MixPad Professional Audio Mixer is an audio mixing and editing application that is aimed at people who want more out of their audio programs as it comes with tons of built-in features. A free version for personal, non-commercial use is offered by the developers.
Installation & Requirements
The only thing you have to do is run the program’s executable, agree to the license and be done with it. The application will create desktop shortcuts and will launch almost immediately after you accet the license agreement. The supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
Interface
When you look at the program’s interface, one thing is certain: this is not for the faint of heart. One the one hand, the program invites anyone who has used a similar application before. On the other hand, if you are an inexperienced, amateur user, you will have a hard time familiarizing yourself with the application. That is not exactly a bad thing, it just requires more time and effort from the side of the user in order to get the most out of the program and that is not a commitment that everyone will be willing to make.
Once you get the gist of it, navigating the interface becomes a fairly standard affair. At the very top you will find various tabs that divide MixPad’s features and their respective toolbars. Little changes within the main window but the top toolbars are all restricted to their own tabs. Clicking on another tab will immediately transform the very top menus to fit the needs of that specific utility. The left sidebar is also stationery as it provides a few quick links within the application and the general suite but you can close the sidebar to give more room to the tracks.
As far as the tracks go, they truly are a beautiful sight. By default, the application will load eight separate tracks. Anything you do on one track does not influence the others at all, as you would expect. This can be used in so many ways that it simply promotes you to experiment as much as possible. Adding tracks is as easy as pressing Ctrl + T, one of the application’s many keyboard shortcuts.Speaking of shortcuts the application’s context menu is extremely extensive and will pretty much give you all the tools and utilities you would find by navigating the various tabs of the program. It is also the best way to find out about the keyboard shortcuts and put them to use. There is probably a shortcut for anything and if there is not, you can set it yourself.
Pros
-Incredibly fast installation
-Tons of features and customization options
-Extensive keyboard shortcuts support
-You can have tens of tracks on at any point
-Brilliant mixing and editing tools
Cons
-Intimidating interface
-Finding what you are looking for can be difficult
Conclusion
Although MixPad Professional Audio Mixer will need you to invest a fair amount of your time into it, it will also let you create great tracks once you become confident with it. If you are willing to make that sacrifice, you have come to the right place.
