Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 Firewire Mix Processor

Focusrite Liquid Mix 16

The Focusrite Liquid Mix 16's onboard DSP enables you to use 16 mono or 8 stereo instances of 20 classic EQs and 40 vintage compressor emulations simultaneously in your favourite DAW sequencer software - an impossible task to achieve with your computer's CPU alone.

Each of the Focusrite Liquid Mix 16's sixteen mono channels (or eight stereo channels) provides Compressor and EQ emulations selectable from a huge pool of high-quality vintage and modern day classics. Focusrite Liquid Mix 16's Forty Compressors and twenty EQs are available straight out of the box, with some additional emulations already online, available for free. Also a hybrid seven-band 'super EQ' is available in every instance, built out of separate classic EQ sections. Each channel of Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 appears as a separate VST/AU/RTAS effect within the sequencer and will work within all major sequencers, including Pro Tools.

Liquid Mix 16 comes with Liquid Mix v2.2 software, ensuring compatibility across all major platforms, for both Mac and PC, and including the latest side-chain processing options.

The Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 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 the Focusrite Liquid Mix, all this processing is done using onboard DSP, so the processing has almost no effect on your computer's own CPU.

The same optional expansion card is available for both Liquid Mix and Liquid Mix 16. With Liquid Mix 16, the card allows users to increase the number of available channels at 48kHz from 16 to 24 (sold separately). This card is simple to install and fits neatly into the underside of both units.

Liquid Mix 16's DSP is housed within an elegant desktop control solution and connects to the computer via Firewire, also providing bus-powering. The hardware helps to provide a tactile ergonomic solution, placing the sounds of an array of classic processors at your fingertips. You can choose to control each channel either from the desktop control unit or an alternative controller, or from within the sequencer using the same simple Liquid Mix GUI, which functions exactly like a plug-in.

The Liquid range of products has won in excess of twenty awards to date, becoming a worldwide hit in the audio production world, from project studios to post production and broadcast facilities, not to mention in the Live arena.

Any Compressor and EQ in history. Focusrite Liquid Mix 16 has 40 compressors and 20 EQs, with a free expanding library online.

Onboard DSP - 16 mono or 8 stereo instances - 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 7-band super EQs can be created, constructed from separate classic EQ sections of your choosing

Desktop Metering - Large format LED bar-graphs mean ergonomic display of levels and processor impact.

Optional Expansion Card - An optional DSP expansion card is available to increase the maximum channel count.

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 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

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.)

Computer
Apple 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

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)
AMD users please read some special compatibility information here.

Latency
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

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 16 operates as VST, AU, or as a RTAS-wrapped VST within compatible hosts.

Cubase 4 on Intel Macs does not support VST 2.3 plugins. If you want to use Liquid Mix 16 with Cubase 4 on an Intel Mac, you must install the Liquid Mix 2.4 VST plugins available separately on the Liquid Mix downloads page.

Optional Expansion Card details

The card is suitable for those people interested in increasing the channel count. The channel count increases as follows:

Channel Counts:
44.1kHz/48kHz: 16 channels mono, (8 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)