Liquid Channel 
by joe pasquale from Nashville, November 2007
Music Background:  Songwriter, producer

i am using a 414 with a C-12 capsule so i will preface my comments with the distinct possibility that the mic is the weak link in the channel. The interface is clumbsy but once you get your presets for your mic- the storing process is pretty idiot proof. I have found the unit to be a bit dull, which actually could be related to the mic- but to get that nice air- there is quite a bit of Eq necessary. i have also noticed it tends to sound a bit crunchy- but as part of a low cost substitue to a rack of neves and a 2254- the P/E ratio on this guy is pretty flawless- I believe the value of this unit is greatly enhanced by the quality of mic you use- it certianly wont make a cheap mic sound great- but if you have a warm mic with plenty of top end- this unit will sparkle.

  Focusrite has got it right... 
by David Lloyd Merrill from Miami, April 2007
Music Background:  Pro Musician

Forget about the fact that this unit models so many of the classics (40 of 'em!). Forget that you get the warmth of tubes and/or the precision of transistors. Forget the hype if you must (tho this unit has earned it). This unit is worth every dollar you spend solely due to the rich pallet of sound you can use, modify, or flat-out create. It's about the music, campers -- and the creativity you glean from this is worth much more than what you pay...

  Good Versatility 
by Matt from Georgia, September 2006
Music Background:  Recording Engineer / Mastering Engineer

Strip off all of the bells and whistles and digital convulution technology and that's where I start my review. The analog circuitry of the preamp is great. It's clean - the noise floor is so low it's unbelievable. It has a fantastic dynamic range. Add in the bells and whistles and this is a very versatile piece of equipment. I don't care if it doesn't sound exactly like some other piece of analog gear (but i'll bet that most engineers would be fooled in a blind shootout) - what this offers is an endless palette of options for recording and mixing. I'm not really fond of the EQ - i'd rather do that in my DAW, but the rest of the unit is really top notch. In addition to tracking, i use the line input to access the compressors for mixing. Best preamp i've ever heard - no, but dang good, and the most versatile one i've EVER used. It's worth the money.

Unbelievable 
by Steve Lacey from Lake Mary, FL, December 2005

The models this unit offers out of the box are absolutely astounding. The sound is amazing. I was skeptical when i saw the price and the promise, but this unit lives up to the hype.

My favorite model “out of the box” is the Avalon 737 – (referred to as the Silver 2). If you know what the Avalon sounds like, this thing will NOT disappoint. If you don’t know what the Avalon sounds like, try to imagine that sound that you’ve spent hours EQing, tweaking, compressing, buying tube emulation plug-ins, etc looking for. That’s the sound. I can only describe it as the magic wand you wave over vocals to make them come alive… not that it’s only for vocals ;-)

But isn’t this a review about the liquidchannel? You could pick the Avalon up for 2 grand. Why spend the extra money on the liquidchannel? Well, mostly because the Avalon is only 1 of 40 classic pres that this thing emulates out of the box. Then there are all the classic compressors and the downloadable models of more classic pres and compressors… it’s enough to keep any engineer entertained for a long, long time.

The “LiquidControl” software - available as a free download from focusrite.com - allows complete control of the LiquidChannel from a software interface that mimics the face of the unit… complete with all the knobs and their LED indicators and level meters which you can use to monitor the performance and adjust the unit in real time - without needing to physically look at the unit. This is awesome if you’re using it as a front end to your DAW… the software allows you to transfer new models (downloadable from focusrite), save sessions, save custom configurations, and recall them all with a couple of clicks.

My only gripe if i had one would be that it only offers AES as far as digital i/o, and I’m running it with a digi002… which obviously doesn’t accept AES, only SPDIF and ADAT… So for now, i’m stuck on the purely analog path… but with Pro Tools in low-latency monitoring mode, i can barely detect any latency at all.

TRUST ME. I could not give a more ringing endorsement for this unit. It is truly astounding and well worth every penny and then some.

Focusrite experience 
by Brian Mikiten , February 2005

I purchased two units and have found that the quality and use is wonderful. I use the AES outputs to bypass my 2408/3 digitally and have an audible quality improvement. Simple to set up, stunning models and really good support. The manufacturer called me back from England on a question!

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