Century Tube Channel Strip™
-
Real time recording inspiration for vocals, guitars, and more.
Capturing “the moment” is crucial — and capturing that inspiration with the right sound is just as important. The new Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in hearkens back to the days before infinite undo and decision-deferral, to a time where making records was an immediate, visceral act of bold creativity.
With an organic tube mic preamp, transparent dynamics control, and intuitively voiced EQ, the Century plug-in is perfect for UA Interface users, allowing you to stay in the creative zone while you record, helping you capture first-take magic, with stunning results.Now You Can:
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 print performances with a broad stroke, "do-no-harm," vintage-style tube channel strip
Easily flatter your performances with a vintage-style tube mic preamp, simple three-band EQ, and optical leveler on vocals, guitars, bass, drums, and more
Control UA Audio Interface mic preamp gain staging and impedance directly from the Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in via Unison™ technology
Take A Listen
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 Perfect Tube Mic Pre
The Century Tube Channel Strip's mic preamp will give all of your sources — especially vocals — a burnished tube color with the unmistakable 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. Tweak further with 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 UA Audio Interfaces
Harnessing UA’s groundbreaking Unison technology, the 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.
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 UA Audio Interfaces.
Easy EQ Seasoning
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.
Optimal Opto Leveler
Featuring a classic autoformer-driven optical leveler, the Century Tube Channel Strip’s dynamics section takes the guesswork out of compression settings with a single knob. You can quickly tame a dynamic vocal or bass performance and lock it into place, 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 Boutique Character and Color to Any Source
Of course, the Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in isn’t just for UA Audio Interface owners. UAD-2 hardware owners can employ the Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in for mixing and tone shaping — without ever leaving the box.
5-Min UAD Tip
In this video, learn how to craft unique guitar and bass DI tones using Century Tube Channel Strip plug-in.
“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)Watch the Reviews
Customer Reviews
E. Moore
October 25, 2018
Great Idea
Really simple pre-amp/compressor/eq that can bite and bark. Has a nice compression that is great for acoustic guitars/basses. The eq, while sparse, is good for tweaking without a bunch of...
Read MoreC. Paschall
October 18, 2018
808 Secret Weapon
LOVE this thing on 808’s. New secret weapon. Can’t wait to try it on everything else now!!
Read MoreP. van Nierop
October 17, 2018
review
One of the most clean and smooth plugins I've hear in a long time. WOOH! gr. Peter van Nierop / Strictly Music
Read MoreD. Bires
October 9, 2018
smooth organic plugin but!
I mean every Ua plugin is great. This is a good plugin but why its not 5 for me is headroom. The volume side to this plugin is very low. I don't get it. If you ab the plugin against the...
Read Morer. sveinungsen
September 20, 2018
Marveless from Himlalyd
I like this plugin so much. I like to use it as unison when recording! its very nice/ smooth sounding. Sound organic and natural....
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
-
Customer Reviews
Century Tube Channel Strip
E. Moore
Great Idea
Really simple pre-amp/compressor/eq that can bite and bark. Has a nice compression that is great for acoustic guitars/basses. The eq, while sparse, is good for tweaking without a bunch of knobs getting in your way. Utilizing good mics and mic technique, you should not have to use eq too much. You can drive the preamp sounding very much like an old tube desk ( think REDD-47 but with it's own character). Worth being in your arsenal.
S. Kochi
ドラム…
特にバスドラムの芯を引き立たせるのに使用。
望み通りの野太いサウンドが得られる。
必要に応じてチューブサチュレーションを加えられるのも好ポイント。
おすすめのチャンネルストリップだ。C. Paschall
808 Secret Weapon
LOVE this thing on 808’s. New secret weapon. Can’t wait to try it on everything else now!!
P. van Nierop
review
One of the most clean and smooth plugins I've hear in a long time. WOOH!
gr. Peter van Nierop / Strictly MusicD. Bires
smooth organic plugin but!
I mean every Ua plugin is great. This is a good plugin but why its not 5 for me is headroom. The volume side to this plugin is very low. I don't get it. If you ab the plugin against the stock preamp or any other unison preamp there is a big difference. Other than that one thing the sound is great.
r. sveinungsen
Marveless from Himlalyd
I like this plugin so much. I like to use it as unison when recording! its very nice/ smooth sounding. Sound organic and natural....
R. Williams
Clean and Smooth
One of the most clean and smooth plugins I've hear in a long time.
S. Simmons
Century Tube Channel Strip
I love it. It's great for any instrument track, it adds a warm analog tube sound and features a simple EQ section, and a one-knod opto leveler circuit. This really adds a whole new dimension to any track. I use this plugin often when mixing.
S. Day
From a complex chain, to one plugin
I LOVE the quality of this plugin: for the ease of use, for the utterly tangible and useful results, for the time saving and CPU reduction. Brilliant!
R. JAGRU
Century Tube channel
Clarity and smoothness,great plugin.
Brings vocals upfront.
Love it.T. Setter
12 does not equal 5.
Two things about this "5 minute" video. First, it's 12 minutes long. I guess no one was counting. Second, the levels are so far off between the process and the non processed playback that the comparison is meaningless. Of course the louder track sounds better. Come on, guys...!
J. Moreland
This sounds really good
I just assumed this would be like the 610B with the LA2A tacked on (as the Oxide Tape was to the Ampex102 - only not as good) but this is a whole new beast. As the UA blurb says, this is for capturing an idea quickly, with everything you need to get a good sound fast. And it is that - and a lot more. First, the preamp does sound very similar to the 610 (a good thing) but the EQ that follows it is much more flexible than the 610 and really easy to dial in. Second, the opto compressor (while definitely opto in behavior) really applies itself to the incoming sound source, far more so than the LA2A. That’s not a knock on the LA2A, I love the way that box sounds. It’s just that this comp catches vocal jumps much quicker, really leveling a performance - as if the singer just had better mic technique. Its ballistics seem to move even faster with transient sources (a bass I tracked through it sounded way better than through any other opto comp I’ve ever used). And I’ll never use anything else for tracking a Sax. Tracking drums, not so much (just talking about the comp) - but it sounded great when I was mixing the stereo overhead mics. Overall, a great channel strip at a great price.
A. Whiting
Perfect!
It's so quick to dial in the perfect EQ and tube saturation, perfect for quick recording.
