Mannix Squared releases Mix Space, a FREE plugin that brings instant clarity to your mixes.
Mix Space is a free plugin for macOS and Windows that ensures a cleaner mix by reducing frequency clashes between different tracks.
Before getting into it, I’ve had trouble installing Mix Space on macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, but I’ll discuss the plugin’s functionality while I try to resolve installation issues.
Frequency clashes are common and something we all have to consider when mixing. We might foresee potential clashes even earlier in the composition or recording stage by considering instrumentation and how each instrument will occupy space in a mix.
Frequency clashes occur when more than one instrument wants to occupy the same space, and things can get muddy.
Sounds that seem crystal clear in solo can become muffled in an ensemble due to frequency masking.
Frequency masking is when two sounds occupying the same space/frequency range obscure each other, leading to one or both sounding dull and lifeless. It can also lead to some sounds becoming overbearing while others are all but lost.
Common culprits are:
- Kick and bass
- Bass and guitar
- Multiple synths
- Keys and electric guitar
- Vocals and almost anything
We can deal with problematic clashes using EQ and sidechain compression or even ease the issue with panning in some instances.
However, Mix Space aims to reduce the problem while providing a much less tedious workflow, which is always welcome.
Mix Space reduces the impact of frequency clashes by automating EQ on the main channel (track where the plugin is applied), allowing the competing (sidechain) track to cut through more.
Once the plugin is working, you can start making adjustments to fine-tune the results.
The Threshold, Ratio, Attack, and Release controls allow you to adjust the amount, strength, and speed of the reduction applied to the incoming signal. Finally, there’s a Smoothing control that subtly smooths changes in the EQ.
The plugin also provides handy real-time visual feedback, which makes life easier. Frequency clashing is a problem we have to deal with, and anything that makes it less time-consuming is worth a look, especially when it’s free!
Talking of free things, if you haven’t yet, check out Cinematic Sounds from 99Sounds; it’s great.
Interesting fact: the short tutorial video for Mix Space uses an AI-generated voice and talking head. Coincidentally, if any footage emerges of me being forcefully removed from a venue after attempting to start a mosh pit at a Celine Dion concert, it’s all AI; I’d never do that!
Download: Mix Space (FREE – email required)
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32 Comments
Roger
onI appreciate the article, but there is no way to download Mix Space. The link leads to the mixsquared.com where the Mix Space product is described, but all you can do is subscribe to the newsletter.
James Nugent
onHey Roger, once you subscribe, you should get an email with a link to download plugins. I got it within a minute of confirming my email.
Roger Stollenwerk
onThanks, James. I received the WordPress subscription confirmation, but not the email with download links. Maybe it’s an issue with yahoo email addresses, and I did check the spam folder. Oh well.
alex
onWorked fine here with an Yahoo email address. The link was in the second email they sent.
Roger
onThanks, Alex. After your reply, I looked again and found the link. I guess I expecting a button link for a download and didn’t realize I needed to copy and paste a web link to a github page.
CGrrr
onCPU usage is too high.
Vik
onThe load is low, the delay is 0
Mannix Squared
onWhat platform are you on? It should be very efficient based on our experience.
JonB
on@Mannix, what type of processing does the plugin do? Regular dynamic equalizing, or does it use a spectral/FFT sidechain?
Chris
onMicrosoft Defender does not like it when I try to run in Mix Space.exe file.
Mannix Squared
onYep, we’ve had reports of false positives from defender on the Windows installer. You can normally bypass these, but we will upload the zipped VST directly in case that is easier for some.
Chris
onThat would be great
alex
onThat’s a good idea because there’s no option to choose where to install the plugin and I had to manually move it to where I wanted it. The uninstaller was created in the Common Files folder which is messy at least. Other than that it’s a really nice plugin. Thx!
alex
onNice! Simple and efficient.
Docent Novak
onVicious Antelope releases free “Molecule” patch bank for Voltage Modular. Look for it at viciousantelope.com or kvraudio.com
Sven
onThe Plugin ist hostetd on GitHub and can be found here:
https://github.com/mannixsquared/mix-space/releases/tag/v1.0.0
Earl
onWould be useful to read more about your experiences and impressions of that plugin and also about the results.
How does it compare to a sidechained dynamic EQ like Nova?
pogansky
ontrackspacer for the poor
Tim Westerbourg
onYou don’t need to make the detour with the emails, just go to https://github.com/mannixsquared/mix-space/releases/tag/v1.0.0 and download Mix Space!
john wick
onhttps://github.com/mannixsquared/mix-space/releases/tag/v1.0.0
download it
straight from github
Unknown
onNo need for email, you can find it in github.
Vincent
onLooks like a no-go on Presonus Studio One 6. When plugins that use sidechains are loaded into a Studio One track, a button is displayed that enables you to select a sidechain input. But that is absent with Mix Space.
Some constructive criticism – Test the plugins in all of the popular DAWs. When the website has a Download button, it shouldn’t be used to sign up for subscribing to a newsletter instead. If we can’t access the plugin from the website, at least display a message to check our email for a link to the update. The email should include a button with the download link rather than having to cut and paste an address to the browser.
But the plugin looks promising – good luck.
Choko
onSame issue on Renoise. Says the plugin doesn’t support sidechain.
I want to try this!
Mannix Squared
onThanks for the feedback. We weren’t expecting such a sudden rush of interest! It seems like there is an issue with the side chain routing in the Windows version of the VST. We’re working on a fix. Will send out an update when it’s available.
Vincent
onCool! Looking forward to it.
Mannix Squared
onIt looks like we made a mistake when uploading the Windows VST only package. We enabled mono FX in error, which disabled the side chain. Try the download again and let us know if you have any success?
Choko
onI downloaded the Zipped.VST.Only.zip file
Can confirm It’s working now. =D
Having great results. Fantastic plugin.
Cameron
onIs this good to add to the master or just to individual tracks?
Choko
onI think it would be very strange to add this to a master.
Try adding it to a pad or bass and let the drums sidechain into it
Or add it to a heavy guitar track and let the vocals sidechain into it
Stuff like this :)
PureFire
onThanks James, BPB & Mannix Squared, seems ideal.
Good question Cameron… Like James (who would try to forcefully remove you lol 💛😊), Mannix Squared and Choko say with some excellent examples of use, Its designed for individual mix tracks.
But also… if you imagine a dj or remixer had an actual “mastered” instrumental track as a WAV file which is very busy (has other instruments of the same frequency where you would like to add a new sound) and needed to add a vocal, something like this excellent Streaky video example would be an option…
youtube.com/watch?v=Cf0DCaVa5sM
It would be interesting to hear the results after using this “Mix Space” plugin sparingly to carve out space in your mastered track for another sound to fit in, but use very little reduction amount as not to ruin the master track (less effect is more).
If you know what our doing, the best option for this approach would be to carefully use a dynamic eq to manually tweak individual frequency bands to carve space for the vocal / new sound to fit.
There are other “auto dynamic eq / compression” plugins which would be ideal for ducking individual frequencies like this on a finished / mastered song if “Mix Space” plugin is not responding how you like…
(paid) Wavesfactory Trackspacer, Focusrite Fast Reveal… or TheMasker, a free Trackspacer Alternative,
bedroomproducersblog.com/2024/03/18/lim-themasker/
All of the auto dynamic plugins should only react while the side chain audio source in audible, leaving the mastered track untouched otherwise.
Lukas
onThanks to Mannix Squared for the release as well shedding light on this common issue. Although most of the time the problem is audible, it would be also ideal if all tracks would be routed to a bus, for instance, and plugin would analyze signal from each track and suggest conflicting frequencies.
alex
onZL Equalizer does collision detection – it can compare the main signal and the side-chain signal in real-time. I don’t know if any plugin can do what you described.