6. The Mix View

The track headers in the Mixer Panel contain the same information as the track headers of the Arranger Timeline Panel.

Each track header consists of at least three parts:

The Clip Launcher Panel contains all of its usual elements and functionality when loaded into the Mixer Panel (see chapter 5: The Clip Launcher).

Its elements have just been rearranged to fit the vertical orientation of tracks in this view. Also note that each track can be resized horizontally to provide more screen space for viewing the track's clips.

The comments section shows all track and unfolded layer/drum chain comments side-by-side. These could be used for recording settings, content reminders, mixing notes, or keeping track of to-do items — it is your choice.

Clicking in the comment area allows for adding comments on that object, or you can select and edit text as usual.

These high-resolution stereo audio meters — aka the big meters — show each track's current output level.

The meters themselves display two values:

Along the left side of the meters are units of decibels (dB). The values at bottom are negative (beginning with negative infinity), eventually rising to zero, and ending in positive decibels at the top.

Beneath each meter on the right is a running record of the track's peak hold level.

To reset a meter's peak hold level: click on the peak hold level.

To reset the peak hold levels of all meters: hold SHIFT and then click on any meter's peak hold level.

The meters section will take up as much window space as is available so hiding other sections will grow these meters and enhance their resolution.

The devices section provides a list of all the top-level devices on each track.

This is not to be confused with the Device Panel (see The Device Panel), where parameters can be accessed and edited. This section can be used to call up the Device Panel, move/copy the devices present, and add new devices.

To focus on a track's device within the Device Panel: double-click the device.

To move a device: click and drag the device to the desired location.

You can also hold ALT to copy the device.

To layer a device with another:SHIFT-click and drag the device over top of the device where the layer should be inserted.

To add a device: click the track's Add Device button (the + icon) to pull up the Pop-up Browser (see The Pop-up Browser).

Also note that certain devices include mini displays within this interface. This includes EQ curves (for EQ+, EQ-5, and EQ-2) or gain reduction amounts (for Compressor, De-Esser, Dynamics, Gate, and Peak Limiter).

The send section provides a level knob for each FX track in your project. Other than the master, this section is available on all tracks and any visible layers.

The send section is the block of right-aligned knobs beneath the device section. In the image above, there are four FX tracks present, with corresponding send knobs on each track. These sends allow us to pass a portion of each track's audio into the various FX tracks. Using a send does not affect a track's main output level.

For each individual send, you can decide whether the audio being sent is taken before the track's volume fader has been applied or after. Since this setting is relative to the track's fader, the settings are called Pre (for pre-fader) and Post (post-fader). A third choice of Auto is selected by default, permitting the FX track targeted to decide whether Pre or Post should be used (see Inspecting FX Tracks, and FX Track Sends). To make this immediately readable on the mixer, the indicator ring around each send knob is painted correspondingly — normal Post sends are colored yellow, and Pre sends are blue.

To set a send's source setting: right-click the send, and then select the appropriate setting from the context menu.

Finally, each send can also be disabled. This can be a useful way to 'bypass' a routing without losing your level setting, and it is also a CPU saver.

To toggle a send: click on the name of the particular send. It will toggle between bright text and a regular knob (when activated) and dim text and a dim knob (when disabled).

To toggle all sends on a particular track:SHIFT-click any send of that track. If the particular send you clicked on was activated, then all of the track's sends will be disabled, and vice versa.

There is also a Disable All Unused Sends function, to save CPU — and to make the mixer easier to read. (For assigning shortcuts to functions, see Shortcuts Settings.)

	Note
	New projects started in Bitwig Studio v4.3 or later have all sends disabled by default. The first adjustment of any send knob (even clicking on it) will automatically activate the send. This keeps all sends available with just one click, and keeps CPU usage to a minimum until each send is needed.

The Track I/O section allows you to assign the input and output paths for each track. This is exactly the same as it appears in the Arranger Timeline Panel (see Track I/O Settings).

The channel strip section contains most of the same control items as the track headers of the Arranger Timeline Panel.

This section contains the following controls:

The crossfader section contains a Global Crossfader on the master track. Every other track has a Track Mix Selector, which allows you to designate whether that track belongs to the Amix, both mixes, or the B mix, respectively.

	Note
	Realize that the crossfader settings are active regardless of whether the crossfader section is visible or not.

In addition, the Global Crossfader's current position is also available as a modulator signal for any device on any track to use (see Globals).