Audio Mixing Desk

The Audio Mixing Desk is where all audio comes together, ie. the audio from the Patches, the audio from your VSTIs in the Synth Rack and eventually the audio from any ReWired devices.

The Audio Mixing Desk has 3 main sections : "Channels", "Aux-Groups" and "Outputs".
Every section has 16 channels, and every channel can plug up to 8 effects.

The "Channels" section gets all the audio that is generated by the Patches and Virtual Synths.

Whenever you use a "Send to Aux-Group" plug in the Channels section, audio is sent to an Aux-Group.

Aux-Groups are very handy for using effects that are common for different channels, like a Reverb that you want to use on Channel 2 and Channel 5, but with a different amount.

Aux-Groups may also be useful for making monitor mixes : Since you can control the send volume, you can make a submix within a mix and route that submix to separate outputs on your soundcard, supposed you have a soundcard with multiple outputs.

Finally, the "Outputs" section collects all audio from the Channels and Aux-Groups and routes that to your audio cards' outputs.



A channel in detail


You can name every channel by clicking on its name.

And by clicking on the "From" word, Muzys will list the audio sources for this channel.

Every channel in the Audio Mixing Desk has 8 plugin slots. Every slot can get a Muzys plugin, Vst plugin or can be a Send to Aux-Group.
You can manage your Vst plugins with the Plugin Manager.

By clicking the icon at the right of an FX plugin slot, you call the editor for that plugin. Read more on editing effects below.

And when you've chosen a "Send to Aux-Group", there is a little (automatable) knob at the right that controls the send-level, and a icon that jumps you to that Aux-Group channel.

At the left of these plug slots, you have the Pre / Post locator. Just click at the left of the plug slot that you want to be the first Post plug.

All plugins before this one will be Pre fader.

The actual signal routing in the Audio Mixing Desk is :

  1. signal comes in
  2. goes thru all "Pre" plug slots
  3. goes thru the Volume/Pan section, and checks the Mute
  4. goes thru all "Post" plug slots
  5. goes to the indicated output

A right-click/command-click on a plug slot pops up a little menu, with which you can 'Insert', 'Delete' or 'Move' a slot, so that you can manage the order of the slots.

The Volume/Panning box controls the Volume and Panning of the stereo signal.
By default, the Volume knob only works vertically, but when you hold [Shift], you can move it in any direction.

The level meters indicate the output level after the last plugin, including the fact whether the signal has been clipped.
Only the "Outputs" section memorizes its clipping since the other sections don't perform any actual clipping since Muzys' Audio Mixing Desk works with 32 bit floating point values, which practically cannot overload. By a simple mouse-click on one of the meters, the clip indicator is reset.

Every channel also features a mute and solo knob for an easy control of what you hear. Also mutes can be automated (see below).

By right-clicking/command-clicking in the Volume/Panning box, you get a contextual menu that has a lot of handy functions, including assignment of MIDI controllers to the Volume/Panning knobs. You can read more on this in Controlling Knobs & Faders.



Editing Effects


When you've plugged in a Muzys or Vst effect, you can call its editor by clicking its icon.

All types of effects always have 4 basic controls : Wet/Dry, Gain, Balance and Bypass. All 4 are automatable.

The Bypass button has an extra function : it also indicates whether the effect is processing or not, since Muzys uses a smart automatic bypassing algorithm so to spare your CPU. The Bypass button indicates whether this 'auto-bypass' is active or not. And a right-click/command-click on the Bypass button allows editing of the settings for this auto-bypass system, or eventually turning it off.

If a Muzys effect editor comes up (for Muzys effects and Vst effects without an own editor), you can right-click/command-click every knob/fader so to assign a MIDI Controller to it, or write its value into the current Composition. Read more on this in Controlling Knobs and Faders.

And by the way : You can always do fine adjustments on knobs/faders by holding [Control].

For VST FX with their own editor, there is a button "VST FX Options" which drops down a menu with extra options. If you want to assign a MIDI Controller to such VST parameter, first tweak that parameter a bit in the VST editor, so that Muzys can feel what parameter you have in mind.



Automation


Just click Record, or press the appropriate FastKey. This will record everything as a new, fully editable Sequence.

It's as simple as that !

Also every FX plugin parameter can be recorded in realtime, just by clicking the Record button.
This will create Controller Events on Audio Mix Players.



Master Effects


Master effects can be plugged in in the "Outputs" section.

That's where all audio comes to just before sending it to your audio card. So if you put a plug there, it will affect all audio !

Also master plugins are automatable.

Next : The MIDI Controller Desk Table Of Contents