Mx51 Surround Mixing Software Now Shipping

MxTrax and Mx51 (Click for a larger image)

Minnetonka Audio Software is shipping its Mx51 software, compatible with the Yamaha DSP Factory, for creating 5.1 Surround Sound mixes. A demo of Mx51 can be downloaded from Minnetonkas web site.

Mx51 uses Minnetonkas famous drag-and-drop mixer architecture. Mx51 adds Surround capabilities to the mixer, with automatic creation of a 5.1 bus, and Surround Panners available to every channel. Surround Panners can simply be dragged and dropped on any mixer channel, and are automatically connected into the 5.1 bus.

Movement of any Surround Panner can be automated, and played back with the audio. Surround Panner automation can be updated at any time, on the fly. The automated movement of all Surround Panners can be viewed simultaneously.

A SubBass crossover can be dropped on any channel. SubBass information can be extracted from the channel and sent to the subwoofer channel of the Surround bus. The crossover has an adjustablecrossover frequency. Optionally, SubBass information can be removed from the sound going to the 5 Surround speakers.

The Surround Panners can be controlled by a mouse, or by Mx51s breakthrough Tactile Interface. Using the Microsoft Force Feedback joystick, the Tactile Interface lets you feel Surround Panning as you hear it.

When your Surround mix is completed, Mx51 has a feature for automatic creation of your 6-track master.

The current release of Mx51 runs on the Yamaha DSP Factory. Minnetonka is working on supporting other hardware platforms.

Mx51 will soon include an integrated interface to SurCode, Minnetonkas AC-3 encoder for Dolby® Digital Surround Sound. A future release will also include an integrated interface to M2X, the Minntonka Master Exchange program for portablility of Surround Sound master recordings between computers, including cross-platform portability between Macs and IBMs.

List price is $895.