MH Channel Strip in DP?

Brian Middleton · Post by **Brian Middleton** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:54 pm

Back in the DP2.7-OS9 days, I used Metric Halo's Channel Strip a lot. My anemic Mac (back then, a G4 450, I think) could only run a handful of instances, but I remember the EQ as being absolutely stellar--precise, yet musical. The gate was nice too. I didn't love the compressor as much--it seemed a little hard to manage.

Anyway, when I moved on to OSX I never did upgrade CS. Now that I'm about to buy a Mac Pro, and may or may not be replacing my UAD cards, I'm checking out native plugs, and wondering what the verdict is on CS these days. Is it still considered a high-end plug in the current market, or has it been superseded by Waves, URS, Sonalksis etc? If you're using it in DP, how do you like it, and what do you use it for? Any compatibility issues (delay compensation, for instance)?

Thanks.....

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:04 pm

I recall MH-CS being terrific and liking it a little better than the UAD-1 Channel Strip. Both are very similar but the MH version is easier to manage graphically and for me it was faster to get the sound I wanted.

The one thing that kept me from buying the full version was that the UAD-1 card with a collection of plugins were selling for the same price (or so) at the same time, being in the mid $300's. (Those were the good old days!)

MH Channel Strip still holds its own quite handsomely, imho.

ramadev · Post by **ramadev** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:38 pm

We use MH ChannelStrip daily here; it's a great tool.

The OSX version is very similar to the OS9 version, both in function and sound. The layout is the same in both versions if I recall correctly.

I like how quickly I can draw EQ curves, then fiddle with the dials to get things precise.

The compressor is pretty good, but it does take some tweaking. The gate works well too.

I haven't noticed any issues with latency or compatibility.

Dave Bourke · Post by **Dave Bourke** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:14 pm

I use it, too. Very nice indeed. MH didn't make a MAS version for Intel Macs ••“ AU only. So working with older projects can be problematic in that your MAS settings/presets revert to defaults in the AU version.

Other than that little niggle, I wouldn't be without it.

EDIT: Best channelstrip I've found is the UAD-1 Neve 88RS. Pure magic.

Kind regards.

pounce · Post by **pounce** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:12 pm

it still ends up on most of my mixes fwiw.

robinsky · Post by **robinsky** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:49 am

checking on a few other channelstrips - such as nomad factory and others - i ended up, buying MH-channelstrip, also becaue i used this plugin many many times in the old 9-days. i think the feeling of the gui and how it sounds, is really working well together.

rumorcontrol · Post by **rumorcontrol** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 6:03 am

I use it almost everyday.....works great in DP....always has....RC

Brian Middleton · Post by **Brian Middleton** » Fri May 09, 2008 7:29 pm

So, I did the upgrade, and boy am I glad I did. I still don't love the compressor, but I'd forgotten how wonderful the EQ is. You can get such a brilliant yet light and silky sound with the high shelf, and the midrange is very accurate and easy to work with. More flexible and less colored than the UAD Neve and Pultec, but more musical than the MOTU MW EQ. It'll be great for individual drum tracks, acoustic guitar, background vocals, etc. It was a no-brainer to get this plug back in my arsenal for the upgrade cost.