Mixman Technologies, Inc. is an American interactive music company that develops computer software that allows for the creation and manipulation of music files. Founded by Josh Gabriel and Eric Almgren, Mixman launched in April 1994 and is headquartered in San Francisco.
History
Early development
The original concept came from prototypes Gabriel developed while a student at the Institute of Sonology in the Netherlands. He had developed a system to control individual music loops and later a hardware configuration that involved projected light beams and sensors. A musician and computer programmer, he had long wanted to make composing and recording music accessible to the average person. After Gabriel and Almgren became partners in the early 1990s, they built a team to develop a hardware device prototype that could work with music cartridges much like video game cartridges. Within a year, the prototype was built and contained a hardware controller and music cartridges that held data for each song. The industrial designs of the hardware controller were designed by Scott Summit of Summit Industrial Design. Fundamental patents were also filed on the synchronization technology.
The original mission was to create powerful but easy-to-use interactive music creation tools that enabled the user to make and perform music with the digital song elements of their favorite artist or music style in real time. In other words, users could edit and rebuild the raw ingredients of a song. Later, the company turned to developing software as well as publishing dance music.
Products and technology
In 1996, Mixman released the first interactive CD that allowed users to perform live with their PC with zero latency and auto-beat matching. After partnering with record companies in 1996 and publishing one music title, Mixman launched Mixman Studio in 1997 and Mixman StudioPro in 1998, which shifted Mixman from a consumer activity toward a more sophisticated production and creativity tool. Mixman products were sold in both retail consumer outlets like Best Buy, Comp USA, Fry’s and Circuit City, as well as in the Music Instrument channel such as Guitar Center and other Music Instrument Stores.
Artist and label promotion
Mixman developed an online version that in conjunction with its online community promoted independent and major label artists for Mixman’s label and artist clients. The online community included user services such as an online radio station for user uploads (similar to Soundcloud) and community services (similar to what became offered by MySpace). From 2000-2001, Mixman launched online remixing songs called Mixman eMixes with Britney Spears, NSYNC, David Bowie, LL Cool J and forty other major artists.
Mixman the software company
Starting in 1996, Mixman developed and released several software SKUs to retail, licensed its software to OEMs and record companies and developed its online, self-publishing community. Mixman Studio Pro licensed software to several OEM brands including Sony, Creative Labs and Intel. Mixman also developed and licensed retail and online software in collaboration with major labels with notable titles such as George Clinton’s Greatest Funkin’ Hits (Capitol) and Tommy Boy’s Greatest Beats (Tommy Boy/Warners). Computer users were able to dissect and play with Clinton's classics by using Mixman software to keep the beats and mixes in sync. In 1999, Mixman released an apple Macintosh version. In 2000-2001, Mixman partnered with Mattel, Inc. for a hardware and software titled the DM2, which included a custom version of Mixman software, a USB controller manufactured by Mattel under its Apzu brand and creatively guided by Mixman who worked with Vice President of Mattel Steve Sucher and his teams. The DM2 included sounds from the Mixman sound library as well as some name brand artist content. A line of Sound Libraries titled Mixman Soundiscs were also available upon an upgrade to a more advances version of the software.
Mattel distributed the DM2 in retail chains like Toys-R-Us and Target. Over 200,000 units were manufactured and distributed in retail. When Mixman reformed as an independent company in 2002, Mattel had ceased development of their Apzu teen line, of which DM2 was the first product, and sold to Digital Blue with Mixman’s approval.
From 2002-2005, Mixman continued to develop and release new versions of software and two more SKU’s based on the hardware controller Mixman LoopStudio and Mixman MP3 Producer. The most advanced version of Mixman software is Mixman StudioXPro, released in 2003.