Hi all!

I'd like to ask some questions on Callie's Acoustica Mixcraft DAW plugin video https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=533871&gonew=1#UNREAD
though this may apply to all of the plugins for various DAWs.

First thing I noted was that the 32-bit plugin was opened. Mixcraft is 64-bit, so is there a reason why the 32-bit versions was used? Though I have Mixcraft searching in my x86 plugin folder, it doesn't seem to see the 32-bit version to even try.

What I can report, as a new Mixcraft user, is that the VST3 version locks Mixcraft up, and this has been reported to the Acoustica forum by me and other users.

The 64-bit VST2 version opens fine but seems only partially functional to me. I can load a previously made in BIAB SGU, but it doesn't play within the plugin when Play is clicked. It will, however, successfully transfer the tracks to Mixcraft.

Additionally, when I try to sound out a chord in the plugin with BIAB's Shift+Enter command, nothing happens, except that the chord in the selected cells is erased.

The things that do work is Generating and transferring the parts to Mixcraft's tracks, and switching styles.

Am I misunderstanding that BIAB's DAW plugin can be used for composition and arrangement within a DAW? Or, is the idea to do this in BIAB directly, then open the saved SGU in the plugin, to transfer the parts to tracks? If the latter is the intent, then , the older method of drag and dropping into a DAW seems more practical.

Perhaps though, the plugin, at least within Mixcraft, is broken? This seems likely because, as described, playing an existing SGU doesn't work.

Thanks very much for your help!

I tried it with MixCraft earlier on and it did not work properly, and haven't really gone back to check with later versions of the plugins.

But, just for clarification, when you install MixCraft Pro 8, you have the option of installing the 32-bit or the 64-bit version (or both) on a 64-bit machine. So, it's possible in the video, they were running the 32-bit version of MixCraft, hence the 32-bit version of the plugin.

I'll have to go back again and see what it does on my machine.

Load Mixcraft again then select 32 bit and you will then have both.

Thanks John Ford. Otherwise, loving Mixcraft so far. Solving issues one by one- got Melodyne 4 and their Warp/Flex Time to work well for pitch and timing editing. Much nicer than RealBand.

John, from your response, it sounds like the plugin is not working as intended, correct? We should be able to arrange, play, then generate tracks.

Beatmaster, Though Mixcraft is also looking in x86 plugins where the DAW plugin is, it only presents BIAB and BIAB (VST3) plugins. BIAB is the 64-bit VST2 and as I mentioned, a single click on the VST3 will lock-up the program.

You need to generate up the tracks first.
It will then play back in sync if you have other tracks in Mixcraft or you can File > Preferences > uncheck Sync playback, now select the track in the plugin and hit the plugin Play or double click the chord sheet bar to play from there. you can unfold it with the down arrow in the bottom right.

That's one of the million and one features of Biab application,
the Plugin is more for DAW only users that don't want to go through the steep learning curve of Biab and just want create tracks directly in the DAW, maybe to add to an existing session.
Like if you have a recorded session and want to add some extra tracks or solos in certain section you can use the MultiRiff function soloing each track in the plugin while playing back in sync to choose what track fits best to your recorded tracks then drag that track in to the DAW.


Yes if it has a lot of complexities stick with the Biab application and just drag the tracks out into the DAW.
Biab Plugin & ReWire

Hi Pipeline! So, you're saying that unless you'd worked out a chord progression, prior to opening the DAW plugin, that you'd be shooting 'deaf' in the inability to audition the chords and arrangement prior to generation? That would render the plugin, as a composing tool, useless to me, and as you suggest, I'd work directly in BIAB, and transfer the tracks via drag and drop. Thank you. Interesting that PGM made such a big deal about this...

There should be some chord libraries you can get for Mixcraft that will give chord preview. I know Reaper has a Chord Gun to give a chord preview, if you use the Reaplugs it will let you use the Reaper JS Midi FX in Mixcraft. With the Biab Chord Picker Tool I added a chord preview button to that, you can run that with BB in the background to give you a preview of any chord button you click.
There are also chord plugins that would give a chord preview, there should be some that would keep working in trial or demo mode, I can't think of any at the moment but will have a look tomorrow.
You would have to put a suggestion in wishlist to get a chord preview for the plugin as it would be easy enough to implement.

I went to try Mixcraft with the RewireVST and RealBand but Mixcraft will only work as a Rewire Master, you can't slave it to RealBand like Reaper, and I don't think RealBand has the chord preview either if I remember correctly.
You could midi clock sync it to Biab but again Mixcraft will only send midi clock and not receive it.

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=371691