Channel Strip Surfing

Nov 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Markkus Rovito

           
 

A LOOK AT FIVE AFFORDABLE MIXER-CHANNEL PLUG-INS

URS Classic Console Strip

The URS Classic Console Strip ($199, requires iLok) is also based on vintage gear. It's sold individually, but it also comes bundled with the more CPU-intensive premium plug-in, Classic Console Strip Pro ($599.99). The Classic Console Strip is designed to recreate a feed-forward 1975 VCA gain-reduction amplifier with a transformer input.

Classic Console Strip (see Fig. 4) has a very straightforward interface, which comprises a compressor and 3-band EQ with an output level control. The compressor has three fully adjustable knobs for threshold, ratio and gain makeup. Three LEDs — labeled A, B and C — set the compressor attack and release to Fast, Normal or Slow, respectively. You can bypass the compressor or set it for pre/post-EQ; the EQ section can also be bypassed. Each of the three EQ bands features a gain knob. The mid band also has a frequency knob, as well as a Q switch that toggles from Sharp to Wide Q. To change the frequency of the low and high EQ bands, there are three selectable LEDs: 80, 100 and 180 Hz for the low band, and 7.5, 10 and 12.5 kHz for the high band. Finally, there is a Phase Reverse control at the output level.

FIG. 4: URS Classic Console Strip specifically models a feed-forward, 1975 VCA gain-reduction amplifier with a transformer input.

Many of Classic Console Strip's 46 presets are designed specifically for carving out places for multitracked drums in the mix, and certain other presets such as the Room and Overhead settings can work great for that as well. This plug-in takes the opposite approach of some of the others tested here, as the presets generally reduce the gain rather than boost it. In doing so, it tends to color the sound with a smooth, creamy veneer. You have ample opportunity to boost the gain back up, and when you do the result is usually a greater feeling of analog warmth and/or overdriven tubes (see Web Clip 4).

Wave Arts TrackPlug 5

By far the most complex and deeply programmable plug-in of the bunch, TrackPlug 5 ($199.95) from Wave Arts gives users who may be intimidated by it plenty of usable and interchangeable preset settings to easily piece together a great signal path. TrackPlug 5 is also available as part of Wave Arts' Power Suite 5 ($599.95), which includes MasterVerb 5, FinalPlug 5, MultiDynamics 5 and Panorama 5.

In TrackPlug 5's very busy plug-in window (see Fig. 5), you get a gate, two compressors, EQ and a limiter on the output with optional brickwall function for both the high-end and low-end frequencies. Highlight one of the three dynamics modules — Gate, Comp 1 or Comp 2 — to gain access to their controls. Each of those modules includes input and gain-reduction meters; a dynamics response display; and controls for threshold, ratio, attack, release, gain, mode, type, knee, look-ahead and sidechain.

FIG. 5: Kitchen sink incoming! WaveArts TrackPlug 5 throws it all at you: gate, two compressors, 10-band EQ, 2-stage brickwall limiter and more.

The EQ section sports a frequency-response display that shows you the EQ curve, as well as the frequencies of the input audio. You can edit the EQ curve within the display and add or subtract EQ bands to give you 1 to 10 bands. Tabs under the display let you also see the single-band sidechain EQs for the gate and two compressors. Every EQ band has controls for frequency, height, width and bypass, and the EQ can apply pre- or post-compressors.

In addition to coming with 66 preset plug-in settings, each of the four main modules — EQ, Gate, Comp 1 and Comp 2 — comes with a dozen or more of its own preset module settings. Each type of preset is individually loadable, tweakable and savable, so you can mix, match and roll your own perfect settings, an amazingly powerful feature. Most of the presets have been designed for drums, and with everything this plug-in can do there are some very inventive settings for carving out and emphasizing particular frequencies (see Web Clip 5). There are many other settings for specific instruments and full mixes, and again it would be nice if these were organized into folders instead of long vertical lists.

Other great options include A and B slots so you can load two sets of settings to compare back and forth, as well as an Undo button, which unfortunately has only one step of undo. With so much flexibility, this plug-in comes with the caveat of a steeper-than-average learning curve, but the 20-odd helpful pages on TrackPlug 5 in the Power Suite 5 PDF manual walk you through it.