Mixcraft Preview Track

[Dude705]

Can anyone explain to me how to load a reference track into the preview track in Mixcraft? I cannot find anywhere in the manual how to do this. I’m assuming the preview track is meant to load a reference track.

[Mark Bliss]

The preview track is primarily for controlling the play back level while previewing sounds from the library, the "track freeze" sound and such. (Pg. 147)

For referencing tracks, I add an audio track(s) and mute it. Alternating between soloing it and playing my mix. There are also referencing plugins that assist with quickly alternating between.

One other "problem" with this method in Mixcraft is that your reference track will play through anything inserted on your master bus.
This is one of the reasons I generally avoid putting anything but metering on my master bus for mixing.
Tip: you can create a "master sub mix" bus and route everything but your reference tracks through that if you wish.

[Dude705]

Thanks for the response.

Maybe this is something that can be added in an update. The ability to load reference tracks into the preview track or a new “reference track” if it would be easier to create a separate track for this purpose instead of using the preview track. Anytime playing the “reference” track, it automatically bypasses anything loaded onto the master buss to avoid having to disable all plugins on the master bus.

It would also have to have the ability to play the reference track anywhere within the reference track independent of the mix. Also, have the ability to toggle between the reference track and mix by a click of one button. So for example, play the mix and as the mix is playing, toggle a button on the reference track to simultaneously turn on the reference track and turn off the mix playback. Click again, and the reference track turns off and mix back on simultaneously (of course with plugins enabled again on the master buss anytime switching back to mix from reference track).

[Rolling Estonian]

Or.... The ability to select whether the Preview lane is there at all.....

M

[freightgod]

Thanks for the response.

Maybe this is something that can be added in an update. The ability to load reference tracks into the preview track or a new “reference track” if it would be easier to create a separate track for this purpose instead of using the preview track. Anytime playing the “reference” track, it automatically bypasses anything loaded onto the master buss to avoid having to disable all plugins on the master bus.

It would also have to have the ability to play the reference track anywhere within the reference track independent of the mix. Also, have the ability to toggle between the reference track and mix by a click of one button. So for example, play the mix and as the mix is playing, toggle a button on the reference track to simultaneously turn on the reference track and turn off the mix playback. Click again, and the reference track turns off and mix back on simultaneously (of course with plugins enabled again on the master buss anytime switching back to mix from reference track).

[freightgod]

Thanks for the response.

Maybe this is something that can be added in an update. The ability to load reference tracks into the preview track or a new “reference track” if it would be easier to create a separate track for this purpose instead of using the preview track. Anytime playing the “reference” track, it automatically bypasses anything loaded onto the master buss to avoid having to disable all plugins on the master bus.

It would also have to have the ability to play the reference track anywhere within the reference track independent of the mix. Also, have the ability to toggle between the reference track and mix by a click of one button. So for example, play the mix and as the mix is playing, toggle a button on the reference track to simultaneously turn on the reference track and turn off the mix playback. Click again, and the reference track turns off and mix back on simultaneously (of course with plugins enabled again on the master buss anytime switching back to mix from reference track).

As Mark suggested, mute the reference track and use the "solo" toggle to achieve this 'switching' effect.

[Dude705]

But wouldn’t you still have to also disable/enable the plugins on the master buss every time you toggled the solo? Not that it’s a big deal, just a better workflow, and not even have to worry about it.

[Mark Bliss]

Or.... The ability to select whether the Preview lane is there at all.....

M

^^^ Like! Like! Like! ^^^

[freightgod]

But wouldn’t you still have to also disable/enable the plugins on the master buss every time you toggled the solo? Not that it’s a big deal, just a better workflow, and not even have to worry about it.

Yes, I hadn't thought about it.

[Mark Bliss]

But wouldn’t you still have to also disable/enable the plugins on the master buss every time you toggled the solo? Not that it’s a big deal, just a better workflow, and not even have to worry about it.

I support your suggestion. An integrated toggling reference function native to the DAW would be a pretty cool feature!
But in the meantime...
I also pointed out an easy workaround for those who just must put stuff on the master bus.