Focusrite liquid channel!

[joel hamilton]

Whelp,
Here I am sitting with the Focusrite liquid channel. It was sent to me for review.
I wanted to hate it. I cant. It is really good. You will be able to read a full review in tapeop soon, but for now lets just say: This thing is amazing.
I really wanted to hate it for a bunch of different reasons. The interface, the idea that it is modelling a bunch of stuff I have that is some of the most sought after pieces of gear on the planet. I am not allowed to make direct comparisons to classic pieces of gear by name, but this thing certainly does a great job. I had it up against some british made compressors of great fame, and the modelled versions are astoundingly good, and the fact that this thing sells for mid 3000 mark, and manages to do what a single channel of some 3000 to 16 thousand (!) dollar compressors do.... Amazing.

I have to say, if you can get over the idea of soft keys and knobs and digital in general, you would have one of the most powerful tools available today.

You name it: put one classic pre into another classic compressor. The analog front end coupled with models of classics is a great idea. It works well.

I ran program through it today, and it actually does a bunch of different "tricks" really well. Even when (obviously) compared to the thing it is "pretending to be" is right there in the room.

This is a frightening, exciting, easy, scary,angering, embarrasing, great piece of gear.

This one is going to make some waves in the industry, because it will make people whine and bitch, or sing its praises, or refuse to use it, or whatever, but waves nonetheless.

I am interested to hear what anyone thinks about this piece, even if you havent used it. Search "focusrite liquid channel" at google and read about it. I wanna hear your reactions!

Price, functionality, theory of operation.... anything. What do you think of this new piece of gear????

[sonikbliss]

Joel, you get all the cool toys. I hate you (just kidding) I think envy would be the correct term. Anyways can't wait to read your review, i've been curious about the liquid channel for awhile. It's good to hear you think it's pretty badass.

[jca83]

joel-

saw this bugger at the AES convention. and i agree. i want to not like it.

for those who are lazy, here's the scoop:

your friendly pals at focusrite found every awesome piece of gear ever made and ran test tones through it. or drum tracks, or whatever. some audio. they then did a bunch of awesome math that basically looks like this:

"output of awesome gear" - "input of our trax" = "that awesome gear's artifacts, sound, vibe, warmth, etc"

so they see what's on the output that wasn't on the input and basically make a device that adds that extra bit to your audio. and they did it with a TON of pieces of gear.

the sad part is, i haven't actually heard it. they just talked about it at the AES show. i full well understand the concept, and even heard a bunch of rave reviews from the best engineers they could find. but i haven't heard it.
3 g's, though. sheesh.

[Mr. Dipity]

This unit is a sign of the times.

Even if it sucks, which from all I have heard, it does not, it is taking us one step closer to a completely modelled world. A few more steps, and there will be no more to take.

Like it or not, we are entering the age in which, from aural standpoint, analog will will be truly obsolete, since >everything< can be modelled, including things that don't exist.

A few questions:

- how were the models created? Any more details available, other than "we created convolution files"?
- what kind of processing power is in this box?
- when does the DSD version come out?
- when does the VST come out?

[Quest Poetics]

Joel...I really hope that this thing is as good as you say it is....It's a god send for smaller studios like mine who cant exactly dish out the cash for all of the colors of the mic pre/comressor world....That is if I like it when I hear it....I've heard so many engineers dismiss the unit before they've ever heard the unit...If it sounds even close to what's been advertised I'm going to pick one up for the versatility....We'll see....Peace

[joel hamilton]

Soundfinesse:

Exactly,

People are hating on this unit SO HARD before ever hearing it! I wish that their fear, or loathing, or hatred was well placed, but I am finding over and over that it is NOT at all!

The 3 ish thousand that this thing costs is a STEAL for what it does. I will get into more of what it does, and what it claims to do, and whether they are the same thing.... All in the review..
I am recording some more David Grubbs stuff starting tomorrow. He was in Bastro, Gastro Del Sol, and a bunch of other really cool projects. We will be tracking AC guitar, Bass, piano... A bunch of acoustic instruments and voice.
I am going to really see about a "F#%^Rchild with an NeV$ 1081, or maybe some other insane combination.

Like soundfinesse said, this thing might wind up being a godsend to the smaller studio (or even some bigger ones who dont have over 50,000 to drop on gear this month...) an amazingly flexible, amazing sounding box with some really great EQ and great features, not to mention an AES/EBU I/O section, along with wordclock I/O!!!! Sick.

People may realise that they can have a couple of channels of classic mic amp for 3500 dollars, or they can have one channel that does what ALL of them did in a 2U box for 3k! Like I said abouve, if you can get over soft function keys/knobs, you will wind up wanting this box. Anyone who tries one would be impressed with the functionality, and relative ease of use.

If you have ever used an eventide 9000 you can use this. hell, if you have used an SPX 90, you will understand the menu's right away. If you are an engineer, the face of this thing should not be that daunting.

Once you realise that the knob that says "threshold" is adjusting "virtual" stuff, so that means the threshold will "feel" different depending on what amazing compressor you have loaded, then you start to use this thing like a real box. Until that, I felt stifled by the face.

Keep the opinions coming. I want conjecture, utter speculation, and ranting!!!

I know this is going to be a controversial piece of gear. I am psyched to be reviewing it!

[jca83]

can you make it do cool things it wasn't exactly designed to do? i don't remember what all it CAN do, so i can't think of anything.

try something funky it's not built to do and see what happens. i guess that's what i'm asking.

...and did i mention i REALLY want to not like it?
i really want to not like it for use (read: over-use) in big studios.
i really want to like it for use (read: essential item usage) in little studios.

[hiddendriveways]

I witnessed a demonstration of the Liquid Channel. A Focusrite rep demoed it through a Kiwi mic and the monitors were JBL LSR632P's (these things are amazing).

I must admit that I went into it thinking "Modeled compressors... okay... sure... Modeled mic pres? I dunno about that!". Now, if the Focusrite rep had had a better singing voice maybe I would've been more impressed... I left the demo with my socks fully affixed to my feet.

But this isn't a piece of gear for me. I don't have a vast knowledge of what all these vererable mic pres and compressors are supposed to sound like. This is more of a piece of gear for someone who already knows the illuminatti of rack gear, and they want an approximation of all of them in one box. The coolest thing I own is a Distressor, and that has a Fairchild mode. But when I put my Distressor in Fairchild mode I don't hear a Fairchild, I hear a Distressor.

If I had 3K to buy a pre and a compressor (and I sure as fuck don't), i would not buy one of those.

I love the simplicity of a quality pre amp. The last thing I need is 10,000 more tonal decisions to make before I hit record.

[inverseroom]

If you've got a subscription to Sound on Sound, you can check out this review (not to pre-empt Joel!). It sure does look good from here. The reviewer went out and rented a bunch of the originals, and he was so surprised at the similarities to some of them that he suspected Focusrite rented the same ones from the same shop.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul04/a ... 4c169097d5

A day is coming when the only thing that will be separating any of us from superstardom is, um, talent.

Or maybe that day is already here...?

[Mr. Dipity]

A day is coming when the only thing that will be separating any of us from superstardom is, um, talent.

I like to think so. It helps me feel better about not being a superstar.

Does this thing have any mackie or behringer presets? I keep hearing about their 'ultra-quiet' pres.

[DryCounty]

$3500 now divided by my budgetary restraints = I can't wait to pick this up on Ebay in 10 years for $500!

[Professor]

I poked around a little on the website but couldn't find an answer to this, so perhaps Joel can help:
OK, I assume it is a single channel unit, though it has an AES input and output. Will it take a stereo input and output? If not, is there a function for linking two units together so that perhaps a stereo mic pair can be compressed in unison, or to use the device as a mixdown or mastering type processor? It would be lovely to hit a nice stereo Fairchild compressor just before hitting the 2-track.
Thanks.

-Jeremy

[filterdish]

anyday now, won't be long- digital will sound totally amazing and my computer will work.

i'll take the 10,000 tonal decisions. and the manual.

[b3groover]

Now if IBM or Apple could make that special computer to automatically create hit songs (voice and all), we'd be all set.

[filterdish]

Now if IBM or Apple could make that special computer to automatically create hit songs (voice and all), we'd be all set.

do you consider using a good digital processor as "cheating" the creative process or something? I certainly don't, to me it's just another tool whether it's new and different or a handy form of the good-old analog gear we all rave about.

i welcome it (if it actually works). if it sounds good, do something with it.

"vintage" = technophobic?