Century Tube Channel Strip™
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Capture "first take" magic with easy-to-use preamp, EQ, and compression.
With a vintage-inspired tube mic preamp, transparent dynamics control, and intuitively voiced EQ, the Century Tube Preamp plug‑in lets you stay in the creative zone while you record and mix, helping you capture inspiration with stunning results.
Included Versions
UAD Native
Runs on your Mac or PC without UA hardware.
Apollo Realtime & UAD‑2
Runs accelerated on Apollo interfaces and UAD‑2 hardware.UAD Native plug-ins run on both macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and Windows 10 and 11. Go to our UA Support page for system requirements.
- Enhance and simplify your recording workflow with a first-pass tool designed for tracking vocals, guitars, synths and more
- Stay in the creative zone and confidently record performances with a broad stroke, "do‑no‑harm," tube channel strip
- Easily flatter your tracks with a vintage-style tube mic preamp, simple three-band EQ, and optical compressor
- Control Apollo interface mic preamp gain staging and impedance directly from the Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in via Unison™ technology
TAKE A LISTEN
The Perfect Tube Mic Pre for your Vocals
The Century Tube Channel Strip's mic preamp will give your vocals the warmth and detail that only a tube mic pre can provide. The stunning range of tones, from subtle to saturated, will coax inspiring performances no matter the genre. Use the Low/High gain switch to match the Century's Tube Preamp to your microphone, with the Low setting complementing more modern condensers, while the High position excels with dynamic and ribbon microphones.
Unison Technology for Apollo
Century Tube Channel Strip blurs the lines between analog and digital, giving you all of the important impedance, gain staging “sweet spots,” and circuit behaviors of a vintage tube preamp, thanks to UA's groundbreaking Unison technology. The secret is Unison’s bi‑directional control and communication from the Century Tube Channel Strip plug‑in to the digitally controlled mic preamps in Apollo.
Easy EQ Seasoning for Vocals, Guitar, and More
With its intuitive, musically voiced, three-band EQ, the Century Tube Channel Strip is perfect for quickly bringing out the details in a breathy vocal, adding some punch to an overdriven electric guitar, or giving an acoustic rhythm guitar propulsive sizzle and shine.
Get Optimal Compression Quickly
Featuring a classic optical leveler, the Century Tube Channel Strip’s dynamics section takes the guesswork out of compression settings with a single knob. Quickly tame a dynamic vocal or bass performance, and add energy and harmonics to acoustic guitars or piano — all with a twist of a knob. The Century’s leveler can also compress as effect, adding grit and texture to keys and soft synths with character and vibe to spare.
Add Character and Color to your Mixes
Of course, the Century Tube Channel Strip plug‑in isn’t just for realtime recording with Apollo. You can also run it natively in your DAW and give your vocals, guitars, and synths, vintage‑inspired tone and character, without ever leaving the box.
5-Min UAD Tip
In this 5-Minute UAD Tip, learn how to use the UAD Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in to capture acoustic guitar and vocals with detail and emotion.
“The Century Tube Channel Strip is a simple to use starting point for just about anyone — offering tube sound in a straight forward signal path.”
– John Paterno (Robbie Williams, Badly Drawn Boy, Bonnie Raitt)
“The Century Tube Channel Strip makes it effortless to get awesome, warm, vintage sounds from sterile sounding digital tracks.”
– Ian Boxill (Lenny White, Prince, 2Pac)
“The Century Tube Channel Strip powerfully combines the best of vintage and modern. On vocals and dialog, it imparts forwardness, sheen and body — remarkably simple, but versatile and effective.”
– Richard Chycki (Rush, Aerosmith, Dream Theater)Customer Reviews
L. Carlos
February 22, 2023
My debut at Universal Audio
I won't spend a lot of time writing about it here, because I feel that every minute without experiencing something in it is a...
Read MoreS. ETH
February 14, 2023
This One Takes the Cake!
I hardly ever write product reviews. That said, here is where I make an exception. The versatility, ease of use, beautiful tube timbre and compression characteristics all come together...
Read MoreA. Thierry
January 14, 2023
Great surprise
When I buy I don’t exactly what situation I can use this toy but in fact I use more and more and on voice bus and everything in fact … just a touch of analog .. so sweat...
Read MoreR. Feldman
January 6, 2023
This is my go-to Unison Preamp
The sounds I get from the Century Tube Channel Strip are stunning. For vocals and acoustic guitar, it adds tone and character to the track. I use it on almost everything, except bass, since...
Read MoreM. Avery
December 28, 2022
Sooooo easy!
When you’re not sure what to use for an input chain, this wins the day everytime. Anywhere from super clean to colourful saturation and “just right” compression for knocking a bit off...
Read More -
Key Features
Vintage-inspired channel strip made for UA Audio Interface tracking, always easy to dial and musically flattering
Console-inspired tube preamp with bold and musical hardware sound
Three-band EQ with simple high and low shelf tone control and sweepable midrange
Performance-inspiring single knob optical dynamics control with firm yet transparent response
Physical input impedance and front panel control of gain staging and other preamp parameters with Unison Mic Preamp Technology
Requires a UAD DSP Accelerator or UA Audio Interface available from authorized dealers worldwide
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Customer Reviews
Century Tube Channel Strip
V. Ruzicic
Good one!
Very nice and warm sound…so many options
L. Carlos
My debut at Universal Audio
I won't spend a lot of time writing about it here, because I feel that every minute without experiencing something in it is a wasted minute!
S. ETH
This One Takes the Cake!
I hardly ever write product reviews. That said, here is where I make an exception.
The versatility, ease of use, beautiful tube timbre and compression characteristics all come together in a way that makes the audio signal you pass through it really pop!
For any electronic music producers out there... pass your kick and bass/sub (together) through the century tube, after you're finished processing the individual channels. Careful with gain staging, don't come in too hot. Apply very subtle 10k boost, remove small amount of boxiness/muddiness (if necessary) between 250-600 Hz, add some 110 Hz niceness, and apply 1-3 (max!) gain reduction on the compressor. This will usually squeeze another 5% out of the kick/bass/sub combo, tightening up the low end very nicely, glueing both elements, and at the same time making them really pop!A. Thierry
Great surprise
When I buy I don’t exactly what situation I can use this toy but in fact I use more and more and on voice bus and everything in fact … just a touch of analog .. so sweat
R. Feldman
This is my go-to Unison Preamp
The sounds I get from the Century Tube Channel Strip are stunning. For vocals and acoustic guitar, it adds tone and character to the track. I use it on almost everything, except bass, since I use the Avalon 737 for that. Otherwise, it's my go-to Unison preamp.
M. Avery
Sooooo easy!
When you’re not sure what to use for an input chain, this wins the day everytime. Anywhere from super clean to colourful saturation and “just right” compression for knocking a bit off the top on the way in.
A. Gorobets
Fantastic.
Really nice to have this channel strip.
J. Seabrook
New Fave Saturator
I don't know if I'm using this "right" or not (what's "right" anyway?), but I really enjoy the way this channel strip saturates. Some tone shaping EQ and some compression to smooth everything out, built in, and I'm super happy with it. :) It will make it's way into more and more sessions as an input saturator and a mix saturator...
P. Diaz
Nice strip!
Got this as a free plugin for referring someone to UA. Chose this for its versatility. All sections are good, but honestly, I never use it. That’s the only reason I didn’t give it full stars. UA plugins can be pricey, but I’d say you shouldn’t pay more than $50 for this.
m. gil ruiz
Fast and furious
easy and fast to set up it is very helpful when time is an issue or when recording yourself and inspiration shows up. For certain keyboard sounds I even prefer to Neve or others.
p. salziger
in the top 5
it's a must-have for beginners, those who are not comfortable with compression, 1 output setting and compression dosage, it's hard to get simpler, after that it's the ears that guide...
But it also has grandiose credentials and it made the sound of legends!
If I had to choose just one plug, it would be this one.V. Vlodarchyk
Century Tube Channel Strip
This is Fire
M. Ferreira
Great and easy to use!
This product is great for music mixing.
UAD User
nice
he give nice tone on bus group
C. Bors
One of my favorit :)
I bought the Neve Preamp too, into my library, i like this more better. Nice work, UAD!
A. Clark
Easy Easy
This thing is really great running in parallel with synths. Overdriving the input adds a really great color. Love that the compressor and eq are simple and to the point.
P. Slater
Awesome
I got this free thinking I wouldn’t use it and I like it more than the Neve 73
F. Brocchini
Superb
fantastic product!
G. Grinko
Good choice for mixing & live
This product is great and powerfull for any music mixing and live perfomance! Iam using this when I mixing piano and drums sound!
Thanks!M. O'Brien
This is what I have been looking for.
Excellent little gem. I have been looking for something a little brighter than the amazing Neve 1084. The 1084 is warm and very refined. This is similar with a different brighter sound. It perfectly fills that EQ gap.
