Channel Strip Plugins

[fullbirdmusic]

Which channel strip plugins do you guys use or recommend and why?

I've got the Waves SSL 4000 bundle but honestly, I don't use the channel strips very much. Mostly I bought the bundle for the buss compressor but was also really interested in the channel strips but they just don't color the sound as much as I want. I've found that using an outboard preamp, EQ, compressor combo does very well for me as far as that goes on guitar, bass, and vocals, but I would really like to have a plugin that could color the sound as much as that does.

My brother was using Alloy 2 which I haven't tried yet and says it's great. What are your thoughts and opinions?

 

[JimmyS1969]

I think the question I would ask first, is 'what makes you think you need a plugin, for any particular reason'?.

Not to be one of those purist guys, I am a plugin freak myself. But, you use what any particular track needs. Color, is just another word to describe 'changing' of the original signal.

Outboard gear, is always going to give a different result. I won't even attempt to start that debate again. What works for you, well, it works.

Why do you wish to find a plugin, that does what you already have working for you, with outboard gear? Most of us, would cherish the good outboard stuff.....

 

[fullbirdmusic]

It's not that I don't cherish the outboard stuff I have, it's just a pain sometimes to have to set it up in the studio as it's not "always on" in my studio space.
Maybe you guys know of something really cool that I've never heard of before, that's really the only reason I'm asking.

I like to color the sounds of source material that I record; either with plugins, preamp, or whatever. It's not that I think the recordings need a plugin to sound great. If I'm going to use a plug or any gear, I want to be able to hear it and not just use it.
Using plugins is a necessary evil for me as far as compressors, reverb, etc. and it's not that I'm using them because I think I need them and piling them on unnecessarily; I just like the sounds they can impart on my recordings.

 

[JimmyS1969]

Well, I already like you now.

There is however, nothing that I would say that 'replaces' or would necessarily give great color to an otherwise 'plain' sound. Did that make sense?

You say that using plugins is a 'necessary evil'. I find myself, that plugins are a great blessing, once the source if the recording is already sounding great. There is not so much need for any enhancing, of a great sounding instrument.

I myself, love using an outboard compressor, on the way in. This is not recommended for most home recording people, as they are usually using something that will not give that 'lovely' thing they are after. Hell, I don't even know for sure yet, not on a consistent basis anyway.

What style/genre do you work with the most? I am just curious now.

 

[fullbirdmusic]

Hahaha, thanks!

Yeah, the necessary evil phrase was probably not the most accurate - as, like you, I love using plugins and have gotten pretty good at getting pro results from them and some great source recordings.

The preamp I use from Carlos Juan Amplification has an EQ and compressor built-in and I love it. Because it's a tube preamp as well, it really gives me a great sound going in with very little need to tweak anything with plugins once it's been recorded.

I'm a composer for production music, so my styles do vary but I do a lot of rock, orchestral, funk, and some pop stuff. Lately I've been working with a German artist here (Rami Hattab - Rami Hattab – Offizielle Webseite) to produce his album and he's all-acoustic. So we've been experimenting with different sounds to make his guitar and unique voice stand out and really give a great impression. We've also been experimenting with a full-band sound and that has been working really well. Using the plugin channel strips for the drums and master buss would be what I would do ITB for mixing it all together - hence the initial thread question.

We tracked a couple songs recently with a Groove Tubes MD-2 tube condenser into the Carlos Juan CP-1 preamp (Eric Clapton uses that one too, btw!) and got some extremely impressive sounds from that combo going in, so there was very little processing to do afterwards. With that kind of signal chain, if it doesn't sound good then you're doing something wrong!

 

[Mo Facta]

I usually build a channel strip out of individual plugins if need be.

For the majority of EQing I use the Cubase track EQ so I'll use the pre or post insert positions depending on where I want certain plugins to go in the chain. I have a few choice compressors that I like to use for certain things:

Vocals: UAD LA-2A, 1176LN
Drums, UAD 1176LN, VOS ThrillseekerLA, Yamaha VCM 260 or 276
Bass: LA-2A, 1176LN, Cubase Compressor
Room: SSL LMC-1 or 1176SE with distortion plugin.

I will often use the UAD Pultec because it's just so sweet. Nice on vocals and overheads.

For gates I almost exclusively use the Waves RChannel. If there's one channel strip I use it'll be the RChannel. I just wish the GUI was bigger. I would urge Waves to redesign the Renaissance series in general. They sound great but damn they are ugly. Otherwise, I'll use the C1.

I used to like the SSL channel strip but I don't use it any more. Just never feel the need any more. My tracking these days is getting better and better so I find myself using less and less processing. A little goes a long way when your tracking sounds are good.

Cheers

 

[fullbirdmusic]

A little goes a long way when your tracking sounds are good.

You're right about that. How do you like the UAD plugins? Are you using any DSP for them?
I've got the UA 610 Solo preamp and I really like it, just wish I had one with an EQ on it. That would be killer.

 

[Mo Facta]

How do you like the UAD plugins? Are you using any DSP for them?

To answer your first question, yeah, they're great. I have two old UAD-1 cards so they're a bit old but they still work like charm. Their plugins have always sounded great.

I am a little perplexed by your second question. Do I use any DSP for them? That is the point. They work on the external DSP chips on the UAD-1 cards. So I guess my answer would be, yes!

Cheers

 

[fullbirdmusic]

I guess that's what I was asking, if you needed to use the DSP card to use them. Now I know you do - thanks!

I've only ever heard good things about those UA plugs. I was eyeballing the Apollo interface a while back. May just have to check it out again when I'm in the market for a new interface!