Harrison Mixbus
The Harrison console inside your DAW
Manufacturer’s list price 130 USD as of 2024
Description
Technical
Specifications
Processing
| Mix buses | 8 |
|---|---|
| DSP engine | Harrison "True Analog Mixing" (proprietary DSP) on the Ardour engine |
| Max sample rate | 192 kHz |
| Processing resolution | 32 bits |
| Architecture | Software workstation: a fixed-flow Harrison "console" mixer grafted onto an Ardour editing/recording engine. |
| DSP engine (details) | Harrison proprietary "True Analog Mixing" DSP (closed-source): per-channel and per-bus EQ, compression and saturation. |
| EQ | Always-visible semi-parametric per-channel EQ: 3 bands + high-pass filter (Mixbus), 4 bands with switchable shelf/bell top (32C). |
| Dynamics | Per-channel multi-model compressor (up to 3 types) with gain-reduction meter; tape-style compression and saturation on the buses. |
| Buses | 8 stereo mix buses (Mixbus) or 12 (Mixbus 32C), with tone controls, saturation and compression; master bus with limiter and loudness metering. |
| Channels | Track and channel count limited by the host machine, not by the software. |
| Audio performance | 32-bit floating-point internal processing; high-resolution summing. Sample rate limited by the host interface (up to 192 kHz). |
Surface
| Physical faders | 0 |
|---|---|
| Motorized faders | No |
| Automation | Full automation of track, plug-in and bus parameters (Ardour engine). |
| DAW control | Driven by mouse or via a Mackie Control / EuCon-compatible control surface. |
Recording
| Onboard recording | Yes |
|---|---|
| Recording type | Multitrack recording and editing (Ardour engine), track count limited by the host |
| Recording | Full multitrack recording and editing inherited from Ardour (track count limited by the host). |
Other
| Year / dates | First version in 2009; version 10 in 2024, version 11 in 2025. |
|---|---|
| Price | Version 10: Mixbus ~$129.99, Mixbus Plus ~$349.99, Mixbus Pro ~$499.99. Standalone Mixbus 32C sold ~$299 before the range was merged. |
| Lineage | Built on the open-source Ardour DAW (Paul Davis). Mixing DSP modelled on Harrison 32-series consoles; the 32C variant mirrors the 32C EQ. |
| Software | 64-bit Windows, macOS and Linux. Hosts VST, VST3, Audio Unit, LV2 and LADSPA plug-ins. |
Strip & details
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Software
Other screenshots
Editorial & artists
Our take
History & design
Harrison Mixbus is a digital audio workstation (DAW) that looks and behaves like a Harrison mixing console. Released in 2009, it is built on Ardour, the open-source, cross-platform DAW created by Paul Davis: editing, recording and automation are Ardour's, while Harrison layers on a proprietary (closed-source) DSP that reproduces its analogue consoles' signal chain — "True Analog Mixing".
Every channel strip carries an always-visible semi-parametric EQ (3 bands plus a high-pass filter on Mixbus, 4 bands on the 32C variant, modelled on the 32C EQ), a multi-model compressor, panning and summing. The software's signature is its dedicated mix buses (8 stereo buses on Mixbus, 12 on Mixbus 32C) with tone controls, tape saturation and compression, plus a master bus with limiter and loudness metering.
The range was long split in two (Mixbus and Mixbus 32C) before being reunified with version 10 (2024) into a single three-tier offer (Mixbus, Mixbus Plus, Mixbus Pro). Version 11 shipped in 2025. Mixbus runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, hosts VST, VST3, Audio Unit, LV2 and LADSPA plug-ins, and can be driven with a mouse or a Mackie/EuCon-compatible control surface.
Links
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