Softube Console 1

[James Steele]

I noticed this is now $499. Any opinions? Is anyone out there using this with DP?

[kwiz]

James,

I've been using Console 1 for almost 3 years. At first the integration with DP was spotty at best. You had to manually name all your tracks in C1 which could be tedious in large sessions. Re-arranging tracks was a nightmare... With that said, the SSL emulation sounds great!
I cut my teeth as a producer/engineer on a SSL 4k back in the 80's and always wanted to own one because of the sound of it.
My search for the "4K" sounding plugin started with Waves, then SSL Nuendo, and UAD. Once I got C1, I stopped searching. The fact that you have a tactile controller is just icing on the cake. You can add second and third order harmonics, add mild distortion with drive, alter transients, hi and lo pass filtering, change the order of how your signal is processed, side chaining, etc..
For the past 2 years I've been working with Softube, and MOTU to help improve the integration and I'm happy to say, they've been listening!!

Softube has been updating the software consistently and now, you can control certain selected UAD and Softube plugins with the controller!!

Just get it, you won't be disappointed.
BTW, you can see it in my avatar pic.

[James Steele]

Thanks for taking the time to share your insights, Kwiz! Very helpful!

[mhschmieder]

Yes, thank you for being the first person to give feedback on this interesting product; especially as it pertains to DP usage. I didn't notice the price had dropped; just that there's a new version. It looks more compelling of a sudden.

[James Steele]

Yeah... at $499 seems pretty cool. Not sure I would use compression on every track necessarily, but interested in the coloration effects. Also interested in how track folders affect the ability to pull up tracks using the hardware interface? Seems like it might be time to dump my LiquidMix/32Lives combo in favor of this.

[kwiz]

Yes, thank you for being the first person to give feedback on this interesting product; especially as it pertains to DP usage. I didn't notice the price had dropped; just that there's a new version. It looks more compelling of a sudden.

Thanks for taking the time to share your insights, Kwiz! Very helpful!

No problem, my pleasure.

As far as Liquid Mix/32 Lives goes, I hear you. I was in the same boat a few years ago. I totally forgot about that even though the Focusrite controller is on top of a rack in my studio.
I do miss the flexibility that it offered, eq/comp emulation wise. I wish Focusrite would've further developed it because they were really on to something.

[HCMarkus]

Yes Kwiz, thanks for the input on Console 1.

Reviewing the Softube website, DP is conspicuous by its absence:

These DAWs support syncronized track selection, solo/mute, DAW send, pan and volume:

Presonus Studio One 3.3
Sonar (latest version)

These DAWs support automatic transfer of the DAW's track name and number to Console 1:

Presonus Studio One 2.6
Sonar
Cubase 8.0.5
Nuendo 6.5
Logic Pro 10.2

Ableton Live 8.4.1 (AU only, requires that all track names begin with a "# ", note the blank space)
These DAWs support automatic transfer of the DAW's track name (but not number) to Console 1:

Pro Tools 11.2.1

Can you fill us in on the functionality MOTU has established?

[kwiz]

Yes Kwiz, thanks for the input on Console 1.

Reviewing the Softube website, DP is conspicuous by its absence:

These DAWs support syncronized track selection, solo/mute, DAW send, pan and volume:

Presonus Studio One 3.3
Sonar (latest version)

These DAWs support automatic transfer of the DAW's track name and number to Console 1:

Presonus Studio One 2.6
Sonar



Cubase 8.0.5
Nuendo 6.5
Logic Pro 10.2



Ableton Live 8.4.1 (AU only, requires that all track names begin with a "# ", note the blank space)
These DAWs support automatic transfer of the DAW's track name (but not number) to Console 1:

Pro Tools 11.2.1

Can you fill us in on the functionality MOTU has established?

Look out for the next update for Console 1.
It most likely will include a DP friendly release.
Once it's released, I'll let you guys know!

[David Polich]

Softtube Console 1 owners who also use UAD
have been saying over on Gearslutz that UAD's
new SSL E Channel (released a couple of weeks
ago) sounds better than Console 1's SSL.

Worth considering...

[HCMarkus]

Look out for the next update for Console 1.
It most likely will include a DP friendly release.
Once it's released, I'll let you guys know!

Thank you sir!

[kwiz]

Softtube Console 1 owners who also use UAD
have been saying over on Gearslutz that UAD's
new SSL E Channel (released a couple of weeks
ago) sounds better than Console 1's SSL.

Worth considering...

That's interesting. I think I'll demo it tomorrow and see what I find. Every UAD emulation that they've re-done, seems to be a fairly good improvement on the original; the Fairchild 670/660, and the LA 2A are 2 of my favorites. With that said, they're also more processor intensive. The fact that the two companies are obviously partners in this game makes me curious about the latest SSL 4K offering from UA.
I like what I hear from the Softube version, and I can't say enough about being able to now control select UAD, and Softube EQ's and Compressors. This is a game changer IMHO, and it's only getting better!

[kwiz]

Just compared UA's latest SSL 4K channel strip to Console 1.
UA's version seems a tad bit more tighter (punchier) in the low end but only by a couple of hairs. (brown eq) The black eq gave me some of the weight back.
With that said, C1 allowed me to hear more of the tone of the low end.
I tried to match the settings as close as I could but unfortunately the UA version doesn't allow you to see exact frequency and db settings like the Waves and Duende versions do.

I do like the smoothness of the new UAD eq's in the the upper mid range! It's not mind blowing, but it is pretty. With C1, depending on the material, I sometimes add the Maag eq to the channel to give what I need. (Plugin Alliance version) Lastly I tested the original version of the UAD SSL 4K and this time compared it to the new version of the 4K and the improvement is absolutely noticeable. More punch, smoother eq and the comp seems a bit more responsive. Oh btw, the Console 1 comp is just as good as the new UAD 4k comp.

Lastly, I loaded a session with 24 tracks of the original UA 4K and it ate up 57% of my DSP on a Apollo 16 Quad core. I then removed them and after 5 instances of the new UA 4K, 64% of my DSP was used.
I have sessions with 45 + tracks mono and stereo, and the hit on DP's processing meter is minimal. Those guys over at Softube really know how to code and it's no wonder that UA partners with them.

With that said, with the ability to have a tactile controller, the flexibility to swap out eq's and comps from Softube, and UAD, and control them, plus the built in transient function, the drive and character function and lastly the overall sound of the SSL 4K of Console 1 makes it a clear winner. Oh yeah, the SSL 9000K emulation is a beast as well, and you can mix and match eq's and comps with the 4K!
You can also have lets say the 9000K for all your drum channels, and everything else could be 4K.
There's also a British Class A channel for C1, and a Summit Audio Grand Channel as well.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing UA and their new SSL4k. I use UA plugins on all my sessions, mostly on my aux busses, and even recording vocals. (The Manley VOX BOX is dope)
In this particular case, the improved SSL4k version isn't so good that it would sway me to use it, and the DSP hit would make it a deal breaker if I really wanted a full session of 4k's.

[James Steele]

Has MOTU integrated with Console 1 to the point that the volume and pan on the Console 1 can control the faders/pan on the actual DP mixer?

[wylie1]

I just wanted to jump in.
This I'm interested in.

[kwiz]

Has MOTU integrated with Console 1 to the point that the volume and pan on the Console 1 can control the faders/pan on the actual DP mixer?

Not yet, only Studio One, and Sonar so far.