Mixcraft Suggestions!

Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software.

Moderators: Acoustica Greg, Acoustica Eric, Acoustica Dan, rsaintjohn

JTStein
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:58 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by JTStein »

Oh one more suggestion. I’d love for there to be a the option of seeing all the midi edits/articulations you’ve done in one place when previewing your project. Like being able to see all velocity edits, expression, foot pedal, vibrato, etc. in one window, and then add the option to edit each one. I find myself using the draw tool a lot and am constantly switching back and forth between different articulations. I’ve seen that Logic Pro X has a feature similar to this and it seems super useful.

And then I’d love if there was a way to integrate the automation lane with the midi edits so that they reflect what you’ve edited in either one. So if I’ve edited the expression in the midi window, then I’d be able to see that edit in the automation lane as well, which would maybe be a solution for my suggestion above. And integrating a draw tool in the automation lane would make this more fluid.
JTStein
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:58 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by JTStein »

ferez21 wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:06 am Please add the option to distinguish between different MIDI channels of different notes in the pianoroll, by either displaying the channel number on the notes, or by different note colors like in the mockup below.

Also, having a bit more grip on the blue velocity nodes at the bottom would be nice to have:


image_2021-07-30_230849.png
I second this option. It would be awesome to be able to see all notes previewed of each MIDI channel in one spot.
blippypixel
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:07 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by blippypixel »

Hi. I signed up so I could post this. At some point I already mentioned it years ago!

I have been using Mixcraft on and off for many years now. I will say that it really is the first sequencer that I used without a manual. That is a huge thing! It is very very intuitive. The best interface of the lot ( a bit better than garageband!).

I'd like to move our educational place away from Macs completely. The one sticking point is Logic. Unless you can wean people off that then we are stuck with them. There is a big big problem trying to do that.

When I do a track...the main thorn in the side are the drums. I've tried various drum plugins....but they are all fiddly. I also own Jamstix which is ok but not very intuitive.

IMO Mixcraft needs a proper drummer with styles.....like Logic.
With Logic you set it off and it just plays behind you. Sure you need to arrange your verses and choruses but really it's very simple. It also sounds really great....much better than Jamstix..
I know there are tools like EZdrummer e.t.c but really this needs to be built into Mixcraft itself. It would give it a lift to be a proper tool you can do everything with. I would also love to see more loops.....like rock loops/fills in the sample loops section.

At the moment I start writing my track on Mixcraft but I move over to my Ipad for the drums. It's a bit fiddly....
It might be you can utilitise the clip launcher for the drummer.
I tried it today and got a bunch of midi clips and some fills and was going to get it to randomise a bit but I spent all afternoon trying to work out why tom toms sounded on the clips instead of whatever the instrument was meant to be! I was experimenting with drum maps and using MT Powerkit VST but after a while I thought huh and gave up. The cowbell was playing instead of a hi hat ( I assume ). I could have changed all the clips but I thought 'Why isn't there just a virtual drummer in this package?'.

As I said you could do it so that you ship a drum plugin with Mixcraft and the midi clips that play in the arranger....also get it to play different fills ( and many choices of fills else it just becomes repetitive ).

If I am to try to wean my music dept off their 50 macs then they are going to want to use a package with a virtual drummer like Logic. To me it is the only sticking point in this brilliant sequencer. The thing is about a virtual drummer is that you just want it to play without any fuss....you don't want to be arranging clips and all that stuff. Why not make use of they qwerty keyboard so as the song is playing you can lay down the tracks and when you press F it just creates a random fill.....that way you could flesh out the track as it's playing on the qwerty keyboard.

I quite like Ujam in Reason ( I do not like Reason's interface still after all these years !) but Ujam doesn't have enough variations and fills.

I tell a lot of people about Mixcraft and sadly they say ' Ah what's that I've not heard of that one'.........
Mixcraft deserves to be up there with the best but until we get a drummer in this software I feel it might have trouble competing...( I still like Mixcraft better than anything I've tried by a long shot ). Please consider my request! Thanks a lot :)

I do find a lot of the drumming VSTs very fiddly to use and they take you away from actually making music. That is my two cents worth!

Thanks for listening!
kentb3050@gmail.com
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:19 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by kentb3050@gmail.com »

Idk maybe I've ask this before but a separate tempo setting for the metronome would be awesome or like a 1/2 or 1/4 time button etc. could really be useful for rec vox with less exp people lets say?
kentb3050@gmail.com
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:19 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by kentb3050@gmail.com »

"IMO Mixcraft needs a proper drummer with styles.....like Logic.
With Logic you set it off and it just plays behind you. Sure you need to arrange your verses and choruses but really it's very simple. It also sounds really great....much better than Jamstix..
I know there are tools like EZdrummer e.t.c but really this needs to be built into Mixcraft itself. It would give it a lift to be a proper tool you can do everything with. I would also love to see more loops.....like rock loops/fills in the sample loops section."

Pro Tools isn't really doing this either, last I used it anyway, 2020, God I'm glad to be out of those classes.You do know Mixcraft isn't just a sequencer right? There is always the option to build your own drum loops beforehand JS what are the people there actually learning about making music I have to wonder?

"If I am to try to wean my music dept off their 50 macs then they are going to want to use a package with a virtual drummer like Logic. To me it is the only sticking point in this brilliant sequencer. The thing is about a virtual drummer is that you just want it to play without any fuss....you don't want to be arranging clips and all that stuff. Why not make use of they qwerty keyboard so as the song is playing you can lay down the tracks and when you press F it just creates a random fill.....that way you could flesh out the track as it's playing on the qwerty keyboard."

Can't we already use the keyboard to play midi? Well nice suggestions anyhow, don't worry always more to learn about music lol. Best of luck in whatever your trying to accomplish buddy.
creativeforge
Posts: 214
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:56 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by creativeforge »

HI everybody,

Would it be possible to implement assigning colors to portions of the screen between markers? Top to bottom vertically. I don't know any DAW offering this, but maybe I am ignorant.

I'm thinking in terms of song building, I'd like to be able to have a colored visual demarcation between intro, verse, chorus, etc. Snapping options would be helpful too.

Just a draft of the idea but this is what I have in mind.

COLORS.jpg
COLORS.jpg (627.26 KiB) Viewed 23771 times
Thank you in advance!

Andre

P.S. I posted this in the forum as a question, but thought maybe I should present it as a suggestion. :)
blippypixel
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:07 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by blippypixel »

@kentb3050@gmail.com

Hi. Trying to play drums with a keyboard is not very easy - and time consuming.
User avatar
Mark Bliss
Posts: 7313
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:59 pm
Location: Out there

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by Mark Bliss »

blippypixel wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 7:01 am @kentb3050@gmail.com

Hi. Trying to play drums with a keyboard is not very easy - and time consuming.
FWIW, I agree with you.
First, while some can get quite good at it, playing drums via keyboard is tedious and unnatural.
Myself, I prefer programming on the piano roll grid, using a drum sampler plug in as the instrument. My instrument of choice has been EzDrummer, as I find it flexible in usability and can easily be made to sound quite realistic. But as you point out, this method has the hitch of drum map variations, which in my opinion would be a key point in making it work very well in Mixcraft, but at the same time would be a little tedious to overcome because of the number of variations.
Tedious, but not impossible- I think it is a valid suggestion to address.

I am not familiar with what you specifically describe in Logic, perhaps an example or better description would help clarify.

I would also suggest that clarifying your workflow (ie switching to iPad or whatever you were getting at) might allow someone to suggest an alternative/simpler method.

Using a DAW is not a one size fits all tool. Everyone has different needs and therefore needs to find what works best for them.

There are many good and much needed suggestions in this thread. Hope some of the best ones are soon incorporated.
Stay in tune, Mark

My SOUNDCLOUD Page
blippypixel
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:07 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by blippypixel »

I think you have to play with the Logic / Garageband drummer to understand what I am going on about. It's not like using any vst plugin.
It's a very natural sounding instrument that has much variation and is simple to use.

The only reason I use the ipad is that Garageband gives me better drums that all the other stuff out there.....but it is a right pain going to it and back again.

For songwriters having a good drumming tool means you can just get on and jam. The similarities between Mixcraft and Garageband are close......I prefer Mixcraft....and I have a PC and don't want to use another computer for music. That's all.

Sorry if I sound a bit passionate about this one :D I think Mixcraft is the best out of the lot......by far.....I'd just like this feature if it were possible...there are lots of wishes I know.....anyway it's just food for thought.
Last edited by blippypixel on Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:04 am, edited 4 times in total.
Htos_Drol
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by Htos_Drol »

I wish there was a way to group plugins easily by either function, manufacturer, or whatever the user wants.
Htos_Drol
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 4:32 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by Htos_Drol »

Offer more than 14 color options for tracks.
drews0322
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:35 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by drews0322 »

Htos_Drol wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 11:06 am I wish there was a way to group plugins easily by either function, manufacturer, or whatever the user wants.
x2. I love the customization options with the plugin folders but it takes time to build out and it would be incredible if it just defaulted to either manufacturer or function (like PT)
TomCat63
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:18 am

Lyrics Track or Cue card on timeline

Post by TomCat63 »

I guess I am requesting a new feature. But if there is a plugin I am not aware of please let me know. It seems nobody is doing this either. I would like the ability to place lyrics or cue card notes in a separate track. I guess it would be a new type of track. Yes, I've seen plugins like VSTnote but you might as well be using Notepad. I am talking about lyrics or cue card notes at specific places on the timeline. I know Band in a Box has this but I am not using Band in a Box!
User avatar
Sturdy
Posts: 187
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2021 6:26 pm

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by Sturdy »

This may have already been suggested, but I'd love it if:
- When going into Mixcraft - Preferences - Manage Plugins menu
- I would love if there was a category for "recently installed" along with other existing categories like "recently used", "recently crashed", "disabled", "unable to load", etc. (This would be for recently installed vsts recently encountered when scanning the plugin directories)

reasons:
a) sometimes I install a plugin on different day than I open mixcraft and categorize it
b) Sometimes it's hard to remember the weird name of a new plugin I've installed even today.
c) Many plugins have forgettable names with no meaning and if they don't get categorized as to use they're very easy to lose track of.
d) I try alot of free plugins and those particularly can get forgotten.
e) During periods like black friday sales (now), we can purchase several new plugins before we have time try them out and properly manage them.
f) This feature is more valuable as # of plugins increase, but mainly would help as reminder to do proper categorization in timely manner.
g) Remind me of the names of the plugins I installed the other day? Oh yeah "Smooth Butter V2" and "The JGB018 Crammer".

anyhow, my $0.02
godsoe
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:55 am

Re: Mixcraft Suggestions!

Post by godsoe »

Hi, new user to Mixcraft, but one thing I would love to see in the next version is the ability to nest Plugin Collections. So I could have a collection called "Manufacturers" for instance, with multiple companies underneath as sub-collections, and then other top-level collections for "Effect Types", "Instrument Types", etc.

Sorry if this is already submitted - I searched for it without result, and didn't have time to read thru over 1500 messages. :)
Post Reply