Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

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

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TrevsAudio
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Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by TrevsAudio »

Took my second deviation into another DAW recently but despite all the glossy features, I'm back for good!

For someone moving into this great arena, there is no finer platform than Mixcraft. Others may have better features and more bells and whistles - but I found I had to keep referring to tutorials to do the stuff I wanted.

Big 'up' then for the Mixcraft team - you guys ROCK!
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Mark Bliss
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by Mark Bliss »

Good to see you Trevor.
Did you learn anything on this mission or just get bleary eyed and weary?
Stay in tune, Mark

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outteh
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by outteh »

Welcome back! Now put out some MUSIC!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D
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Rolling Estonian
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by Rolling Estonian »

trevlyns wrote:Others may have better features and more bells and whistles
I don't know about the better features but I will agree about the bells and whistles. I think there's still a misconception out there that MC is still a Garageband for Windows. I tell everyone that I know that it's not, not even close. I'm really glad I chose MC to begin my journey.

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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by Studio 919 »

Hey Trevor,

Welcome back my friend. I have to agree with you. When I decided to pursue song writing and recording I tried that "other daw" too. I spent more time looking up stuff in their manual than I did actually recording. It is a great daw, but the learning curve was too much for me. Then, I found Mixcraft. Boy howdy, it made me realize there is a Santa Claus after all. Now I'm able to get songs recorded in a lot less time. :D

Good to have you back.

Barry
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TrevsAudio
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by TrevsAudio »

Thanks guys!

Yep, exactly as you said Barry... spend all your time looking up how to do things instead of just doing them :evil:

Wasted a good few months of recording time sadly...
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7915983
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by 7915983 »

For anyone thinking of changing DAWs, check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imfjSHo0nIA
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by chibear »

Yup. Been there several times, Trevor. I've been tempted by DAWS with better MIDI and automation implementations only to find that in solving that bottleneck I've created 5 or 6 others, usually accompanied by the mantra "This was a whole lot easier in Mixcraft". Sami's video hits thenail on the head.
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by Ianpb »

I don't necessarily agree with the advice on the video about sticking with whatever software that comes with the interface. For example, my brother started out on musical production with the Behringer Podstudio that he was given as a gift. If he had stuck with the included software, he would have wasted his time with the inadequacies of the accompanying Audacity and Kristal Audio Engine. He did persevere with Audacity until I introduced him to Mixcraft 5, after which he enthusiastically switched. Even if an interface comes with something like Pro Tools Lite, which many do, it could easily trap the user into a highly expensive route of progression, with all the head-scratching complication that the software entails.

Myself, I just scoured the internet, downloading free trials and, if I couldn't get going within an hour, I looked for something else. Needless to say, my search ended when I stumbled across Mixcraft 5, which also had the rare addition of a scoring feature that I was hoping to coincide with my final choice. Of course, I'm now up to Mixcraft Pro Studio 7.1.

I would be interested in what the software was that you rejected Graham, or at least a hint. After all, it's not as if you're giving it any high praise and recommendation over and above Mixcraft.

Edit: Sorry, I meant 'Trevor'. I got mixed up with Graham on the video.
Last edited by Ianpb on Sun Aug 09, 2015 1:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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AHornsby
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by AHornsby »

Ianpb wrote: I would be interested in what the software was that you rejected Graham, or at least a hint. After all, it's not as if you're giving it any high praise and recommendation over and above Mixcraft.
Same here! I'm kind of wanting to see ProTools as your answer. :lol:
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by 7915983 »

I've rejected some more well known DAWs just because I found them to be such a pain to deal with, these programs are reaper, studio one and ableton.
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Hi,

Thanks, Trevor! :)

Greg
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chibear
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by chibear »

Couldn't resist this one: A post in the EWQL forums concerning simplifying workflow in FL Studio:
It will probably be in your best interest to NOT load PLAY instruments as tracks directly. In other words, DON'T load up a PLAY instance into the Step Sequencer/piano roll directly.

Instead, load up a MIDI Out track. Next, load up the PLAY instance as an effect into the mixer. It sounds a little counter-intuitive but doing it this way gives you significantly more flexibility.

Next, choose a Port number that isn't being used by anything else. To keep it simple, I use an Output Port the same number as the Mixer channel #. AKA. If the PLAY instance is loaded into mixer channel 1, I'll use port 1 for that instance. It just makes it easier to keep track of everything.

On the MIDI Out track, change the OUTPUT PORT number to that number.
On the PLAY instance, change the INPUT PORT number to that same number. Now this MIDI Out track controls this PLAY instance.

What you can do now is create multiple MIDI Out tracks and assign them all to the same Port number. PLAY (well, MIDI) can utilize 16 channels per port. At this point, simply match the MIDI channel number to the MIDI channel of the instrument that's loaded into PLAY and that MIDI Out track will control that PLAY instrument.

From there, you can simply write your music in the Piano roll (F7 is the hotkey, I believe) for your MIDI Out tracks and your routing will get all your data to PLAY.

Loading instruments this way will reduce your load time and RAM/CPU usage dramatically since you can probably fit your entire project into 4-8 instances for smaller projects and, at most, about 20 instances for huge projects. Compare that to one instance of PLAY PER TRACK! The difference is huge! You'll be able to get A LOT more out of your computer by doing it this way.

--------

If you've never used the INPUT and OUTPUT port system in FL, it's a little bit hidden:

The OUTPUT port on the MIDI Out is found by clicking on the MIDI Out track. On the popup for the track, there's a little Gear icon in the top-left corner. Click that and you'll be taken to another screen where you can change the port number.

Do the same thing on the PLAY instance to set the INPUT port. Once these port numbers match, the two objects (the MIDI Out and the PLAY instance) can talk to each other.

---------

Just one important thing to note:
Don't load a PLAY instance onto the MASTER track of FL Studio. Make sure you're loading into the other mixer tracks and you'll be fine.

Good luck! Post back if you have any questions! Be sure to let me know which version of FL Studio you're running. If you're using FL 12, a few things (such as getting FL to recognize PLAY as an effect that can be loaded into the mixer) are a bit different than on FL 11.x and earlier.
What he appears to be doing is setting up Play as multichannel. To amplify my previous post, FL Studio was one of the possible replacements I auditioned before Mixcraft went 64 bit. It has a great piano roll, but.......
(also in reading the Soundsonline Forums, Play is much more stable in Mixcraft 7 than FL Studio 64 bit)
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by dpaterson »

(This post in response to another spam post / troll which has now been deleted and is NOT in response to the above post).

Go away.

Assuming that your post doesn't get deleted by the moderators and somebody else sees it:

Garageband cannot even be classed with / mentioned in the same breath as Mixcraft and that's just for starters. Garageband is a toy. As for FL Studio: I cannot comment. I did look at Cubase, Ableton, and Protools. No thanks. I'm here to make music not to spend weeks or months on end learning how to use software. With Mixcraft I was able to install and at very least record my very first track within an hour or so and that was without reading the manual (which to date I've not read in its entirety and should but still it says a lot for the software in my opinion).

Don't know why I'm even justifying your post with a response but anyway (moderators feel free to delete both my post and the above).

Regards,

Dale.
Last edited by dpaterson on Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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grumpysnake
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Re: Mixcraft still the easiest learning curve!

Post by grumpysnake »

Hey everyone,

Just gonna add my part here, throughout all the years I have used DAWs I have found that Mixcraft is the one I find I am most productive using. I have tried talking a few friends of mine into using it however they view it as being some what of a beginners workstation which I totally disagree with. Starting out with Presonus Studio One 2 I prefer using this over that by a mile, everything is clearly laid out and I can get to different areas quickly and efficiently without having to go looking through tabs and menus, so thank you there.

In conclusion after two years I use Mixcraft for pretty much everything now, occasionally reverting back to ProTools when needed.

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