API Channel Strip Plugin Shootout

[@mcpribs]

1. Lindell, 2. Softube, & 3. UAD, for me. Great video. And thank you!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ostrol1590]

Lindell sounds punchy and super open in the high ends... wow!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@stargatewv]

I like all of them. Own characters. UAD is smooth and consistent. Yes flavors.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

got to love flavors

[@agoogleuser7832]

In this case they all sound different but all in the API Ballpark like you said...but in this case the old saying reigns supreme hear..."it's not the gear...It's the ear!" and you got a great big pair of...ears! lol You also just proved that a capable engineer like yourself could be stuck with any one of these and do a great mix. I personally have the waves API bundle the Lindell and the UAD but as for as if Ionly had access to one? UAD! However, I do use all of them I will probably get the Softube after hearing this. I do have the Softube TRIDENT "A". I worked on the first two TRIDENT "A" consoles that came to my town in 1975-76 and this emulation is pretty darn close. And your tracks sound great the way you cut them, which is 90% of the way you get a great mix in my humble opinion. Great sounding stuff! Great video too! Very comprehensive!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for the kind words and for watching!

[@FLAVMEDIA]

Lindell 50 Series for sure

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@vektacular]

I use the Lindell Buss, the TMT channels and go into the UAD....it's a great sound for me...the low end puts

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Great idea!

[@haryygeros7528]

Wow the softube brings a very real api sound, a bit scooped on the lower mids and a bit compressed, just as I remember the api, having worked on a 1608 and a 3124

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@stevenstabile4379]

Just got Softube Console 1 and Fader 1 and the American Class A and I'm loving the whole vibe!!!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

NICE!!!

[@BladesMusic]

Glad to see you address the Softube after I asked about this recently here. I have tried the demo within the Console 1 (which I really like where they have the 4000e, the 9000k, and the British Class A (Neve)), but haven't been sold on the API yet. I'm in the middle watching your video here - maybe this will push me to getting (or not) the API within the Console 1 (which comes with the VST as well).

[@BladesMusic]

Personally liked the Softube the best of the three SOUNDwise, and the lift on the highs on this one seems a bit more than the others. The UAD sounds second to me and seems to have a little more punch on the bottom end than the other two. The Lindell sounds a bit lackluster to me - nothing special that would make me want to buy it - especially as the owner of a Console 1. Looking at the chat from the livestream, it's interesting how many different opinions there are on there. Softube OFTEN hits me with the option for the API at $135, for what it's worth.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@nichttuntun3364]

@@BladesMusichi. I think you do not lose a very important point. I own the softube also and it sounds very good indeed. But, with all PA consoles, the magic happens when the cumulative effect sets in as the different channels have tolerance differences modeled. That blows every other console strip away and will let sound them stiff in comparison. The one thing is you got to use a console plugin on every channel to achieve that. And the CPU hit of the PA channel strip allows that. Plus the API from lindell has so m much more fantastic options as the softube one. It's a no brainer for mixing. I would give it a second chance certainly ;) cheers

[@deanmasi6684]

Another great comparison video Dave! I’m always a fan of the SOUND of the UAD stuff but I totally agree with you (glad that you brought it up) that they are falling behind. I’ve been feeling the same way. It’s getting a bit frustrating. Ever since they have been pushing Luna, I feel that they are not so concerned about their plugins anymore. I’ve been more excited lately about all of the Plugin Alliance stuff. How can you not. They’re doing a great job. Anyway, nice job again. Thanks for the video.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks dean, I agree with you

[@flimtrick]

I disagree. UAD API channel was released many years ago it has nothing to do with Luna and i think it´s one of their weakest channel strips. No other plugins beat UAD SSL channels strip for example. All the latest plugins they have released like Neve 2254, V76 preamp, Capitol Chambers and 175 compressor they are all amazing no other plugins sound that good so i don´t really get your claim that they are not concerned about plugins anymore. . Plugin Alliance plugins are ok but nowhere near the quality of UAD. That being said it´s my opinion, i use them both but have been doing lots of comparing and UAD wins every time.

[@garfieldadamsakaj.stemmons364]

thanks for the video and effort. I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the PA release, but I see value in having as many iterations of any particular desk as you can tolerate (API, Neve, SSL and any of the others). I can use the oversampling and hard clipping on the PA 50 Series and get the API I want where I want it, I can use the UAD strip where I want because I have the DSP to support it. and, one of the strips you don't mention here is Pink from Acustica, which is yet another GREAT API color emulation, but since it can be a heavy . all three can co-exist simultaneously depending on the available resources you have in your rig. what a great time to mix in the box.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

If you watched the broadcast I did mention the PINK and said why it was not included in the shootout.

[@Azfurita]

TRUE, acustica audio plugins are terrible on CUBASE too, audio and interface glitches all the time.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

I never tired Acustica myself.

[@dream.cast.studios]

Thanks David for another great video as usual.... Is it me or out is what it is, the lindell or any other channel strip labels from P.A don't work on studio one

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

I have all the PA channel strips and they work fine for me in Studio One

[@dream.cast.studios]

@@HomeRecordingMadeEasy they all work fine. I'm asking as regards the renaming the actuall strips not s1 mixer.. I hope I'm making sense.. Thanks for ur response

[@gennadygrinkomusic]

Thanks for video,! It's amazing! I find that UAD have more natural low ends, clear mid,and not so much crispy Hi,as in American and in Lindell.👍

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@hugolosker]

you have to use 50b eq to match the other plugins

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

ok, thanks

[@eviloutionise]

How are you recording without getting feedback. I use a SE condenser and get major feedback when trying to record video without headphones.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

you need to use headphones

[@benconcepcion4647]

To my ears, the Lindell sounds more mid range focussed and a punchier low end. The softube sounds more balanced in the low and high end, and the UAD sounds like it has more presence. They all sound good, however.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks Ben!

[@mavicsofficial]

I completely agree with you regarding Acustica plugins. I don't like them either.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@villealajuuma1476]

The difference with Universal Audio to other companies is that they are re-creating the exact hardware and their attention is to stay true to the original design. I agree with resize plugins is a great feature, they have already started to make updates to their older plugins for adding features like sidechain filter and mix knob which didn´t exist in the older versions. In the end what matters is the sound, not the GUI. At least for me. I don´t personally need all the possible options in one plugin, it´s just too much options it´s easier if you have a plugin that does one thing. I find it easier. Also if you put every possible option into one plugin, it means more compromises especially for Brainworx as they are trying to keep their plugins as CPU light as possible. So i much rather to have a one plugin modelled really well and with detail than have everything in the same plugin. I think Brainworx could have easily model just the channel strip and release the 2500 compressor and 560 eq separately so we could get better modelling.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

I agree. I just would like the GUI to be re-sizable. The sound in the end is what matters and everyone's opinion will be slightly different and that fine :)

[@rapiddeejay7313]

Got the UAd one for £16 yesterday 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

WOW! Great deal!

[@ZachMeissner]

How did you do that?!

[@anthemmakersmusic]

I liked the one in the middle not sure if it was brainworks.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@anthemmakersmusic]

Really these things are so close you can get that sound with any of them. But the middle reduced the harshness

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@cripesalmighty4744]

Love the brainworx GUI

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

I do as well! Thanks for watching!

[@supamixe]

Here for the first time

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Welcome!

[@nathanielcade947]

Thanks for the comparisons. Prefer the Lindell API version overall. Liked it better without the 50Hz bump which I would leave for the mix bus if needed. While testing the Softube American Console, I found that adjusting the drive controls to just past center/zero, seemed to put the plugin into "analog" mode.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks for watching!

[@SkyAvila777]

Well, it happened with UAD: They did something different and let people use, today, about 20 plug-ins natively. No hardware required wich is great.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Yes, finally!

[@cirrusboy77]

Lindell hands down. i also have Slate VCC and UAD Vision. Vision esp has no mojo to me.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks!

[@tylerkriznar1604]

Is anyone else having trouble with Acustica aqua plugins in studio one? I have the free ones and N4 and besides the cpu usage, I’m not having any issues. Looking to get a good channel strip and acustica has quite a few

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

I never liked their pluigns

[@Camille-nf9bl]

Acustica is a mess, not only cpu, the compressors and channel strips are bad, there are way better plugins. The only plugin that that was kinda interesting was Ebony's reverb, I ve been demoing all, their worst are Crimson and Taupe. I bought Amethyst and, I liked theceq, but sold it again. You get AA almost for free on knobcloud, AA has no big value, you almost get it for free now. I paid 25 for Amethyst