The basic version of Mixcraft includes nearly everything you would need to put out a good quality CD or demo. But what if you needed to make it sound even more professional?
The idea with Mixcraft Pro Studio 5 is to give people who are already familiar with GarageBand the option to add depth to their recordings and to mix and master them to a professional level on a Windows PC. This is semi-achievable using the packaged VST effects and virtual instruments in the standard version of Mixcraft, but the additions you get with pro studio certainly takes the pain out of it and ultimately improves the result greatly.
Lets have a look at what you get:
G-Sonique Twisthead VS-206 Vintage Vacuum Tube Preamp
I am sure you have heard that it is worth while using a good tube preamp when recording to boost and warm your signal, but the price of a decent tube preamp (anywhere from $500-10000 ) is somewhat limiting if you have a home studio on a budget. The idea with Twisthead is that it emulates the sound that you would get from a good tube preamp and allows you to apply this to a track or project after you have recorded. I find this preamp adds a nice warmth to Vocals and, depending on the settings, a good vintage crunch to a guitar and bass. I have also used it to add depth to live recordings, which tend to have way too much treble. It is really easy to use and comes with a bunch of presets, but my favorite feature is the VU meter which shows you in real time if your track/project is peaking while you are adjusting the settings. This plugin is invaluable when mastering as I am able to boost the signal and get CD level volume while maintaining the dynamics of the song.
If you are fan of punchy deep bass then you are going to fall in love with this plugin. Bass is one of the hardest things to get right when mixing and mastering, EQ alone can be a real nightmare. So I was really happy when I tried out XBass, I have a standard fender P-Bass going into an Ampeg SVT, always a nice sound, but for me not quite punchy enough. With the presets in XBass I was able to get that Flea sound in seconds! Its also really useful if you change your mind about a mix and decide to go deep without having to re-record your track. I recommend you check out the acoustic bass 7 preset if you want to shake some walls with seismic bass activity! Applying this effect globally at the mastering stage can really add some sweet bottom end and if used with the next plugin (Transient Vitaliser) can give you that wide dynamic range that characterizes modern recordings, deep lows and crystal highs, add them both, have a listen then switch them off and listen to the flat sound you had before!
Ever have a day when a recording just sounds flat? No? then your a better man than me. I just love those tracks when the sound is just so bright and crisp that it's almost like listening in 3D. This is what the Transient Vitaliser does in its sleep while quietly reading Tolstoy. It literally breathes life into dead vocals and as I mentioned if used in conjunction with the XBass can really give extreme dynamics to your master. My go to for mastering is the classic compressor (packaged vst effect in all versions of Mixcraft), Transient Vitaliser, XBass and Twisthead, as used in conjunction they really add quality and depth to any recording.
There are many sounds that can be had from the Dubmaster Liquid delay, anything from jangly U2 to full on Psychedelic madness. Used in small doses you get a nice depth to a vocal or you can go to the 6th Dimension in craziness. Some interesting presets too, but for me I get the most fun tweaking it myself!
In addition to the mastering and mixing effects Mixcraft Pro Studio also has 3 additional high quality Virtual Instruments:
Mixcraft standard does come with some very decent virtual pianos which work fine. That said, Pianissimo is on a different level, it is 250MB worth of recorded Steinway piano each key with 4 different velocities and then combined with an engine designed to recreate the response and performance of the real deal. It sounds awesome and I haven't used another virtual piano since, Pianissimo alone would cost you another $70 if you bought it separately.
The ME80 is as close to a Yamaha CS80 as you can get in a virtual instrument. Think Vangelis, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Kraftwerk, Ultravox, Bon Jovi, Simple Minds, Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, Toto, Jean Michel Jarre, Rick Wakeman, Stevie Wonder, Daft Punk. Basically some of the greatest synth composers of all time have used the CS80 to create Sounds-capes beyond your wildest dreams. Now I am not a synthphile by any means but my friend who is really loved playing around with it and had nothing but good things (and a big wide smile) to say about it. I have used it on a few ambient tracks and loved the results.
The Memory Moon is a near perfect copy of the Moog Memory Moog. Not my favorite (as I prefer the ME80) but does a good job if you want oscillations. That said, it is an enormous sound and will be used in a new track I am working on with a Joy Division style band.
Mixcraft on its its own is already a great DAW and for a tiny $74.95 is amazing value for money. When you add the additional instruments and plugins that you get with pro studio, it is very close to being as good if not better (as it easier to use) than many of the silly expensive equivalents. The plugins essentially give you a mastering suite and the additional virtual instruments, especially Pianissimo add even more value. Right now the recommended retail price is $199 but you can get it here for $149 my advice give it a go before it stops being a secret and Acoustica work out what its really worth!
