Mixbus32C is a full-featured music production package that improves on the Mixbus platform with more creative tools and exact emulation of the legendary Harrison 32C analog console.

If you are striving to create "in the box" mixes that sound like a hit record, Mixbus32C is the music production software for you!

"Within the first 5 seconds I knew! That's all it took. It was big, it was phat, it was round, it was analog. It had an analog feel to it and you could tell immediately! Immediately it was there, without doing anything."

- Bobby Owsinski (credits: Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Pantera, Willie Nelson, Elvis, Neil Young, Iron Maiden, The Ramones, and Chicago)

The Harrison 32C Analog Legacy

The original Harrison 32C analog console was used on records by Michael Jackson “Thriller”, Paul Simon “Graceland”, Janet Jackson, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, ELO, Genesis, Blondie, and Supertramp to name a few, and was instrumental in establishing the sound of those amazing records. Many of those consoles are still in operation throughout the world.

Operational Advantages

Because of the way the Mixbus32C mixer page is laid out, the most commonly used controls are displayed and are accessible at all times using a rich, high contrast, GUI design that gracefully and accurately emulates the original hardware version of the Harrison 32C console. This traditional layout not only looks good but allows the engineer to approach the console as if it were a musical instrument, directly affecting the art of mixing and contributing greatly to the success of any given mix.

Analog Performance

Harrison has pioneered the use of high-performance computer technology over the last 20 years to provide unmatched processing power in the world’s largest mixing environments. By keeping up with these incremental technological steps through the decades, Harrison can now faithfully emulate the beautifully-designed analog signal processing designs of the past and incorporate them into a full function “True Analog” mixing console within the digital audio workstation environment.

More Equalization

Each Mixbus32C channel strip incorporates an exact emulation of the original Harrison 32C parametric four-band sweepable EQ with a separately switchable filter section including second order high-pass and low-pass filters. Every component of the circuit was included in the modeled. It was impossible to run this complex DSP on every channel strip just 5 years ago.

More Buses

Mixbus32C provides 12 stereo mix buses, each with individual level control, latency compensation, and associated master channel incorporating the highly successful Harrison tape saturation, bus compression, and tone control functionality.

Highlighted Features

  • Straightforward “knob per function” mixer layout based on Harrison’s renowned music consoles.
  • Precise emulation based on Harrison’s famous analog console circuit designs.
  • Precision algorithms for EQ, Filter, Compression, Analog Tape Saturation, and Summing.
  • The Mixbus engine is internally dithered, ramped, and gain staged so that sound quality is preserved as close to analog as possible.
  • Unlimited stereo or mono input channels, each with unlimited plug-ins, sends, and hardware inserts. (limited only by CPU and disc speed).
  • Unlimited MIDI tracks, each with virtual instrument support, unlimited plug-ins, sends and inserts.
  • Polarity, Input trim, Sweepable 4-band EQ with second order HP and LP filters, Compression, and 12 mix bus sends on every track
  • Mixbus32C has an optimized signal flow with 12 stereo mix buses and a master bus, all featuring Tone controls, Compression, Sidechaining, and Analog Tape Saturation simulation
  • Stereo Master Bus that features Tone controls, Analog Tape Saturation, K-meter, Stereo Correlation Meter, and Limiter.
  • Automatic plug-in delay compensation to support effects such as parallel compression without time misalignment.
  • Comprehensive “at-a-glance” metering with peak, peak hold, and compressor gain reduction visible on every track and bus.
  • Extensive DAW editing features including “Smart Tool”, Ripple Edit, and configurable keybindings for nearly every operation.
  • Industry standard plug-in support: Mixbus loads AudioUnit (AU) plug-ins on OSX; and VST3, VST and LV2 plug-ins on all platforms.
  • Mixbus provides professional features such as Loudness Analysis (dBTP+LUFS+LU Range), LTC (SMPTE) generation and sync; video pullup/pulldown.
  • Persistent undo (undo remains possible after closing and reopening a session).
  • Latest generation of  Harrison’s “True Analog Mixing™” processing engine with enhanced compressor/limiter algorithms; built-in sidechain bussing, and increased plug-in flexibility.
  • Support for video timeline, video window, and audio+video exports.
  • Recording operates like a tape machine: Punch-in on the fly, and use per-track input monitoring just like a multitrack tape machine.
  • Extensive export features including multitrack stem export, simultaneous multi-format exports, multiple export ranges, CD track markers, silence trimming, normalization, and command-line arguments to trigger third-party encoders or file-management scripts.
  • Audio regions are stacked in “layers”, and every region fadein/out is a crossfade to the region(s) beneath it.
  • Plugin “pin connection management” provides rich editing of signal-flow through each channel’s path, including full support for dual mono, mono-to-stereo, sidechaining, and other advanced flows.
  • The user interface scales to fit your monitor; larger monitors will get bigger knobs and sharper text.
  • Refined workflow and graphics, including scaling and support for HiDPI (Retina) displays.
  • Generic MIDI devices can use “MIDI Learn” to assign MIDI controls directly to on-screen knobs or use MIDI profiles to select many pre-configured device layouts from a pull-down menu.
  • Mackie control protocol is provided for motorized fader controllers, and the Mackie protocols have been extended to ergonomically control the Mixbus channelstrip EQ, compressor, and 8 mixbus sends. Dedicated support is provided for popular devices like the Presonus Faderport, Mackie MCU, and Behringer X-Touch controllers.
  • OSC (Open Sound Control) protocol supports ethernet-based wireless tablet controllers such as TouchOSC and Lemur for iOS and Android to remote-control Mixbus.
  • Lua Scripting: Use the Lua scripting language to automate tasks such as track creation, renaming tracks, adding plugins, or creating “macro” operations.
  • VCA Faders: Use VCA faders to control multiple channel faders at once. A fader can be assigned to multiple remote VCA faders, adding another powerful dimension of control and organization to your mixes.
  • Tempo Ramps and Tempo Maps: Use advanced features to map your live recording’s tempo and structure (no need to record to a click!) – or import a tempo map from MIDI.
  • Clip launching via the “Cue” page: Drag, drop and launch clips using included content or clip content you create. Integrate Clip launching on the Editor timeline for more creative production.

New in Version 9

  • What’s in v9 ?
    • The first major upgrade to the Mixbus32C mixer since its inception 7 years ago: we’ve updated the sound, look, and operation of the mixer page.
    • A new high-contrast design with an expanded look and feel of a full-featured analog console strip.
    • A re-engineered 32C EQprovides an even more accurate recreation of the original 1975 analog circuit, with updated EQ curves and a more accurate text representation of the frequency and gain in the channelstrip text display.
    • A newly updated full-featured Compressor on every channel and mixbus, providing all of the sound and control you would expect in a standalone compressor while retaining the popular “mode” selections found in previous versions of Mixbus.  The new Emphasis knob allows you to access more vintage character by allowing the compressor to react more quickly to harsh sounds.  The result is smoother mixes!
    • A new full-featured Gate/Expander can tame the bleed in your live tracks, or add more expressive and dynamic articulation to pre-recorded loops and sounds.
    • A new “Drive”feature on every input channel strip can add harmonic density to bass and vocal tracks, which helps them stand out in a busy mix.
    • A high-pass filter on the mixbus ‘tone’ equalizer allows you to filter your instrument groups and effects without visiting each track in the group.  Filtering the bass from unnecessary elements helps to keep your mixes clean and focused.
    • 2 Tape Saturation colors are now provided for all of the 12 mixbuses, allowing you a choice of 2 different colors (‘yellow’ and ‘orange’) as well as the ability to disable the tape saturation entirely by disabling both buttons.  The new ‘orange’ mode provides a richer harmonic profile than the old tape saturation, and retains more low end when you drive it hard.
    • The Master Bus compressor has been re-voiced to work together with the final limiter.  Instead of 3 modes, we now provide a carefully voiced master-bus ‘glue’ compressor with a progressive ratio, the new Emphasis knob, and internal 3-stage compression that follows your track dynamics to gel your mix.
    • The Gate and Compressor gain-reduction are shown next to the fader in an innovative reciprocal push/pull action which provides great feedback ‘in context’ without having to open any plugins or even the channelstrip element.
    • Mixbus now supports multiple optional busses (when defined by a VST3 plugin) and can create appropriately named tracks. Mixbus informs the plugin about the user’s configuration, and smart VST3 plugins can now adapt when your track signal-flow changes.
    • v9 includes a FREE new multisampled, multi-channel drum instrument:  “Blonde Bop” from AVL Drums!
Mixbus 32C - version 9

Hear the Difference, See the Difference

Mixbus, Digital Audio Workstation Software (DAW) and Music Production

Mixbus 32C is a full-featured digital audio workstation that improves on the Mixbus platform with an exact emulation of the original Harrison 32C parametric four-band sweepable EQ, and 4 additional stereo summing buses.

Mixbus32C provides professional-level features to import or record an unlimited number of audio or MIDI tracks to your computer; then edit, mix and master your production.