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URS Classic Console Strip Pro = “Desert Island Plug”?
Do you ever find yourself having to use all five of Pro Tools insert slots to capture the sound you’re after? Or waste time clicking through separate plug-in windows during mixdown? While most plug-ins offer total recall and tons of sound shaping possibilities, sometimes we miss the classic console “channel strip” layout and sound, combining all the processors you need into a simple one stop processing shop. Recently, many plug-in companies have recognized the ergonomics and efficiency of this timeless design, offering equalization, dynamics, and a host of other processors all wrapped into a single plug-in slot. Because I am always in search of ways to improve the speed and quality of my mixes, I was very excited to try out the latest in channel strip plug-ins for Pro Tools, the Classic Console Strip Pro from U.R.S.
What has recently been referred to as the “desert island plug,” Unique Recording Software’s Classic Console Strip Pro represents an entirely new solution for crafting “all in the box” mixes that stand up against any analog outfit. Available in TDM or RTAS format, offering EQ and dynamics modeled from vintage analog recording consoles and outboard gear plus thirty vintage-modeled input stages for further signal coloration, the channel strip plug-in promises authentic vintage sounds with supreme flexibility and DSP efficiency. I have been using the classic console strip the last couple of weeks and I thought I would share my experiences here at the Corner. (Be sure to check out the full list of specs here )
While the channel strip plug-is not a new idea (Wave’s original Renaissance Channel has been out for years now), U.R.S.’ approach is certainly unique in offering so much flexibility in a single plug-in. Not only can you choose from 4 great sounding console EQ’s and 60 compressor models, but you can also mix and match within. Want a classic 50s sound for your low-end with a 80s hi-shelf for the top? It’s yours. Plus you get input coloration from 30 different presets ranging from American and British input transformers, to tape and tube combos. I normally use a separate plug-in for tape head or transformer saturation, but with the console strip I could set up a preset and paste it across all of my drum tracks, just like using a large format console with channel EQ and dynamics. Each section of the plug-in can be independently enabled/disabled and because of its high efficiency I found myself using only specific sections from time to time.
Console Modeling
Modeling is a tricky science, and can take a variety of different approaches to achieve an accurate result. Fortunately URS is not new to the modeling game and has had enjoyed previous success in the process with a number of plug-ins. Each of the four console models and a vintage tube program EQ are based on entirely new algorithms, so if you have already used URS’s current line of vintage EQ models you are in for a treat (the names of the source models cannot be disclosed for obvious legal reasons, but you can guess many from the preset names and probably figure the rest out from message boards). The four bands feature fully sweepable frequency and Q, a separate low and hi pass filter is also included. I found the different console models to offer subtle but noticeable differences in color and found all of the EQ models to be very musical. I really enjoyed being able to set up my EQ and flip through the 5 model variations on each band discretely without changing any other parameters, I found it easier to not over think the models and the time period they represented and just used my ears to find the best choice for each band. I find that sometimes it is easy to be lured into a false sense of reality by the preset and parameters names in many plug-ins, and it is usually best to trust your ears and not worry about what it may or may not be modeled after.
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30 input stage and 60 compressor models
5 EQ models per band
Sound Quality vs. Efficiency
When I first heard about the classic console strip I was mainly excited about the idea of packing all those vintage sounds into a single, easy to use plug-in. I like a plug-in that I can stripe across my mix and start tweaking immediately, and since the console strip is fairly DSP efficient I could put it on a ton of tracks at the beginning of my mix and when I needed to EQ or compress it was already there waiting for me all in one window. The plug-in comes with two versions, the full channel strip pro and a lighter, more DSP efficient channel strip. On my HD|3 Accell, I could run 5 full instances of CSSP per DSP chip at 24bit/44.1khz and 12 instances of the lighter weight version. I was happy to see that the strip supports plug-in sharing, so calling up one or two won’t kill a whole chip of DSP like many TDM plugs. Native performance in RTAS was also impressive, the URS website has a screen shot running 48 instances of CSSP on a quad core Mac. I liked to use the plug-in with a custom user preset as the default to call up a specific input stage across all of my tracks, helping color and gel my mix like it was coming off 2” or running through a vintage console. The ability to control the percent of input stage coloration from 0-200% was awesome, I found myself cranking it to 200% more then a few times on rock drums, guitar and bass. There is even a colorless digital input stage for the audiophile purists out there.
As a bonus, the plug-in integrated beautifully with my Digidesign control surfaces, especially the Icon series (D-Command/D-Control), where the dedicated EQ and Dynamics sections of the console were fully supported. I am a little annoyed with the lack of break point EQ editing, while mixing with a mouse it is impossible to tweak EQ frequency, gain and Q simultaneously without breakpoint/node style EQ (Like the Digirack EQ-III and Wave’s Renaissance and Q10 EQ). I really wish more plug-in manufacturers recognized that the mouse is a completely different user interface and came up with more efficient designs for users that don’t own control surfaces. On a positive note, the classic console strips lack of EQ frequency graph forced me to concentrate on the sound rather then lazily using my eyes to equalize a signal.
Upgradeable
Because the plug-in is based on URS’s unified GUI, there is room to add more input stages, compressors, and EQ algorithms in the future. While it is unknown when these upgrades will be released or whether or not they will be free to registered users, it is nice to known that once you learn the user interface it can continue to grow sonically for years to come.
In Closing
I found the classic console strip from U.R.S. to be quite useful in quickly setting up mixes and getting things to sit, especially across drums and guitars. I found the presets to be well crafted and useful, and while the colors from the different models where subtle at times they were ultimately very musical and worth cycling through. Since the strip ships in TDM, RTAS, VST and AU formats and supports Windows and Mac (universal binary), it is ready to go anywhere in almost any DAW. Although I don’t think I will be giving up some of my other favorite mixing tools and moving to a desert island any time soon (my converters aren’t sand proof ;-), I do feel that the classic console strip makes a nice addition to my mix workflow, both from a sonic as well as an efficiency standpoint. While the price may be a little steep for some ($750msrp for Native and $1500msrp for TDM), you are getting great EQ, dynamics and tape/tube/transformer emulation in one package making it competitively priced for the feature set.
Other Options
While the Classic Console Strip is a great choice for an all in box vintage channel strip processing, if you are into all in one solutions like me I can also recommend the following plug-in bundles:
Pro Tools Tidbits
- Structure Update: As a follow up to my last article on Structure, Digidesign has just announced the release of Structure Free and Structure LE. Structure Free is a freely downloadable, limited version of Digidesign’s Structure Sampler for Pro Tools with over 800mb of free sample content from Digidesign AIR. Structure LE is a lower priced ($195 msrp) version of Structure with a reduce feature set and smaller (3gb) sample library.
- Reason 4 will be available September 26, 2007 worldwide.
If you have a Pro Tools related question that you would like me to take a shot at answering or have any feedback, please send it to brian@audioMIDI.com. I will do my best to select the questions that seem to stump the most people.
As always, stay tuned to the audioMIDI.com eNews for the latest reviews and new product info.
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