Mixwars: Harrison VS Reaper REVEALED - with your best comments
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
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In today’s episode on Spectre Sound Studios I’ll be revealing which DAW was which in the first MixWars video, and commenting on your observations. Check below for the gear I discussed in today’s episode. Subscribe for more! bit.ly/1SfU1m4
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I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, and plugin effects.
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Harrison adds so much life and cut to the snare drum. In general it sounds a lot more "open" and bright.
I use other Daws and for different music but I can hear that Harrison mixes were much lively and natural, open and more 3D. Reaper was more flat and sterile. Something like vinyl and CD.
The drums overall sound better in Harrison. It’s the analog essence that makes the drums pop. I’ve tried almost every Daw for drum recordings and Harrison is always the go to.
No matter how much I love Reaper, that mix in Harrison was beautiful. Fantastic work!
So the Harrison takes the edge off the highs and saturates the low mids to glue it all together... no big surprise. One might argue that it sacrifices clarity, but I love it. I'd definitely use it for anything that's supposed to feel authentic.
I'm Rick Harrison ... and this is my recording studio I work here with my old man and my son big Djent ... Everything has a sound ... And a price ... One thing I've learned after 21 years you never know who is going to use a line 6 spider
"you never know who is going to use a line 6 spider" wat do you mean?
Black Phoenix spider is poop
@@Black12Phoenix If you don't get this joke LMAO!
My line 6 helix is awesome
The Spider Valve amps weren't too bad. 🤷♂️
Obviously the differences are very subtle. Neither will make or break a hit record. That said, is it just me or does the Harrison sound a bit wider and more present? Perhaps it's the analog saturation being emulated that gives it that perceived presence?
Yet I liked the last song better in Reaper (while I preferred Harrison in other two) solely because of the bass sound. Maybe it just closely resembled Steve Harris to me :)
Jeremy Leff Just 'sounds like a moderate mastering over reaper.
Yes, more bass w/Harrison also.
It's not just you, Jeremy. I came in here with zero preconceptions -- I heard it right away.
And you're getting it all from a compressed youtube audio in lossy AAC. With these limitations I wouldn't even dare to comment since I can't say when high end drops due to compression (can go even down to 10kHz due to VBR cutoff) and when low end is more pronounced due to more space in available bitrate. A thing do consider imo.
By Jove... I think your demonstration of the Harrison Mix Bus 32-C, sold me! Thanks Glenn! It almost sounds analog-ish, like my 1974, 36 input Neve. Oh wow. Oh golly! If I have my Neve along with my, 20 input API stuff. And that Harrison software. It'll be like I'm back at Media Sound, NYC back in 1979! Cool... yeah baby. What an incredible Christmas present to give myself!
I'm feeling the same way!!! Studio One user and fan! No plans to abandon S1 but I LOVE the analog console Feel AND Look of MB10 and it's on sale for 150 bucks right now!
Harrison has a fuller sound, seems to glue things together very nicely and I like how it tames the harsh frequencies in the higher mids.
I guess you have enough options to achieve similar results in any other DAW, using 3rd party plugins ofc.
The thing is, you don't need so many plugin in Mixbus to get a great sound :-)
I just rewatched the video and noticed that Mixbus had also analog summing emulation.... well that could really be a game changer if it's done right.
In any case, it's nice to have the "analog" implemented in a DAW by default like this. It can be a great companion to Reaper.
Octopus On Fire Add a moderate mastering will achieve similar results.
+Octopus On Fire Mixbus summing is what makes it sound like analog. You can get that with your current DAW. I use NLS via Waves which is great!! Also Slate has a great one so I hear. I have to try it. NLS was so cheap and I liked what it was doing so I never bothered with Slate. This is a must if you want to mix fat sounding records. Many people debate on this except for the pros but no hardware needed. Don't degrade your signal by going outside. That being said some pros do Hybrid but you really don't need it anymore!
@@Markpianist1 Have you ever heard about "Omega Transformer Model N - Kush Audio" ?
That plugin is literally the best purchase that i have ever made.
Sounds incredible, THE BEST saturation vst imho ; )
I'm audio programmer myself and it just blew me away...
This is exactly where I am at right now too. Love Reaper for recording and editing, but have just discovered Mixbus and I LOVE the way it sounds for mixing. I also love the restrictions it imposes too - forces me to focus on the mixing and my work flow a lot more than with Reaper's infinite possibilities. Plus the added unexpected bonus of transferring across to another DAW is the psychological aspect of being done with, and drawing a line under all the editing and housekeeping. Love it.
Harison has a wider sound stage and accentuates the low end, but the high mids sound more muffled. Does anyone agree?
PS- Listening on a set of Audio Technica ATH M50X
I have thos same headphones and honestly you gotta listen to monitors. They are good headphones don't get me wrong but there is alittl bit of a scoop to them.
I noticed what you say especially in Song 3. It's funny because depending on what you mix and where you want to go, Harrison might not be the best choice RAW.
i listened on same headphones and agree with the less brittle sound. I much preferred it especially on song 3
I listened on Koss Pro4S and I got #2 wrong.
The Harrison sounded more _contained_ in the mids. Reaper sounded more open.
For my music, I'd go the Harrison as it's more 60s 70's guitar driven. For more modern metal, reaper might be a better choice as the sound seemed less coloured, more space for _stuff_. Then again, Glenn is still driving Harrison with his L plates.
Great shoot out Glenn ! thank you
Agreed, all Reaper mixes sounded more open and had more high mids/highs specialy on the drums (instrument with biggest sounding differences imho).
Would honestly prefer reaper, as harison was build from the ground up with the analog sound in mind which you can not turn off.
If I want to emulate that type of sound I could always use some slate plugins in reaper but have the choice to have the "clean" sound as well.
Listened on JBL LSR 305
Dang, huge difference in the low end also... nice! There has already been a Reaper/ProTools null test and they completely cancel each other out but you can clearly hear the difference between Harrison ad Reaper and I'm on my desktop monitors right now! Thanks 4 the review!
Hey Just wanted to say that this show has changed the way i look at my tone and I am eternally grateful, After months of playing with a Line 6 spider IV I had enough trying to get a good sounding distortion, I just got done dialing in my new Marshall DSL 40c tube amp and I don't know why I ever wasted money on a Line 6...
Hi Glen, this was a really interesting video to me. I have to say, I found the Harrison sound had more space in the mix, it had more lows, more treble and just all round more presence. I actually started to find it difficult to listen to the reaper mixes as they felt extremely compressed and flat in comparison. great video dude
FARK! this is such an awesome channel...Love your passion, delivery and humour.. GOLD!
Whats funny, is I picked the brighter, punchier fuller sounding (according to my ear and setup) as you on Reaper because you are used to it and know how to get the most out of it. But when I saw the results, every mix I chose was the Harrison mix. interesting.
Sounds like a blanket was removed, Harrison wins, just as I heard
Btw, dust them dang cymbals lol, it muddies the sound hehe!
Agreed Neil. Just as my producer/engineer buddy says... There is more "air" in the Harrison mix. Damn! Which I knew about this before I bought Logic Pro. I had no idea that the DAW would make such a difference. Then thinking about it why ever would it not? Any chance of a unbiased comparison between Harrison and Logic?
Keep LPX to make the music and Mix in Mixbus :-)
Hold on to Logic to get the composing and tracking and editing done and then export your tracks to Mixbus. Mixbus is still very immature in the tracking, editing and music so you have not wasted your money with Logic. I would treat Mixbus as the final mix tool and its pretty affordable for what it does. Same price as a single really good plugin effect.
Think of Mixbus as a Plugin emulating a console sound. Think of Logic as Daw, like Protools or Reaper.
Holy shit both sounds killer, nothing will ever beat great engineering....
It was easy to tell, pretty amazing the Harrison sounds. There seems to be fullness more akin to old school boards, and tape.
You just blew me away. Keep on rocking!
What this video reveals is that you have incredible mixing skills! The difference is clearly audible, but not night and day. And I honestly can't say which mix is better. Kudos for the vid and shoot-out!
I could tell Harrison just sounds more “groovy” “punchy” and I can tell with my phone speakers! Especially the snare. Just got mixbuss, hope to switch from protools, tired of the monthly fees and price hikes and glitches.
exactly ..
Would have to get in my studio to check an analyzer , obviously harmonic saturation is being emulated but the biggest difference im hearing just on a pair of cans at work is the eq. You may not be able to emulate exactly what Harrison does with adjust an eq, but there is definitely a boost occurring in the highs. I'm a big fan of top down mixing so working in Harrison could be good for that, but to say you couldn't achieve the Harrison mix in any major daw seems a bit misleading. I like what Harrison is trying to do but I'll stick to the flexibility of Cubase for the time being
Aww, craaaap! Now after 9 years I'm going to have to learn an new DAW. Loved the detail in the monitors. Thanks Glenn. Great vid's BTW. Cheers
Not to sound stupid, but Harrison reminded me of a wood snare drum, warmer and clearer, and Reaper (which I've been using for months now) sounds like a steel snare, brighter, poppy, and maybe even a less controlled sound.
I'm definitely looking into Harrison. Thanks for the awesome videos Glenn! You're my inspiration.
After listening on my monitors, it was a trip to hear the daws switch on top end from song to song. But definitely could hear the top end differences.
I'm all for Harrison! The drums sound so much nicer with it! I love that overdrive-ish sound on the kick.
I preferred every Mixbus mix... What I like about this video is that I have been using this Mixbus DAW and its variants (Mixbus 2.5, 3, and 32c), and it just reinforces my feelings about it. It just works with my ears and the GUI of the DAW is easy for me to use. Thanks for the shootout!
That was a very interesting couple of videos. I will fully admit I didn't put a name to each of the mixes as it would literally be a 50/50 guess, but I was pleased to find that I'd matched up the mixes correctly. I did prefer the Harrison mixes myself. A little more on the top mids and highs, making it something of a clearer sound IMO. Love the vids, I'm learning a lot
Hi Glen, I really liked how the bass sounded through the harrison daw. Keep up the awsome work! Also im listening through crappy headset with unnatural low end boost but I listen my music this way also.
I have been using Harrison Mixbus 32C for the flavor for a few weeks now and I am happy with the results. I hear a pretty big difference on my KRK Rokit 8's. Still tracking in Studio One though. Good stuff Glenn keep it up!
Wow, I wasn't expecting such a huge difference! Thanks for this vid Glenn, it's a real eye (ear) opener on the impact a DAW can have on the mix.
Love you Glenn, but if you made 2 different mixes from the ground up, the test is kinda irrelevant on "the quality", mostly is good to tell people which you've found faster or more user friendly.
it's subtle, but the warmth of Harrison is there
Dammit! I was sitting on the fence but now I'm convinced. I was able to identify each mix in the blind. Will wait until new Harrison version comes out April 1st. Also, Will not abandon my other DAW either.
Well, I'm listening through my computer speakers but I definitely heard a difference. The Harrison sounded fuller to my ears.
There is definitely a subtle difference, it just seems like the kind of difference where I couldn't tell you whether a mix was made on one or the other by itself, and only in a direct comparison does it become apparent.
I love these kind of videos. Real straight forward comparison. The downside is that it proved to me that I love what Harrison does to the sound. I would have preferred to be prove that there's no use in buying extra expencive software.
+Sämi Moor :)
Actually had some of my prediction correct, which I would never have thought. I felt the Harrison to be a little "fatter", warmer and maybe some extra harmonics? I prefer the transparent sound of Reaper and other DAWs though, but this sounds killer anyways!
Thanks for doing a blindtest like this, Fricker!
First of all, great demo! Not only did it do a great job of comparing sounds of the two. but it was a fucking gas to watch! Thanks for the humor and the blasphemy. Loved both! They both sounded great, but for me, the Harrison is the one!
Its not about the DAW sound, Its about the workflow you like.
Oh yeah, got it right. Example 3 and Harrison is such a killer combo..would love to here the full song.
The differences are not even suttle to me, but very clear. Compression is less pumpy, warmer mids, less sharp high end, warmer and somehow just more pleasing low end.
The differences are subtle enough, that working with either would just lead to working around their sound. I don't think working either way would lose clients.
Hell Yes! nailed it 100% (see my post on the blind test) Listening through KRK Rocket 8 monitors and could clearly hear the difference between the two. Both mixes sounded good to me, the difference between Reaper and Harrison Mix Bus was subtle, but I happen to be in my mid-40's and the majority of my favorite songs were recorded on analog equipment. The Harrison had a more analog sound, which to me, sounded more familiar. Reaper sounds cleaner and crisper (slightly more high-end definition) where Mix Bus seemed to have a richness to the mid range that I didn't hear on the Reaper tracks.
Thanks again for the shootout!
I'm with ya on that Danny. And I'm 61. And remember when your favorite songs. Were my favorite songs. 20 years earlier. When those Harrison's. Were still churning them out.. Don't eat the brown acid!
Damn ! I've never heard the A/B of this ! Huuuuuuge difference ! Mixbus mixes sounds a lot more wide and deep ! Also the frequency response is quite differente, it does something it the higher spectrum I don't get but it is really nice !
I observed a similar effect when I slapped Sonimus' Britson plugin on every channel / bus in my mixes, it's supposed to help with analogue-style gain staging and imposing the sonic characteristics of a Neve console through saturation. Saturation obviously adds harmonic content to a signal around its central frequency - for very high and very low frequencies, this however means that more new frequencies are added towards the frequency center (in lack of a better word) of the mix since the other direction is, well, off limits. This results in more emphasis on the mids overall, even if every signal on its own is just affected marginally. Combined with some analogue tape emulation that smoothes out the top end, the result is what I think I'm hearing here: a somewhat darker mix with more depth on the Harrison, with way more emphasis on the mids (especially the low mids, just listen to the snare!).
I'm legitimately surprised! I was right! Something about the Harrison DAW just...felt right! The drums in the Harrison mix sounded superb, had a warmer and more old school fatness behind them. I will definitely be giving that DAW a look. Thanks for all your hard work!
yeah seems like harrison likes to pump up the lower end of the spectum of the mix more than the reaper but I am in need to upgrade my monitors so I'll probably need to take a look at this again once I do so. Keep up the great work Glenn.
Thanks for the video! Very interesting. Can't wait for the full review of Harrison. Peace.
I naturally gravitated to the Harrison mixes as they felt slightly brighter and with a bit of fullness to it, thanks for doing this comparison as the mixbus is on sale and I was curious if I should purchase it.
Man I'm shocked at the difference. Harrison definitely sounds more together, like it's got a little extra glue on the master bus. I'm going to grab it and have a go! Thanks for the comparison Glenn.
Listening to this comparison just reminds me of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Certain aspects of the recording process are much more fundamental to the final result. If I could roughly estimate, I would say the most important factors are the songwriting and performance first, followed by the microphones you are using, placement and the room you are recording in. Next down the chain would be your outboard gear such as preamps, EQs and A/D converters. The actual DAW you mix on is at the very bottom. When taking all that into context, the DAW we use to mix on becomes negligible in comparison. Most of the people criticizing your videos are probably stuck in the lowest rung of the ladder, struggling with mic choice and placement. And no matter what DAW they insist on using, their mixes still won't sound good because they lack the ears and engineering skills, and therefore shouldn't have a voice. This is exactly why some of the greatest philosophers of all time were against democracy. Some people have simply not earned the right to comment. In my opinion, both DAWs get the job done and there is really no need to debate about it when many want-to-be engineers still struggle with the basics.
Harrison needs to put this video on their website! There was no need to play multiple songs. I wasn’t even looking at the screen when I noticed the change, and Mixbus DEFINITELY takes the cake! #Sold
i absolutely love your drum sound on harrison! sounds bigger to my ears. great video as always !
Thanks for the mixing comparison Glenn! Indeed there is a huge difference between the Harrison Mixbus and the mix from Reaper. The Harrison Mixbus tracks offer a very interesting low end, the higher frequencies sound way less harsh than the Reaper tracks and the instruments sound more glued within the mix. Hence the "warmth" and the harmonic content many of us notice when it comes to quality analog equipment and top notch emulations. Thanks again for the video!
ok, they both sound different, I like them both. I'm not very versed on how to describe the different sound but they both sound good in different ways. Great video Glenn
I REALLY enjoy this kind of blind tests, because it always gives something unexpected (for example Chaper's Kemper vs valve blindfold test). As I chose B B A, I really think that both of them have their own place in different kinds of metal riffs, which might be interesting to try out.
Really good comparison, no BS love it. Please spend the rest of your days redoing all of the crappy comparison and review videos ;) Well done!
On my studio monitors which have proven quite accurate in the real world, Harrison 32c mixes sound a little more 3d; I can hear the sound around each instrument in a much clearer way. This makes for a deeper and hence more believable soundstage.
I love Mixbus, I used V3, and I was a Pro Tools user for years before I saw an add on FaceBook advertising Mixbus V2.5 for $39.99. My wife bought it for me for Christmas 3 years ago and I have been using it ever since. The only complaint I have is that not all my VST Plugins work with it such as Ozone 5 and other Ozone plugins, but all my WAVE and Slate plugins work, and with the new version being able to do MIDI I can now use my Superior Drummer on it to write new song ideas.
I spent a while with Mixbus. I love the workflow, it's crazy quick to mix on. In the end though, I found that it just sounded different rather than better. I found that the channel compressors in Mixbus made things sound small, and there was a general tubby wooliness to the sound. I went back to REAPER after a few mixes. Your video confirms what I found - the REAPER mixes sound more open, better stereo image, more separation. I think Mixbus sounds more like a prosumer reel-to-reel than a multi-million dollar recording facility, and there are many 3rd party tape and desk sims I'd use over Mixbus.
This comparisson will change my view of DAWs
i've done technical tests on how harrison is different than other DAWs. It all comes down to the "tape saturation" on every track... which basically invisibly clips peaks a tiny amount.
That's the only audio rendering difference, all other factors equal. If you want tasty, subtle tape saturation spread across your mix, try harrison. That's all there is to it.
At Harrison Mixbus clearly heard bad resempl, due to which high frequencies become fragmented and clearly audible "phone" response in the middle-high.
The frequency response is clearly makes several oscillations at high frequencies and roll down.
I picked A-B-A as all Harrison mixes because the snares seemed to cut through the mixes with more snap. This was an excellent comparison and yes I determined this on my iPbone 7 plus speakers. I like Harrison and I believe I will pick it up. I also am madly in love with Reaper for completely different reasons. The snares spoke to me in the shoot out. Great work!!!! 🙌🏾🙏🏾
Hmmm,so in the end it seems I liked the "Harrison" sound better.I'll definitely check it out.Thanks for the test Glenn.
Am I the only one finding Harrison sounds a lot more like a live situation (and makes the snare snappier), while Reaper is more clinical ? I still think a meaningful comparison would be loading the same processed tracks with neutral settings on both DAWs, so it would be a more scientific (and therefore fairer) shootout.
Great video glenn! I was consistent with choosing the reaper mixes before you revealed which is which in this video. The drums sounded more crisp in reaper than Harrison in my opinion!
Excellent Glen!!! My answers was Song 1: A-Reaper B-Harrison; Song 2: A-Harrison B-Reaper; Song 3: A-Reaper B-Harrison.
So at least I clearly saw the differences. But it completely opposite :) Your Reaper mixes are more open sounding and Harrison is more dull.
I think the most important thing that this video shows is that you need to know your DAW and your plugs and you will be fine with your mixes no matter what DAW you use :)
Thanks a lot for this video!!! Really excellent! :)
By the way, the differences is quite simple to hear even on iPhone headphones lol :)))
Why Mixbus32C v7.1 won me over?
Besides having 4 band EQ on every mixer strip,
like a traditional physical console does,
you can easily add ANY selection of controls from a plugin to your channel strip
(previously I had to rely on REAPER for this feature).
Also, (unlike v6) with v7 my Plugin Alliance plugins seem to be working fine thus far.
The only gripe (with all DAWs, not that it is the DAW's fault)
is the hit-or-miss resizeabilty of the plugin GUI inside the DAW.
Note, on Win10 display settings (per monitor -- I have a tri-monitor setup),
choice of font size, and toggling anti-blur, makes a huge difference
how the DAW GUI displays,
whereas you might expect such tweaking to occur in the DAW preferences itself,
it often does not. Alas, v7.1 does not have ARA2 support, so I still do use Reaper v6.36.
Glen, I find that this video and topic is great. Cheers.
Even though I wasn't able to identify which one was Reaper and which one was Harrison, as I have experience with neither, I was able to identify the differences between the two. So while I didn't know which one was which I was able to classify them as the same daw for each song which made me quite happy that my ears still work ok :). I did like the Harrison a lot more than the Reaper. I don't know if it was louder than the Reaper but it did sound more open in frequencies and not as compressed. Not that the Reaper sounded bad and I can see the value in a DAW that is more "confined" for certain styles of music.
While you have a point Glen that these mixes should be heard in studio monitors, than laptop speakers, cell phone speakers or headphones, for us non recording people that play music and don't really plan to get too much into recording but want to learn some things nevertheless, it's not feasible or practical to do so. One main factor is RUclips compression robbing most of the frequencies even in the HD version. On the other hand really rarely most people will sit down and listen to music in a good sound system at home. Most people will listen to music in their laptops and cell phones through ear plugs and headphones. So the fact that there is a discernible difference through these media is testament to the difference a DAW can make to the sound of a recording. I actually listened to the comparison through laptop speakers :D, cell phone speaker :D, ear plugs :D and through my laptop connected to the external insert of my stereo system :D. All in all Harrison was still my favorite for the same aforementioned reasons and I could still tell the difference of the DAWs in each one. I might be talking out of my ass as that is a personal opinion so feel free to rant away in the trademark fashion we've come to expect from you :D.
Listening on headphones thru a good soundcard, I'd say the Reaper mix seems tighter, more controlled. But the Harrison mix felt brighter, that top end thing you mentioned seems to really be there.
Wow! Harrison has a lovely warmth to it in these mixes. I suppose comparing it's analogue simulation to an all digital DAW might make it sound warmer than it actually is. The Drums sound really punchy through Harrison. Great stuff.
Just wanted to say thanks. I have used reaper before but after checking out Harrison I switched over. just like the layout and options a little better is all. However, had it not been for your channel I prob would have never known about either of these kick ass DAW's thanks for great content and keep rocking man. Cheers!
Since i'm not familiar with any type of recording software at all i didn't bother trying to name which DAW was which. I do however have quite a few studio/production hours when it comes to analogue gear. I thought i would prefer the Harrison mixes and i turns out i did just that. The Harrison mixes had more "singing" to them (which i like a lot) so i will most likely pick up MixBus if/when i need my own DAW.
Now if only I could remember what my guesses were for the original video.
Very well done video series! Thank you! I listened to the tracks in the previous video, and wow, I actually liked the Reaper mix best on mix 1 ( which surprised me). On Mix 2 and 3 - I preferred Mixbus 32c. It seems that Harrison Mixbus has a more interesting upper Mid range.
Mixbus is the best DAW on the market. Love it.
It all comes down to codecs and digital compression. In the 3 song comparisons I heard Harrison had a much wider bandwidth and a clearer output.
Fantastic shootout. Very interesting and appreciated. Reaper seems more crisp---like the separation of the instruments is hard and defined. Harrison seems more smooth---like the separation is soft and defused. I guess it's the effect people call "the glue". I especially appreciate the Harrison glue effect in song three, where the defused edges smooth out some of the clicky texture.
I totally guessed it. Harrison had a warmer tone that I much prefer over Reaper
Thanks very much for this Glenn! After seeing (hearing) this I am thinking I might go the extra mile and run the sum through some of my more colored 500 series modules to get some final analog mojo. Love all your videos, so instructional and great humor. Much appreciated!
Reaper on Song 1
Harrison on Songs 2 & 3
Highs and High Mids were crisper in Reaper for Song 1
Mids, Low Mids, and Lows sound more fuller and rounder in Song 2 & 3
Right away I can notice better transient attack and definition with Harrison and also a seemingly more open high end. Reaper was nice too but more neutral. Both great! Great stuff Glen and if you are ever going to be down here in Chicago, it'd be awesome to do a fan meet and greet with ya.
Names Alex by the way^^^^
+Alex Makridis sounds like fun!
I love your articulate angry explanation. Both mixes sound good to me, both products are better than what I use, Audacity.
The snare sound is what jumped out at me. The pop sounded less brash on the Harrison Mix, warmer maybe? I really feel like I'm grasping here, but I definitely hear a difference.
Thank you for doing the initial shootout video "blind." I'd love to see more of that online. In my blind ranking, I strongly preferred the Harrison mixes on all 3 songs. When I listened to the shootout, I didn't realize that you changed the identities of "Mix A" and "Mix B" for each song; I thought I was hearing the same DAWs in the same order for each song. Before watching this reveal, I thought I must have preferred Reaper for at least one of the songs. Wrong! This makes me happy because I just bought Harrison Mixbus yesterday based solely on reviews and attractive price.
I love using Cubase, but like the workflow on the Harrison setup. May have to check it out! Thanks!
Nice job. I love Harrison Mixbus. I definitely preferred it in this video. However, I haven't tried Reaper and will have to give it a go and see what it has to offer.
WTF just happened? I never paid attention to this DAW war because I thought the difference was minimal and it was all audiophiliac nonsense. NOT.
I like your rants and I come here for them too, but this is one of the most useful and instructional videos you made. Thank you, grumpy bass player.
What you should do is to export the different mixes as MONO, then play them back. One per ear. That way it would make it easier to compare the mixes.
Love the videos Glenn! The thing that stuck out to me most is how the different tracks sounded on the different DAWs (listening on shitty ear buds). The third track had very nasal midrange on Reaper and sounded much, much better on Harrison. Harrison sounds like it has a wider stereo field on all tracks and an overall smoother sound (no peaks in the frequency response). But that isn't necessarily a good thing. I kind of liked Reaper a bit better on the first two tracks. Seemed to sound more gel'd together and congested in an old school 80's sort of way. Whereas Harrison sounded more open and spread out. So if your primary focus is old school Judas Priest/Iron Maiden/Metallica mixes, go with Reaper. If you primary focus is Satriani/Dream Theater/Modern Metal type stuff, you will likely be happier Harrison. And if your primary focus is Kanye West/Taylor Swift/Katy Perry stuff, you can kiss my ass! You are the entire reason why music today sucks!
I was wrong, but consistently wrong. Sorry boss, I enjoyed the Mixbus more. Sounded fuller to me. Admittedly don't have studio speakers so, so what do I know? Great vid Glenn, hope you make more!
I actually prefer the Harrison. It has a fuller sound.
I like reaper though because, I feel it has a larger stereo field, and it has a lot of room to breathe.
Ethan Park To me, Reaper doesn't handle bass as well as Mixbus does. The highs are a little lower on mixbus, but it sounds more natural for some reason. Stereo field is usually improved by increasing the highs to separate the instruments a little more(if that makes any sense) and if necessary, using stereo widening plugins.
Yea, I would agree, but Reaper, I felt had more space to it rather Mixbus sounded more in your face and less wide.
Ethan Park I think it has to with Reaper having more of a compressed sound, while Mixbus is more expanded.
The differences are based on the way Glenn, mixed each one. It ain't the software. Well it is but.... Harrison has added some modeling emulation. And it's not super expensive. And there may be other reasons why they called it Reaper? Maybe it means the end of your audio career? Ya can afford to Mix a Bus, with your career. And then comes the Reaper.
Damn everything sounds a lil more pronounced and yet more smooth? Whutt? Crazy
Harrison is a damn beast! It's all that I use now. I master music as well so I still use reaper for mastering but I might try it in mixbus too
Harrison definitely has a sound with more vibe and "warmness" to it, where as Reaper is a little more flat. I've gotten some great results with Pro Tools and I'd rather not switch DAW's, but if I ever decide to I'm glad you showed us this so I can check out Harrison. Thanks man!
Needed to go listen on the studio monitors to hear a difference. I've used reaper a little, and ardour for about 15 years, ardour being the open source donor for Mixbus. Mixbus is essentially a skin and a handful of proprietary plugins for a very capable DAW. I do like the way it sounds out of the box, and it's a bit of work to achieve a similar sound elsewhere.
I used to use a tube/tape emulator insert on every bus on ardour and it was a pain to set up, so Harrison has some appeal.
However, I'm mostly using Cubase as I find it's easier and faster for me to compose and create with, particularly as a lot of parts start as scrawling on piano reel or ineptly hammering on a midi keyboard to a drum/click track.
For most amateurs, the DAW that sounds best is the one you know how to use and feel most comfortable and creative with. I think my best mixed recordings have come out of ardour as it forces me to think about everything. My most creative arrangements come out of Cubase as I don't have to think about as much. Historically I've used rosegarden as a composition tool and I've been quite productive, running it synced to ardour or exporting midi to Cubase, but then fairly simple changes become a huge undertaking and less likely to me experimented with.
I'm not trying to evangelize for any daw setup. My point is the best sounding DAW is likely the one you know inside out. The amount of relearning on switching is a huge barrier to change.
I was just excited to hear a more fusion like piece (the first song) in these videos. Keep more coming please!
For me, Harrison seems to add a bit more low end, and brings out the top end a bit more so that leads are a bit punchier, but not too punchy to where they get even more distorted and have this sharp tone to them. It seems to level everything out evenly. Great job on the video as always. Keep the content coming, my man.
Reaper had a cleaner, tidy sound. But Harrison had a better bass definition.
Is it me or is Harrison louder at the second Song?