MB-7 Mixer

Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer is a unique plug-in that splits the signal into several frequency bands and lets you mix and process them as if they were separate tracks.

What’s new in 3.5!?

• New macro controls editor to edit plug-in parameters mapping.
• Assign multiple parameters from multiple plug-ins to a single macro
  control, and adjust the range for each parameter.
• Assign a name to each macro control, that is now displayed in
  automation lanes in most host applications (may require a session reload
  in some cases).
• Parameters names for existing sessions will be automatically updated
  upon load.
• Select macro knobs appearance among 18 predefined styles.
• Updated dozens of presets with macro parameters.
• New learn modes to quickly assign plug-in parameters.
• Added an option in global & preset input settings to send MIDI events
  when MIDI-enabled parameters are modified in the plug-in (to update
  control surfaces accordingly).
• In most plug-in formats, internal audio I/O configuration can now be
  selected regardless of the configuration defined by the host (you can
  for example reduce the number of channels to save CPU and process only
  selected channels).
• Improved performance to load the user interface.
• Improved VST parameter value display in some host applications.
• Added Apple Silicon support for AAX Plug-in Format.
• Mac: installers and plug-ins have been notarized to avoid security
  warnings on Mac OS Catalina and newer.
• Fixed bypass that did not let MIDI messages go thru for some MIDI
  plug-ins.
• Fixed some GUI resizing issues with some VST3 plug-ins.
• Fixed an issue with some VST3 plug-ins requiring to click twice on the
  bypass button to get bypassed.

Main Features:

• Multiband mixing console: adjust the levels, panning and “stereoness” of each band separately.
• Multiband VST, VST3 and Audio Unit Host: insert third party VST, VST3 and AU plug-ins and process each band independently.
• External side chain support for sub plug-ins on each band.
• Parameters Mapping: map sub plug-ins parameters to automate them or use a control surface.
• Flexible Audio routing: connect sub plug-ins i/o to any audio channel for multi-mono effects or creative side chain.
• Pre and post fader VST/VST3/AU plug-in inserts, with full latency compensation.
• Up to 7 bands, with crossover filters from 6 to 96 dB/Oct for optimal separation.
• Multiple instances linking: group bands within a single instance or between multiple instances of the plug-in. Modify the spectrum on multiple tracks with a single slider.
• Bypass, mute, solo on every band.
• Mono switch on master for mono compatibility check.
• Dual Mode: independent left and right or mid and side channels control.
• Complete visual feedback with real time response curves, spectrogram, and levels display for each band.
• Side chaining made easy: a unique way to perform multi-band side chain compression, ducking, gating and much more.
• No additional latency.

New Features & Improvements:

• Up to 7 times more processing power with the new multicore engine that processes each frequency band on a different core.
• New DSP workload meter that displays the DSP activity and CPU load.
• Added MIDI control support (MIDI CC messages) for Next and Previous Preset commands, with MIDI learn.
• Reduced time to load the MB-7 Mixer or any built-in plug-in.
• Multiple DSP performance improvements.
• Level meters and frequency analyzers are not computed anymore when the user interface is closed, reducing CPU usage.
• Reduced the number of threads used by the plug-in.
• Improved global and preset settings window loading time on Windows.
• Added ability to select the plug-in to load when a shell plug-in file is dragged and dropped onto a slot.
• Full unicode support.
• Preset files can now be dropped onto the preset LCD area to be loaded.
• Improved “Tone Maps” user interface (available for 9 built-in effects).
• Native Apple M1 support available as a preview.

Each band proposes controls that can be found on a mixing console, and more: bypass, mute or solo each band separately to isolate frequencies you want to work on, adjust the gain, the “stereoness” and the position in the stereo field. When manipulating the stereo image, a master mono switch also lets you check mono compatibility.

The plug-in can also operate as a multiband VST, VST3 and Audio Unit host: you can process each band independently with your favorite VST, VST3 or Audio Unit plug-ins! Up to four plug-ins can be loaded on each band, pre or post fader. Latency compensation, presets management, undo/redo integration, and individual plug-in bypass are included for optimal operation.

The plug-in also proposes unique linking and grouping options thanks to our multi-instances technology. You can link bands together within a single instance or between several instances of the plug-in on different tracks. This lets a simple fader control as many bands on as many tracks as you want. This is particularly useful when adjusting the placement or the balance of several competing tracks.

And as usual with Blue Cat Audio, the plug-in provides comprehensive visual feedback to let you know what’s exactly going on: for each channel, monitor the spectrum, the in/out levels and the frequency response.

Thanks to its advanced MIDI and automation input capabilities, when combined with our other plug-ins, Blue Cat’s MB-7 Mixer is capable of advanced side-chaining features that really unveils its potential.