Is MIXPrep available for Windows?
macOS Apple Silicon (macOS 15+) is the production build and where I run MIXPrep daily.
Windows and Intel Macs are in active beta. v1.4.4 is the latest build with the major Windows-specific fixes (drag-and-drop now copies instead of moving source files, the silent install crash is diagnosed and fixed, the process worker no longer hangs on protected folders). Activation and licensing are solid across all platforms (three-device licensing, magic-link recovery, the works). A few visual polish items on Windows are still on the queue for the next patch. If you buy in today on Windows or Intel Mac, you get the current build (installer, portable, and debug variants for Windows), a direct line to me at
david@themixacademy.com, and the 30-day money-back guarantee. No awkward hoops if it isn't working for your setup. You also
lock in the $97 launch price for life (it's going to $199 once stable). Target for full Apple Silicon parity on Windows and Intel: a few more weeks. If you'd rather wait until then, email me and I will hold your $97 slot.
What file formats does it support?
WAV, AIFF, FLAC, and MP3. Any sample rate, any bit depth. Drop in a folder OR a .zip file (MIXPrep extracts it for you). Just point it at the multitracks and MIXPrep does the rest.
What genres does it work with?
All of them. TrackSense recognizes 37 categories that span every genre, from hip-hop to country to metal to worship to Latin pop. SMART Gain targets are calibrated from real sessions across multiple genres. And if your session arrives in another language (Spanish, Portuguese, French, more), Track Translator translates the filenames into your native language so you can sort and organize without needing to learn audio terminology in 15 other tongues.
Does my audio get uploaded to the cloud?
Core processing (TrackSense, SMART Gain, MIXPrint, Clean Names, MIXBrief) runs 100% locally on your machine. Your multitracks never leave your hard drive. MIXRef's default mode uses metadata and analysis results only, not your audio files. MIXRef's optional Enhanced Mode (off by default) uploads short audio analysis to Google Gemini for deeper matching. You'll see a clear toggle before it happens, and you can leave it off entirely. For pre-release material or major-label sessions under NDA, stay in default mode and you're fully air-gapped.
How accurate is TrackSense?
On tracks with real filenames or recognizable audio content, engineers report 90%+ accuracy out of the box. Vocals categorize especially well. Tracks with pure placeholder names like "audio_1.wav" stay flagged until you preview and label them. We don't guess what we don't know. Every correction trains the teachable dictionary, and most engineers see 95%+ accuracy on familiar session types after a few rounds.
Does MIXPrep work with VoiceOver, screen readers, or keyboard-only navigation?
We're actively auditing MIXPrep for VoiceOver compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and high-contrast display. The app isn't fully accessible yet — we'd rather tell you that honestly than pretend otherwise. If you rely on assistive technology, email
david@themixacademy.com before purchasing so we can be honest about what works today and what's in progress — and so your feedback can shape what we ship next. Engineers with vision loss make great mixes too, and we want MIXPrep to be a tool you can actually use.
What does the Pro Founder tier ($147) add?
It's the difference between session prep and session intelligence. MIXBrief Pro is the premium HTML Session Intelligence Report you'll actually want to open before mixing: mix approach notes tailored to your session's genre, frequency relationships called out per track, and a checklist that travels with you into the mix. MIXRef + SonicLens take the reference hunt out of your day, surfacing a running list of professional references matched to your session in 30 seconds and letting you A/B them with 30-second previews. PhaseSync beta access gets your kit and re-amps phase-locked automatically the moment it ships in summer 2026. The throughline: you open your DAW already knowing what the mix needs, where to focus, and which moves to start with.
What is MIXPrint?
MIXPrint lets you scan a reference mix you love and capture the per-category balance as a reusable template. Every new session starts at that proven balance. You get per-category lock and SMART toggle so you stay in control. Think of it as starting every mix where your last great mix left off.
What if TrackSense gets a track wrong?
Click the track to preview the audio, then pick the right category from the dropdown. The teachable dictionary remembers your correction and applies it on future sessions. Same workflow for placeholder-named tracks that came through flagged with NO NAME: preview, label, move on. Accuracy improves significantly after a few rounds.
What is PhaseSync?
PhaseSync is our proprietary phase alignment engine, coming summer 2026 (target v1.5). It automatically detects which mics belong together (snare top/bottom, kick in/out, guitar close/room), finds the optimal time alignment, and fixes phase issues with no manual nudging required. Pro Founders and above get beta access the moment it launches.
What's the difference between Core at $97 and the Pro layer at $49/year?
MIXPrep Core at $97 is the full desktop app — TrackSense categorization, SMART Gain, MIXBrief session reports, MIXPrint balance fingerprinting, everything that runs on your machine. One-time payment, permanent access. The Pro layer is an optional add-on at checkout that unlocks MIXRef (AI-matched reference tracks), SonicLens (side-by-side reference audition), MIXBrief AI (deeper analysis and approach suggestions), and PhaseSync beta. It's $49/year, billed annually, cancel anytime. Core features always work without it.
Does MIXPrep modify my original files?
Never. MIXPrep creates organized copies. Your original multitracks are never touched, renamed, or moved.
What DAWs does it work with?
MIXPrep is DAW-agnostic. It processes your files and outputs organized, gain-staged copies you can import into Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, Studio One, Cubase, Reaper, or any other DAW.
Is there a refund policy?
Yes. 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. If MIXPrep doesn't save you real time on real sessions, email me and you'll get a full refund.
How is this different from just organizing my files manually?
It's the same outcome in a fraction of the time. MIXPrep does in 30 seconds what takes you 30–60 minutes by hand — and it does the gain staging with category-specific intelligence that you'd have to calculate manually for each track type. Plus MIXPrint gives you a starting balance no manual workflow can match.
macOS says it can't verify MIXPrep. Is it safe?
Yes — completely safe. MIXPrep is code-signed and notarized with Apple, so most Macs will open it without any warnings. If you do see a Gatekeeper prompt (rare on older macOS versions), just open Terminal and paste:
xattr -cr /Applications/MIXPrep.app — then open normally. One time only.
MIXPrep runs entirely on your machine — your audio files never leave your computer.
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