DAW w/best Channel Strip?

[tommyzai]

Besides Harrison Mixbus, which DAW has the best built-in channel strip that is usable and visible in the mixer section . . . not hidden away in some menu?

[WasteLand]

cubase
reason

(to mention two...)

[cryophonik]

When I was a Sonar user, I loved the Pro Channel. I haven't used it since Bandlab re-released it (I'm now on Mac w/Logic, Studio One, and Live), but it's still the best channel strip I've ever used and I can only assume that it's been improved.

[tommyzai]

I just looked into Sonar and a link took me to a page announcing that they are out of biz.

[chk071]

I just looked into Sonar and a link took me to a page announcing that they are out of biz.

That's just the old site (even though it should show something else now). They ARE still in the business.

Read up a bit on it. There's Cakewalk by Bandlab, which is a free DAW, but, they just released the last version there will be. It will still work for a whikle, but, you might not be able to authorize it anymore at some point. And, there are the new offerings, which are shown on the website you visited (try F5 in your browser to reload the page, I guess you still have an old version in the cache, or on your ISP's DNS). Both Cakewalk Next and Sonar (both paid DAWs) should be available soon.

[tommyzai]

I'm on a Mac . . . I'm not sure Sonar or Cakewalk by Bandlab have a working version w/o running Windows on Mac via Crossover, etc.

[chk071]

Ah...

Well, I think Next will be cross platform, but, it's supposed to be a rather slimmed down DAW.

[imrae]

Reason's mixer channels are great. Looks rather SSL-inspired.

[jamcat]

duplicate

[jamcat]

duplicate

[jamcat]

[jamcat]

UAD LUNA (Mac only, currently)





Other than Mixbus, UAD LUNA is the only DAW that is going to have hardware circuit modeling built into the channel strips.

And it is questionable whether Mixbus really has real modeling at all.
Here is the insufferable Dan Worrall on that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9eySYxwDXI
Dan starts off this (rather long) video talking about things we have discussed: tracking console strips vs mixing console strips, and their different roles and plugin designs. So it may be useful to you in more ways than one, if you can suffer through it.


Studio One has proprietary Mix FX plugins available for purchase which model analogue summing between channels, including crosstalk. They've modeled SSL 4000, 9000, and VHD+, Neve 80 series, API, EMI REDD, and a Tascam PortaPottyStudio. But for individual channel strips, you're still going to need to use plugins in Studio One.

[tommyzai]

Did LUNA finally develop a Mac version that does not require UAD Interface?

[kritikon]

Depends what you mean by "best". Most DAWs have all the stuff on channel strips, some admittedly more accessible than others. Best might mean cleanest - transparent and digital. It might mean dirtiest - coloured and analogue modeled. If you want dirty then probably none of the DAWs, and you might need to buy 3rd party. For me a channel strip includes Eq, comp & gate and technically the FX & inserts but many include other FX. E.g. Cubase offers limiter, saturation, tape etc (none of which are typically on mixing desks unless you spend a fortune). Personally, I want my channels clean by default. If I want to grunge them up I use 3rd party plugins. Dunno why anyone would want default dirty DAW channels?

[tommyzai]

I wish there were more DAWs that had the channel strip baked it . . . clean by default, but when engaged you have all the controls right there like an old-school console. Opening and launching and loading, etc. slows things down. Yet, some of the 3rd party strips are so nice. I wish there was a way to have them built-in as NEEDed (couldn't resist).