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

[_leras]

Personally enjoy Omni Channel. Andrew and the Waves folks seemed to put a lot of usability thought into it and it sounds good.

I tried to like it, but it's too large for my tastes. I've found that I really prefer a more modern non-skeuomorphic U/I.

Really too large? I can easily fit two alongside each other on a single monitor to EQ two parts at the same time.

I also think the GUI keeps out of the way pretty well on this one.

[jens]

I passed on Evo Channel, it lacks features for me.

Just out of curiousity: what are the features that you were missing?

[antic604]

Still don't get it. Channel strips have been explained - and almost every DAW has them already. Even free crap like Cakewalk has them.

Actually no. Most DAWs don't have channel strip device or comprehensive mixing desk-like mixer (think Reason, Mixbus) - they'll usually have the individual components in separate devices and will sometimes expose (some of) the parameters for immediate tweaking from the mixer level.

And Cakewalk is faaaar from being "crap". It's much more usable and fully-featured that many paid DAWs.


Anyway, the title of this thread isn't "why would anyone use channel strip plugins", so if you - and @BONES - can't see the point, just skip it

[bundoo]

The modular cables on the evo seemed unnecessary
Omni is great but didn't need the whole steam punk ui treatment - personally prefer modern
Softubes American A despite being an analog emu (I don't use it for this) is the best UI i've come across - sound is great and very clean.
Protools channel strip is nice.
S1.5 will probably redo theirs at some point and it'll get closer to the excellent cubase strip (not the mixer ui representation which is terrible) - It really has everything.
When ultrachannel is ported over to newfangled they could make a sick strip.
Waiting on DMG and FF to up the stakes too.

[ghettosynth]

I passed on Evo Channel, it lacks features for me.

Just out of curiousity: what are the features that you were missing?

Dynamic EQ, 48dB/oct hi/lo, multiband exciter. Basically, Neutron V1 is what I'm looking for a replacement for. Like most here, I have a drawerful of other channel strips that I can break out if I'm looking for some particular flavor.

While a lot of people want simpler strips, I want the killer modern strip. I'd love Solera in a strip with the Neutron EQ (yes, I know FLUX != iZotope)

[ghettosynth]

Personally enjoy Omni Channel. Andrew and the Waves folks seemed to put a lot of usability thought into it and it sounds good.

I tried to like it, but it's too large for my tastes. I've found that I really prefer a more modern non-skeuomorphic U/I.

Really too large? I can easily fit two alongside each other on a single monitor to EQ two parts at the same time.

I also think the GUI keeps out of the way pretty well on this one.

Load it up next to Neutron V1 and you will see what I mean by too big. Someone above called it a "steampunk U/I" Yeah, that too.

[jens]

Anyway, the title of this thread isn't "why would anyone use channel strip plugins", so if you - and @BONES - can't see the point, just skip it

Yes, I often wonder what seems to be so hard about just ignoring threads one isn't actually interested in. It seems psyhcologically quite remarkable to me that someone would enter a thread that is specifically and obviously abotu a type of plugin one actually has no interest in just to lecture others how they are doing it all wrong by actually using/being interested in this.

It's the same old lame attempt of elevating yourself by trying to put others down (which of course never works, yet they keep trying) - if you don't regard yourself a good musician telling others how they suck won't make it any better...

[jens]

The modular cables on the evo seemed unnecessary

It doesn't have any cables - I assume you refer to the EQ bands - this is just to make it easier to see which band is which. The colours already help, but this makes it even clearer.

[jens]

I passed on Evo Channel, it lacks features for me.

Just out of curiousity: what are the features that you were missing?

Dynamic EQ, 48dB/oct hi/lo, multiband exciter. Basically, Neutron V1 is what I'm looking for a replacement for. Like most here, I have a drawerful of other channel strips that I can break out if I'm looking for some particular flavor.

While a lot of people want simpler strips, I want the killer modern strip. I'd love Solera in a strip with the Neutron EQ (yes, I know FLUX != iZotope)

I see - for me this mostly would already be overkill - horses for courses.

[antic604]

There's also this one, for free:

http://deadducksoftware.blogspot.com/20 ... annel.html

[_leras]

I don't always use a channel strip, like others, and certainly on main parts, can get better results with a more custom set of eqs, compressors, saturator. But I do think the consistency of interface across a number of channels can be very helpful, and I tend to find myself leaning on channel strips more and more for non main parts because of that consistency.

The Cubase channel strip is really good as a non console one, but I don't always work in Cubase.

For some recent projects in Bitwig, where I couldn't use UAD, we chose PA SSL E and Waves Omni Channel as channel strips.

The SSL IS nice and leans towards a 'record' sound vibe, but for me the Omni Channel seems to be winning out. The saturation, thought not perfect, if very usable, fine for most parts and so handy right there on the strip. The LPF/HPF are great with optional slopes. The EQ is pretty fully featured, with multiple curve types for each band. The compressor also has several options right there, that are easy to switch between. It overall just works really well and is more than good enough for most tracks in a mix.

[The Noodlist]

Bus FORCE?
https://www.arturia.com/products/softwa ... e/busforce

[jens]

Oh, despite its smallish GUI, I have to mention that there is now a 64bit beta of VOS NastyVCS, which together with OmniChannel ranks 2nd for me after Evo Channel.

[bundoo]

Bus FORCE?
https://www.arturia.com/products/softwa ... e/busforce

Looks good
Sounds?

[LeVzi]

but the dev passed away IIRC, and it never got further developed which was really a shame, as it was a brilliant channel strip.

No, he didn't - he only faked his own death, plus he was not even the coder - Michael Olsen of Sonic Timeworks fame was.

Really ? So was it updated and continued or just died when he fake died ?