CStrip2
TL;DW: CStrip2 refines and optimizes CStrip, by request!
It’s been a while since we’ve seen an Airwindows channel strip! Here’s why CStrip2 is here.
First, I was asked to do it. Specifically, I was asked to take the delay-trim and gate out of CStrip, and also to replace the highpass and lowpass with Capacitor, and keep the compressor exactly as it is, and also could I put a saturation effect on the end? That sort of thing doesn’t always click with me, but hang on a moment, there’s more.
Second, we’ve got an Airwindows port to VCV Rack (which might expand to a CLAP, or more, along the same lines) but it’s limited to ten controls. There are only two Airwindows plugins with more than ten controls. One is Pafnuty (which would be well suited to Rack or Rack-like environments). The other… is CStrip.
Or WAS, because CStrip2 is here!
There are also related things. It seems to me the EQ technique I use might fit in future versions of Console that include built-in EQ, and model famous recording desks, especially old ones. That’s not to say the CStrip EQ is designed to do that, because it’s not: but it covers some interesting bases, like saturating boosts to bring them forward and unsaturating cuts to drop them back, and the relatively shallow slopes lend themselves to fixed-frequency built in EQ bands. There are classic desk topologies where the channels and busses have idiosyncratic choices for the EQ bands, and to model that would tend to bring outputs into the realms of classic albums done on those desks. I’ve got more Console summing algorithms in the works to support this exploration.
Oh, and that output saturation goes like this: 0 to 1/3 is dry signal, 1/3 to 2/3 crossfades into Spiral like it is on the plugin Channel (versions 7, 8 and 9 have this) and 2/3 to 1 crossfades into the Density algorithm for maximum fatness and drive. This is probably going to be fun for people to play with, or leave it below 1/3 if you want clean output.
That’s CStrip2! I hope you like it :)
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.
VCV Rack module
Hey Chris! ¿Did you know someone tweaked your VariMu and additionally created a GUI for it? Here’s the GitHub link. https://github.com/Kiriki-liszt/MeowMu_Compressor_VST3
cstrip2 came out just in time for me to start using it on an album I’ve been writing, this plugin is mega useful. It’s like my perfect wishlist combo of airwindows on-every-channel plugins. Love the EQ, it sounds great and I am looking forward to seeing something like this built into a Console!
Chris, thank you so much for all your wonderful free plugins. I wish you well.
Está disponible en aax para Pro Tools??
y activar opción de sidechain externo. Gracias
Hi Chris,
You are an amazing soul and I am forever grateful for your knowledge and plugins.
I love the output knob on cstrip2, but find myself reaching for cstrip1’s dynamic section(when i type dynamic in studio one all my dynamics plugins show up and its 2 minutes of scrolling to get to airwindows dynamic plugin), had an idea where we could have a dynamics knob in cstrip2 it could be a compressor+expander(with a button to swap expander for gate).
Also had an idea if the EQ section a parallel EQ to the actual signal(also driving into the output knob’s saturation) . I believe this could extend the uses and possibilities of the eq section, one could really boost top end and not have it overpower the main source material.
One last idea, I figure you might be thinking in this line already but here goes,
how about we add the console 8 lite channel to the output of cstrip2 and channel9 as an input(like a pre) , for me this would be 2 less plugins to load and alot less cpu usage, for a while now my channel setup has been channel9 -cstrip2/1 – console8litechannel.
with this tweaks building on its awesomeness, I believe would be a very formidable channel strip and really integrate and create some really fast and interesting workflow on the airwindows ecosystem.
Chris, I know this is an ask but, Could we make cstrip’s’ EQ’s Autogain’ed or maybe have an auto gain button, actually would love to see auto gain on most airwindows plugins, except the ones whose actually purpose is gain, it would really be nice, we can hear the effects as same level and can just decide if we want more or less without having to fiddle with output gain as we tweak knobs.
…..still on cstrip’s eq, You could make each band knob bypass-able(by clicking on the knob, so no need for extra buttons), we could also integrate isolator or any better filter algorithm to run when a band is bypassed.
Also Could we add more algorithms to the output knob and be able to select them by just clicking the output knob, eg, we could have purest gain, purest drive, bass drive,tape,spiral, mojo, density all on the output knob
Imagine all this functionality and adding channel8channellite funcionality.
to me that would be my core mixing console,
Came across airwindows when i needed to fix some mix issues no one could fix, and I’ve learnt a lot by just listening to Chris and I salut his hard work, I wish he would just build a daw, but until then, these little pieces of magic he creates will remain phenomenal.
Chris whenever you Have the time, I would like to share some ideas and visions i’ve had for airwindows. if you got an email or need mine i would gladly oblige.
Have a blessed day.