I could beat you in a laziness contest on the laziest day of the laziest year even if you had an electrified lazying machine. I know I'd beat you because I'd be too lazy to even show up.

 

You win....I'm too lazy to even try to overbid...

 

Softube Console1 API & SSL 9K

 

I have to say, I come for the audio tips, but I stay because you're the only guys that give me a laugh everyday.

 

Old timer still favorite of mine : MetricHalo channelstrip.
Easy layout and workflow, very smooth in the high end of the spectrum (the eq is in the same league as Equilibrium for me : not an emulation, but just a great sounding eq with no digital harshness over 10k), lot of function, activate/deactivate the elements you need.
I use it for many years (hum, should I say a decade...), and like it even more than in the beginning, what is a great sign!
You have to take some time to get familiar with the compressor, but a great sounding one IMHO

And recently I bought a Console1 from Softube, has to say it's quite a powerful channelstrip! Not as transparent as the MHalo, but wow, the sound is stellar!

 

As it hasn't been mentioned yet: Recently got Satson CS by Sonimus and am very happy with it. Great SSL-ish sound and light on CPU. The other one I'm using a lot is TCS-68 by Fuse Audio. It doesn't have a compressor but it's great for lofi-yifing things. Probably more of an EQ with control over saturation though. Lastly, I'm often coming back to Waves' TG12345 and REDD. I think they're really nice when going for that sort of band-passed retro sound. Still on the fence about TG Master, it seems really hit or miss for me.

 

Hate to say it but I'm another Cubase stock user, it does what it says on the tin, low in CPU and I know how to use it. Occasional use of Omnichannel and SSL but thats about it, I genrally wonder why I bought them.
However creative plugins and synths thats a whole diffrent story......

 

Acustica as much as possible El Rey And Lime - B comp as favouritecomps, also Gold Eq and Diamond, Oeksound's soothe for the vocals (especially when hitting high notes for taming the harshness), lots of Preamps also from Acustica (it depends on the source, but Cream and Gold are my favs), lately a lot of Taupe for that Tape compression (more obvious than a preamp), and for the master bus - always Ruby, Diamond Lift, Coral and/or Ivory 3 and / or Pink plus Dynameter for controlling the overall dynamics

 

Funnily, I like the one on an iPad DAW best: The channel strip in Auria Pro.
Why?
Because I've never missed anything in it.
A compressor with adjustable detection HPF, a properly adjustable downward expander which is much more useful than any noise gate, and a great parametric EQ.

 

I like sound of BX masterdesk, maybe it not full channelstrip, but sounds amazing!

 

• Any channel strip from AA, but specially Taupe, Sand, Pink and Gold
• Brainworx's bx_console E, G and N

 

I use Neutron 2 and SSL. They act like completing each other

I noticed Omni Channel is much more CPU intensive than SSL which is very important for a strip channel plugin.

 

I use the BX consoles on every track,there is no comparison with the Lindell channel strip IMO,they really bring something special:
I like the BX-N on hats and everything with lot of high frequencies content.I don't like it much on low/low mids frequencies.For me it's the best of the 3 consoles for everything above 3KHz,partially because of its Q factor wider than the SSLE/G.It's really interesting to analyse them with plugindoctor to understand what they do the sound.For example the SSLE applies a low cut at 20Hz even if the low cut filter is disengaged.
I like the BX SSLE on bass,you get the big sound,its EQ and ompressor are awesome and its tone fits well with dark sounds,with low frequencies content.
I like the BX SSLG when I want a punchier sound,on some snares or leads or everything between 200Hz to 3Khz.But the SSLE can do the job as well.

However I think the SSLE and the SSLG are more versatile than the bx-N.

But if you're looking for something that sound digital and without any color don't go with these consoles! But personnally I love these colors.

And when I want a specific or more precise task,I use the Fabfilter plugins.(EQ,Gate,compressor).
I like the Arousor compressor too.

 

Last edited: Jan 14, 2019

I don't know the Acustica plugins listed above by our acustica fanatics and I don't know the Softube American channel,from the demos i've heard the all sound incredible too.

 

SAND 2, Duende, Console1.

More than enough for me.

 

i like this

does the job , zero cpu. i can't afford 50% cpu hit just to add some highs (acustica)

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 14, 2019

i like UltraChannel sound, but the GUI is so tiny.... ( on my machine at least)..
i am using this TBProaudio CS3301 mostly at the moment..

 

Hmm...I think personally the term "Channel Strip" has become a software sellers point of view...Hardware channel strips are about purpose as in the basics Compression, EQ and dynamics...There are NO software "channel strips" that come close because mostly its about playing an instrument into something with a DI...therefore "Best" channel strip of today well, Universal Audio got my vote and it normally come in mono lol...As for software versions...well for me personally like others have said Waves SSL comes first....can put it on every channel and it got a similar voice when played together...I do rock but personally i dont like the G lol....As for Omni like others said CPU hit is massive...Abbey Road as in TG series my own personal fav for colour and dynamics however software wise for me personally in this sense waves way above most...SSL comes with NO cpu hit and the collective sound is great...for me that the best software CS...when will people understand there is no "BEST" specially in software...What fits your own personal workflow, well thats a good start maybe ???

 

Last edited: Jan 14, 2019

A very contradicted statement, so inconsistent.

 

So I was wrong but then im right haha! Not a statement prick! A personal observation...does that help??