We’re decades into the age of the DAW, but outboard channel strips remain popular for good reasons — and there are plenty to choose from.
When mixing consoles dominated the studio world, every mic preamp would be followed at the very least by some basic EQ and an insert point to patch in outboard processors. Large‑format desks would often include comprehensive filtering and equalisation, and sometimes per‑channel dynamics processing too, and it was perfectly normal to use these facilities while recording, to get the sound right before it made it on to tape. Today, many studios are entirely console‑free, relying either on rackmount preamps or those built into their audio interface, and many engineers tend to look to the DAW and plug‑ins, rather than outboard, for processing. Thus, other than perhaps applying the high‑pass filter on a mic or preamp, it’s common not to process signals at all until after they’ve been recorded.
But there are still some solid arguments in favour of the ‘old’ approach. Making decisions and committing to sounds while recording can build confidence and generally leaves you with far less work when mixing. Many engineers say they can get a better sound out of hardware, of course, but many others simply favour the hands‑on approach and screen‑free immediacy of interacting with physical gear. So, a channel strip that combines your mic preamp with a handful of other processors can be a genuinely useful addition to any studio, providing a ‘front end’ to your DAW, and potentially also a processing strip that you can access when mixing.
As with most kit, there’s an overwhelming number to choose from. At the budget end of the market you can find fairly feature‑rich options from the likes of PreSonus and dbx, while for just a little more you have the likes of the ART Pro Channel III that’s reviewed in this issue. If you take a no‑expense‑spared approach, you might prefer to check out HUM Audio’s N‑Closure system (which houses the comprehensive channel modules from their high‑end N‑Trophy console), and elysia’s recently announced Channex Studio. There are more traditional high‑end valve‑based options from the likes of Avalon, Chandler Limited and Manley Labs, as well as cleaner‑sounding high‑quality preamp and EQ strips from companies like George Massenburg Labs.
Between those extremes are all manner of devices, offering different sounds and facilities ranging from basic EQ and compression to de‑essers, saturation processors and even transient shaping. Units such as Gainlab Audio’s Bishop aim to replicate the sound and functionality of vintage valve gear for a relatively keen price, while some take a more modern approach and focus on delivering a combination of transparent preamplification and processing — DAV Electronics’ BG5 MkII, for example. Others take a best‑of‑both‑worlds approach. Given that so many studio users are now working without a mixer, it’s not surprising to see that the designers behind some of the most iconic large‑format beasts, such as SSL, API, Harrison, Neve and Rupert Neve Designs, now offer rackmount units based on their most sought‑after console channels. And with all that in mind, let’s take a closer look at a selection of the available options.
API TCS‑II
API TCS‑II
The TCS‑II brings together a selection of API’s famed circuits to offer a compact and relatively affordable way to access the sound of their much‑loved consoles. Preamp duties are taken care of by the 512C, which will accept mic, line or instrument‑level signals, and offers up to 68dB of gain. The 527A compressor follows, with threshold, attack, release and ratio controls presented on detented pots, and API’s patented Thrust side‑chain circuit offering the ‘in‑your‑face’ compression style for which the design is so well known. When it comes to EQ, the TCS‑II employs the 550A design, a three‑band circuit with selectable frequencies, a choice of shelf or bell filters for the high and low bands, a switchable 50Hz‑15kHz band‑pass filter, and ±12dB of gain for each band. Finally, the output stage is based around the 325 Line Driver found in the company’s consoles. A front‑panel switch allows the compressor to be placed pre‑ or post‑EQ, and as well as being individually bypassable, each of the unit’s sections can be accessed separately thanks to a collection of rear‑panel I/O sockets.
$3495.
£3495 including VAT.
Avalon VT‑737SP
Avalon VT‑737SP
The preamp section of Avalon’s VT‑737SP employs a pair of dual‑triode valves and features independent mic, line and instrument inputs placed in front of a variable high‑pass filter. The following section houses an optical compressor that’s capable of everything from gentle compression to hard‑knee limiting, and offers plenty of control thanks to threshold, ratio, attack and release knobs. Next up, a four‑band EQ boasts a discrete Class‑A signal path, and low and high shelving bands that offer the smooth character associated with passive designs, while two mid bands benefit from variable frequency and Q controls, along with x10 multiplier switches that extend their frequency range. A handy option is the SC Mids switch, which allows the two midrange EQ bands to be placed into the compressor’s side‑chain to finesse its response, while the low and high shelves remain in the main signal path. The output stage utilises yet another dual‑triode valve.
$3866.
£3799 including VAT.
www.avalondesign.com/vt-737-sp
Chandler Limited TG12411
Chandler TG12411
Chandler Limited’s Abbey Road Series comprises an array of outboard processors that are officially licensed by the legendary London studio. The TG12411 combines a version of their TG2 preamp with a passive EQ that’s based on the circuit found in the TG12410 Transfer Console — that’s the mastering counterpart to the famous Beatles console. Mic, line and instrument‑level signals are supported, and the gain control is followed by an output level knob, meaning that the preamp section can be deliberately driven for effect without the risk of clipping downstream devices. The EQ section features a capacitor‑based high‑shelf band, followed by an inductor‑based Mid Peak band with proportional Q (there’s a toggle switch for narrowing the overall curve), an inductor/capacitor Mid Cut band with a default narrow Q, and an inductor‑based Low Boost with proportional Q. Finally, a Low Cut switch offers a choice of five frequencies. Boosts and cuts of up to 20dB mean the unit can apply some pretty heavy‑handed curves, and the independent cut/boost bands mean that the TG12411 can behave in a similar way to Pultec and Lang EQs.
$2600.
£2599 including VAT.
chandlerlimited.com/tg-channel-mkii
Drawmer Electronics 1977
Drawmer Electronics 1977
Said to be their most comprehensive channel strip to date, Drawmer’s 1977 is certainly rich in features. It places a clean mic pre in front of a three‑band EQ and soft‑knee compressor to provide the classic channel strip options, but this design also boasts three styles of variable saturation. A stepped control delivers up to 64dB of gain for mic, line and instrument sources, while a choice of three impedances ensures compatibility with a wide range of microphones, as well as the ability to coax different voicings out of passive dynamic models. The three‑band EQ offers ±12dB of adjustment per band with adjustable Q for the mid band, as well as a selection of filter‑slope options for the low‑ and high‑shelf bands. A compressor equipped with threshold, ratio, attack and release pots follows, and offers further tonal options courtesy of Drawmer’s signature Big and Air modes. Yet more tonal shaping is provided by a variable Saturate control, which offers a choice of three styles: clean, warm and overdriven. Helpfully, the compressor can be placed before or after the EQ, and the unit’s rear panel offers a clean direct output from the preamp section, in addition to its main output at the end of the chain — so you can, if you wish, record ‘clean’ while monitoring with the processing, or record both clean and processed versions for options at mixdown.
$1979.
£1465 including VAT.
drawmer.com/products/70s_series/1977_channel_strip.php
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/drawmer-electronics-1977
Grace Design m103
Grace Design m103
Grace Design products are renowned for their impressive technical performance and clean sound, and the m103 is no exception. Preamp duties fall to the company’s m101 design, which accepts mic, line and instrument sources, and features a Ribbon mode that both increases the input impedance and blocks phantom power. A three‑band EQ offers a choice of peak or shelf filters for the low and high bands, along with a fully parametric mid. This is followed by an optical compressor with independent user control of the threshold, attack, release and ratio. Finally, a Trim dial provides ±10dB of level adjustment at the output stage. The order of the compressor and EQ can be selected using a front‑panel switch, and additional rear‑panel connections make it possible to patch the preamp and EQ/compressor sections separately.
$2358.
£2620 including VAT.
gracedesign.com/products/microphone-preamplifiers/m103
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/grace-design-m103
Great River Electronics MEQ‑1NV
Great River Electronics MEQ‑1NV
Great River Electronics’ MEQ‑1NV is technically two products (the half‑rack ME‑1NV preamp and EQ‑1NV EQ), but since it’s possible to order them as a pair assembled in a 1U rackmount frame, we felt it should be included. The compound device accepts mic, line and instrument signals and delivers up to 70dB of gain, while custom‑wound Sowter transformers deliver a vintage‑inspired sound. Four EQ bands with ±15dB of gain follow, with the low and high bands offering a choice of peak or shelf filters, and the two mid bands being equipped with three selectable Q values. There’s also an 18dB/octave high‑pass filter that can be placed at six different frequencies.
$3575.
£3050 including VAT.
Harrison 32Classic MS
Harrison 32Classic MS
Another channel strip derived from a large‑format console is Harrison Audio’s 32Classic MS, based on their recent revamp of the iconic 32C. There are dedicated rear‑panel mic and line inputs, along with a handy front‑panel combo socket that’ll accept mic, line or instrument‑level signals, and independent gain controls are provided for mic and line gain. As you’d expect, the 32Classic MS features Harrison’s signature filters: a 25Hz‑3.1kHz high‑pass with a 3dB resonant peak, and a 160Hz‑20kHz low‑pass. In addition to the filters there are four bands of EQ, each offering ±10dB of gain, selectable frequencies and a proportional Q behaviour. Although there’s no dynamics processing, the 32Classic MS does feature an insert point, so you can place external processors in the signal path, and if you’re keen to keep things authentic, Harrison’s own console‑derived compressor is available as a 500‑series module. The right side of the front panel is dedicated to a Mixbus section that includes an output ‘fader’ and pan controls, and allows multiple units to be linked using rear‑panel connections and their signals summed to a single stereo output.
$1999.
£1799 including VAT.
harrisonaudio.com/products/32classic-ms-mix-strip
Heritage Audio BritStrip
Heritage Audio BritStrip
The BritStrip brings together Heritage Audio’s 1073‑inspired preamp and EQ offerings, and throws in the diode‑bridge compressor from their Successor unit for good measure. There are custom Carnhill input and output transformers, and the preamp offers up to 80dB of gain, along with two switchable input impedances. As well as accepting mic and line‑level signals, the preamp features a JFET instrument input with a DI‑style thru output for passing instrument signals on to an amplifier or pedalboard. A three‑band EQ follows, with a trio of switches allowing the high and low shelves to be switched to peak filters and engaging a narrower Q setting for the mid band. The compressor has threshold, make‑up gain, ratio and release controls, along with a Fast Attack switch, a selection of five side‑chain filter frequencies and a Blend control that allows for instant parallel compression. External side‑chain insert points are also provided.
$1999.
£1499 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/heritage-audio-britstrip
Manley VoxBox & Core Reference
Manley VoxBox
Designed to be the ultimate all‑in‑one toolkit for vocal recordings, the VoxBox combines Manley’s valve‑based Mono Mic Preamp with a selection of processors that draw on their other high‑end gear. Mic, line and instrument‑level signals are accepted, and the preamp’s gain switch also affects the circuit’s slew rate, so as well as defining the input signal level it affects the tonality of the unit somewhat. The compressor employs an optical design based on the company’s ELOP limiter, and offers a fixed 3:1 ratio along with threshold, attack and release knobs. Despite their familiar‑sounding names, the controls work slightly differently from those on a typical compressor, applying up to four different time constants simultaneously and delivering a wide range of compression characteristics thanks to a technique that Manley have dubbed ‘parametric compression’. A Pultec‑inspired EQ includes Low Peak, Mid Dip and Hi Peak controls, each with a generous set of frequency options, and there’s also a De‑Ess section that can be targeted at the 3, 6, 9 or 12 kHz range, or set to act as a 10:1 limiter designed to mimic the sound of an LA‑2A. Despite its name, Manley say that the VoxBox also excels on instrument‑miking duties — but if the VoxBox is overkill, they also offer the more affordable Core Reference. This model employs the same preamp topology as the VoxBox, but pairs it with slightly simpler compressor and EQ sections, and includes a dedicated limiter.
VoxBox $5499, Core Reference $2899.
VoxBox £4399. Core Reference £2250. Prices include VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/manley-core
Neve 8801
Neve 8801
Neve’s 8801 houses a complete channel strip from the company’s acclaimed 88RS console in a 1U rackmount chassis. The Marinair‑transformer‑equipped preamp is followed by independent low‑ and high‑pass filters, and a dynamics section that features a VCA compressor/limiter and a gate/expander. Threshold, make‑up gain, ratio and release controls are provided for the former, and two switchable attack times are available, while the latter is equipped with threshold, range and release controls, along with a Hysteresis knob that defines a separate threshold for rising and falling signal levels. Next up is the EQ section, which includes low and high bands that can be switched between bell and shelf modes, and a pair of fully parametric mid bands. Helpfully, the 8801’s filters and EQ section can each optionally be inserted into the compressor’s side‑chain circuit, and an Audio Routing switch makes it possible to place the unit’s dynamics, EQ and external insert points in any order you wish. The 8801 can also be fitted with an optional A‑D card that provides S/PDIF, AES3 and DSD digital outputs, in addition to the standard analogue I/O.
$3695.
£2280 including VAT.
www.ams-neve.com/8801-channel-strip
Rupert Neve Designs Shelford & Newton Channels
Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel
Rupert Neve Designs’ flagship Shelford Channel serves as a ‘best of’ collection, bringing together some of the legendary designer’s most praised designs. Its transformer‑coupled preamp delivers up to 72dB of gain, and is joined by an instrument input derived from the company’s RNDI range plus a variable high‑pass filter. The inductor‑based EQ design features peak/shelf low and high bands, with the former inspired by the 1064 and the latter offering a hybrid vintage/modern sound thanks to a mixture of inductor and capacitor‑based circuitry. The mid band is based on the 1073, and is capable of everything from subtle enhancement to surgical correction thanks to a proportional Q design. Next up is RND’s diode‑bridge compressor, a design renowned for its up‑front character. There’s a wealth of control on offer thanks to threshold, ratio, gain, timing and blend controls, and it’s possible to place the unit’s high‑pass filter in the side‑chain. Lastly, switchable Red/Blue Silk circuits make it possible to introduce a generous dose of harmonic distortion.
A more accessible entry into the RND world comes in the form of the Newton Channel — you still get a high‑quality preamp section and the Red/Blue Silk circuitry, but it lacks the RNDI instrument input, and it employs a simplified EQ section and cleaner‑sounding VCA compressor.
Shelford Channel $3999, Newton Channel $1999.
Shelford Channel £3499. Newton Channel £1850. Prices include VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/rupert-neve-designs-newton-channel
rupertneve.com/products/shelford-channel
rupertneve.com/products/newton-channel
SPL Channel One & Track One Mk3
SPL Channel One Mk3
SPL’s flagship Channel One Mk3 packs in a comprehensive range of processing, and includes some particularly versatile I/O options. The preamp delivers up to 68dB of gain and caters to all the usual signal types, but unusually it includes two separate mic inputs to provide a convenient way to carry out A/B comparisons. A Tube Saturation control then delivers access to variable harmonic distortion, while a Tube Post switch places the circuit either after the preamp or in between the EQ and output stages, to give even more tonal flexibility. The signal then passes through De‑esser and Transient Designer sections, before reaching a simple compressor equipped with compression and make‑up gain controls. As for EQ, the unit includes a pair of midrange bands with ±12dB of gain, and an Air band that takes the form of a bell filter centred at 19kHz. The Track One features a console‑style direct output from the preamp section, and parallel main outputs that allow it to feed two or even three destinations. SPL also offer the Track One Mk3, which is more compact and omits the Tube Saturation and Transient Designer sections, and the additional I/O.
Channel One Mk3 $2999, Track One Mk3 $1199.
Channel One Mk3 £1885. Track One Mk3 £1145. Prices include VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/spl-channel-one-mk3
spl.audio/en/spl-produkt/channel-one-mk3
spl.audio/en/spl-produkt/track-one-mk3
SSL Revival 4000 & Super 9000
SSL Revival 4000
As its name suggests, the Revival 4000 brings the sound of SSL’s iconic 4000‑series consoles to their current rackmount product line‑up. Its transformer‑balanced preamp employs the same components found in the original E Series design, and is followed by a de‑esser taken from the B Series variant. The following dynamics section includes a VCA compressor and gate that stay true to the E Series circuitry, with the compressor offering a versatile range of characters thanks to a soft‑knee bypass, a fast attack mode and the ability to switch between logarithmic and linear release curves. Variable low‑ and high‑pass filters follow, and can be placed either in the main signal path or inserted into the compressor’s side‑chain. The four‑band EQ section takes a two‑for‑one approach, providing both the ‘brown knob’ variant found in earlier consoles, and the ‘black knob’ version developed alongside George Martin for AIR Studios’ first SSL console. The latter design features an extended gain range (±18 rather than ±15 dB), a more refined control response, and a steeper 18dB/octave high‑pass filter. Routing buttons allow the de‑esser and dynamics sections to be placed post‑EQ, and the Revival 4000 also includes a balanced insert point and an external side‑chain input.
Just last month, SSL announced the launch of the Super 9000, a second channel strip, this time based on the SuperAnalogue circuitry introduced in SSL’s later 9000‑series consoles, which offered a cleaner, smoother‑sounding alternative to the more punchy, mid‑forward character of the 4000‑series.
$1999.
£1498.80 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ssl-revival-4000
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ssl-super-9000
solidstatelogic.com/products/revival4000
solidstatelogic.com/products/super-9000
Universal Audio 6176
Universal Audio 6176
Universal Audio’s 6176 combines a preamp derived from Bill Putnam’s 610 modular console with one of the most popular compressors of all time: the 1176LN. The all‑valve preamp section will accept mic, line and instrument‑level sources — two impedance options are provided for the mic and Hi‑Z inputs — and is paired with low‑ and high‑shelf EQ bands that each feature ±9dB of gain and three corner frequency options. The unit’s right‑hand section houses the 1176’s attack, release, input, output and ratio controls, the last of which includes a setting for the infamous ‘all buttons in’ mode. A front‑panel toggle switch provides Join and Split operation modes, with the former placing the preamp and compressor in series and the latter allowing them to be patched in separately via individual rear‑panel connections.
$2999.
£2999 including VAT.