed” knob, a knob for make-up gain, and a Mode selector (“L”). The mode may be one of 3 selections: Level, Compress, or Limit. These modes accommodate the most common compression techniques. The bar to the right of the threshold slider shows gain reduction in red.

Peak Meter

Mix bus channels are stereo and show dual meter bars.

Peak Hold Value

Double-click on the peak hold value to clear it.

Name button

Click to rename or other utility functions.

Sidechain (SC) input button

Click to select an audio signal which will be routed

into the compressor sidechain.

Plug-in Controls

Controls from the plug-ins can be mapped here for

quick access. The number of control slots available

depends upon the resolution of the computer

screen. A higher resolution will yeld more slots.

Tone section

The lighted button in the the top-left corner is used

to enable or disable the tone controls. Mix bus

channels provides 3 bands of tone control: low

shelving, mid bell, and high shelving.

Master Assign (MSTR) and Pan

Click MSTR button to assign the mix bus signal

directly to the master channel. Pan control adjusts

the Left/Right balance to the master bus.

Mute, Solo, and Mix Bus Slate

Displays the track name and values as knobs are

adjusted. Use Track Name to change the slate.

Ctrl/Cmd+click on slate to change channel width

between narrow/wide in the mixer window.

Fader Automation

The button under the meter (“M”) allows the user to select the fader automation mode – Manual, Play, Write or Touch.

Fader Level Display

Fader level can also be set by entering a value.

Mix Group (Grp) and Meter Controls

The Grp button allows faders to be assigned to Mix

Groups which links fader, solo, and mute controls.

The meter point button selects between input, pre-

fader and post-fader.

Pre- and Post-fader redirects

Correlation (Phase) Meter

Indicates mono compatibility of a stereo signal. When the left and right main buses are in phase the meter deviates to the right. Complete deflection to the left side of the meter indicates 180 degrees out of phase.

Tone section

The lighted button in the the top-left corner is used to enable or disable the tone controls. Mixbus provides 3 bands of tone control: low shelving, mid bell, and high shelving.

Tape Saturation

The pointer meter indicates the amount of saturation that is applied to the signal. Use the “Tape Saturation” knob to adjust the signal for the preferred analog tone.

Compressor Section

Master Peak Meters

Unlike the track and mixbus meters, which can exceed 0dBFS safely, the master output meter will turn yellow when the peak signal approaches -2 dBFS. The built-in limiter is activated at -1 dBFS.

Peak Hold Value

Double-click on the peak hold value to clear it.

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 transparent signal limiter to avoid the distortion that occurs in overly loud digital signals.

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Section 10.0 - Master Channel Mixbus User Guide

Name button

Click to rename or other utility functions.

Note: There is no “input” button for the Master

channel. The input for this strip comes directly from

the mix buses and/or the input channels.

Plug-in Controls

Controls from the plug-ins can be mapped here for

quick access. The number of control slots avail-

able depends upon the resolution of the computer

screen. A higher resolution will yeld more slots.

K-meter

This meter, designed with input by Bob Katz, indi-

cates the average level of the stereo audio signal.

The meter is calibrated to -14dBFS. See

http://www.digido.com/level-practices-part-2-

includes-the-k-system.html for more information.

Master Bus Limiter

The limiter for the main bus can be engaged by

clicking the left button. The right button engages

the look-ahead function of the limiter. Gain reduc-

tion is shown in yellow by the meter above the

slate.

Mute and Master Bus Slate

Displays the bus name and values as knobs are

adjusted. Use Name button to change.

Input Trim

The input trim knob can adjust the input level with

-20dB to +10dB of gain.

Fader Automation

The button under the meter (“M”) allows the user to

select the fader automation mode – Manual, Play,

Write or Touch.

Fader Level Display

Fader level can also be set by entering a value.

Mix Group (Grp) and Meter Controls

The Grp button allows faders to be assigned to Mix

Groups which links fader, solo, and mute controls.

The meter point button selects between input, pre-

fader and post-fader.

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 settings 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 incorporate an “in-on-change” feature. When any knob or fader is clicked and changed, it will automatically enable the control by also setting the “in” or “on” control for that section.

Default Signal Routing:

When you make new tracks, they are automatically assigned to the master channel to allow the signal to be monitored quickly.

Floating-Point processing:

Mixbus uses a floating-point internal architecture, it is possible to exceed 0 dBFS on the channel and mix bus strip meters without ill effects. For this reason there is no colored indication of overly-loud signals on input and mix bus strips.

Unlike the channel and mix bus strip meters, which can exceed 0dBFS safely, the master output meter will turn yellow when the peak signal approaches -2 dBFS. This is an indication that the signal may be affected by the built-in limiter.

Master Bus Volume:

Normally you will use the volume knob provided by your computer or I/O device to control the loudness of your speakers. If you are using the fader of the Master strip to control speaker volume, remember to set the fader to the correct level before you export your project to a .wav file, since the master fader level is applied to the export. Use the K-14 meter to verify that the export volume is at a reasonable level.

Right-click:

Mixbus uses the right mouse button for many, many features. Try right-clicking on tracks, regions, mute buttons, solo buttons, group panes, regions, selected ranges, markers, mixer redirects, clocks, the region list, and the marker bar area. Each will launch a context menu that provides useful features.

"If you asked a hundred engineers, mixers and producers to define the "perfect console" you would probably get a hundred answers. The answers, however, would all contain the same salient points.

The "perfect console" would have totally transparent sound, capturing the true musical quality of all performances. It would have unlimited features, facilities, and functions. It would perform all required tasks with a minimum of operator effort. It would be totally reliable and require no preventive or corrective maintenance... You can spend the rest of your life looking for the "perfect console". You'll never find it. You will find, however, that we have what you need." - Harrison MR20 brochure, circa 1982

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Section 11.0 - Conventions & Tips Mixbus User Guide

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 is post-fader. The signal flow of Mixbus is very flexible: you can order sends, inserts, plug-ins and the fader arbitrarily.

Plug-in Control Sliders

Below the redirect list, there is an area for "Plug-in Control Sliders". Each Slider controls a single parameter from a single plug-in.

When a plug-in is instantiated on a track/bus, all unassigned sliders will be filled with the parameters of the plug-in, starting with the first parameter of the plug-in and continuing to the last. Right-clicking on a plug-in control will provide a menu that allows the slider to be unassigned, or you can choose any plug-in parameter to map to the slider. This allows you to "build" a control panel for the most-used parameters of the plug-in and make them available directly from the mixer strip.

The Redirect Menu

Right-clicking in a redirect box will launch the redirect menu. These choices are available in the menu:

• New Plug-in/Favorites: a list of favorite plug-ins, pre-selected from the Plug-in Manager (see below)

• New Plug-in/Manager: launch the Plug-in Manager (see below)

• New Plug-in/By Creator: a list of plug-ins, sorted by their creator

• New Plug-in/By Category: a list of plug-ins, sorted by type (note: this is only useful for plug-in formats that support this)

• New Insert: create a new Insert (Send and Return)

• New Send: create a new Send

• Activate/Deactivate: activate/deactivate the selected redirect (you can also middle-click (ctrl-alt-click on OSX) any redirect to activate/deactivate it)

• Delete: delete the selected redirect (you can also shift-left-click any redirect to delete it)

• Cut/Copy/Paste: Cut/Copy/Paste the selected redirect

• Rename: Rename the redirect (yes ... even plug-ins)

• Clear: Remove all redirects from this track/bus

• Activate/ Deactivate All: Activate/deactivate all redirects on this track/bus

• Edit: Pop open the editor for the selected redirect (you can also double-click on any redirect to edit it)

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Section 12.0 - Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Mixbus User Guide

Note: The "---Fader---" entry actually encompasses the chan-

nel's fader, compressor, filter, and EQ. See the signal flow diagram for more details.

Note: By default, plug-ins and inserts will be created pre-fader,

while sends will be post-fader. But you can drag them into any order you choose.

Note: The number of plug-in sliders will differ depending on your screen's vertical resolution. The number of

sliders cannot be selected by the user.

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>1 I/O (for mono channels) or 2>2 I/O (for stereo channels)

A summary of plug-in support in Mixbus:

Apple AU plug-ins (supported on OSX only)

AU (Audio Unit) is the native plug-in format for OSX. AU plug-ins may be free or commercial in nature. AU plug-ins nearly always provide a customized GUI. AU plug-ins may require authorization from the developer to use in your system. AU plug-ins are only available for OSX.

LADSPA plug-ins (supported on OSX and Linux)

LADSPA is the "Linux Audio Developers Simple Plug-in Architecture". Simple to develop and usually free, there are nevertheless many LADSPA plug-ins that are quite good. LADSPA plug-ins do not support customized GUIs, they will simply be shown as sliders on a simple window. Being very portable, most LADSPAs are available for all platforms (OSX, Linux and Windows).

LV2 plug-ins (supported on Linux only)

The "next generation" LADSPA plug-ins, LV2 plug-ins will usually have a customized GUI. LV2 plug-ins may be free or commercial. LV2 plug-ins may require authorization from the developer to use in your system. LV2 is portable and plug-ins will likely become available for all platforms in the future. You must use LV2 plug-ins that are compiled for your platform, but there is a method of packaging LV2 plug-ins which bundles one or more platforms into a single plug-in object. This will make LV2 a very popular format in the future.

Steinberg VST plug-ins (no support currently)

VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plug-ins were developed by Steinberg

and are the most common plug-in format on Windows. VST plug-ins can be developed for Windows, OSX, and Linux. Mixbus does NOT support VST plug-ins in any current release, but this is under development.

Digidesign TDM/RTAS plug-ins (no support currently)

RTAS and TDM plug-ins are proprietary formats for ProTools

. Mixbus does NOT support RTAS or TDM plug-ins. It

is unlikely that Mixbus will ever support RTAS or TDM plug-ins.

Windows DirectX plug-ins (no support currently)

The DirectX plug-in API was developed by Microsoft and is the native plug-in format for Windows. Mixbus does NOT support DirectX plug-ins in any current release.

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Section 12.0 - Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Mixbus User Guide

Note: While we have taken care to follow the specifications for each plug-in format, plug-ins are developed

by third-party vendors. This means that Harrison cannot take responsibility for plug-ins that don't work as expected. Please use caution when trying a plug-in for the first time. Verify that all the functions work as expected before committing to using a particular plug-in in a session.

Note: Instrument plug-ins (plug-ins that take MIDI input and convert them it into audio) are currently not sup-

ported.

Latency Compensation

Some plug-ins, particularly complicated FFT-based plug-ins that use techniques such as convolution, can require significant latency (time delay) from the input to the output. This can cause problems if the delayed signal is mixed with a signal that is not delayed. A long delay can cause the tracks to sound "out of time", while a very short delay can cause comb filtering. Mixbus can automatically accommodate plug-in and insert latencies for you. To do this, Mixbus delays the non-affected tracks to match the track with the longest latency. Please be aware of these facts:

• Tracks can accommodate "unlimited" latency by buffering the audio from disk earlier than it is needed.

• Mix Buses are limited to 8192 samples of latency compensation. If the total latency of all plug-ins in a Mix Bus exceeds 8192 samples, then a time offset will occur.

• "Buses" created with the Add Track/Bus dialog (we call these "utility buses") do not support latency compensation.

Inserts are also latency-compensated if they are inserted on a track or Mix Bus. Please see "Insert->Measure Latency", below.

Plug-in Manager

The Plug-in Manager Window provides a rich set of controls for managing your installed plug-ins, and making them quickly available when needed.

• Fav: If this column is checked, the plug-in will appear in the "favorites" shortcut in the redirect menu.

• Hid: If this column is checked, the plug-in will NOT appear in the "by creator" or "by category" shortcut menus

• Search: the search bar allows you to instantly find plug-ins by Name, Type, Category, Author, Library, Favorites or Hidden properties

• Add: This will add the selected plug-in to the list at the bottom. Continue adding plug-ins to the list if you'd like to add more than one plug-in at a time.

• Remove: This will remove the selected plug-in from the list at the bottom.

• Refresh: This will reload the list of plug-ins, if you've added or removed plug-ins from your system since the dialog was first shown.

• Insert Plug-in(s): This will insert the list of plug-ins in the bottom pane to the mixer strip that launched the Plug-in Manager Window

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Section 12.0 - Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Mixbus User Guide

Tip: You should always use the

Search bar when looking for a plugin. Just type the first few letters of the name of your plug-in, and your plug-in will be sorted to the top window instantly.



Sends

When a new send is create, a window for configuring the Send will immediately appear. By default, Sends have no outputs and must be configured as needed. Click "add" to add ports, and connect them to the destination that should receive the output of the send (shown in the second picture, below)

• Add/Remove: adds/removes a Jack port to the send.

• Disconnect All: disconnects all Jack ports (does not remove ports)

• Available connections: This is a list of all the available Jack connection ports, with one tab for each Jack application, and one for the system sound I/O ("system").

After a send has been configured, a double-click on the send will launch the Send Editor:

In addition to the output management, The Send Editor also has a volume slider and a panner (if the number of outputs is > 1).

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Section 12.0 - Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Mixbus User Guide

Note: The number of "ports" created will define the channels of the send. Sends can have 1 (mono), 2 (stereo) or more (multichannel) ports assigned.

Note: Sends are created "deactivated", you must Activate the send before it will work.

Inserts

An Insert incorporates a Jack "send" output and a Jack "return" input. The Insert send/return allows the audio signal to be routed out of a channel and back into it, after performing some external processing. Inserts are often used to "patch in" a piece of outboard gear that is not available as a plug-in.

• Measure Latency: Once your insert is connected to a Jack-aware program, or an external piece of gear, then click this button to measure the latency. If the Insert is used on a track or Mix Bus, this delay will be accommodated automatically.

Outputs

• Add/Remove: adds/removes a Jack port to the insert "send".

• Disconnect All: disconnects all Jack sending ports (does not remove ports)

• Available connections: This is a list of all the available Jack connection ports, with one tab for each Jack application, and one for the system sound I/O ("system").

Inputs

• Add/Remove: adds/removes a Jack port to the insert "return".

• Disconnect All: disconnects all Jack return ports (does not remove ports)

• Available connections: This is a list of all the available Jack connection ports, with one tab for each Jack application, and one for the system sound I/O ("system").

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Section 12.0 - Redirects: Plug-ins, Sends & Inserts Mixbus User Guide

Note: Inserts are created "deactivated", you must Activate the insert before it will work.

Basic Editing Concepts

Users familiar with other DAW conventions will quickly adapt to the recording and editing features of Mixbus.

Creating Tracks

Immediately upon opening the editor, you will probably want to create one or more tracks for recording. Use the Add Track/Bus to create any number of mono or stereo tracks for your session. Alternatively, you can Import existing

audio from the File menu. Finally, if you find yourself starting the same way with each session, you can create a session template which will be available as a starting point next time you start a new session. Snapshots conveniently save your entire editing/mixing session for later recall. Saving a snapshot is instantaneous and takes up essentially no extra disk space (snapshots all share the same audio data on disk).

Track Management

On the far left of the edit window, the Editor Mixer is a single mixer channel strip that “follows” the selected track. The editor mixer can be hidden or shown as needed. To see all of the mixer strips for the tracks and buses on one window, show the Mixer window. Alt/Opt-M toggles between the Mixer and the Editor windows. Mixer strips have an Input button for selection of the physical input that feeds the track. For example if you have 8 tracks but only a 2input soundcard, you must route the inputs to the tracks as-needed. Another way to manage track inputs and out-

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Section 13.0 - Edit Window Overview Mixbus User Guide

Editor Mixer

Track Audio Region

Timeline &

Markers Ruler

Transport

Toolbar

Edit Mode &

Grid Options

Editor Sidebar

Note: Unless otherwise noted, "click" means a left-click. Right and middle-click are called out when specified.

puts from a single interface is the Track/Bus Inspector. From this window you can arbitrarily route tracks and busses between Mixbus I/O's, soundcard I/O's, and other application I/O's.

The right side of the screen is a pull-out drawer which accommodates several different functions. Most panels have a right-click context menu for additional features:

• Tracks/Buses – drag&drop to reorder tracks, or click to show/hide them

• Regions - shows all of the recorded or imported regions. Drag&drop from here into the editor.

• Snapshots – Click a snapshot to recall all of the settings in the snapshot

• Edit Groups – Click the +/- buttons to create edit groups, and enable them

Mixbus supports persistent undo. When you close your editing session the “undo” information is saved with the session. Upon reopening the session, you can still “undo” the edits that happened prior to your closing it. The main session file, and each of the snapshot files in the session folder, have their own persistent undo storage file.

Track and Bus Management in the Editor

On the right side of the edit screen there is an adjustable 'shelf' with tabs. The Tracks/Buses tab is used to manage tracks. You can click on the checkboxes to hide/show tracks, and you can drag/drop the tracks to change their order.

A right-click menu provides these options:

• Hide/Show all

• Hide/Show all tracks

• Hide/show all buses

• Show tracks with regions under playhead (only shows the tracks that have active audio regions right now)

Below the track/bus area, there is a list of the 8 Mixbuses, which can be shown or hidden.

Track and Bus Management in the Mixer

On the left side of the mix screen, there is an adjustable 'shelf' with tabs. The Tracks/Buses tab is used to manage tracks. You can click on the checkbox to hide/show tracks, and you can drag/drop the tracks to change their order.

A right-click menu provides these options:

• Hide/Show all

• Hide/Show all tracks

• Hide/show all buses

• Show tracks with regions under playhead (only shows the tracks that have active audio regions right now)

Below the track/bus area, there is a list of the 8 Mixbuses, which can be shown or hidden.

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Section 13.0 - Edit Window Overview Mixbus User Guide

Note: Normally “snapshots” are used as backup states. You store the snapshot and continue working on the main session. Future “save” operations will apply to the selected session, not the snapshots. If you prefer

that future “save” operations go into the newly-created snapshot, then you'll want to do a “Save As”.

Tip: You can also select tracks in

the editor and use the "Move tracks Up/Down" command from the track menu.



Tip: Ctrl-Alt-Click (Cmd-Opt-Click)

on a track's Mute, Solo, or Rec-

enable to toggle ALL the tracks in a session.



Tip: New in Mixbus 2: You can

Ctrl/Cmd-click on the track's name slate, and make the track wide or narrow. Shift-Ctrl/Cmd-click to make ALL the tracks or ALL the buses narrow/wide.



Using Tracks

To the left of the editing canvas are the track headers. You can select or deselect a track by clicking on the empty area. You may shift-click to select a range of tracks, or Ctrl/Cmd-click to select and deselect individual tracks. Right-clicking the empty track area will open the track context menu. Certain functions such as mute, solo, and record-arm can be applied to ALL tracks simultaneously by

Ctrl-Alt-Shift-clicking (Cmd-Opt-

Shift-click)

. You can manipulate multiple tracks at once by selecting them and then using operations from the “Track” menu in the main application. The 3 horizontal lines in the bottom corner of the track allows it to be resized vertically.

The “P” key on each track allows selection of the track's playlist. Playlists can be used to enable multiple takes in a single track, or the sharing of playlist data across multiple tracks. Some users create a new playlist for each recording “take” while others use Layers to manage takes.

Tracks also support automation of the fader, panner, and other processing parameters including those of plug-ins. The “A” button in each track opens the automation menu which allows editing of automation data. Each parameter has multiple dynamic automation states: Manual, Play, Write, and Touch. These control whether dynamic automation will play back or be recorded while playing. Automation lines can be created and edited with the Object mouse mode. You may also select a Range of automation for deletion, or to raise/lower the selected range.

Groups

Tracks may be assigned to “edit groups” using the G button. When tracks are assigned to an edit group, and the regions align exactly on the start and end times, then all changes to one track will be applied to all other tracks in the edit group, regardless of whether the grouped tracks and regions are selected for editing. This is very convenient for editing multitracked instruments. Another convenience is that some playlist operations (such as “New”) will apply across the edit group. Edit groups are created and enabled in the pullout drawer to the right of the screen.

Recording, Loops and Punch Ranges

Above the recording tracks is the “ruler bar” area. Left-click anywhere in the ruler bars to locate the playhead. You can also locate the playhead to the current mouse location with the “p” key. Right-clicking in each of the “ruler bar” areas will allow you to create location markers (cue points), CD markers, tempo markers, or meter markers. Clicking and dragging in the “range” or “loop punch” ruler bars will allow you to define song ranges, loop ranges, or punch in/out ranges. Right-clicking on the ruler bar names will allow you to show or hide the various rulers.

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Section 13.0 - Edit Window Overview Mixbus User Guide

Tip: Ctrl-Alt-Shift-click (Cmd-Opt-

Shift-click) on a track header will apply the click to ALL tracks. If you click on the track background, it will (de)select all tracks. If you click on the Record, Mute or Solo button, it will apply that operation to ALL tracks.



Note: In addition to edit groups, you can create mix groups from the mixer window. Mix groups allow the same sort of features as edit groups, but they apply to mixing functions such as fader, mute, solo and record-

arm. This is another convenient feature for multitracked instruments.

Navigating in the Editor window: Zooming and Panning

The area of the editor where the regions is shown is called the "canvas". There are several ways to navigate (pan and zoom) the editor canvas.

In the bottom left corner there is a menu to select the zoom focus. There are also 2 buttons, one to increase and one to decrease the zoom level. The "zoom focus" affects the operation of the zoom buttons and the zoom key commands by changing the focal point for the zoom.

Zoom focus can be one of:

• Left: Zoom focus is the left side of the screen.

• Right: Zoom focus is the right side of the screen.

• Center: Zoom focus is the center of the screen.

• Playhead: Zoom operations will center on the playhead.

• Mouse: Zoom operations will center on the mouse position (only makes sense when using the zoom keyboard commands; when buttons are clicked the Playhead is used as zoom focus).

• Edit Point: The active Marker is used as zoom focus. If there is no active marker, then it uses the playhead.

In addition to the scroll bars, there are several scroll-wheel commands that can be used to navigate the editor canvas:

• Scroll: Scrolls vertically.

• Alt/Opt+scroll: Pan the editor canvas left/right.

• Ctrl/Cmd+scroll: Increase/decrease the zoom (note: this always uses the Mouse as zoom focus).

• Shift+scroll: Increase/decrease the height of the track that is currently under the mouse.

The Transport Menu and Toolbar

Many items in the Transport Menu and Toolbar are self-explanatory. For more details click Help->Reference.

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Section 13.0 - Edit Window Overview Mixbus User Guide

Tip: (Linux Only) Clicking in the

timeline area, you can drag up or down to increase/decrease the zoom level (note: this always uses a "zoom focus" of playhead).



Tip: The View menu also has some

useful commands for navigating the edit screen. These operations are very important to learn if you want to navigate the edit screen quickly.

• Zoom to Region: This zooms the timeline to fit the length of the selected region(s).

• Zoom to Region (W&H): This fills the entire edit window with a single region.

• Toggle Zoom state: Toggles to the previous zoom command.

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+ 62 hidden pages

Harrison Labs MIXBUS User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual