Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 EQ/Compressor plug-ins and Control Surface
Item: FCLIQUIDMIX16
Each of Liquid Mix’s 32 channels provides Compressor and EQ emulations selected from a huge pool of high-quality vintage and modern day classics. 40 Compressors and 20 EQs are available straight out of the box, with an expanding library online. Furthermore, a totally unique hybrid 7-band ‘super EQ’ can be built out of separate classic EQ sections in 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.
Liquid Mix uses the same patented Dynamic Convolution process as Focusrite’s 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 pulses, at many different gain settings and frequencies. In Liquid Mix, all this processing is done using onboard DSP, so the processing has almost no effect on your computer’s own CPU.
Liquid Mix’s 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 fingertips. You 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.
An optional expansion card is available for Liquid Mix, allowing users to increase the number of available channels at higher sample rates (sold separately). The card is quick and easy to install and fits neatly into the underside of the unit.
The original Liquid Channel won a plethora of awards, and has been a worldwide hit in the audio production world, from project studios to post production and broadcast facilities, not to mention the Live arena. Liquid Mix complements the original, delivering dynamic convolution for use in the mix. Since The Liquid Channel’s vast, elaborate and expensive analogue mic pre section is not required at mix down, Focusrite has been able to bring Liquid Technology to the masses at a much more accessible price.
Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 EQ/Compressor plug-ins and Control Surface
Features:
- 40 compressors and 20 EQs, sampled from vintage originals with a free expanding library online
- Dynamic Convolution process delivers unparalleled EQ and Compression emulations
- Create your own totally unique 7-band super EQ, built out of separate classic EQ bands
- Hardware-powered Plug-ins
- 16 instances of Liquid Mix run off the desktop hardware, reducing the impact on your CPU
- Tactile Control Surface
- Full Plug-in Operation
- Each instance has a dedicated GUI Desktop Metering
- 12 LED meters on the hardware controller display i/o levels and gain reduction alongside their respective controls
- The optional expansion card, which is easy to install and fits neatly into the underside of the unit, allows Liquid Mix 16 users to increase the number of channels at 44.1/48kHz from 16 to 24 and the number of channels at 88.2/96kHz from 4 to 8
Specifications:
Due to the round trip transmission which is required on the firewire bus, a delay equal to 2 x the audio buffer size + 8 samples is incurred. 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
- 11 ms @ 192kHz
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
- 3 ms @ 192kHz
- 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: 32 channels mono, (16 stereo) unexpanded. No change with expansion card
- 88.2/96kHz: 8 channels mono, (4 stereo) unexpanded. Expansion card provides 16 mono / 8 stereo
- 176.4/192kHz: 2 channels mono, (1 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)
Windows
- Operating System:
- VST, RTAS
- Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Home, Professional, or Media Centre Edition) or Windows Vista (32bit only) - OS Version subject change
- Min version of ProTools required - 7.0 if planning to use the included FXpansion (earlier versions will require the full Fxpansion VST wrapper.)
- Computer:
- Windows XP compatible PC (Pentium 4 2GHzor 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): 512MB or higher recommended
Apple Mac
- Operating System
- AU, VST, RTAS
Mac OS X Panther (10.3.9 or later) - OS
- Version subject 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 (earlier versions will require the full Fxpansion VST wrapper.)
- CApple Mac Power PC G4, G5 or Intel Mac (any)
- CPU/Clock
- G4/800 MHz (minimum)
- G4/1.5GHZ or higher recommended
- Memory (RAM)
- 256MB or more
- 512MB or higher recommended
- Sequencer compatibility: Liquid Mix 16 operates as VST, AU, or as a RTAS-wrapped VST within compatible hosts.