Channel strips that you actually use

[Fornicras]

Hi everyone,

I want to see what are the most popular/most used channel strips (analog-modeled or not) that you especially use every project for Vocals, Bass, Instruments and Trap/R&B Drums. And a mastering chain plugin.

Normally I use Nectar for Vocals, Neutron for Instruments/Bass and Ozone for mastering alongside some Fabfilter plugins. (Pro-Q, DS, and L) But I want to see what are the other options and why do you like them?

Edit: Forgot to mention that I use Studio One and I'm also thinking of getting Fat Channel XT as a full package for some analog stuff. What do you think of this instead of getting another channel strip?

[trmupstage]

I do a lot of full band recordings. The channel strips I use are:
PA SSL9000J - on most drum channels
Softube American channel API - acoustic instruments that need to cut through the mix
Softube Summit Grand Channel - vocal and natural sounding things - can't be pushed very hard without distortion

That's about it. I end up using individual plugins way more often

[CinningBao]

The channel strips I use tend to be for particular features; Voxformer for the multi-band gate, Eventide UltraChannel for the MicroShift and the non-expanding Omnipressor.. mmm, yeah that's it. Everything else is individual plugins.

[fese]

In recent times I’ve developed a workflow where I would first do some basic sound shaping with the Lindell 80 channel strip, followed by some tape sim and then another channel strip for a bit more detailed work (Fuse CS1 or IK White channel most of the time), followed by dedicated plugins if necessary. This is probably not too far from a classic analog workflow where you would record through a console, possibly with some EQ, then go to tape and then mix from that through another console.
What I like about the workflow is the simplicity. I have a fixed chain that I have to make do with, instead of thinking endlessly which plugin to use on what and possibly doing too much processing. Limitations can be quite beneficial, trying to get a good basic sound with just a Neve 73 or 84 EQ can be challenging, but also creative.

I’ve checked a lot of channel strips, none of them are perfect, though, most of the time it was some workflow or GUI issues that annoyed me. The three I mentioned are the ones that I actually use the most.
(I just got the BX Focurite console for free from PA, that seems to be a nice one from a first test, although the GUI lacks a bit of contrast imho)

[Unaspected]

Last channel strips I used were Fuse Audio Labs' "TCS-68" (Tascam 688 emulation) and Lindell Audio's "80 Series" on some drum sounds, in preparation for Kontakt instruments.

I really like the gate in the 80s series (the whole strip is really well done but I don't typically like gates so thought it worth a mention) and the low end of the TCS-68.

Also just noticed that Fuse are having an Easter sale.

https://fuseaudiolabs.de/#/pages/plugins
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... eries.html

[rasmusklump]

Console one. Actually I mix solely with console one and only buy eq or dynamic plugins that are console one ready.
The strips I use the most are the stock SSL, British class a and Weiss

[Jmf1928]

PA 4000, PA 9000, PA Neve, UA API, Cubase stock, will try PA Amek as well. I should give Ultrachannel another go.

[Googly Smythe]

TG12345 on drums, currently AMEK9099 on everything else. (Groups, buses, it's RS56/Opticom XLA-3.)

[beely]

PA SSL 4000E or J, Lindell 50 or 80 depending on flavour in the main, SSL Native if I just want a clean precise tool.

[Goony]

SSL Native Channelstrip2, which has just gone on sale with Native Bus Compressor 2 as the Native Essentials bundle @£46 from pluginboutique

[FapFilter]

closest things to channel strips i use are TDR Nova, Surreal Machines Impact and Klanghelm VUMT Deluxe.
Out of these i use VUMT Deluxe by far the most

[ramseysounds]

RS56/Opticom XLA-3

I like the sound of that combination. Will give that a try as I own both. Personally, the 1st channel strip I grab is Scheps Omni channel

[jamcat]

Recording and mixing are 2 totally separate sessions, typically done months apart in different studios with different gear. So if you're looking to get a really authentic workflow using channel strips, you should start by thinking about your project in those terms.

The way recording happens in the big analog studios is quite different than how most people think about it today. They always committed creative decisions early, and printed right to tape. That goes not only for EQ and compression, but also flangers, delays, even reverbs. Think about it. They're making a record in the studio. Who knows when or where it's going to be mixed (or by whom)? If you've got an idea for how it should sound and you've got the gear there in front of you, you're going to put it on tape. Mixing is all about clean up later.

So I set up at least 2 console views in Studio One. One console view is 'Tape' the other is 'Mix'. Tape channels get sent to a companion Mix channel in the other console view.

Each Tape track has a channel strip that includes preamp modeling followed by a tape saturation plugin. During tracking is also when you want to get your general tonal shape, so if you're going to use a "vocal chain" this is where you're going to place it. Pultecs, LA-2As, Distressors, etc, would happen between the preamp and the tape.

For the Tape channel preamp, the channel strip I use depends on what console I want for tracking. This will depend on aesthetics such as what era or style I'm trying to evoke. I use the following:

Waves SSL EV2
Lindell Audio 80
Lindell Audio 50
Arturia Pre V76
Arturia Pre TridA

For the Mix channels, I mostly use bx SSL consoles. I use Waves for the Tape channels because Brainworx stupidly doesn't model the preamps.

SSL boards are interesting because channels can be mixed and matched from different consoles. It's quite common for an SSL console to have a mix of 82E02 brown and 82E242 black EQs, and even 82E132 orange "Pultec" EQs, as well as G channels with pink 82E292 EQs. This is why I use the Brainworx models, because you get good models of all of these flavours.

In my mixes, most instruments get the bx SSL 4000 E. Guitars typically get the SSL 4000 G. The G is known particularly for being really good for guitars, and the Brainworx model reflects that.

Symphonic instruments all get staged together in Virtual Sound Stage 2 and sent to a single buss which gets the SSL 9000 J. If I were doing electronic, pop, or hiphop I would use the SSL 9000 J for that too. But I don't.

If I'm doing something particularly period specific prior to the '80s, I will use one of the other channel strips I listed for the Mix channels as well.

.

[fcamp]

After testing all the PA channel strips, my favourites are Console N and Lindell 50.

[Ploki]

Probably only Voxformer