Why can't Sonar "sound" like Mixbus

ampfixer
I've been playing with Mixbus 4 again today and I'm floored by how good it sounds. Simply dropping a clip into Mixbus is an improvement over Sonar and it drives me crazy. It's the only DAW I've used where adding plugs can actually make things worse. The built in effects and EQ are amazing. Sonar has the work flow I'm used to and Mixbus has the sound I want. Frustration abounds. 

Beagle
Interesting- it's really that good?  even the $80 version?  or do you need the $300 version for it to sound that good?
 
do you guys have all of the plugins too?  are they required for it to sound that good?
 
does mixbus use VST plugins or something proprietary?

cclarry

Beagle
Interesting- it's really that good?  even the $80 version?  or do you need the $300 version for it to sound that good?
 
do you guys have all of the plugins too?  are they required for it to sound that good?
 
does mixbus use VST plugins or something proprietary?

It just sounds good Beags...you don't need the plugins...it uses VST's,
and, as of V3 it will do VSTi's also...which it did not do in V2...

You can catch in sale for $39 quite often...

Kalle Rantaaho
Doesn't the old consensus still reign,  that a plain/raw recording with similar equipment is the same no matter what DAW you use?

sharke
Just for clarification, this is what I believe the difference is between Mixbus 4 and Mixbus 32C (maybe I read it wrong): 
 
The basic Mixbus is an emulation of Harrison's digital consoles from the early 90's. In the mid 80's they'd introduced analog consoles which were digitally controlled, then in the 90's they reproduced that sound as an all digital console with proprietary DSP. Mixbus 4 uses that same DSP. 
 
Mixbus 32C, however, models the old analog 32C consoles directly - the ones that were used on such albums as Thriller and Graceland. 
 
With both, you get the Harrison sound. But Mixbus 4 is limited to only 8 stereo buses, whereas 32C has 12. Although you can create as many aux tracks as you like in both, only the mix buses have in built in plugin delay compensation (PDC). So unlike Sonar, which offers unlimited aux tracks and buses with PDC on all of them, you have to be a little bit more organized and forward thinking about using the buses in Mixbus, unless you want to deal with setting the delay compensation manually. Maybe this is a good thing as it forces you to approach the mix with a real console mindset. I remember Harrison explaining why only the mix buses have PDC, it was something to do with technical limitations as I recall, although it still sounded like BS to me - I'm sure they could do it if they wanted to. When I first read about Mixbus and it's limitation of 8 mix buses, I remember thinking "I bet they bring out a more expensive one with more buses," which of course they did.  

emeraldsoul
Interesting! So let me get this straight - If I have a 40 or 50 track project going in Sonar, I somehow File/Export track or combos of tracks into wave files, then import those wave files into 8 (or 12) channels in Mixbus?
 
At what point would I put the eq, comp, reverb, and groovy ear candy plugins on . . . would I do that in Sonar and then render/export to Mixbus?
 
OR, would I save the eq comp and rvb and ear candy plugins for when it's all in Mixbus?

cclarry

dcumpian

cclarry

People can talk the "bs" all they want.  It WILL just SOUND better...I guarantee it!

Larry,
 
This "better" is so subjective. I can drop Waves Pusher on a track and it sounds "better" immediately too. That doesn't make it good.
 
Regards,
Dan

It that NOT the purpose of all we do?  So if you can do it without using "plugins" doesn't that make 
it EASIER AND BETTER?  Doesn't that fulfill the first part of our entire intent?

Maybe I'm missing something here?