Is It Mix Buss Or Mix Bus?

Is it mix “buss”, or mix “bus”? They seem interchangeable, but only one is officially recognized. This spelling is something that’s bugged me for along time. It bugs me even more than once I did the research, I found out I was wrong! Let me explain.

Way back when I was studying electronics, I was introduced to the concept of the “buss bar.” A buss bar was presented as a ridged conductive metal strip used to distribute electricity. It’s used every day in high current/voltage environments like your electric service, but for me it was a long thick aluminum bar that you would tie all of your ground wires to in a console (a typical audio use).

My teachers back then called it a “buss” bar so I did too. It was understood that was the proper name, and I’ve been using it ever since.

I’d wanted to make a correction every time I saw “mix bus,” or “. . . send to a bus” used because I was so sure I was taught correctly that the proper name was “buss.”

It turns out that assumption was very wrong.

Where The Names Came From

“Bus” is actually the proper spelling. You’ll find this spelling in electronics standards and codes like the NEC and about 98% of electronic literature these days. It’s derived from “busbar,” which is an electronic pathway, as I’ve just described.

“Buss” is derived from the Bussman Fuse Company and their trademark Buss Fuses (see the above graphic). The company has been making fuses since 1914 (they basically invented the concept and hold several patents) so their influence on the electronics industry has been enormous.

Now it’s true that you’ll see “Mix Buss” on Neve, Trident, and SSL consoles of a certain vintage, but most believe this was derived from Rupert Neve himself, who always referred to it as a “buss.” As a result, you’ll hear a few engineers state that, “Bus is for electricity and Buss is for audio,” which sounds good on the surface, but it’s not true.

So it’s time to put this one to bed and not make the same mistake that I did for too many years. After such a long time it’s really hard to change back.