Solid State Logic Soundscape Mixer - Manual (Page 8)

Soundscape Mixpander
Page 8 of 109
You can load different mixers to experiment with by clicking “Open” under the File menu. A
standard Windows dialog box will appear allowing you to select a mixer. The default path for
mixer files is: C:\Soundscape\Mix\sslMixer.
NOTE: Mixers created in older versions of the software are generally compatible with newer
versions.
Mixer concepts
The key to understanding the Mixer is simple: you can have virtually any type of configuration
you want, provided that you do not exceed available DSP processing power. The number of mixer
columns, EQs, sends, returns, peakmeters or faders and their positions in the mixer are completely
user defined. In fact, every part of the Mixer is a plug-in element, just like a plug-in DSP effects
algorithm. The only fixed parameters are the number of streams, number of buses and number of
physical inputs and outputs available per card.
The terms “inputs and outputs”, “buses” and “streams” must also be defined:
- Inputs and Outputs: physical connections to audio devices outside the host computer, such as
microphone preamps, mixing desk, stereo mastering recorder and so on. They may be called
“physical” or “external” inputs and outputs and should not be confused with the “input elements”
and “output elements” that will be described later in this chapter. In particular, while input
elements and output elements may be assigned to an external input or output, they may just as
well be assigned to a bus or stream…
- Buses: audio paths/connections that can be used to route audio signals between different parts of
the SSL Soundscape Mixer, for instance between a send element and an input element. For the
purpose of this manual, “buses” only exist within the SSL Soundscape Mixer.
- Streams: audio paths/connections that can be used to route audio signals either way between the
SSL Soundscape Mixer and Windows applications such as MIDI+audio sequencers or virtual
instruments.
Virtual mixer columns and DSP processing power
It is possible to ”mute” mixer columns or mixer elements using the Mute tool (i.e. “turn them off”),
and unlike what happens in a hardware only digital mixer, in the SSL Soundscape Mixer these
muted mixer columns or elements do not consume DSP power. This means that you can construct
a Mixer with duplicated columns having different parameter settings, for easy A/B comparison. Or
you could build a Mixer that has a higher processing power requirement than the DSP(s) can
provide, and just activate the elements that you need at any given time. This way, if you need to
use more effects than available DSP power allows, you can adjust an effect in real-time, record the