Part 4 ：Mixdown
    This session will be our last. We're going to talk about mixing down with the SW and DS. As with the previous sessions, I'm going to place more emphasis on the DS and on the software (C-Console in this session) that controls it, rather than talking about the SW itself. Users who own only the SW may find this a bit boring. Still, I don't know of anywhere else where a discussion of this software can be found in Japanese [the original language of this document], and I hope that you will find it interesting, since it is after all closely related to the SW.


  1. Choices when doing a mixdown with DS+SW

    2. When doing a mixdown with the DS+SW, you will be faced with the following choices. As usual, I've included XGworks(note 1) as a choice for the sequencer software.

    The DS used with various drivers
    　　 Driver format Advantages Disadvantages
    A A LogicAudio DS native support LogicAudio / DS driver Memory consumption is minimal, and CPU dependence is light.Operation with an external MTR is possible. Software effects or DirectX plug-in's cannot be used, and only the two effects of the DS are available.
    B LogicAudio／PC/AV（WindowsMME） Windows MME only Three or more software effects can be used, and DirectX plug-in's can also be used.Operation with an external MTR is possible. Can't use the internal effects of the DS.The number of usable effects is limited by hardware resources such as the amount of memory and CPU speed.
    C XGworks＋C-Console C-Console／DSdriver Detailed editing of the SW's tone generator is possible. The audio section can use nearly 100% of the power of the DS. Can't automate the DS audio when linked to 　　　　XGworks.DSLimitations of the DS significantly restrict the operation of the AX44.
    D LogicAudio(PC/AV)＋C-Console
    C-Console／DS driver
    ＋
    LogicAudio／PC/AV
    （WindowsMME）
    		 Both the soft effects of LogicAudio and the internal effects of the DS can be used.Operation with an external MTR is possible(depending on the power of your hardware). Highly hardware-dependent,requiring lots of memory and a fast CPU.When using 8 or more audio tracks, trial and error will be needed when making DS and software effect assignments.
    E XGworks＋SW only WindowsMME（SW native） Detailed editing of the SW tone generator section can be done. Mixing automation (MIDI + audio) can be done in XGworks. Since there is no EQ for individual parts,it's difficult to adjust the sound for each part.

    As you can see, each combination has advantages and disadvantages. You will need to consider the type of sound you intend to mix, and the level of hardware resources that your computer provides. The patching and routing in an ordinary mixdown can also be done in more than one way, and the same considerations will apply.

    A：LogicAudio DS native support

    It's nice to use this when you want a clean and simple setup. Although this is not ideal for sophisticated spatial processing where you use a lot of reverb and delay on each channel, it provides plenty of performance if you just want a natural and cohesive-sounding mix. Although I wrote above that only the internal effects of the DS can be used, you can use an external effect if you have one by connecting it to the analog IN/OUT of the DS itself to add one stereo AUX SEND/RETURN, even if you don't have an AX44. If you do have an AX44, you can use two sends/returns. Compared to other methods, this places fewer demands on the CPU and memory, so it is also recommended if your computer does not have a great deal of CPU power or memory to spare.

    B：LogicAudio／PC/AV（WindowsMME）

    In this method, the native effects of the DS are not used. Incidentally, users who have only the SW and not the DS will use this method. The number of effects that can be used will depend on the amount of power and memory your computer has. However if you have a reasonably powerful computer, you should be able to use two or more effects without trouble. For users who do not have the DS, this method has the advantage of supplementing the areas in which the SW + XGworks is lacking.

    C：XGworks＋C-Console

    As I explained in the previous session, this is the best choice for mixdowns that consist mainly of MIDI sounds where the XG tone generator plays the key role. After using XGworks to make detailed edits on the MIDI tone generator, you can output each sound individually to the DS. In addition to applying the SW's own effects to the sounds of the SW's MIDI tone generator, you can apply the DS's EQ and effects as well. However as I will discuss in more detail later, it is not possible to use the SW's own effects on parts that are output individually from the SW to the DS. Nor is it possible to use time code to synchronize XGworks and C-Console to automate the mix
    XGworks(note 1)

    D：LogicAudio(PC/AV)＋C-Console

    I think this method is the winner. Output via PC/AV allows you to use the software effects of LogicAudio as well as DirectX plug-in's to be used, in addition to using the DS native mode in C-Console. The bottleneck with this method is that you need to use both the LogicAudio mixer and C-Console. However as I explained in the second part of this series, the PC/AV output of LogicAudio is output to the audio channels of the DS as eight group buses, this is not such a painful process if you think of it as being similar to the VCA grouping on an in-line mixer.

    E：XGworks＋SW only

    This is the default setup when you purchase the SW, but it cannot be denied that it provides insufficient performance when recording audio-centered content that includes vocals and chorus etc. As effects, you can use an overall chorus, an overall reverb&delay, and two variation effects as insertion effects. This does cover the basics, but the lack of channel-independent EQ is sorely felt. For audio parts in particular, the only way in which the tone can be adjusted is by using the graphic EQ that is applied to the entire stereo output. True, you could use TWE (Tiny Wave Editor) to adjust the tone of the WAVE data itself, or use an insertion effect as EQ, but neither of these are practical during a mixdown.

    And so for this session, I'm going to first give my impressions of using the newly updated version of C-Console, and then talk about systems "C" and "D"which use XGworks and LogicAudio in conjunction.


  2. C-Console　Ver1.1

    3. At the time of my previous report, this software was still in version 1.0, and there were a few rough spots. However in January of 1999 this was updated to version 1.1, adding lots of functions and filling the program out considerably. As you can see from the screen, the new version has a fresh design, and now sports a Time Code display. Here are the main changes.

    Version 1.1 screen
    ccon11.jpg
    Here's the Version 1.0 screen

    As I used this version, I realized that the claims that the DS has the same functionality as the 02R is not just advertising copy, but is actually the truth. By the way, the package that is currently being sold in music stores as the current Japanese version is still version 1.0, but a free update can be downloaded from the C-mexx website, so not to worry. (Note 3)





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