AnalogDAW Channel
Use Channel on a vocal, instrument or individual track. Its default movable signal path is:
Preamp → Filters → Gate → EQ → Compressor → De-esser → Output gain
Use the stage arrows to change the movable processor order. Output gain stays at the end. You can disable individual processors or bypass the complete strip.
Preamp and Warm tone
Preamp offers Pad, Polarity, Gain, Trim, Color/Drive and Tilt. Gain changes how hard the preamp is driven; Trim lets you adjust the level after that processing. Compare with bypass at a similar perceived loudness. Use polarity inversion only when it helps the relationship between recordings, such as two microphones on the same source.
Warm console tone is attached to Preamp. Moving Preamp moves that tone, and bypassing Preamp removes it. There is no separate Console stage. The Color control is distinct: switching it off sets Drive to zero; switching it on restores the last positive Drive amount, or 0.4 initially. Tilt becomes available when Drive is above zero.
Filters and gate
Enable the high-pass filter to reduce unwanted low-frequency content, or the low-pass filter to tame excessive high frequencies. Each filter has its own switch and cutoff control. Keep the filter out when it removes useful body or air.
The gate provides Threshold, Range, Attack, Hold and Release. Set Threshold below the quietest sound you want to keep. Range controls how much the closed gate attenuates; it need not mute completely. Lengthen Hold or Release when note tails or room decay are being cut off.
Gate and compressor can use the same host-supplied external sidechain. Follow the routing instructions before enabling that detector option.
Four-band EQ
The EQ provides LF, LMF, HMF and HF bands with individual enables, gain, frequency and Q. LF and HF can switch between shelf and bell shapes. The Tone controls include Proportional Q and Bloom. Start with small changes while hearing the whole arrangement; bypass the EQ to check the result.
Five compressor circuits
Choose the Circuit first. The editor shows the controls that apply to that model.
| Circuit | Main controls and behavior |
|---|---|
| FET | Input, Output, Attack, Release and Ratio, including ALL mode. Raising Input increases compression. |
| Opto | Peak Reduction, output gain and Compress/Limit mode; timing and ratio follow the optical model. |
| Tube | Input, Threshold, output gain and a Time Constant selector. |
| VCA | Threshold, Ratio, output gain and Over Easy. |
| Bus | Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, output gain and Linked Makeup; Release includes Auto. |
These are AnalogDAW software circuit models. A generic host parameter editor may show controls that are inactive for the chosen circuit. Switching circuits retains shared values, so check the resulting gain reduction and output level.
Use the compressor's GR readout to see attenuation, then adjust output gain to compare processed and bypassed audio fairly. Linked Makeup in Bus circuit controls makeup automatically; manual makeup is inactive while it is enabled.
De-esser and meters
The de-esser provides Threshold, Frequency and Range. It applies a dynamic high shelf triggered by full-band level. Listen carefully to the consonants and upper frequencies: its detector is not isolated to sibilance alone. Start with a small Range and avoid dulling the whole performance.
Gate, compressor and de-esser have gain-reduction meters in both layouts. A zero reading during silence is normal. Output gain adjusts the final level after the movable processors.
For source-specific recipes and precise editing, see Controls, Presets & Automation. Return to the guide overview.