Dynamics
PSPaudioware PSP InfiniStrip Review
PSP’s new channel-strip plug-in not only does it all, it does it well.
I’ve been a fan of PSP plug-ins for quite a while now. Years ago, VintageWarmer was one of my go-to plug-ins, and it still stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best saturation and compression plug-ins today. PSP plug-ins are also a favorite of many top-flight engineers. PSPaudioware has gotten a lot of interest since announcing the release of a new channel strip plug-in.
Real-World Counterparts
No one has adopted skeuomorphism more than the audio plug-in community, and InfiniStrip is no exception. Seven years in the making, InfiniStrip looks like a nine-space 500 series-style rack with seven predetermined device slots and two wild-card insert slots. The processor slots are (as shown above, left to right) Gain, Filters, Gate, Compressor, EQ, Limiter, Control, and Inserts X and Y. You can load the empty inserts with any processor in InfiniStrip. Signal flows from left to right, and you can easily reorder modules by clicking and dragging them.
All parameters in InfiniStrip can be automated. In the Plug-In Automation window, parameter names for the fixed modules conveniently appear in the same order as modules in the rack (as seen above). The specific parameter names for the X and Y insert slots don’t appear (as seen below). You can load them with any module in InfiniStrip, but you have no way to preassign those parameters. Automating X or Y slot parameters require you to identify those parameters through the plug-in.
A preset menu at InfiniStrip’s top left recalls all settings within the rack, including the order of modules. A large collection of rack presets allows you to edit and save new presets. However, the user preset folder doesn’t create itself automatically, and I had to tell it where to store new presets on my computer. Each individual module also has nine demonstration presets available. Oddly, you can’t save new individual module presets; these are primarily designed as starting points. I would like to see more module factory presets as well as the ability to create and save settings at this lower level. InfiniStrip’s preset management is an area that could be improved overall.
Positively Zero
Two InfiniStrip features in particular stand out. The first is that it’s a zero-latency plug-in, which means you can use InfiniStrip in real time while tracking. This is quite a feat, as a lot of simultaneous processing is available, and it all sounds top-notch. Zero latency lets you dial in a sound while recording and still retain the option to refine—or even completely change—the sound after the fact. I can’t overstate that this can have a very positive impact on workflow, as most good engineering leans on getting good sounds at the time of recording. The sonic character coming back to the performer can have a significant impact on the performance, especially when you employ heavy uses of EQ and compression as an effect.
One downside of InfiniStrip’s zero latency—which has led to some online user complaints—is that it has no option for oversampling to minimize aliasing and EQ cramping at the very top of the audible audio spectrum. I understand that PSP has quite decidedly made zero-latency an important feature of InfiniStrip, and adding oversampling could create some confusion among less savvy users. In practice, this is something more seen in analysis software than heard, and I don’t sense any negative issues from the lack of oversampling. InfiniStrip sounds great, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in the most discerning professional projects because of this issue. However, while oversampling would obviously create latency when activated, I confess to also hoping that oversampling will be an available option in the future.
The Old Switcheroo
InfiniStrip’s second notable feature is that all available parameters for each module within a slot are identical, and it retains the current settings when you switch between modules. This means you can, for example, dial in settings with the Opto compressor module and easily switch to the VCA or FET compressor. All the settings will remain exactly the same. That allows you to quickly and easily audition the different types of preamps, EQs, compressors, etc., available almost instantaneously to find the one that works best. This is a great feature you’ll find in only a handful of other plug-ins. It makes working in InfiniStrip fast and efficient.
As an occasional user of Slate Virtual Mix Rack and Waves OmniChannel, I have admittedly been ambivalent about the rack paradigm. In the past, I haven’t cared for it much as a workflow. I do like having multiple processor functions available in a single window, as this can speed up mixing. However, I find it annoying to look at an insert in the mixer window and not have a clear idea of what is going on with the processing inside a rack plug-in. How many EQs and compressors am I using, and which ones? Did I use a highpass filter already? I like being able to glance at a string of inserted plug-ins in my DAW and get a quick overview of what specific processors I’m using and in what order.
However, as I started this review, I thought more about it. I remembered back in the old days of hardware only—when gear was inserted into a console via a patch bay—it wasn’t always immediately clear what some signal paths were. I simply had to remember them or write them down. With any of the channel strip plug-ins I currently own, those don’t tell me in the DAW’s mixer window if I’m using all of its available components or not, either. So, I took a deep breath and gave InfiniStrip a spin on some country/rock tracks for a project I’m about to start mixing.
The mono and stereo versions of InfiniStrip open differently, so I started by setting up some default patches for each with my preferred order and some basic settings with everything muted except the Master Control. I ended up putting the De-Esser in Insert X and a second EQ in Insert Y in the order pictured below and started mixing.
Gain without Pain
Now would be a great time to walk through the modules. The Gain slot contains five modules: Gain (a simple trim), Pre 60s (tube preamp), Pre 70s (discrete with transformer), Pre 80s (discreet transformer-less preamp), and ADC 90s (12-bit nonlinear A to D converter).
All Gain modules supply phase reversal, a user-definable reference level, and an automated gain-adjustment feature. The latter is a cool feature that lets you set the reference level you’d like either as RMS or peak, turn on Auto gain, and play the audio for a few seconds of a loud portion of the track. The gain will automatically adjust to your set reference. This is a great way to get your recorded tracks wrangled to a proper operating level before mixing begins.
I recommend turning down your monitor levels when you do this, as oftentimes the gain jumps up really high until it starts to see signal. I regularly got a momentary spike of a very loud signal before the auto gain feature kicked in. It would be an improvement if the Gain setting remained at its neutral setting and more gradually settled to its level rather than jerking up and down again so abruptly.
With the exception of the pure Gain module, all have an analog section with a Drive knob for saturation and a Noise control that you can switch on or off. The saturation and noise change subtly with each preamp, although adding Drive does increase the level a bit. You can turn noise on or off continuously or set to auto so that the noise is only present when signal is detected.
PSP InfiniStrip continued: NEXT PAGE
Preamps, Filters, and Gates
My favorite preamp module is the Pre 80s, followed by the Pre 60s. Pre 80s is punchy and solid, while Pre 60s has a nice grit to it when pushed. My least favorite was the Pre 70s preamp (which seems to be Neve-inspired). Occasionally it would be the best choice on a source, but I usually landed on the Pre 80s, which resembles an SSL. Pre 80s sounded consistently best to me and is in my default preset, even though I really don’t care for SSL preamps in real life. I think it’s better to think of the preamps as general color types rather than looking at them as specific emulations.
Three dedicated filter types share a slot: lowpass and highpass filters with three slopes (Basic); the basic filters with a variable mid filter and five different slopes (Pro); and the Pro filter dedicated to controlling the sidechain (S.C.).
The Gate slot features a gate, expander, and ducker. All three modules contain extensive features and rival dedicated plug-ins. The special processor category contains the De-esser and De-hummer, the latter being great on noisy electric guitars. Both modules are feature-rich and get the job done with minimal fuss.
Compression
Now we get to where the InfiniStrip really shines. The compressor slot packs a lot of power and features in the Opto, FET, and VCA models. The attack and release times have a wide and useful range. The ratio goes from 1:1 up to 100:1 (infinity). While it will not expand with ratios less than 1:1 (use the Expander module for that), you can type in any ratio up to one decimal point, like 3.6:1, and two decimal points below 2, like 1.17:1. I can’t overstate how cool this is since you now have much greater ratio, attack, and release control over the Opto and FET compressors than normally available in other plug-ins that tend to more strictly emulate their hardware counterparts.
A Link button ties the left and right signals together for the sidechain detection, although it has no blend function for settings in between on and off. A sidechain HPF goes from 10Hz all the way up to 1 kHz. The typical threshold and makeup knobs, a mix knob, and excellent meters round out the compressor features.
These compressors all sound really fantastic and are very versatile. The insert modules can come in to play here because it is easy to string together two compressors to emulate, for instance, the classic signal path of a fast 1176 (FET) going into a slower LA-2A (Opto) for tracking vocals. And since InfiniStrip has practically no latency, you can record or monitor through this chain. I particularly love being able to use a really low ratio below 2:1 (1.25:1) with a fast attack and release, hitting it really hard and cranking the makeup gain to get a track to really sit in the mix.
Equalization
InfiniStrip’s EQ slot sports three modules, two of them based on existing PSP plug-ins. However, their designs have changed so that all three modules have very similar features to facilitate easy module-swapping. They differ mainly in the available filter and Q shapes. As the dedicated highpass and lowpass filters are covered in a separate module, the EQs give you four semiparametric bands, each band with a separate on/off switch. Each band has three Q settings and boost/cut amounts up to 18db. You can also type in specific values for the frequency and gain amount, which is another nice touch. This is a good time to remind you that, while the plug-in is zero latency, turning off any unused parameters and muting unneeded modules in the rack reduces the CPU hit per instance.
RetroQ and PreQursor are sonically similar to their standalone plug-in counterparts, although the feature sets have been modified for consistency between the three modules. However, my favorite ended up being the ChannelQ. I not only thought it sounded best in my particular uses, but I also preferred the layout of the concentric knobs to the frequency sliders in RetroQ and preQursor. A number of times I grabbed a frequency slider by mistake when intending to adjust the gain amount, as these seem graphically backwards to me.
Personally, I think the EQs are the least exciting bit about InfiniStrip. They are functionally good, but I also found myself going elsewhere for EQ much of the time as I worked on a couple rock tunes. This was especially true on the really important tracks, like lead vocals and acoustic guitars. For the record, I never really cottoned to any of PSP’s EQ plug-ins other than the occasional use of PSP E27, which many users love. If PSP were to offer a four-band version of E27 in the future, I would be much more inclined to grab InfiniStrip for a lead vocal track, as I feel all the other modules are world-class. That being said, I was able to quickly get some great acoustic drum, electric bass and electric guitar sounds in short order with InfiniStrip.
As with many plug-ins, flavor comes down to individual taste. Not to judge too quickly, I pulled up a completely different project that was a mix of trap and pop songs. In this setting, the ChannelQ sounded much more appropriate for the two female lead vocals, and I got a great sound within minutes. I also got a booming 808 and sub bass going thanks to a mix of ChannelQ and Pro filter.
Take It to the Limit
The limiter sections provide two flavors: Opto and VCA. Although the available settings are more basic than a lot of limiters today, they cover just about everything necessary in normal use for tracks and busses. The attack, release, ceiling, and output levels can be further controlled by the sidechain HP filter (also 10Hz to 1 kHz) and a Soft knee switch. The internal sidechain detection can be either linked or unlinked, again without the ability to blend between the two.
In practice, both limiters sound good. I could push them fairly hard before things got ugly, even though they’re at their best when they’re simply taming rowdy peaks; they’re not meant to be clippers. I wouldn’t necessarily use either on my 2-buss, but I think these are great for setting a maximum output for a specific track or buss, like at -6dB, to help keep levels in check. I especially like the Density preset. To get better performance you would have to turn to a more dedicated limiter plug-in.
Lastly, a Master Control module gives you a large output fader with peak and RMS metering either pre-fader or post-fader. A width control can collapse the rack to mono or expand the stereo image up to 200% (100% is unchanged). A Balance knob adjusts the positioning in the stereo field. It would make sense to leave the Master Control module in the final slot; however, you can also load a Master Control module into one of the two inserts and place it anywhere in the chain where you might want to see levels or have access to a fader.
Lessons Learned
What did I learn in my time with InfiniStrip? If you like—or need—to work fast, then InfiniStrip can be a welcome new friend in your inner plug-in circle. It is more functional than a typical channel strip, as you can easily have multiple EQs or compressors along with a number of other processors open in a single window. You can pretty much get it done at the channel level with InfiniStrip, and it will sound great.
InfiniStrip also has a “sound” to it that becomes noticeable as you use it on multiple tracks. If you gravitate towards SSL, Neve, or API channel strips and like the console-like effect of subtle saturation buildup across multiple tracks, then InfiniStrip gives you room to build up a palette. Swapping out modules while retaining the settings is a productivity booster.
I’d love to see InfiniStrip grow in the future with oversampling added, an E27-like EQ, and even a Vintage Warmer-type module. But that’s just me being greedy; InfiniStrip is already fantastic.
Website: pspaudioware.com
Supported platforms: Mac/Windows; AAX, AU, RTAS, VST, VST3
Price: $199