Mixcraft 7 suggestions?

[dung_beetle]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot
Still, maybe it would be helpful to add that little + button to the main track in the mixer as well, there still is some empty space between the browser and arm buttons...

And no, I am not using dozens of drum sounds at the same time Unfortunately, some good snares are on one module, the bass drum is on another, some percussion sounds on yet another...

[thomh]

I record everything in Mixcraft, make my rough mixes for the band, and then make a second mixcraft file and remove all the effects from each track as well as zero out the mixing board in order to export the tracs and take clean wav files to a mixer/mastering guy who uses a different daw.

It would be wonderful to add a check box in the "mix down to" window that would be right next to the check box that currently says "mix each track to separate file" that would say "remove all effects and zero out mixer" in order to instantly create a clean batch of files for mixing elsewhere or for backup.

Thanks for this forum,

Thomas H

[Anorax]

What about a native sample player engineered for live performance? Something that can play samples but also triggers midi sequences inside Mixcraft. It could be a great improvisational tool for sculpting quick ideas (and maybe having a way to record your improv session!) or as an on-stage performance tool (drummers can connect a drum trigger controller and play midi sequences while they go to town on their trap sets. I saw a video somewhere of someone doing just that, using a midi drum pad and a connected computer as part of his setup. It was really cool to see).

[Anorax]

I'm not usually the one to double-post, but here's something I pulled from elsewhere:

So, proposition time!

First of all I'm pretty sure we're all familiar with this screen here.

If not, then you're lying through your teeth else you wouldn't be in this subforum.

My first proposition is rather simple, but I think you'll spot it rather easily.

Find the twenty differences between these two photos

I know of several music softwares that feature something like this on their new project splash screen, and several others that aren't music softwares (Like 90% of Adobe's programs within the Creative Suite). If you aren't sure exactly what's been added in a new version, let the software tell you, but only if you want it to. (You could also add a "New to Mixcraft?" button, but Mixcraft is easy to use out-of-the-box so this button would be rendered useless by design)

Dealing with said panel, we all know that the three choosings open up three different project types, all different by what settings are enabled (and the third by # of tracks and types). Because of Mixcraft offering 3 different types of experiences from the get-go, why not apply this kind of thinking to all the seemingly extraneous features that have been requested in varying levels of absurdity (some of mine on the higher end of that)? Therefore, I propose an 'Ease of Access' toggle switch that can switch between a "Normal" (depicted with the mic) and "tinkerer" (depicted with horribly blurry mixer) mode, which allows extra access to the more, shall I say, aggressive features, which could include sidechaining, advanced modulation controls (crazy curves, modulation handles, etc.), and so on and so forth.


When tinkerer mode is activated, you can fine-tune the extra features, but when the mode is off, any editing created in tinkerer mode is in tact, and partially editable in normal mode (modulation editing will revert to the current straight-line-between-points modulation, but it would draw in extra points to mimic curves shown in tinker mode. You can still use the "aggressive" features in normal mode, but tinkerer mode gives you more control over these more 'advanced/aggressive' features).

Naturally, what the "tinkerer" mode activates will depend on which starter template you choose, but like how the current settings are in Mixcraft6, you can individually enable/disable settings to tailor your experience.

It's just a thought, and while it could be feasible, it can also be categorized in the upper spectrum of the varying degrees of absurdity I was talking about earlier. Thoughts?

[Mark Bliss]

We had a discussion on the opening splash screen some time ago. There were some good ideas. I don't think it was in this thread though. I think the general consensus was that it needed a complete overhaul as it seems to confuse many of us as it did me at first.

It should be ordered by priority IMO. Perhaps something like:

Step one, name your project or choose an existing project. Make it so the window can not be closed without naming or choosing a previous project. No more Mixcraft project 1,2,3, etc. confusion.

Step two, choose type of project. Default or user templates.

Step three, default or user specified file location.

I like the "whats new" idea. Perhaps it should also have a clearer link to the manual (Maybe its just me, but the "help" button just doesn't call out "the manual can be found here"?) And perhaps a "Check for updates" button located here would help too.

The "tinkerer" mode (Or an advanced mode) selection is interesting, but if the additions were done as well as most of the intuitive controls, it would simply be unnecessary IMO for example if the automation point functions could be selected via a menu to choose between linear, and curves/rates. Sidechaining will I expect only function in certain situations, so adding the option to toggle where applicable seems like a workable solution.

But then again, if it was a "make everything work like it did in MX6 until I figure more of this out" button.......

[Anorax]

But then again, if it was a "make everything work like it did in MX6 until I figure more of this out" button.......

Bingo.

We had a discussion on the opening splash screen some time ago. There were some good ideas. I don't think it was in this thread though. I think the general consensus was that it needed a complete overhaul as it seems to confuse many of us as it did me at first.

It should be ordered by priority IMO. Perhaps something like:

Step one, name your project or choose an existing project. Make it so the window can not be closed without naming or choosing a previous project. No more Mixcraft project 1,2,3, etc. confusion.

Step two, choose type of project. Default or user templates.

Step three, default or user specified.

Agreed tenfold, the current splash screen is more of a "here, figure this out. Have fun!" I think it'd be great to have access to tempo/key signature controls from the get-go, before a new project officially loads (maybe on the Step 3 screen?).

[Mark Bliss]

Yes, now that you mention it, that was also one of the ideas mentioned. Maybe make that kind of thing step 3 and move the file question to step 4.
Or maybe move the file questions off the opening splash screen altogether and access it via preferences. I don't know about anyone else, but how often do you change the file location preferences and do you need it on the opening screen?

[krisz]

Hi,

The main mix is always visible.

[dung_beetle]

When starting up MC I don't even want to decide what to do. It should simply start with a new project alright, without asking me for any decision.
And ideally MC would have a global browser like most other DAW's by now, a browser with categories like templates, existing projects, plugins, loops, etc. I like the way it is done in some other DAW's. One simply drags and drops plugins, samples or whatever onto tracks instead of all that irritating clicking through menus.

[Mark Bliss]

Well, the thoughts on the opening screen were really aimed at beginner and less experienced users. I personally wouldnt mind if for experienced users, there were a way to turn it off and just open a generic project and make all the settings from there. I like that idea!

I have used a few products with the browser approach and found I liked it in some cases, especially for effects. In others it was a little too broad and felt like a full web browser within the app. I thinks there's a happy medium somewhere.

[gypsy101]

When starting up MC I don't even want to decide what to do. It should simply start with a new project alright, without asking me for any decision.
And ideally MC would have a global browser like most other DAW's by now, a browser with categories like templates, existing projects, plugins, loops, etc. I like the way it is done in some other DAW's. One simply drags and drops plugins, samples or whatever onto tracks instead of all that irritating clicking through menus.

it's pretty simple as-is for me. I just click off the "welcome" screen & either go FILE>open project which takes me to the last one worked on or FILE>new project & name it @ any point I want.

[Mark Bliss]

it's pretty simple as-is for me. I just click off the "welcome" screen & either go FILE>open project which takes me to the last one worked on or FILE>new project & name it @ any point I want.

Pretty much the same here. I should have been clearer on my earlier comments that I was talking about how to make it a more useful screen for learning to use Mixcraft. I have felt since I first started using it that the screen aided some confusion and problems for the early user experience.

[Anorax]

The only thing I ever really use the splash screen for is naming my project/project folder. Other than that, it's quite superfluous [as it currently stands]

[aquataur]

Gain riding revisited.

I do a lot of manual gain riding by using automation lines. Very often a section has to be boosted resp. attenuated evenly. It becomes quite boring and cumbersome to set four points every time, zoom in to align them for smallest transition, shift+move the line and zoom out again.

I have seen elsewhere the possibility to select the portion of interest with the mouse and then just shift+move the automation line within this section.

Note: workable as is, but would be a great time saver for extensive edits. But we are talking about a wishlist.

-helmut

[aquataur]

Effects browser by category.

I currently helped myself by renaming the vst´s, with prefixes like - "reverb - xy.dll".
But not all dll´s seem to let you do that unfortunately.

I find myself scrolling permanently through an endless list of vst´s with meaningless names and no structure.

BTW, the foundation for this is already layed in Mixcraft for the Acoustica effects.

-helmut