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Waves Scheps Omni Channel Plug-In
By Adam Gallant
In early 2018 , Waves released its most versatile channel strip to date . Developed alongside renowned mix engineer , producer , and educator Andrew Scheps ( Adele , Metallica , Jay Z ) the Scheps Omni Channel is highly intuitive , colourful in all the right ways , and perhaps the most useful plug-in I have ever put to work . The Scheps Omni Channel encapsulates the best of both analog modeling and digital flexibility . The plug-in contains five modules of treatment , an insert point where any Waves plug-in can be placed , as well as comprehensive monitoring and a built-in limiter . Each module ( and the Waves plug-in insert point ) can be shuffled to any position on the strip .
Most impressive is that each module can be treated in mono , stereo , dual mono , or mid / side mode , completely independent of the other modules – a totally innovative and brain-meltingly flexible approach . This plug-in is incredibly powerful , colourful ( when desired ), and operates at zero latency . I ’ ll break this review down into the plug-in ’ s modules , then give a more broad overview of why I think this is Waves ’ best work to date .
Pre The Pre module refers to a preamp , and this section contains a saturation knob with selectable colours for harmonic saturation : Odd , Even , and Heavy . On stereo material , use the Heavy option to crunch up your centre channel and leave your side channels warm with a touch of Odd harmonic saturation – all independently controlled and beautifully calibrated to give consistent gain when swapping between saturation types . The Pre section also contains a high pass filter , low pass filter , and an additional resonance option called Thump , which is perfect for adding weight to drum transients .
EQ The equalization section is versatile , distinct , and intuitive , boasting four bands of equalization per channel with fully parametric curves , as well as very musical sounding high and low shelves with or without resonance curves . Getting a kick drum ’ s low end to ring in the most satisfying way is at your fingertips in this module .
DS Squared The DS Squared is a de-esser on crack . I would say it is more of a multiband compressor on crack with a layout that forced me to use my ears and make better decisions . Two de-essers per channel with independent EQ curves , thresholds , and frequencies along with the ability to work in mid / side makes this a perfect plug-in for taming cymbals on a drum buss , or high end harshness on a vocal buss .
Comp The compression module is where I spent the majority of my time when testing out this plug-in . There are three colours available – VCA , FET , and OPT – with perfectly consistent volumes when you swap between . The side chain is highly sculptable and can be monitored directly . The compressor also has a mix knob for parallel compression , which is a staple in Andrew Scheps ’ mixes .
Gate The Gate is musical and has flexible side chain controls that can be monitored . It will operate as a gate , expander , and as a simple solution for controlling the noise floor . The layout is clean and easy to navigate . I found myself getting settings for kicks and snares much faster than with my old , go-to plug-in for this task . The final stage of treatment on the Omni Channel is a lovely sounding limiter with a simple threshold knob . This is the icing on the cake when you need a quick solution for spikey material .
Overview The Scheps Omni Channel is a complete toolkit designed with one of the most respected names in the music mixing world , Andrew Scheps . The plug-in is very well laid out , beyond versatile , and somehow not overwhelming in the least . I can get results from this single plug-in comparable to what could otherwise take six or more . Oh , and remember – zero latency .
A huge benefit to working within the Omni Channel is that it ’ s very comfortable to test a variety of different settings and options without mucking up the overall gain structure of the downstream signal path . This is a huge hurdle when it comes to juggling several different plug-ins on a strip .
For readers taking this plug-in for a demo spin , I suggest starting with presets as there are many solid ones to choose from . Presets are sculpted from some of the best in the business , including Jaquire King , Billy Bush , and Tony Visconti , to name a few . There is also a “ Focus ” mode , which highlights go-to controls best suited for the preset . Also worth noting is the Expand mode , which expands the window size of the selected module , making it much easier for touch screens or mixers with low-resolution monitors .
A huge thank you to the folks at Waves and Andrew Scheps for their dedicated work on this tool . It will certainly be saving me hours of time and piles of CPU power .
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production , from music composition to location and post audio for television and film . He currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown , PE .
24 PROFESSIONAL SOUND