The world needs another DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) about as much as it needs another compressor plugin. With so many excellent options already available, ranging from MOTU Digital Performer to Presonus StudioOne, and of course the industry standard AVID ProTools, we’re truly spoilt for choice. This abundance can make it difficult to decide which platform to go with, leading many to simply default to ProTools, especially in large studios. But for the rest of us, why not consider a better alternative?
Enter Harrison Mixbus 32C DAW, which can be described as the pro version of the standard Harrison Mixbus DAW, offered at a very reasonable price. However, calling it just the “pro” version understates how impressive the standard Mixbus DAW is. Both versions share the same sonic signature, ensuring your mixes will sound fantastic regardless of which version you use.
What sets the Harrison Mixbus 32C DAW apart is its exact emulation of the legendary Harrison 32C analogue console. For those who might not be familiar, this console was used to record some of the most iconic albums of all time, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Paul Simon’s Graceland. The Harrison 32C has also been used by artists like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra, Blondie, Supertramp, and Genesis. It’s a console with a well-earned place in recording history.
The true strength of the Harrison Mixbus 32C lies in this emulation of the 32C console. To be honest, compared to many other DAWs, the Harrison Mixbus 32C lacks some features, particularly on the MIDI front. But Harrison’s focus is on delivering old-school analogue mixing for a modern world, and I personally love that approach.
If your needs include extensive MIDI work or other complex digital features, then by all means, stick with your current DAW, whether it’s Digital Performer, Reaper, Cubase, or another. However, if you’re primarily focused on mixing audio tracks, then Mixbus 32C is worth your consideration. There’s also nothing wrong with using both, continue to use your existing DAW for MIDI, time-stretching, and other tasks, then export your stems and mix in Mixbus 32C. Why? Because the sound you’ll get might just be worth the extra step.
Harrison Mixbus 32C
While most DAWs are trying to modernise the art of mixing and recording, Harrison has taken a different approach with Mixbus 32C by embracing old-school principles and prioritising sound quality over a long list of features. Mixing on Mixbus 32C is, in many ways, like working within the constraints of a true analogue console.
For instance, you’re limited to 12 buses, much like on a real hardware console. While this might seem restrictive, I’ve never found myself needing more, though I don’t typically mix songs with 150 tracks, so your experience might differ.
Using Harrison Mixbus 32C genuinely feels like stepping back into the world of analogue mixing. The interface looks like an analogue console, and for anyone tired of the modern DAW approach, Mixbus 32C will be a breath of fresh air. The layout is intuitive, with a “knob per function” approach that mirrors the original hardware, making it easy to navigate while still incorporating some modern conveniences.
For example, when you rename one of the 12 buses, that name appears on the send in each channel strip, making it simple to route to the correct bus. Grouping tracks together allows for small but helpful visual cues, like colouring the faders to match the group, making it easier to identify group tracks at a glance. The buses themselves offer some useful features as well: the first 8 buses can send to any of the remaining 4 buses. Personally, I use the last four buses for effects, so my subgroups, like drums, guitars, and vocals, are sent to the first 8 buses and can then be routed as a group to the reverb or delay effects on the last four buses.
This blend of old-school design and modern functionality makes Harrison Mixbus 32C a unique and powerful tool for anyone who values sound quality and a more traditional approach to mixing.
Official Harrison Mixbus 32C 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 optimised 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).
- Fifth-generation Harrison “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, normalisation, 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 motorised 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 organisation 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.
The feature set of Harrison Mixbus 32C is extensive and should meet the needs of most users. Beyond the impressive emulated EQ section, modelled after the original hardware console, one of the standout benefits is that each channel strip comes with built-in compression and limiting. This eliminates the need to purchase additional plugins for these tasks, and the built-in tools are both simple to use and highly effective.
The 12 buses in Mixbus 32C also come with built-in tape saturation, emulating the warm, classic sound of old-school tape, which further enhances the overall sound quality. Additionally, the buses include basic EQ controls, allowing you to easily add a touch of tone to your groups, which is another handy feature.
Sound Quality
What truly sets Harrison Mixbus 32C apart from all other DAWs on the market is the work done under the hood. Mixbus 32C version 6 features Harrison’s fifth-generation True Analog Mixing processing engine, and that’s the key reason you should consider this DAW for your mixing needs. No other DAW sounds as good straight out of the box as Mixbus 32C does.
I’ve been using Digital Performer since 1993, and while it’s an amazing DAW with incredible capabilities, I often find myself struggling to get a mix that feels cohesive. It usually involves adding the “special sauce” from the latest compressor or plugin to glue the mix together. With Mixbus 32C, none of that is necessary.
From the moment you start mixing with Mixbus 32C, what comes out is a great-sounding mix. You’ll immediately notice a difference in sound compared to what you’re used to with other DAWs. I could use all the clichés, “it sounds analogue,” “it sounds like tape,” “it just sounds right” and they would all be true. But the bottom line is that Mixbus 32C simply sounds better than any other DAW I’ve heard, period.
Conclusion
It’s hard to say if Harrison Mixbus 32C is the right fit for everyone since we all have different needs. I approach it purely as a mixing tool because that’s all I use it for, I don’t record in it; I import stems recorded elsewhere. My MIDI requirements are minimal; I simply import a MIDI file recorded in another DAW, apply a VST instrument, and start mixing.
For anyone in a similar situation, or for those who have been hesitant to fully embrace in-the-box mixing, Harrison Mixbus 32C is definitely worth trying. Sonically, it’s a game changer and an absolute pleasure to mix with. For me, the results speak for themselves, my mixes take a quarter of the time they do in other DAWs and sound superior. End of story.
