API The Channel Strip Reviews

I've had my API channel for a few months now. It's the second piece of outboard I've owned, after the BLA B173 MkII. Wow is the API an upgrade! Paired with my Neumann TLM 102, I am capturing the most professional sounding vocals of my career.
I go easy on the preamp and then dime the threshold on the compressor, and of course I utilize the glorious EQ (a little goes a long way I find.) It's still a natural sound, but with that perfect level of processing that you buy something like this for.
It's so good for vocals, but it's even better for guitars. I process rhythms through it and what comes out is more than twice as good as what came in, easily. It's so easy to find a good sound with the options they give you.
It's also fantastic on kicks, snares, etc. I want a second one to process stereo tracks! One day. Long story short if you are looking at investing in this for a home studio, it is overkill, in the best way.

It surprises me how long this channel strip has been out and how few the reviews and info on it there are. It's basically an API Greatest Hits record in a rack unit. I was looking for a channel strip for my home studio. I only really needed one channel to cover everything, and the Shelford was getting all the love. -So I got the Shelford channel. I've had the Warm WA12 mkii, WA273, BAE 1073mpf with Distressor, and the Apollo X6 (Black lion modded with XB Clock).

I spent 3 weeks with the Shelford, and let me tell you, the headroom on that thing is incredible. It sounds great, the EQ is amazing, the Compressor is nice, etc. I guess it's personal preference, but after 3 weeks I was just not inspired to get to work on it. That's not to say I couldn't do great work with it, but for $4000 I need to be excited when I do lol. It felt vanilla as all get out, which is really just Neve's laid-back smooth character - so not a bad thing, but I wanted to try the API also.

I lost some money, but a good friend bought the Shelford from me and I got the API. He let me hang onto it to A/B between them for a bit before I sent it off. As it turns out, everything I recorded with the Shelford, I'd mix to sound like what the API already does. You are "there" waaaay faster. It's not harsh, headroom is just as great, the 527 compressor can be as punchy or transparent as you want, the 550A EQ is perfect no matter what you do. Nothing gets shrill or peaky. You can't break it. (You only need 3 bands for tracking in my opinion anyway.)

It's a hotter preamp than the Shelford. It sounds more forward, present, and intentional than any pre I've used. If you have an SM7, this is your channel strip...period.

My absolute favorite piece of the puzzle here though is the 325 line driver at the end. You drive the front end, then you push/pull the back end if you want. (It's all stepped as well). Between the pre and the line driver, you can dial up as much smoothness or grit as you want upfront, then push or attenuate at the end. The shaping options on this piece are amazing. It has insert points at every part of the chain. If you run an apollo, output a channel to the eq, another to the compressor, pre, etc. It basically breaks up like separate modules in a 500 rack to choose from in a mix. There is a "cut" button that mutes the output by default when you turn it on. No pops. Not a huge deal, but in practice, it's nice to just hit an actual button to mute it if you're tracking in the same room you're playing back from when you turn up the monitors. In short, this thing just sounds incredible with zero compromise, and it gets out of the way.

I sent the Shelford off to its new home, happily. I'll be getting another one of these for stereo.

Sweet sounding, versatile channel strip with that API sound. I picked this up mostly as a match for my own vocals. Have used several high end channel strips (and tons of emulations) but always kept coming back to this as the best fit for me in getting that "radio ready" sound the moment it goes to "tape". Input and output gain help you decide how hard you want to hit the pre going in making the coloration very versatile—wide, open and clean or dial it up for that nice mid range focus that API is known for. The knob controls just feel "expensive" and the comp and EQ sound great and are musical to dial in. Great front end for vocals, drums or anything else you want to throw at it.

If you love the sound of API, or have worked on their consoles, you will love this strip. Redlining the pre for distortion sounds amazing on bass and stylistically on vocals. The compressor can be so gentle, smoothing over peaks and the eq sounds very musical. Has taken my frustration at getting my vocal tracks to "sit" in a mix with many ITB plugins to recording directly with a bit of comp/eq and hardly touching it. Price for me was worth it. I have a UA 8p with the API Unison pre and there is no contestant. The amount of low end harmonic saturation you get with the API makes it sound "real". This pre also makes standard mics like the SM7 sound fantastic without having to push them too hard. Love the sound!

The best channel strip I have ever used. Why I didn't try API before?

Everything flows seamlessly through this channel strip. It definitely outperforms my hopes. Whatever you put in front of this it captures it and molds it beyond expectation. That's why I have two!

Why is this only the second review blows my mind....

I ran a studio back in the 90s. Rack choices included Neve, Summit, Focusrite, Avalon and other very fine pieces but as often as not I'd go with the API.

Circumstances compelled me to sell my studio about 13 years ago. I've since picked up an A-Designs Pacifica, LA-610, AEA RPQ, and Trident S40. All very fine gear, but when listening to recordings from the 90s I had to admit I felt something missing.

I had the chance to pick up a demo Channel Strip. I was curious to see if the sound held up to what I was hearing in the old recordings.

Within 15 minutes of hooking the box up, I was reminded why I am an API guy. Detail, muscle and an instantly recognizable sound that is more obvious as you layer tracks (that elusive quality that, for me, defines "high end").

The preamp sounds the way I remember, and while I love the 550A, I do miss the 550B a bit (though just a bit). It's frankly stunning how effective the EQ is. I don't know how they do it, but I never find myself thinking "I wish this cut/boost was only 1dB." It always seems to be just what I need.

One thing I do regret is the LED meter used in the compressor. I find it a bit fussy, and not especially accurate. I would very much like to be able to see in detail what it's actually doing. There are many times when I hear it working, but the LED shows no compression at work. Of course we use out ears, there are many times where visual confirmation is invaluable. A VU meter would be killer, but I'm not sure they could make that work. The sound of the compression is sublime, and (for me) a reminder that plugins come nowhere near premium hardware.

I love this box.

love the product. Works amazing.. .when it's working. It's been repaired 6 times in 3 years. It's frustrating as hell. Quality is just not there.

Sounds great... but nothing like loosing takes to faulty gear.

Oh well, i'm going to take a hit on this thing. I'll get it fixed from API yet again and then selling it.

good luck