Console 8
TL;DW: Console8 moves to a channel/submix/buss topology and adds analog simulation.
Yep. Told you I had stuff in the works! ;)
These are subtle things, not meant to be wildly wildly more colored and different from regular digital mix buss. It’s not like an amp sim. BUT, all the same, if you start to seriously listen to the texture and depth and how stuff communicates through Console8 relative to even Console7 much less a straight DAW mix, Console8 pretty much obliterates the rest. I made it because I needed it. I’m going to be using it, lots, and you can use it too: my plugins and digital things are free, Patreon-supported. These are tough times but that’s still working and has become all the more important to commit to.
But what makes Console8 that much better?
Ultrasonic filtering at 24k, distributed among more stages than ever before in a Console version, for extended highs (and it switches off at lower sample rates when it wouldn’t be helping, for lower CPU and more direct sound)
Distributed highpass filtering emulating real analog gear. This is a new filter that doesn’t exist anywhere else and is only part of Console8. It’s more a texture/attitude filter than a sound-shaping filter, and is quite low but its effect is strongly felt.
Distributed, gradiated treble softening across the whole mix topology. The idea is that your inputs are clean and low level, and as we go deeper into the console the levels rise as does the energy level, until the final mix buss is very powerful and pushing any electronics, transformers etc. quite hard. This gives Console8 the ability to do airy subtle sparkle and big roaring powerful energy all at the same time. It should just naturally happen through appropriate mixing. Think big, grand scale.
A new mix topology with much simpler rules for how to set it up, using six dedicated plugins in six places.
ChannelIn, SubIn, and BussIn go FIRST on your channels, submixes, and master buss.
ChannelOut, SubOut, and BussOut go LAST on your channels, submixes, and master buss.
All channels must go to a Submix with unity gain between the Out plugins and the In plugin on the submix.
All submixes must go to the Master Buss with unity gain between the Out plugins and the In plugin on the master buss.
The output of the BussOut goes directly to your converter, your file etc. and you’re done :)
I realize this is a lot to take in but in practice it should all just work and fall into place very naturally. The Out plugins all have faders, which are good to assign to midi controllers so you can adjust them with physical controls and not the mouse. I have mine working with a TX-6 :) They’re designed so that 0.5 is unity: less than that fades down to zero, and more than that gives you about 12dB of boost in each stage. That’s also true for the master buss, except it also drives into the ClipOnly2 so it gets a punchier ‘slam’ than the channels and submixes get if you push those.
It’s not really intended for ‘everything is louder than everything else’ overloudenated nonsense but will probably do that better than anything else you can have, especially if you’re trying to get a grand scale on things and not just ear-maiming grit :)
Again, ‘In’ goes first. ‘Out’ goes last. All Channels go to a Sub, all Subs go to the Buss, and you’re done. Easy to explain :)
I may or may not get back to my regular posting and/or streaming routine but I’m inspired and have more great stuff coming so it should be good. More on that when it actually comes out: you know I’m full of surprises. Please do join the Patreon if you’re sure that you can, we gotta stick together and I’ll pull my weight. Console8 should still count as ‘one plugin’ unless you really feel you should support it as if it were worth six :)
download StarterKit.zip for just the basics
download 64 Bit Windows VSTs.zip
download Signed M1/Intel Mac AUs.dmg
download Signed M1/Intel Mac VSTs.dmg
download LinuxVSTs.zip
download LinuxARMVSTs.zip for the Pi
download Retro 32 Bit Windows VSTs.zip
download Retro PPC/32/64 Mac AUs.zip
download Retro PPC/32/64 Mac VSTs.zip
Mediafire Backup of all downloads
All this is free and open source under the MIT license, brought to you by my Patreon.
The original version, which didn’t apply the ultrasonic filtering on VSTs, is at Console8original.zip(4M)
Do you have any intent to release that Juce metering plugin you’ve been using, both here and in the evergreens?
Seems like a great little tool. Thanks, Chris!
Wow thanks man! Seems awesome
Hey Chris! I wonder how this plugin does it routin: which channel out goes to which channel submix? Is there a way to control that?
Thanks for the awesome work. It sounds nice!
I was just about to give up on certain projects, and you come up with this, it saved my sanity as i was at my wits end trying to solve a seemingly unsovable problem. The leveling, the depth of field with added coherence, and general glueing is exactly what i needed. Thanks for everything.
What if I’m running a mastering plugin(s) after the BussOut? Should I just use BussIn in that case? Or should I wait for a “purest” version of the BussOut?
Is there any reason that BussIn distorts with sibilance even when putting BussOut at the end of the chain? What would i be setting up incorrectly? Is there a way to control the amount of distortion?
whats the recommended position of Busscolors in the chain?
thanks for the righteous actions for Creation, Chris!
I’m using Cubase Pro 12, when i insert the Console8 ChannelIn on each track as the first insert,
the sound comes from the left side only.
Is it designed as mono only?
CHRIS…Console 8 has totally flipped my mix setup…Console 8 puts more guts and girth in my sound…you killed on this concept…THANKS MAN
Can’t wait to try it! I liked you previous consoles, particularly the latest ones, they sound really good. Does this have a randmizer element for the processing of separate channels, for summing?
I’m not sure I understand, the in/Out/Sub concept, though.
Thanks!
Hi Chris,
I’m as little confused about the implementation/usage of the In/Out versions of each plug-in.
For example, on a given channel, is the idea to place ChannelIn before any processing, i.e. equalisation, compression, etc., and ChannelOut after such processing? If so, what’s the gain?
If I’ve processed the channel audio for the mix, it’s because I’m unhappy with the audio as tracked, thus I’m having trouble understanding the benefit of the ChannelIn plug-in in this scenario, as surely the only difference between the In and Out is the processing I’ve decided to apply to the track?
Love your work!
Regards,
njc
Hi Chris,
I have a question regarding Console8. I know that channels feed subs and subs feed busses but what about situations where a channel feeds a multiple subs that come together in their own sub on their way to the master bus?
For example, let’s say that a snare top and bottom mics (ConsoleChannel8) run to a parallel compressor (ConsoleSub8) on their way back to a single output fader (ConsoleSub8?) which then feeds a master drum fader (ConsoleSub8 again?) on the way to the main output (ConsoleBus8).
Should it be configured in this manner (ConsoleSub feeding ConsoleSub)?
Thanks,
Jerry
Nice!
This pretty much obliterates the rest..
I used to do Console7Crunch into Console7Bus per track just to get a nice crunch going, but this is way more subtle.
I do have to change my routing though… (FX Sends have to go to the Master bus now instead of the stems) but sure I’ll figure something out.. the gain from this is worth rethinking the routing of my template..
Any plans on releasing the dither of this on it’s own?
yes
Hi Chris.
I appreciate what Console 8 is doing in my mixes…, and I do like it!
I have just 2 questions:
1. what should we do when there are “intermediate” submixes? i.e., I have 2 snare mics tracks feeding a snare group track, feeding a drums “clean” group track with sends to parallel compression and reverb, finally all these going to a drums bus. how should I place my Console 8 inserts?
2. the only thing I dislike is the unity gain thing between channel out-sub in/sub out-buss in. is it ok if I just place the out inserts post fader? this way the fader will be part of the processing meant to be between the ins and outs?
Hey Chris,
I am currently setting up a template to incorporate the Console8 plugins. I have read as much as I can find about the following questions, but I think I could use a bit more info, if possible?… You have posted on your website that you prefer to be asked about your products in open forums, so I will try here…;-) If there is another place you would prefer to have me ask these questions, please let me know and I will do so. Thank you for your time and help.
1) I understand that DAW faders between OUT and IN plugins must remain at unity. I believe we are to use the fader of the OUT plugin for any level changes needed, correct? Is this the same as using Purest Gain before the OUT plugin, if we do not use the fader of the OUT plugin? Can I just use the fader of the OUT plugin and not have to add a Purest Gain?
2) I am confused about panning: I have read that panning can upset the unity balance needed between OUT and IN plugins… If so, how do we go about this in the Console8 system? I have come up with two possible answers, maybe one is correct/the best method?:
Use the pan on the existing DAW channel, but be careful to keep the last plugin in the chain on that channel as the OUT?
Use a utility plugin to pan (sandwiched between the IN and OUT plugin) on the existing DAW channel, and leave the DAW pan at centre?
Route the output of the channel, say VOX, to a separate channel: i.e.: set the pan position on the sending DAW channel, but keep the receiving channel Pan at centre?
3) When setting up an AUX for reverb, do we use the channel IN/OUT, or group IN/OUT on the reverb channel…? Seems like it is a sub, so should be a group channel?…
4) When using a u-he soft synth, I believe the IN plugin should follow just after the synth plugin (which is at the top of the plugin list, since it is the sound generator? We use an OUT plugin at the end of that chain, yes?
5) Dealing with Send/Ret routing; If I have channel 1 (VOX) with the IN plugin at the top of this channel, and I send to channel 2 (for parallel comp/saturation to blend in with channel 1’s dry signal), do I need to place a second IN plugin at the top of the second channel? Or, because it already has the IN processing from the first channel, I only need to place an OUT plugin on both channels to complete the IN/OUT sandwich? And, if I am routing the second channel back into the first channel, maybe I only use the OUT plugin on the first channel and do not use/need one on the second channel to complete the processing loop?
I realise this is a lot, but I have spent 3 days obsessing over this and it is driving me crazy! Thank you, Chris, for your patience and help, I really appreciate it.
~Shea
PS: I primarily use DP 11 and Live 11, in case that is relevant.
@Shea Comfort
I can’t really answer your questions but looking at Console8 source, I see floats used for in1, in2, out1, out2, double precision ints for inputSampleL, inputSampleR.
From this, I don’t expect significant loss of signal to noise from running your ins conservatively low, if clipping is your concern.
This sounds great on my mixes. Thank you so much Chris, and keep up the good work!
love the way how this sounds but must say I still use Console7 because I’m unsure about how to handle this version if I want to send my whole subgroup to a reverb, etc..