ART Pro Channel
1-channel Tube Microphone Preamp/EQ/Compression
Your All-In-One Processing Powerhouse!
It doesn't get much more professional - or more powerful - than the Pro Channel, a stunning microphone preamp with unbelieveable features. If you took the popular Pro MPA, Pro VLA, and Tube EQ processors and rolled them into one impressive unit, you'd have something almost as good as the Pro Channel. The Pro Channel's "secret weapon" is the new tube circuit in the compressor. You can choose between the optical/tube compressor or the coveted tube circuit, each offering a distinctive sonic flavor, and giving you added flexibility. The 4-band Parametric Equalizer gives you selectable Q for the two sweepable mid-bands. The Pro Channel's remarkable combination of these three essential studio tools is accomplished without skimping on the quality of the originals. You get all the benefits of the Pro MPA preamp, and the Pro VLA tube compressor, and the Tube EQ, not abridged versions. And with the extra enhancements the Pro Channel brings to the mix, the result is a dependable, powerful processor that you can trust to capture the performance you've been looking for, in the studio or live. Many artists trust Pro Channel to handle their important processing applications. Find out why. ART Pro Channel Features:- Professional Tube-Based Microphone/Line Recording Channel
- Three independent World-Class modules: tube mic pre, switchable optical/tube compressor, and tube EQ
- Warm, Smooth, and Silky Sound Quality
- Precision Detented Potentiometers
- Selectable VU Metering (mic pre out, compressor out, or Main Out) Features
- Tube Character and Gain Reduction LED Arrays
- Balanced XLR and Unbalanced 1/4" Inputs and Outputs
- Insert Points Between Preamp and Compressor, and Compressor and EQ
- Three Hand-Selected Vacuum Tubes
- Professional Signal Processing For Use With Any Analog or Digital Recording Format
- Exceptional Processing Channel For Any Line or Instrument Level Signal
| Specification |
Detail |
| A/D Res. |
N/A |
| Analog Inputs |
Balanced XLR; Unbalanced 1/4" TS |
| Analog Outputs |
Balanced XLR; Unbalanced 1/4" TS |
| Built-in Dynamics |
Yes |
| Built-in Effects |
No |
| Digital Outputs |
N/A |
| EQ Bands |
4 Bands (Hi, Low, Mid Sweep x2) |
| Freq. Response |
10Hz-20kHz |
| Hi-Pass Filter |
N/A |
| Low Cut Filter |
N/A |
| MIDI I/O |
None |
| Pads |
N/A |
| Phantom Power |
48v switchable |
| Rack Height |
2U |
| Samp. Rate |
N/A |
| Total Channels |
1 |
| Tube |
Y |
|
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Sweetwater Advice
Ron Daniel
With limited space and budget for my home studio, I needed a great-sounding unit that could pull triple-duty before hitting my A/D converter. ART's Pro Channel was everything I could ask for. At a remarkably low price, it combines a great mic pre, compressor, and EQ into a really nice-sounding box. The tube-based pre is low-noise, and the modular signal chain is fully configurable. I especially like the compressor's flexibility and ability to be gentle when I want it to be. That alone has made a huge improvement in the sound quality I'm getting into my DAW. I love the Pro Channel, and think it's by far the best bang for your buck in this price range.
Very Nice
by Spring Heeled Jim from Ground Control
November 20, 2008
Music Background: Master Jedi Musician/Engineer
The ART Pro Channel is a great bang for the buck piece of equipment. At first I didn't really know how to use it that well and thought that it was too loud. Over time I've learned how to get the sound ... read more [+] out of it that I like and I must say that it's a great channel strip. Learn how to use the gain stages and for me if you keep the lead in the green you get a cleaner sound that well help keep noise down as you stack tracks.
The optical compressor is very clean and smooth sounding. I don't use the tube compressor as I prefer the optical.
I don't really use the eq because I don't necessarily like the sound of it. It's a little too dirty and unrefined sounding for my taste. The low frequency cut off on the left side of the unit can be very effective though. close [-]
good, solid sound from an affordable channel strip...
by Mike McCarthy from Philadelphia, PA
June 9, 2007
Music Background: recording hobbyist/pro musician
I bought this channel strip about a month ago... it's the first piece of outboard gear that I've bought, and I must say, it sounds really good. I intern at a local studio, and we have a couple Avalon ... read more [+]737's, a UA 6176, plus an API "Lunchbox"... so those are really what I'm comparing the Pro Channel against.
I really wanted an affordable, tube-based pre for my Pro Tools M-Powered rig... I am using a M-Audio ProjectMix I/O. The I/O's pre's sound good, but really lacked the warmth that I heard in the studio from the outboard gear there... now, I'm not going to tell you the Pro Channel sounds like the 737's, or the 6176... b/c they don't, but they sure sound close! Here is a short summation of each piece of the strip.
The mic pre: quality sound. The tube-based pre sounds warm and punchy. I really like the low-cut filter here for rolling out those low frequencies, this is something that is not found on other, more expensive channel strips, and I use it alot. Also, the phase invert switch will work wonders for brightening up signals from condenser mics or from DI sources. Playing with this can give an acoustic guitar or a vocal track a whole new sound, and this is with both the compressor and the EQ bypassed.
The compressor: wow, the one thing that I really like about the compressor is the OPTIONS. You have the choice between a tube-based or optical compressor, and both sound really good. I find myself using the optical compressor much more often b/c of its transparency and its musical sound. I've used it with great success on acoustic guitars, DI's for bass and electric guitars, and voice. I really like the aggressiveness of the tube-based compressor. This is where you get a "sound" of a compressor, and the Pro Channel definitely delivers here. I really like using the tube compressor on drums... kicks, snares... even overheads (for some nice warm levels). I found the tube compressor to be too unruly for the sources I mentioned above for the optical compressor, but it's really just a matter of taste.
The whole point here is the Pro Channel lets you choose which one to use... very flexible.
The EQ section: I might be saying this b/c I'm more of an EQ in the box type of guy, but I think the EQ section here is lacking. I find the controls not very user friendly, and the sound is too intrusive. There is just something that sounds un-natural about the EQ section compared to the pre and compressor, so I opt not to use the EQ section at all, it pretty much remains bypassed for me.
I like the VU meter, but what's really more useful is the tube character/gain reduction LED's below the VU meter. You can look at the PreAmp output, or the Compressor out there with a switch, and it really helps you to find the sweet spot on the pre visually, and gives you a nice read out of the compressor's gain reduction... I really like this option, b/c I really don't "smash" things on the way in... I just like a nice, warm signal, and to let the compressor "kiss" the transients of the signal... unless, I'm doing drums, where I want a more aggressive compression.
The unit is built well, solid, and the controls feel good. The one gripe I have here besides the EQ section is noisy pots! I don't know if I got a "bad" one, or it it's just the components ART uses, but I've noticed the Gain knob of the pre is noisy when you move it. At least it's not noisy when you record through it... but move the Gain knob when you're setting levels is embarrassing, b/c you're gear is making noise... clients don't like that.
So besides those two things... the EQ and noisy pots, and think the Pro Channel is a great buy for someone looking to get their first piece of outboard gear, or for a pro that wants to expand their arsenal of outboard gear with a transparent compressor.. or a tube-based "personality" compressor. The price is right on this one too.
Mike close [-]
ahhhh...........no.
by mike from Central Coast,CA
August 2, 2006
Music Background: lots
I had this channel strip and I really did not like the sound. I used it only on male vocal tracks and for me, it was difficult to get a nice warm sound even with a Rode K2.
Unit works well
by Dave Turner from Spokane, WA
June 1, 2005
Music Background:
You can spend a lot of money on a channel strip. I desperately needed something to improve my tracks, especially vocals but had a limited budget. This unit fit the bill. It's versatile in the ... read more [+]fact that you can bypass the compressor and EQ and has 1/4" patches as well. The compressor has the option of optical or tube. All three sections are tube based. The LED meter is helpful for gaining warmth with the preamp. The manual is well written. Overall the unit has added the needed warmth to my vocals and I'm able to obtain a good signal w/o clipping. I can obtain a warm vocal with creamy smoothness. The vocals are then further enhanced with plugin effects. The unit made such an improvment on my vocals that I re-tracked all the vocals on all my prior projects. I haven't used it on instruments yet but will.
I you need a pre-amp, compressor and EQ and like the warmth of tubes and have a limited budget, I would definitely recommend this product. Just price the lower end preamps and you'll see you get a compressor and EQ for not much more money. If you use a pre-amp you have to have a compressor because the signal is so strong w/o the compressor you have to trim it so much that it's ineffective. I'm glad I purchased it. close [-]
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