However, there are also some obvious extras that you will need to budget for, such as reverb and delay plug–ins, and virtual instruments. The entry price of $79 thus gets you a lot of recording software for the money: the DAW/sequencer environment itself along with all the processing options offered by the virtual mixer, Harrison’s own envelope designer plug-in, a simple organ virtual instrument and a collection of 50 MIDI filter plug–ins. The underlying audio engine has also undergone some redevelopment and, in line with users’ expectations for most modern DAW/sequencers, Mixbus 3 now exploits multi–core processing and is available in both 32–bit and 64–bit builds. Harrison also market plug–ins in their own open–source LV2 format, and LADSPA (Linux Audio Developer’s Simple Plug–in Architecture) plug–ins are also supported on all platforms. The Mac OS X version can host Audio Units plug–ins, while the Windows and Linux versions feature VST support (which is forthcoming on OS X too). What this means is that, as well as Harrison’s highly regarded audio engine with its ‘True Analog Mixing’, you now get support for unlimited MIDI tracks and virtual instruments. Mixbus 2 thus gave us Windows and Linux versions, while in the new version 3, MIDI is the obvious headline addition. ![]() Harrison were obviously aware that the appeal of Mixbus could be widened with support for additional computer platforms, MIDI and virtual instruments. Mixbus was, therefore, perhaps aimed at a very specific target audience that wanted the ethos of a more traditional, audio–only recording environment - version 1 didn’t support MIDI tracks or virtual instruments - where the emphasis was of the quality of the sound rather than on simply making the feature list as long as it could possibly be. The result was a computer DAW where the focus was on replicating both the workflow and sound of Harrison’s mixers in a convenient and cost–effective software format. Version 1, which was available for Mac OS X only, was very much designed around Harrison’s expertise in the construction of large–format, high–end mixing consoles, many of which are found in top film and television production suites. Priced at $79 and first reviewed in the May 2010 issue of SOS, Harrison Mixbus is a proprietary extension of the open–source Ardour project, and offers another low–cost yet well–featured alternative to the obvious market leaders. The grass has to look unbelievably green on the other side for people to consider switching to a different DAW. Equally, once a user has invested both time and money in a particular DAW/sequencer product, the prospect of jumping ship to a competing product can be a daunting one. There are a small number of products that, for reasons of history, are perhaps considered the ‘professional’ choices. This is also a product category that has considerable inertia. ![]() It used to be the case that getting access to a top–flight DAW/sequencer meant paying top dollar, but in more recent years, we have seen the appearance of several low–cost options that are equally well-featured, such as Reaper and Tracktion. If anyone can provide a logical explanation for the way computer–based recording software is priced, I’m all ears. ![]() Harrison’s Mixbus offers large–format console sound at a budget price, and the addition of MIDI and third–party plug–in support broaden its appeal considerably. The Mixer window in Mixbus 3 sees Harrison's large-format console design recreated in software.
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