Liquid Mix 16

User Guide

FA0189-02

Contents

Introduction - Getting Started.... 3 Installation.... 3 Hardware Controls.... 4 Software GUI controls.... 5 Applying Compression and EQ within the sequencer... 6. Liquid Mix Manager... 7 Mac.... 7 PC.... 8 Variable Latency.... 8. Selecting Compressors and EQs... 9 Adjusting Compressor settings... 9 Free Switch....10. Sidechain EQ....11 Modifying EQ settings....11 Using the Sidechain EQ....12 Building a Hybrid (Mixed) EQ...13 Limit LED.....13 Compressor and EQ Emulations Guide...14 Snapshots - saving Liquid Mix settings..21 Restoring settings....21 Where to Locate/Place Emulations...21 Specifications.... 22
Introduction - Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing Liquid Mix. This User Guide provides detailed instructions on how to operate both the hardware control surface and software GUI (Graphical User Interface) of Liquid Mix. Liquid Mix is essentially a hardware device with integrated software functionality. This means that all the audio processing (of tracks in your session) actually goes on within the Liquid Mix hardware, despite seemingly going on inside your DAW. This incurs a delay due to the sending and returning of audio to and from your session. This delay is often compensated for automatically by your DAW but will occasionally need manual compensation. Check the Focusrite online answerbase in the support section of www.focusrite.com if unsure on how to do this. Despite the hardware processing, however, Liquid Mix appears and works like a plug-in, or multiple plug-ins. With Liquid Mix, you have access to 16 channels of processing (this number can be increased with the optional expansion card), which appears in the form of 8 stereo or 16 mono (or any combination of mono and stereo) instances of the Liquid Mix software. The software settings of each instance can be adjusted within the plug-in window or from the hardware, as desired. The hardware will always control the instance that is currently active within your session. To get started with Liquid Mix, you must first run the installer found on the supplied resources disc. This will install the Liquid Mix Manager application, the Liquid Mix plug-in software and EQ/Compressor emulations onto your computer.

Installation

Mac. Connect Liquid Mix hardware to your computer using the supplied Firewire cable. 2. Insert the Liquid Mix Resources DVD. This should automatically open up the Mac installer but if not, double click the disc icon on the desktop. Double click Install Liquid Mix to run the installer and then follow the on-screen instructions. These will include: Choose location to install Liquid Mix. Default is: /Mac HD/Applications Choose location to install AU and VST plug-ins. The default is set to wherever your default DAW looks for AU and VST plug-ins. You can select a different location of your choice Choose installation type. Software and 44.1k emulations are required, but the snapshot library, higher sample rate emulations and RTAS plug-ins are optional
Once done, you can boot up your music software and begin applying vintage flavours to your mix. Always make sure the hardware is connected before booting up the sequencer, otherwise the plug-ins may be made inactive. PC. Connect Liquid Mix hardware. The Windows Hardware wizard will appear, but ignore this for now. 2. Insert the Liquid Mix DVD. This will automatically launch the PC installer (unless the user has turned autorun off on their PC). If autorun is off, they will need to right + click on the DVD:\Drive to access the installer. Follow the on-screen instructions provided by the installer. This will include: Choose location to install Liquid Mix. Default is Program Files. At present, this is the only supported location Choose location to install VST plug-ins. The default is set to wherever your default DAW looks for VST plug-ins. You can select a different location of your choice Choose installation type. Software and 44.1k emulations are required, but the snapshot library, higher sample rate emulations and RTAS plug-ins are optional
4. The installer will begin once you press install on the page titled Ready to Install. 5. Return to the Windows Hardware wizard window that popped up when you connected the hardware and click Next:
6. The Hardware wizard will tell you that the software is installed and ready to use, then you can begin using Liquid Mix.

Hardware Controls

. Limit LED - indicates when the input limiter is active 2. Gain reduction meter - shows the amount of compression taking place. EQ Band Select scrolls through the available EQ bands when rotated, to then allow editing of the selected band using the three dials to the right 4. Shape - selects additional EQ options for the selected band, e.g. higher (x 3) frequency setting that may be available on the original unit 5. Mid Meter - shows the level of the signal between Compression and EQ stages (after compression, without Compressor Post EQ switch active or after EQ, with switch active) 6. Output Meter - displays the level of the signal after both EQ and compression. EQ controls - Gain, Frequency and Q 8. Save Snapshot - allows saving of Liquid Mix settings 9. EQ Output - sets the level of the signal after EQ

0. Bypass - bypasses the currently active instance of Liquid Mix. EQ/Band On - activates the whole EQ (EQ On) or the selected band (Band On) for the currently active instance of Liquid Mix 2. Compressor On - activates the compressor for the currently active instance of Liquid Mix. Link - compresses the left and right channels of stereo instances of Liquid Mix equally when active (active as default) 4. Sidechain Monitor - enables listening to the compressor sidechain 5. Compressor controls - Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Gain Makeup 6. Compressor Post EQ - reverses the order of the processor sections (places the EQ before compression). Free - enables unrestricted compressor controls (all dials across full ranges) 8. Input - sets the level of the signal before compression and EQ 9. Input Meter - displays the level of the signal before Liquid Mix processing occurs

Software GUI controls

. Track name - helps identify the instance of Liquid Mix 2. Compressor - displays the currently active compressor emulation, click to choose a different one. Active - defines the currently selected EQ band 4. EQ - displays the currently active EQ emulation, click to choose a different one 5. Snapshot - shows the name of the current snapshot if one has been saved, click the disk symbol to load, save or rename a snapshot 6. Clip - lights if compression and/or EQ are causing the output signal to overload. EQ Graph - displays the overall EQ in black, current band shape in red and Sidechain EQ in green 8. Output meter - displays the level of the signal after compression and EQ 9. EQ Output - sets the level of the signal after the EQ section 0. Bypass - bypasses this instance of Liquid Mix. EQ On - activates/deactivates the EQ section (all bands) 2. Band On - activate/deactivate each of the seven EQ bands. EQ controls - Gain, Frequency and Q dials for each of the seven bands 4. Shape Names - display the shape of each band, click to select additional options when a blue arrow is displayed
5. Mid Meter - shows the level of the signal between Compression and EQ stages (after compression, without Compressor Post EQ switch active or after EQ with switch active) 6. Compressor Graph - displays the compressor shape (threshold and ratio). Compressor controls - Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, Gain Makeup 8. Compressor On - activates the compressor 9. Link - compresses the left and right channels of stereo instances of Liquid Mix equally when active (active as default) 20. Sidechain Monitor - enables listening to the compressor sidechain 2. Compressor Post EQ - reverses the order of the processor sections (places the EQ before compression) 22. Free - enables unrestricted compressor controls (all dials across full ranges) 2. Input - sets the level of the signal before compression and EQ 24. Gain Reduction Meter - shows the amount of compression taking place 25. Input Meter - displays the level of the signal before Liquid Mix processing occurs

Applying Compression and EQ within the sequencer
To apply compression or EQ to a track within the sequencer, an instance of the Liquid Mix software must be activated. The software will appear in your list of VST, AU or RTAS (as a wrapped VST) plug-ins. Open up a mono or stereo Liquid Mix to begin applying vintage textures to your track. The software window will open on screen and will automatically become active on the Liquid Mix hardware. At 44.1/48kHz sample rates, 16 separate mono instances of Liquid Mix can be activated on any tracks. Note that at higher sample rates, this number decreases as listed in the Liquid Mix Specifications.

Liquid Mix Manager

The Liquid Mix Manager is an application for changing the core hardware settings. On a Mac, the Manager needs to be running at all times whilst using Liquid Mix in your DAW (the app opens up automatically when you load up a Liquid Mix plug-in instance). On a PC, the Manager is for setting up your Liquid Mix and only needs to be opened when changes are to be made (e.g. to the sample rate).
There are three Tabs at the top of the window: Set up - allows the main settings to be viewed/edited List - shows a list of all available compressor and EQ emulations About -provides information about the software, e.g. version number

Set Up

On the Set Up page, the sample rate that the Liquid Mix processes at can be selected. This should be set to the same value as the sample rate of your sequencer session. Setting a different value will bring up error messages and prevent the unit from functioning correctly. The maximum number of tracks (mono instances of the Liquid Mix software) can also be set within this window. At higher sample rates, the maximum number of tracks that can be selected will decrease, due to the increase in processing requirements and Firewire bandwidth (see the Specifications section for more details). Set a lower track total if you want to decrease Liquid Mixs bandwidth allocation, if other Firewire devices are connected for example. There is also a column for setting the Minimum Latency, explained fully in the next section. Once the sample rate or any other settings have been changed, the APPLY option must be clicked for them to take effect. In the upper half of the window, there are options for the Manager such as Start Minimized, which makes the software minimize automatically when started up. There is also an option for enabling the DSP Expansion card, if one is installed. (See the Expansion Card section for details.) Check the relevant boxes to activate.

Selecting Compressors and EQs
Selecting Compressors and EQs is done from within the Liquid Mix plug-in window. To select a Compressor emulation, click on the Comp box in the top left of the window and then choose an emulation from the drop-down list. Similarly, to choose an EQ, click on the EQ box on the header bar and select an emulation from the list. If selecting an EQ when no band is selected, the entire EQ emulation can be selected from the main drop-down list (without having to go to the submenu and select All Bands). If choosing when a band is selected, the submenu for each EQ must be used. In each EQ submenu, there are individual bands (labelled accordingly) and an All Bands option. Select an individual band (by clicking on any of its 3 dials in the plug-in window) to insert 1 band into the 7-band EQ (into the currently selected band in the software window), and begin building a Hybrid EQ. See the Building a Hybrid (Mixed) EQ section for more details. If a Hybrid (Mixed) EQ has been created and you want to abandon these and simply choose one emulation, click on All Bands within the submenu for that EQ.
Selecting a compressor emulation
Selecting 1 band of an EQ emulation
Adjusting Compressor settings
Compressor settings can be modified from the hardware or software in identical ways, as the same controls are available on either. To edit using the hardware, make sure the correct plug-in instance of Liquid Mix is open and selected. (You may need to click inside the plug-in window after opening it up before the hardware can control it.) Note that the available compressor controls will differ depending on the emulation, e.g. if the vintage original only has Threshold and Ratio then that is what will be available, unless the Free switch is active. Read the Free Switch section for more information. The available compressor controls are as follows:

Compressor On

The compressor is activated by pressing/clicking the Compressor On button/switch, located in the bottom left of the software and hardware.

Threshold

Gain Makeup

Compression results in an overall reduction in level. The Makeup control allows you to increase the gain of the compressed signal. The range of makeup values selectable varies depending on the chosen compressor, and the exact value is shown (in dB) directly above the dial in the software GUI.
This switch enables both left and right channels to be compressed equally, for use when compressing a stereo signal. This switch will be active as default when a stereo instance of Liquid Mix is opened. Deactivate the switch if you are wishing to compress two mono signals separately; this makes the instance of Liquid Mix function in dual-mono mode.

Gain Reduction Meter

The vertical LED meter indicates the action (Gain Reduction) of the compressor, in expanding increments down to -15 dB.

Sidechain Monitor

Activating the Sidechain Monitor switch allows the signal being fed to the sidechain to be listened to. See the Sidechain EQ section for details.

Compressor Post EQ

The Compressor Post EQ Switch allows the order of processing within Liquid Mix to be reversed, positioning the EQ before compression. Although this is not normal procedure, as compression can often squash the effects of the EQ, it is sometimes a desirable effect. With the switch active, the Mid Meter displays the level of the signal directly after EQ and before compression (after the EQ Output dial) and the compressor Gain Makeup dial now controls the main output level (after both EQ and compression).

Free Switch

A lot of the vintage units that have been sampled to create the compressor emulations have fewer controls or control options than all of the available dials on Liquid Mix. As such, in default mode, some of the controls may not be active. On the hardware, this will be indicated by the control active LEDs above those dials not being lit and no corresponding values being displayed on the screen. On the software, the inactive controls will be greyed out with no values directly above. Similarly, if the vintage unit simply had a few preset buttons or very limited options, then the Liquid Mix controls will step through those options as the active controls are rotated. The Free switch on the Liquid Mix hardware and software provides you with options previously impossible with the vintage units. Activating the switch makes all the Liquid Mix compressor controls active for that emulation, each with a full range. For example, the Vintage compressor emulation has no Ratio and Attack controls in default mode but with the Free switch active both controls 10

are enabled, with ranges of 1:1-20:1 and 0.1mS-2S, respectively. Additionally, the Release control now has a range of 1mS-20S, rather than stepping through the 6 TC (Time Constant) presets available on the vintage unit.

Sidechain EQ

Liquid Mix provides an extra band of EQ that can be sent to the compressor sidechain. This is called the Sidechain EQ and allows the signal to be EQd before compressing, so that certain frequencies can be compressed more or less than others. The Sidechain EQ controls (other than the Sidechain Monitor switch) appear when the Sidechain EQ band is selected using the EQ Band Select dial on the hardware, or when the Sidechain Monitor switch is active. See the Using the Sidechain EQ section for more details.

Modifying EQ settings

EQ settings can be adjusted from the Liquid Mix hardware or software; three dials per band are available within the software window whereas the hardware provides three dials and an EQ Band Select dial. To edit using the hardware, make sure the correct plug-in instance of Liquid Mix is open and selected. (You may need to click inside the plug-in window after opening it up before the hardware can control it.) EQ settings can be modified using the dedicated controls in the software, or using the three hardware controls. To use the hardware controls, first make sure you select the band to be edited with the EQ Band Select dial. The currently selected band is shown by its dedicated software controls turning red. The EQ controls on the hardware and software are as follows:
The EQ is activated using the EQ On switch, located in the bottom right section of the software and hardware. All seven bands will be turned on/off, regardless of the currently selected band.

Band On

On the hardware, pressing the Band On button (next to the EQ On button) with a particular Band selected will activate that Band. On the software, there are separate Band On switches for each band, located below the three dedicated EQ dials.
The Gain dial boosts or attenuates the gain of the selected band across a range dependant on the settings of the original EQ. Rotate the control clockwise to increase. Note that for some band types, such as High-Pass and Low-Pass, the Gain dial will be inactive because the only controls for such types are the (cutoff) frequency and occasionally resonance.

Frequency

The frequency dial determines the area of the frequency spectrum that the band acts upon. Rotate the control clockwise to increase. Note that for some band types, such as a 3kHz peak/notch, the Frequency dial will be inactive because that value is fixed.
The Q dial defines the width of the band. The control has an inverse function so increasing its value, by rotating clockwise, decreases the bands width. A narrower band is more focussed and so has a powerful effect on the sound, whereas a wider band will be washier but more obvious as it affects a larger area.
The Shape switch on the hardware will display any further options for the selected band, if any are available. This accounts for additional frequency and shape settings, such as x3 buttons or variable curves. Pressing the Shape button repeatedly toggles through all available options. The same options will appear within the software if the Shape box for that band is clicked with the mouse, making a drop-down menu appear; the Shape box will show a small blue arrow in the corner if further options are available. Refer to the Compressor and EQ Emulations Guide section for more details on the Shape options for each EQ emulation.
Remember that the Band On switch must be active for an EQ band to have an effect, despite a curve appearing on the software display. In the software window, the current band being edited is displayed on the EQ graph in red with the overall EQ shape permanently displayed in black. To just display the overall EQ, select an empty band with the mouse or, if all bands are full, rotate the EQ Band Select dial on the hardware until No Band Selected is shown in the Active box in the software. Note that some bands have no active controls as all values are fixed. In these instances, only the Band On switch has an effect.

Using the Sidechain EQ

The Liquid Mix sidechain EQ provides an additional EQ band, purely for applying to the compressor input. This means that certain frequencies in a track can be compressed more or less than others, rather than having to compress the whole track. This is useful if wanting to remove excessive sibilance from a vocal (de-essing) or a particular resonant frequency from a guitar, for example. In the plug-in window, the sidechain EQ is controlled by 3 dials, a switch and a small menu, which all appear above the main compressor controls when the Sidechain Monitor switch (in the compressor section) is clicked. These allow you to set the type of EQ band, the frequency, gain and Q (bandwidth), as well as turn the sidechain EQ on and off. Once turned on, the EQd signal will replace the standard signal that normally feeds the compressor. Once the controls appear (after the Sidechain Monitor switch has been clicked), the band will appear on the EQ display, which can be used as a visual guide to setting up the sidechain EQ. Note that the standard EQ graph will disappear when the sidechain EQ is being modified, but will reappear when any standard EQ controls are activated.

Selects high/low-shelf or band-pass Turns the sidechain EQ on/off
Adjusts the Q (bandwidth) of the sidechain EQ (only active in band-pass mode)
Adjusts the frequency of the sidechain EQ
Displays the sidechain EQ curve in green whilst the controls are being edited
Adjusts the gain of the sidechain EQ
Sidechain Monitor switch - allows the signal fed to the compressor to be listened to and makes the sidechain EQ controls appear (turn this off when the sidechain EQ has been turned on to hear the result)
The Off/On switch on the right can be used to activate the Sidechain EQ. Once active (with the Sidechain Monitor switch also active), the signal now being fed to the compressor input can be heard and the remaining sidechain EQ controls can be used to adjust the band as desired. Use the small menu called up by clicking the box on the right (containing Low-shelf or similar) to set the type of EQ band to either low-/high- shelf or band-pass. With low- or high- shelf selected, the low or high frequencies can be boosted or cut using the first dial to set the gain (from -20 to +20dB) and the second dial to set the frequency. In band-pass mode, a small band of frequencies can be boost or cut, with a third dial also appearing to allow the bandwidth to be set. Once the desired EQ is set, deactivate the Sidechain Monitor switch (with the sidechain EQ On/Off switch still active) to hear the resulting effect. The sidechain EQ On/Off switch can be toggled on and off at this point to hear the result without the Sidechain EQ controls disappearing. Remember that to remove a particular band of frequency, you first have to boost it in the Sidechain EQ band. 12
So, to get rid of nasty sibilance on a vocal, first set the EQ type to band-pass, then set the bandwidth/Q to the maximum setting (10/very narrow) and the gain to the maximum setting, then select a frequency of between 5 and 10kHz. With the Sidechain Monitor switch active, you should now hear the sibilance very obviously. Activating the Sidechain EQ On/Off switch and turning Sidechain Monitor off will then de-ess the vocal.

Hardware Control

The Liquid Mix hardware can be used to control the Sidechain EQ, rather than the plug-in window, if desired. With the hardware, the sidechain controls can be viewed and edited without having to activate the Sidechain Monitor switch in the plug-in window. This is done by using the EQ Band Select dial to select the Sidechain EQ band. You will know the band has been selected when Sidechain EQ is displayed in the Active box at the top of the plug-in window and the EQ curve turns green. The hardware EQ controls can then be used to adjust the Sidechain EQ settings, as follows
Rotate until Sidechain EQ is selected in the Active box at the top of the plug-in window to begin controlling the Sidechain EQ
Press the SHAPE button to change the type of Sidechain EQ band; pressing repeatedly toggles low-/high- shelf and band-pass
Adjust the sidechain EQ with the three EQ controls (Q is only active in band-pass mode)
Press Band On to turn the Sidechain EQ on and off (with ScEq selected on the screen) Press Sidechain Monitor to listen to the sidechain EQ band being sent to the compressor input
Building a Hybrid (Mixed) EQ
In every instance of Liquid Mix, there are seven EQ bands available. These can be filled in whatever way you want, using a mixture of individual bands from seven different EQ emulations or one complete 4-band emulation with up to three additional bands, and so on. Constructing Mixed EQs is done by clicking on a band (any one of the vertical column of three dials for each band) and then using the EQ box above to select an individual band emulation. You will know the band is selected because, if there is currently an emulation in it, the active control(s) will be red or, if it is empty, all three dials will be blue. With the band selected, click on the EQ box above. This brings up the root EQ emulation list. Move the mouse cursor to an emulation to view the submenu of separate bands for that EQ. Move the cursor to an individual band from one of the submenus and click to make that band active. Clicking the mouse outside the drop-down menus at any point will cancel the emulation select. Now click on another of the seven bands and repeat the process as required.

Limit LED

This LED indicates when Liquid Mixs input limiter is active. The limiter has been included to make sure that the signal level of the input does not exceed that of the original sampling process. Attempting to process a signal higher than this (above the normal peak operating level) would cause unpleasant and excessive distortion. If a signal above the limiter threshold is received, there will be a momentary reduction in signal level as the instant limiter becomes active, to make sure the input doesnt clip. 13

NEW AGE 2A/ US MODERN HYBRID 2A Based on a MILLENNIA STT-1* (US) serial # 0-161 (Vacuum tube input,Vacuum tube compressor settings.) All controls CLASS A 1 / BRIT 70S CLASS A 1 Based on a NEVE 2254/A* dual/stereo compressor/limiter (UK) serial # 5008K No Attack stepped Ratio and Release. Release has AUTO at max setting (Automatic Release) CLASS A 2/ BRIT 70S CLASS A 2 Based on a NEVE 33609/B* dual/stereo compressor /limiter (UK) serial # 108 No Attack stepped Ratio and Release. Release has AUTO1 and AUTO2 at max settings (Automatic Release) BRIT DESK1/ BRIT CLASSIC DESK 1 Based on a NEVE VR CONSOLE* compressor (UK) serial # unknown. All controls Ratio has LIMIT at max setting, Attack has FAST and NORM settings MEAT PIE/ BRIT 60S CLASS A Based on a PYE 84 4060/01* compressor/limiter (UK) serial # 60 No Attack stepped Ratio (with LIMIT at max setting) and Release GRINDER A/ BRIT MODERN DESK COPY A Based on a SMART RESEARCH C2* bus compressor (UK) serial # C217. All controls stepped Ratio (with LIMIT at max setting), Attack and Release (with AUTO at max setting) GRINDER B/ BRIT MODERN DESK COPY B Based on a SMART RESEARCH C2* bus compressor (UK) serial # serial # C217. (Crush setting.) All controls stepped Ratio (with LIMIT at max setting), Attack and Release (with AUTO at max setting) MIX BUSS/ BRIT CLASSIC BUSS Based on a SOLID STATE LOGIC FX G384* stereo compressor (UK) serial # FX384-180 All controls stepped Ratio, Attack and Release (with AUTO at max setting) BRIT DESK2/ BRIT CLASSIC DESK 2 Based on a SOLID STATE LOGIC SL 4000 G+* console compressor (UK) serial # unknown. All controls stepped Ratio (with LIMIT at max setting) and Attack with FAST and NORM settings BRIT DESK3/ BRIT MODERN DESK 1 Based on a SOLID STATE LOGIC SL 510* (5000 series dynamics module) (UK) serial # unknown All controls stepped Ratio (with LIMIT at max setting) and Attack with FAST and NORM settings ACME 1/ US MODERN TUBE 3 Based on a SUMMIT DCL-200* dual compressor/limiter (US) serial # 0721076 All controls 10 ratio settings with 1 being the lightest and 10 the heaviest compression 16
ACME 2/ US MODERN TUBE 4 Based on a SUMMIT TLA-100A* tube levelling amplifier (US) serial # 0120429 All controls - 10 ratio settings with 1 being the lightest and 10 the heaviest compression, Attack and Release have FAST, MED and SLOW settings LEVELLER/ US CLASSIC TUBE 3 Based on a TELETRONIX MODEL LA-2A* (US) valve compressor/limiter serial # 00227 (Silver face, pre-Harman) Attack and Release are fixed Ratio switches between COMP and LIMIT modes BRIT TUBE/ BRIT MODERN TUBE 1 Based on a TL AUDIO C-1*dual valve compressor (UK) serial # 121739 All controls stepped Ratio, Attack and Release (both with SLOW and FAST at max and min settings) VIKING 1/ DANISH CLASSIC TUBE 1 Based on a TUBE TECH CL-1B* compressor (DK) serial # 04150 Attack and Release are fixed stepped Ratio VIKING 2/ DANISH CLASSIC TUBE 2 Based on a TUBE TECH LCA 2B* dual/stereo compressor/limiter (DK) serial # 04010 No Release stepped Ratio, Attack switches between 6 Presets STELLAR 1/ US CLASSIC SOLID STATE 1 Based on a UNIVERSAL AUDIO 1176LN* mono limiting amplifier, (US) serial # 1394 (Black face, pre-Harman; a re-issue of the Urei 1176LN) All controls Ratio has four settings with the fifth being all buttons on the front panel pressed STELLAR 2/ US CLASSIC SOLID STATE 2 Based on a UREI MODEL 1176LN* mono limiting amplifier (US) serial # 11854 (Silver face) All controls Ratio has four settings with the fifth being all buttons on the front panel pressed STELLAR 3/ US CLASSIC SOLID STATE 3 Based on a UREI/TELETRONIX* mono levelling amplifier LA-3A (US) serial # 1584 (Black face, 30dB switch setting on rear panel.) Attack and Release are fixed Ratio switches between COMP and LIMIT modes STELLAR 4/ US CLASSIC OPTICAL 1 Based on a UREI LA-4* compressor/limiter (US) serial # 4832A (Silver face) Attack and Release are fixed stepped Ratio

Expansion Card

An optional expansion card can be purchased separately and installed if wanting to use more instances of Liquid Mix within your DAW. The card is installed by simply removing the screws from the bottom of the hardware, taking off the cover and slotting the card into place. More detailed instructions are supplied with the expansion card. Fitting the card increases the track count as follows: Sample Rate Without card installed With card installed 24 mono instances/12 stereo 8 mono instances/4 stereo
44.1/48kHz 16 mono instances/8 stereo 88.2/96kHz 4 mono instances/2 stereo

Specifications

Windows Operating System
VST, RTAS Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Home, Professional, or Media Centre Edition) or Windows Vista (32-bit only) - OS Version subject change Min version of ProTools required - 7.0 if planning to use the included FXpansion wrapper (earlier versions will require the full FXpansion VST wrapper.)

Computer

Windows XP compatible PC (Pentium 4 2GHz or higher recommended) 400MB/s IEEE1394/FireWire port (OHCI compliant recommended) DVD drive required for Installation

CPU/Clock

1.4 GHz Intel or compatible 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 or Xeon recommended

Memory (RAM)

256MB or more 512MB or higher recommended

Mac Operating System

AU, VST, RTAS Mac OS X Panther (10.3.9 or later) - OS Version subject to change Min version of Logic required - Logic 7.1, but 7.2 highly recommended Min version of ProTools required - 7.0 if planning to use the included FXpansion wrapper (earlier versions will require the full FXpansion VST wrapper.)
Apple Mac Power PC G4, G5 or Intel Mac (any)
G4/800 MHz (minimum) G4/1.5GHz or higher recommended

Additional Information

Firewire chipsets from TI (Texas Instruments), VIA, and NEC are recommended It is highly recommended that Liquid Mix be run on its own Firewire bus/card In order to use Liquid Mix with a 4-pin IEEE1394 port you will need a 4-pin to 6-pin cable (not included) and must use the PSU (included)
Latency Due to the round trip transmission, which is required on the firewire bus, incurs a delay equal to 2 x the audio buffer size + 8 samples. This sample delay results in different amounts of time delay depending upon sampling frequency. With a DAW buffer size of 1024 samples (ie, Liquid Mix latency of 2056 samples), the Liquid Mix latency is as follows: 47 ms @ 44.1kHz 43 ms @ 48kHz 23 ms @ 88.2kHz 21 ms @ 96kHz

With a DAW buffer size of 256 samples (ie, Liquid Mix latency of 520 samples), the Liquid Mix latency is as follows: 12 ms @ 44.1kHz 11 ms @ 48kHz 6 ms @ 88.2kHz 5 ms @ 96kHz

Sequencer compatibility

Liquid Mix operates as VST, AU, or as a RTAS-wrapped VST within compatible hosts. Cubase 4 on Intel Macs does not support VST 2.3 plug-ins. If you want to use Liquid Mix with Cubase 4 on an Intel Mac, you must install the Liquid Mix 2.4 VST plug-ins available separately on the Liquid Mix downloads page.
Optional Expansion Card details
The card is suitable for those people interested in operating at sample rates of 88.2 or higher. The channel count increases as follows:

Channel Counts:

44.1kHz/48kHz: 16 channels mono, (16 stereo) unexpanded. Expansion card provides 24 mono / 12 stereo 88.2/96kHz: 4 channels mono, (2 stereo) unexpanded. Expansion card provides 8 mono / 4 stereo

Weight

0.8kg 1.76lbs

Dimensions

220mm (W) x 28 - 45mm (H - front to rear) x 152mm (D) 8.66 (W) x 1.1 - 1.77 (H - front to rear) x 5.98 (D)

E & O.E.

Liquid Range | Liquid Mix

Liquid Mix

Liquid Mix Software User Interface
A Revolutionary Liquid Multi-channel Firewire Mix Processor
Liquid Mix is a revolutionary multi-channel rewire mix processor utilising Liquid Technology to provide vintage EQ and compression in the mix. Liquid Mixs DSP is housed within an elegant desktop control solution and connects to the computer via Firewire, which also provides bus-powering. The physical metering, screen, rotary controls and buttons on the hardware help to provide a tactile ergonomic solution, placing the sounds of an array of high quality vintage processors at your ngertips. The user can choose to control each channel either from the desktop control unit, or from within the sequencer, using a simple GUI that functions exactly like a plug-in. Each of Liquid Mixs 32 channels provides EQ and Compressor dynamic convolution emulations selected from a huge pool of high-quality vintage and modern day classics. 20 EQs and 40 Compressors (see overleaf for details) are available straight out of the box. Furthermore, a totally unique hybrid 7-band super EQ can be built out of separate classic EQ sections for every one of the 32 channels. Each channel appears as a separate VST/AU/RTAS effect within the sequencer and will work within all major applications, including Pro Tools, via the FXpansion VST to RTAS Adapter. Liquid Mix uses the same patented Dynamic Convolution process as Focusrites Liquid Channel. Unlike standard convolution techniques, Dynamic Convolution utilizes vast processing power to sample the effect of a classic processor on a series of audio impulses, at many different gain settings and all frequencies. In Liquid Mix, all this processing is done using onboard DSP, so the processing has almost no effect on your computers own CPU.
Optional DSP Expansion Card
An optional expansion card (sold separately) is available for Liquid Mix, allowing users to increase the number of available channels at higher sample rates. The card is quick and easy to install and ts neatly into the underside of the unit. One of a kind any Compressor and EQ in history - Every Liquid Mix channel uses dynamic convolution to provide 20 EQs and 40 compressors, with an expanding library available. Onboard DSP - 32 Channels of Liquid Mix Compression and 32 EQs run off the desktop hardwares own DSP simultaneously many more than are possible with CPU alone. Software and Hardware control - EQ and Compression can be applied via a hands-on control surface, or within your DAW application via a simple GUI. Hybrid Super EQ creation - Unique custom 7-band super EQs can be created, constructed from separate classic EQs chosen by the user Desktop Metering - Large format LED bar-graphs mean clear, precise display of input and output levels and processor impact. Optional Expansion Card - An optional DSP expansion card is available to increase the maximum channel count at higher sample rates.

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revolutionary Liquid technology
32 channels simultaneously

tactile control surface