Best channel strip plugin that's NOT emulation of SSL, Neve, API, Amek, etc.

[antic604]

What's the best - easiest to use, fastest, most intuitive, flexible, low CPU etc. - channel strip plugin that's NOT an emulation of big-format hardware desks?

I'm thinking of things like:
TBProAudio CS-5501 - https://www.tbproaudio.de/products/cs-5501
Scheps Omni Channel - https://www.waves.com/plugins/scheps-om ... ni-channel
iZotope Neutron - https://www.izotope.com/en/products/neutron.html
Eventide Ultrachannel - https://www.eventideaudio.com/products/ ... trachannel

[Tj Shredder]

I never got what a channel strip is good for, especially as you can’t strip the parts you don’t need and can’t change the order.
The best channel strip is the one you combine yourself in the DAW… Easiest in Bitwig as you can place your strip in a chain and can strip the parts you don’t need later…

[jens]

In my opinion that woud easily be Flux Evo Channel.

[cryophonik]

Waves Renaissance Channel!

[jens]

I never got what a channel strip is good for, especially as you can’t strip the parts you don’t need and can’t change the order.

I really wonder what you might mean with that.

In most channel strips you can indeed switch off what you don't useand you also can often change the signal-flow...

did you have a certain specific channel-strip in mind when you wrote that, which is more limited than most everything else out there?

[jens]

Waves Renaissance Channel!

Nope - that isn't even Waves' best channel strip - not by a looooooong shot.



Edit:

Or well, that is just my opinion, of course - so let me ask you:

In what way do you think is R-Channel better than their many years more recent Omni-Channel?

[cryophonik]

I never got what a channel strip is good for, especially as you can’t strip the parts you don’t need and can’t change the order.

True, channel strips aren’t as flexible as individual plugins in terms of chaining/order, but some of them allow you to rearrange the modules, and most of them have some limited ability to reorder the processing (e.g., via pre/post switches). The beauty of them is having the most common processors in front of you in one interface, and the internal sidechaining ability.

I personally like using them at the front of my vocal chain to get the sound 75% there, and/or at the end of the chain to give it that final polish. Other times, I use them as the only plugin for sounds that need little processing, although I find my self using my DAW’s built-in channel strips more and more these days, since they’ve gotten so much better in the past 10 years.

[cryophonik]

Waves Renaissance Channel!

Nope - that isn't even Waves' best channel strip - not by a looooooong shot.

In your opinion. I own most of the Waves channel strips and Ren Channel has been my go-to (along with the SSL) for the past 15 years.

[antic604]

I never got what a channel strip is good for, especially as you can’t strip the parts you don’t need and can’t change the order.

I guess they mostly are useful for people recording stuff to shape the audio with one plugin & limited number of fixed-function controls. Personally I always mean to export "raw" stems & mix them separately (ideally in a different DAW), but I always end up mixing along the way, without any channel strip... So I kinda get what you mean. In many channel strips you can reorder the modules, insert only those that you need, etc. (see Scheps Omni Channel, for example).

Having said that, I love(d) channel strips in Reason's "SSL" mixer, because they're so great to quickly shape the tracks with clear overview of what happens elsewhere. I really miss that.

[jens]

Waves Renaissance Channel!

Nope - that isn't even Waves' best channel strip - not by a looooooong shot.

In your opinion. I own most of the Waves channel strips and Ren Channel has been my go-to (along with the SSL) for the past 15 years.

But maybe something a 'lil better caem out within thee 15 years?

Yes, of coursr it's my personal opinion - I edited my original post to say that before you replied to it...

but then again Waves developed OmniChannel for a reason AND it is highly popular for a reason - so I daresay your opinion is way more unique than mine.


https://www.waves.com/rank-your-favorit ... ip-plugins

[antic604]

...I find my self using my DAW’s built-in channel strips more and more these days

Which is?

[trmupstage]

The CS-5501 was quite good when I tested it out last year. I have so many channels strips but end up using only two on a regular basis. (Grand Channel & SSL J9000) But, If I was using something that is not an emulation, I would take a look at the CS550 again. I do have Omni Channel as well, but for some reason, I never select it. Possibly it has too many options. I usually need to work fast and plugins with enless possibilities get rarely used.

[antic604]

In my opinion that woud easily be Flux Evo Channel.

Thanks for the tip! I wasn't aware of EVO producats at all

[Patapoo]

Waves Renaissance Channel!

Nope - that isn't even Waves' best channel strip - not by a looooooong shot.

Dude, I think you missed the entire question being asked.

"What's the best - easiest to use, fastest, most intuitive, flexible, low CPU"

I have many channel stripes from many companies and love Omni as well as RChannel. Speaking to the part of the OP post of easiest, fastest, Low CPU RChannel holds its own. Notice the OP didn't ask the best sounding? Way too subjective.

But maybe something a 'lil better caem out within thee 15 years?

but then again Waves developed OmniChannel for a reason AND it is highly popular for a reason.

This statement doesn't hold up to reality.

No one saying Omni isn't great It Is... Yet many top mixers don't use it.

Yes newer should be better for many reasons and in some cases maybe so, but that said many many mix engineers use plugins like Waves Renaissance collection because of a sound they are looking for, or are used to, or for familiarity.

Case in point there are many great SSL emulations to have come out since Waves SSL, yet Waves SSLs are still used today by many real mixers making real records. WHY? Certainly, they must know there are better emulations after all these years.

[cryophonik]

...I find my self using my DAW’s built-in channel strips more and more these days

Which is?

Primarily Logic, but I also still use Studio One and Cubase a bit. Sonar/Cakewalk has a great built-in channel strip, and that was my main DAW for years. But, I was really talking more in generalities. In the past, I used RenChannel on almost every track or buss because it was so light on the CPU and gave me instant access to EQ, dynamics, and gain/level, and mostly because I was just used to working with it as part of my core workflow. But, over time, most DAWs starting improving their own channel strips so much that it because unnecessary to use a third-party channel strip for general purpose processing.