TBProAudio: CS-3301 - Channel Strip Plugin for Windows and Mac OS X

[TB-ProAudio]

TBProAudio announces CS-3301, a channel strip plugin with gate, EQs, compressor, saturation and oversampling.



CS-3301 offers following features:

• Noise gate
• 7 band EQ
• Compressor
• Saturation
• VU meter
• HQ oversampling
• Thermal noise for analog sound emulation
• Large and easy to use GUI
• 64-bit internal processing
• Very efficient CPU usage design

System Requirements:

• Windows XP or newer
• Mac OS X 10.5 or newer
• Win: 32/64 Bit VST, 32/64 Bit VST3, 32 Bit RTAS, 32/64 Bit AAX
• OS X: 32/64 Bit VST, 32/64 Bit VST3, 32/64 Bit AU, 32 Bit RTAS, 32/64 Bit AAX
• Tested with: Cockos Reaper, Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo/Wavelab 6/7/8, FL Studio 12, ProTools 10/12

Demo version available

Price: 49€

1.3.4

• Additional CPU optimizations
• EQ parameter smoothing

1.3.2

• Hold needle added
• Small optimized

1.3.0

• Small GUI changes
• Saturation pre/post filter switch added

1.2.2:

• Small GUI changes

1.2.1:

• Plugin latency reduced
• Clear type fonts
• Auto activate for EQs, gate and comp when changing parameter
• Small GUI changes

1.2.0:

• LF Band: fixed wrong filter type display
• VUMeter: display bug fixed
• 2xOS: Small CPU optimizations
• Filter Q knob: shape changed
• Comp: MakeUpGain added
• Comp: Mix added

1.1.2:

• GUI fresh up

1.1.1:

• RTAS crash fix
• RTAS/AAX mouse handling optimized

1.1.0:

• Alt + left mouse resets knob/fader
• Input/Output knob/fader shows -INF instead of -144.0
• Gate LED reverted
• CPU optimization for mono config

[nickamandote]

It's always nice to see a new channel strip plugin, nice looking

[TB-ProAudio]

Thanks

[sinkmusic]

Congratulations about the GUI, it looks very good !

[soulone82]

Congratulations about the GUI, it looks very good !

Hell yeah!

The first TBproAudio GUI that doesn´t look like a synthedit freeware plugin from 2000 IMHO.

[TB-ProAudio]

...well, we are adaptive
Thank you!

[LFO8]

GUI reminds me of the Eareckon stuff



Did you guys by any change hire them to do the GUI?

[sinkmusic]

It also reminds me of DDMF's The Strip... But i guess many channelstrips share a similar set of features and are inspired by similar hardware gear
A good point for TBA is that it features a saturation knob, which can be very useful (instead of fixed values for "analog" sat).

[TB-ProAudio]

GUI reminds me of the Eareckon stuff

Did you guys by any change hire them to do the GUI?

no, we did not hire them. But it proofs that at least 2 companies have the same vision of a serious channel strip plugin...

[sinkmusic]

I tried it, and i must say that the CPU footprint is very low
The saturation helps make the sound "fuller", without being overkill and distorting too much.
The eq is handy, I need to try the compressor further.
What is the signal path ? [gate > comp > eq] ?

[Zexila]

Congratulations about the GUI, it looks very good !

It really does, but it could be little darker, got urge to try it just because of GUI and it's too bright/pale for my eyes, can't look at it long without blinking and feeling kinda dizzy, weird, this never happened with a plugin before.

Okay, It's definitely combination of colors and angles of elements, fake3D or whatever you call it.

[TB-ProAudio]

What is the signal path ? [gate > comp > eq] ?

Thank you for your feedback.

Signal flow is either [gate->filter->comp->sat] or [gate->comp->filter->sat], depending on comp pre/post.

[LFO8]

I have been giving the demo a try for the last half hour and it's a very neat little channel strip.

- Nice 3rd order harmonics that are added with the saturation knob. No aliasing as far as I could tell (even without the 2x oversampling)

- The gate has a nice response and the EQ sounds alright.

- The input stage is saturated e.g. the meters are calibrated for 0VU to be at -18dBFS. If you go over that on the input stage it will saturate/distort. The output stage is clean and does not add saturation/distortion if you go beyond 0VU.



I like it overall.
I have two update requests however:

- Thank you for making the Shift key the modifier key for making fine adjustments on the knobs. BUT can you make it so that an Alt + left mouse click returns the control to it's default setting (instead of having to double-click; that's annoying)

- One major fault I found with the oversampling option: It has happened several times over where the right channel of my soundcard (RME Babyface) would just blow out (beyond clipping) after enabling the 2x oversampling button. I have also noticed that enabling the oversampling introduces a lot of latency.

[TB-ProAudio]

I have been giving the demo a try for the last half hour and it's a very neat little channel strip.

- Nice 3rd order harmonics that are added with the saturation knob. No aliasing as far as I could tell (even without the 2x oversampling)

- The gate has a nice response and the EQ sounds alright.

- The input stage is saturated e.g. the meters are calibrated for 0VU to be at -18dBFS. If you go over that on the input stage it will saturate/distort. The output stage is clean and does not add saturation/distortion if you go beyond 0VU.



I like it overall.

Thanks for this extensive review.

I have two update requests however:

- Thank you for making the Shift key the modifier key for making fine adjustments on the knobs. BUT can you make it so that an Alt + left mouse click returns the control to it's default setting (instead of having to double-click; that's annoying)

Thank you for this, we look into it and try to change it.

- One major fault I found with the oversampling option: It has happened several times over where the right channel of my soundcard (RME Babyface) would just blow out (beyond clipping) after enabling the 2x oversampling button.

Which OS and which DAW? We will take care.

I have also noticed that enabling the oversampling introduces a lot of latency.

Well, this is true and by intention, because CS-3001 uses linear phase filter for HQ up/down sampling.

[LFO8]

Thank you for the quick response. The OS is OSX 10.10.5 and Logic Pro X 10.2.3

Keep up the good work!