PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production Question about sounds included with Mixcraft

There have been recent posts about different DAWs. One responder mentioned Mixcraft. I looked at it on the net and the site says it comes with a lot of midi sounds included.

Has anyone heard those sounds? If so, what do you think of them?

2b

2b,
Not sure where you are aiming at...
"midi sounds"... I think it is a bit broad. Meaning a DAW may include a variety of midi loops selection, but honestly, I do not believe that midi loop content should be a decision maker in choosing a DAW. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of companies that sell midi loops "by the pound" not expensive at all, some packages have great many..loops and other midi parts that you can use in any DAW.

maybe I did not understand your question correctly, just trying to help...

I haven't tried them but during a quick visit to the Mixcraft website I found +++ THIS +++ web page with examples of samples and song kits.

Mixcraft is offered in two packages. Recording Studio & Pro Studio. Mixcraft 8 Recording Studio is normally $89 US but is presently on sale for $49 US while Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio is normally $179 US but is on sale for $99 US. The website also has a free demonstration version and manual available for download, teacher's guide and video tutorials.

Interesting to note that the program is available in 20 languages as either 32 or 64 bit downloads and is compatible with Windows XP or higher.

Hey Jim!

hmmm... I think that pages mentions loops... but I do not believe they are talking about "midi loops" on the audio demos they posted. They need some super-duper software audio engine with "natural" sound which will probably surpass Integra 7 for those kind of tricks. I believe they are using mostly audio loops for these demos.

I think 2b is asking about midi sounds?...
maybe I did not understand the question.

I probably didn't use the right term. I guess I mean something analogous to Coyote. For example, we get a midi drum track in BB and it is played using the Coyote sounds or General Midi. They are OK but I would like something more realistic.

2b

Thanks, Jim. For some reason, I didn't see that page. Duh!

There are some nice instruments. I like the drums much better than Coyote.

2b

2b, I do not believe that DAW is your answer.
I think you need one of three:
1)Specific drum VST instrument.
2)Drum kit for Kontakt player (there is a great free one, Sennheiser Drumica)
3)VST host such as SynthfontVST and a good SF2 GM drum kit.

P.S. Cakewalk used to have Drum set VST instrument (studio Drums), they probably still do, that you can plug to BIAB and use it to output midi drums instead of Coyote. If Cakewalk still has it, it should be included in the DAW download. Cakewalk is free. I am a big fan of the DAW for many reasons, one of which, is excellent community. So if you get lost, they will help you.

beware the now FREE Cakewalk form Bandlab is 64-bit only! It installs ONLY the 64-bit TTS-1 DXi which will NOT work in BIAB and JBridge will not help in this case because TTS-1 is a DXi not a VSTi - JBridge only helps/works with VSTs/|VSTi's

But getting essentially Cakewalk Sonar for FREE is a steal of a deal any way for a DAW


Larry

RustySpoon#,

You are correct, I misspoke and I apologize to 2bSolo, you and everyone else for not properly answering his question. The loops included with Mixcraft are audio loops, not midi loops.

As RustySpoon# pointed out midi is data, not audio so what you hear is the result of midi directing a sound module to generate audio. So the quality of audio you hear is 100% the creation of the sound module audio output. Kontakt, SampleTank and Halo are examples of software sound modules. Yamaha, Roland, Korg and Ketron all offer external midi hardware.

User Pipeline wrote a nice tutorial about using drum audio samples to create a custom audio drum track for a song. +++ HERE +++ is a link to Pipeline's post.

Pipeline also posted a link to a free, midi drumkit but I can't find the link. Maybe someone will help out with the link or at least remember the name.

Larry, I am not sure of TTS-1 as I feel it is already a "going out" product.
I was actually talking about Studio Instruments- Drums... not sure if it is available 32bit...

I think easiest solution would be to get a demo of VSTSynthfont, I believe it is a full working version for couple of weeks comes 32 and 64 Bit and get a free complete GM soundfont SF2 bank or just a separate good SF2 drum kit and experiment.

Never dealt with Coyote... maybe it allows for instrument replacement, that way it is even more simpler. Just replace given drums with something else.

too many choices

Thanks to all of you. This saved me from downloading Cakewalk and pulling my remaining hair out because I can't get it to work with BB.

I don't mind buying a good soft synth, but I have had no luck getting anything to work with RB. Until I do, I don't want to shell out anything.

2b

One very good soft synth that is on sale now is Synthmaster. It has very good sounds and I believe you can get it for only 49 dollars this month.
If it will work with BiaB? Sorry, I don't know.

its a VSTi it will work with BIAB but unlikely what OP is looking for IT IS a synthesizer.

There are no acoustic sounds, no horns, guitars, strings, pianos, etc. it is all "electronic" SYNTHESIER sounds made with sine waves and oscillators and filters and... its for folks that like to get their geek on

It is an actual synth not a ROMPler

Mixcraft included sound library called "Acoustica Instruments" will play a GM file with no tweaks and sound relatively good (a lot better than the coyote wavetable) and for a lot of things if you just want a GM plug and play for working stuff out it's very good. At least as good as with TTS-1 or Coyote Forte.

They have a free 14 day trial - download and try it with some GM files


https://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/download.php


Playing and playing with the free trail is 100% faster than reading all these posts and guessing and you can judge with your own ears.



Just note that Mixcraft "instruments" are not like Cakewalk's Studio instruments they are not usable (easily) outside Mixcraft - they are made for use with Mixcraft.

Good Luck
Larry+

2bSolo, I think you will find much freedom for what you want to do somewhere outside of BealBand. As in, a good dedicated DAW that is designed to handle the type of plug ins and synths you will most likely use.
RealBand does what no other software can do. Regenerate Real Tracks and many editing features and much more. It is a unique tool in itself. But, for now, until further development happens it has many limitations when trying to get it to function as a full fledged DAW also. I think that leads to some frustrations at times.
For that reason, many of us do most of our work in other DAWs. I, and many others, have come accustomed to Reaper.
Here is my basic work flow from program to program: BIAB; get a chord grid going in and chose a main style and a few alternates. Create Song format, tempo, force drum rolls, tempo changes, holds, pushes, count in, etc,... without being too concerned if it is not exactly, persmactly what I want. Just a basic outline. For the midi in BIAB I use the TTS-1 to get a basic idea of what the instruments are doing. At this point I'm not too concerned that the midi drums do not sound like Nashville. I pay attention to their basic behavior.
Some people take their BIAB generated tracks into RealBand to get their Real Tracks and other tracks further developed before taking them into a dedicated DAW or not.
From their I take the BIAB parts I want and put them into my DAW, Reaper, to edit them. That's where I get my pushes and holds to do what I want, record some live instruments, choose what VSTi instruments I will use for midi drums, midi bass, midi strings, midi piano, etc,... along side my Real Tracks and stuff I record. I almost always end up with a different VSTi instrument for each midi track. Once in a while I actually use some voice in the TTS-1. Right now I working on a song and the midi drums track uses the SI Drums for a kit but the shaker and tambourine are sounding through the TTS-1 for example.
I do think that PG Music will at some point be bringing us better features in BIAB and RB. It only makes sense that they would do that. But, I don't know what or when. Hopefully the 2019 versions will have pushes adjustable to the 128th beat and more robust DAW features in RealBand. In fact, I did not upgrade from BIAB 2016 simple because the only things I would use in the last 2 upgrades are a few more styles and few other things I can do without for now. But that's just me. Better pushes would get me interested in spending a few hundred dollars but I already know how to manipulate those once I get the project into Reaper. So, maybe not.
Anyway, there's some thoughts.

Finally!

I found a link to the free drum kit VSTi. It is called MT Power Drum Kit and is available for download +++ HERE +++

Jim,
good memory! +1

2b,
try to get this kit (which Jim found!) to work with BIAB. This is excellent way to start. This was one of the best free, "all in one" drum kit instruments I have tried to replace cheesy sounding GM midi drums. If you get a hang of it, other stuff will be much easier, as you will get a feel where whole VST thing is heading

I have set aside part of today to work on this, so I will take a look at these things. I am determined to get this to work.

As far as RB's limitations, I notice it every time I work with it. I like the interface but every session has something that doesn't work or doesn't work the first time. I wanted to finish the album (shows my age, doesn't it?)project I am working on before I go through the process of learning a new DAW. I am not sure I can wait.

Thanks so much. As always, you guys are the best.

2b

I use Mixcraft, and I have just begun to investigate the Midi aspect of it. Here is a video of the Mixcraft Virtual Instruments and Midi. I don't know if that is the info you looking foe, but maybe it will help.
https://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/v7/help/mixcraft-included-instruments-part-1.html

Your original post, in this thread, was what do the SOUNDS included with Mixcraft sound like. You don't need to learn Mixcraft to hear the sounds for yourself.

All you need is a (maybe few different types pop, classical, jazz,) GM MIDI file thus avoiding having to learn how to assign instruments to parts in Mixcraft (it's dirt simple but no need to get side-tracked on leaning even that much)

Again download the free trail of Mixcraft then:

-install it,

-run it,

-then under File - > Preferences - > Sound device

pick your audio device

- Then again under File -> Open Project

find your GM midi file and PLAY IT (them) (if you changed nothing during install - then transport controls are about 3/4 way down on screen)

that whole process is a few minutes (minus download time)

but good luck on your project
Larry