Inspired by this thread I'd like to know what changed in your MixBuss Setups, what's new, what did you discover?

For me, the Mixbus chain is no longer as important as in earlier times, because I try to get the sound on the channel and group levels right first, when I produce beats. But nevertheless I have a basic chain and some variations of it which has been refined over the years.

Here's my current chain:

BX Solo (MONO Switch, ON by default)
––––––––––––––––– Processors
BX Townhouse Compressor (lowest threshold, fastest attack, fastest release, but only mixed in around 20%)
BX Digital V3 (Just a clean Mastering m/s EQ, off by default)
Dangerous Bax EQ (tilt shift and filters, off by default)
Waves Vitamin (A recent discovery. Really nice for broad boosts and Stereo Width control over 4 bands)
McDSP ML4000 (Slept on Multiband Dynamics. You know the shit can't be bad if Mike Dean uses it. I use it for low end and midband control, off by default, Limiter is bypassed. works well in tandem with Vitamin)
Softube Tape: for low end bump, high freuency roll off, Crosstalk simulation and a great high end eq
L2 for gain and catching peaks
––––––––––––––––––– Metering
Dynameter - for Dynamic Range Measurement
iZotope Tonal Balance Control - This is a gem. I created some frequency target curves for it by scanning actual albums like ATCQ, Dre, Nas and DJ Quik, so I know if I'm in the ballpark. Pretty nice feature.

Sometimes, when I use Maschine where plugin managament is a drag, I just insert Waves Studio Rack on the 2nd insert and load some chains into that and remove the other plugins. It's just simpler to manage. The chain inside that is pretty similar besides that you use different effects like an SSL Comp and PuigTec EQ and such.

 

Last edited: Feb 15, 2021

??
how much headroom you leave ?

dont say you did read bout it a few days back on the board here ....?

 

ableton has so much crazy skilled chains from stock and max plugins..its crazy..

 

limiter on the mixbus before mastering ? ML40000 ? more tips like this please !!

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 26, 2019

I think what he's doing there is mastering.

 

I'm familiar with that list myself except for McDSP ML4000 so I gues I need to check that one out.

 

Not plug-ins, but a couple of hardware combos :

Slow to Mid-Tempo Indie/Rock : Foote P3S --> Vari MU --> EZP1A-500's --> Xfilter

Electronic : BC501 --> (TSL4) --> NT-02A --> Xfilter

 

Gulfoss
L2
Occasionally Ozone 8.

Nothing else needed if you know how to mix.

Really I don’t need anything on the master but a little volume and light taming light limiting.

it seems like a lot of people really don’t know how to mix. They pile on many plugins unnecessarily slam it crank highs widen it and think that’s a good sound.

 

1. UA Shadow Hills Comp
2. Ozone 8
3. UA VSM-3
4. Bassroom
5. Fabfilter Pro L2

 

Won't they be too many?
Or maybe you are missing some more?

 

The ML4000 is so underrated, if you check out some pro interviews (Dave Pensado, Tony Maserati...) they all really like it. I think it is a great tool, the multiband expansion is also awesome and can add something really tight to a mix, especially with the mids/highs it can really open up a mix. The only down side is, if you put on a ML4000 you can`t listen to the mix/master without, because it really changes the sound with it compression/expansion/limiting. McDSP is also a great company worth supporting.

One thing to consider for your mixbus is also Soothe which does a wonderful job in cleaning the mix up a bit. Of course only with some light setting, but before going into compression, it always helps a lot to make the mix a bit more transparent.

Dangerous Bax EQ sounds interesting having checked that out before. Do you use it to cut or boost normally?

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2019

Clearly you don't know how this plugin works. It's includes a multiband compressor and expander with adjustable ratios followed by a single stage limiter which can be switched off.

The default ratio of the compressor stage is 2:1, so please spare me with arrogant, sarcastic jokes, Picard.

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2019

No, I just bought it in a 2 for 1 waves sale around that time.

 

I'm interested in Soothe, but can't afford it currently. Although I don't think I would use it on a mixbus since it seems so dynamic and "mysterious" in what it does.

I bought the Dangerous Bax License cheap from somebody who switched to UAD. I think I wouldn't spend 250 $ on it on the regular but on a sale it's a no brainer.

Usually, I use cuts and boost simultaneously. The low cut in conjunction with a few selectable frequencies tighten up the low end nicely. Same goes for the high end which it opens up nicely or ads more presence.

Since it only boosts or cuts 5 dB and the curves are pretty wide it's more on the subtle side but it almost never sounds bad.

Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. It's not like I use everything just because it's in the chain. Most of it is off by default.

 

Softube Tape
GoodHertz Wowcontrol

With Studio One I don't need to load up my mix buss as I do it in project page. This means I get 8x renders.

 

Good to see what people are using !! I am a very old school:
SSL G Bus Comp + Multiband Comp + Limiter ( This goes bypass when the track is sent to mastering )

The reason why I keep the SSL and the multiband is because they form part of my mixdown and I don't want to lose that as I work my levels towards it.

 

That's right. In the 20+ years of me producing beats I never separated the 3 stages - out of necessity in the beginning. Now it's just my work flow. That being said I never would call my music as being mastered nor would I excuse a bad beat of mine by saying "it's not mastered yet"

 

I got you. I only use the multiband for balancing the bands and to soften attacks on snares or hats that are too dominant or present. It's a great way to work on the spatial depth that way

 

You should indeed. But take your time to get familiar with it. It can be confusing at first. The combination of compressor and expander is really great. I can't get anything like that out of any other multiband comp I've used. If you don't use it to make everything louder but to rather balance the frequency bands it's really great

 

i start my mix with eq > comp > tape > limiter, later in the mix i put some multiband compressor after the tape. The plugins are changing a lot recently, depending on the song,etc
The chain for my last mix was:

fab filter pro q
bx_townhouse
slate virtual tape machine
waves linmb
fab filter pro l2