Recording - April 2017 - 48

REVISITED

Acoustica
Mixcraft 8

The Windows DAW "for the people"
has grown up...
By Darwin Grosse

In our previous review of Acoustica Mixcraft 7 (April 2016), we
found it to be a great DAW for beginning Windows producers, yet one
that had the kind of professional production (and performance) functionality
that could make it useful for everyone. At the Winter NAMM show this
year, I had the opportunity to get the lowdown on the newly released
Mixcraft 8, and wanted to update our readers on what I've found.

Each version of Mixcraft comes to the plate with a few standard
improvements: updated user interface, more plug-in tools, or better OS
support. However, with the version 8 release, we see some important
updates-some of them obvious, and some of them subtle.

Overview of what's new

One of the demands on software developers is maintaining
compatibility with current versions of the computer's operating
system. Acoustica has the same demands, but has decided to
use the opportunity to rework the core of the software, and to
also provide some interesting new features.
48

RECORDING April 2017

One of the important additions to the Mixcraft audio
engine is its support of VST3 plug-ins. Long supported by
Steinberg and others, the VST3 infrastructure puts plug-in makers
in the position to create much more flexible tools. VST3 support
improves the performance, automation capability, and routing
functions of plug-ins. It's supported
by iZotope, Waves, and Softube-
among many others, and with
many more likely to follow. Moving
forward with technology is important
for DAW users, and it is great to
see Mixcraft supporting this
forward-looking standard.
The UI has also undergone
a revamp, with interface skins
based on theme selection. More
important, in my experience, is
that the interface just seems to
work better with the HiDPI display
on my Lenovo display. This is
important, since a comfortable
work environment can help you
enjoy the hours that you will
spend on your productions. I
personally like the default dark interface; it is similar to
other software that I use each day, and my eyes are able to
pick out details against its muted background.
Another update to the UI is not a technical feature, but rather
an extension to the way that you access audio files. In addition
to accessing the files on your drive, you can do filename
searches to quickly narrow down your options (critical when
you have a large sample library-like the one that comes
with Mixcraft). But even more interesting is the access to files
on the Internet, and particularly access to the multitude of
samples available on FreeSound (freesound.org). FreeSound
is one of the truly great audio content sites on the net, and
the variety of available files is stunning. These files are
also easily accessible, given the search function built into the
application's library pane.
One potential downside to using net-based sound files is
potential problems with licensing. When using samples from
FreeSound, you can see what the license limitations are before
you select a file-and you are reminded of your responsibilities
when you attempt to place the file into your project. This is
more than keeping just you honest-it is also a reminder that,
if you are doing commercial work, you must respect the wishes
of the copyright holder.
Some improvements aren't necessarily noticeable until you
need something. This is the case for the pervasive change
in routing within the Mixcraft application. MIDI can now be
routed from track to track, giving you the ability to make instrument
stacks that are easily managed from the mixer. The mixer itself
is also much more configurable, and effects sidechaining is
now a top-level function that is directly accessed from every
compatible effect in the system.
http://www.freesound.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - April 2017
