Airwindows Channel9: Mac/Windows/Linux AU/VST

If you're an Airwindows Channel fan, this release is kind of a big deal :)

Channel9 retains everything it had—the two-stage drive control, the newly improved highpass, the slew clipping—the same calibrated Airwindows algorithms to not clone, but give you the general sense of various fancy name brand consoles in a cleaner, less 'emulated' way which lets the music through…

But now, Channel9 has the same ultrasonic aliasing-filtering that's come to Console and other recent Airwindows plugins. In a new way! Because Channel9 isn't just sticking to '20k' as its definition of supersonic. Instead, Channel9 steepens its filter with a teeny resonant peak at this cutoff point… and then selects it in keeping with what the real console would be doing, if you had it! The Neve is the most extended, well beyond 20k. The SSL cuts off tighter, gives more audible sparkle (due to the additional gain stages in a really huge SSL desk, the cutoff will be steeper over the entire desk). API is between the two. The lift at the peak comes before the saturation stage, for better smoothness when the console is being driven.

And then I went and added two MUCH more affordable 'models', with their own usefulness.

The new settings are 'Teac' and 'Mackie'. That's right, old school house/techno classic basement mixers! The Teac, I was able to reference recordings of a real unit. I didn't get it perfect as the real board had a noticeable high-mids peak that doesn't belong in Channel, but it's the correct kind of dark and vibey. And the Mackie's my take on what you get out of the classic vintage 1202: A hair leaner than the Teac, but brighter. They both grind a bit harder than any of the big expensive desks, they both have slightly more exaggerated reshaping of the deep bass (using the Capacitor2 algorithm, like the others), they both control the brightest highs much like you'd get in a classic old low end mixer. It's two new settings that follow entirely different rules than the big guns, for folks who know how to use an actual mixer much like metal guitarists use a Tube Screamer.

[tonal.states]

Thank you for all this, the last part you touched on the synth proyect really made me almost tear up on how your willingly showing and giving people all the means to explore and sound better when many maybe can't because *life*, this is the typical "Faith in humanity restored" cooment to these kind of acts but man, you're awesome. I'm just finding about you and your work but I feel I'll definitely try everything out hahah and support of course.

Btw, played your game and it's really fun and wholesome in a weird retro way definitely will play it more and shared it with my trippy friends.

Thanks again, greetings from Mexico.

[lifescansdarkly]

SSL at 150% gain is amazing. I strapped it across all my tracks and it made the mix so much bigger; more life, punch, and drive without adding any unwanted effects (crunch, fizz, breakup, etc.).

[TheOniProducciones]

That little part of my life… is happiness

[Kolfonik]

Hey Chris. new fan of your stuff here. And hey, you got 2000 dollars a month now! congratulations, you're worth it.

[senseiprod]

i simply love the two new modes that do 'tame' the drum bus, and make drums punchy so much, yet remove harshness!! Thank you Chris!

[VeziCaEu]

love this... and helps me with eartraining as do all your plugins

[KOSMIKFEADRECORDS]

Surge is a gem beast and I when I fou d the AW effects in it I was thrilled. My favorites aren't all there.. But OMG ive made plenty sounds for it! I can sing it's praises for days

[juliana.]

your plugins sound so good. if i only knew earlier about your stuff, i could've give you all the money that i spent on those fancy companies 😅 keep going chris, you're very inspiring. btw did you think about making a discord server?

[mantax]

Figured our stuff out last year when trying to find reverbs that sounded like the Midiverb. This is a lovely surprise and greatly appreciated. I have an original first generation MS1202 for French House production/mixing style purposes and have been trying to get that tone ITB. This definitely nails it and adds richness and some fat to the mix. Love to see your passion for what you do and the open source community. Getting paid soon—can't wait to support soon :)

[diogoclemente]

Amazing!!! I'm inspired. It's the firt time I see a video of you. And wooow, what an amazing perspective on "how to do" and "why to do". Greetings from France

[krass]

my god it has lower-end-desks (Mackie/Teac), I hope we can get some ugly distortion out of these! thank you so much Chris!

[dirkchurlish]

dope, and exciting re surge! thank you

[emmaessex]

and many blessings for continuing to compile 32 bit

[dayzrustream]

Thanks for your plugins! You have helped me to find most suitable effects to design the best 808 that I've ever made.
The times when I used to implement external .wav 808 bass is over. From now on I'm going to use Vital synth with a bunch of effects on it to create the most flexible and pure low-end solutions. Thanks!
Did find airwindows plugins just couple days ago, but already love some of them (there are too many to try out at once).

[BiniMeistert]

You are a treasure! Thank you so mch for this!

[johnnyraphaell]

Wow its really a cool Idea. What is missing in all vst brands are fuzz and muff style distortions. To try it out with synths would be cool.

[sojerz]

Love your work! Any chance you could add a Trident A Range style to a future Channel ;)

[bleach]

Analog desks have one cool side-effect: crosstalk. Bleed between right and left channels. Makes mix more cohesive (u-he Satin and SoftubeTape have this feature). How about to include crosstalk in to Cannel plugin?

[DrGlu]

Just download and try Channel 9 today, everything seem fine when I use the NEVE for about 10 tracks, but when switch into SSL or Mackie, they rape my CPU like crazy. Can’t play audio smoothly even with only 1 channel 9. Does anyone relate? I’m using Mac M1 with latest MACOS

[glugblub]

thanks Chris now i have to swap 40 channel plugs on the current projects