Console 1 is designed to sonically emulate the legendary Solid State Logic SL 4000 E console – probably the most used high-end mixing desk in the history of music recording. The emulation was developed in close collaboration with SSL, and is included with the purchase of Console 1. There are also over 60 Console 1-ready plugins available from Softube and Universal Audio, so you can mix and match virtual units from Chandler Limited, Fairchild, Teletronix, Tube-Tech, Abbey Road Studios and many others, which are all pre-mapped and ready to go. It works with any major DAW on the market, but currently PreSonus Studio One and Cakewalk SONAR have additional integration for hardware control of functions like track selection, volume, send levels, pan and solo/mute.
The surface is divided into sections: the input section has an input gain control with high and low cut knobs, the shape section has noise gate features, the equaliser has a comprehensive four-band parametric EQ with cut/bell/shelf and Q controls, the compressor has attack, release, threshold, ratio and parallel dry/wet controls, and there are drive and character knobs and a pan control alongside the master volume. You’ll also find a strip of select track buttons along the top and other handy buttons, including one that selects the order of effects for each track and one that governs the path of the signal to an external sidechain.
What this all essentially means is that Console 1 gives you the same ‘instant gratification’ level of control that you get from reaching for an amp knob or a physical mixer control, and you don’t have to keep remembering which knob you’ve mapped to do what function when you switch tracks. It’s incredibly elegant and stupid proof, and a valuable addition to any home studio.
