Channel stripFounders’ price until 30 November
RSL Channel Run every track through a console channel.
RSL Channel puts a preamp, high and low pass filters, a four-band EQ and a compressor in one strip, laid out the way a console channel runs.
AU, VST3, AAX, Standalone on macOS 11 or later; VST3, Standalone on Windows 10 or later (64-bit). Activates through RSL Hub on up to 4 computers. Also included in RSL All Access.
Made for
Who it is for
Producers
Put it first on a vocal, a bass or a drum and get preamp drive, EQ, compression and level in one familiar layout.
Mix engineers
Built as a first insert on individual tracks and small groups, with a fader after the compressor so level changes never alter the dynamics.
Anyone learning gain staging
The signal path is engraved on the faceplate, so you can hear how the level you set at the front changes every stage behind it.
The idea
What it does
RSL Channel is a complete analog-style channel strip: preamp with drive, filters, a four-band EQ, a two-character compressor and a channel fader, in the order a console channel runs them.
On a real console, the gain you set at the front decides how every later stage behaves. Most plugin chains lose that. You stack an EQ, a saturator and a compressor, and the level between them is an afterthought.
RSL Channel puts it back. GAIN feeds a saturation stage that responds to level, then the filters and EQ, then a compressor that hears your EQ moves, then the fader. Raise GAIN and pull the fader down by the same amount, and the track gets thicker without getting louder.
Signal flow
How it works
The signal runs left to right through one channel: GAIN, PAD / POLARITY, CHARACTER, HPF / LPF, 4-BAND EQ, COMPRESSOR, FADER.
Set the front end
GAIN runs from -20 to +70 dB, with a 20 dB pad and a polarity switch. CHARACTER saturates straight after the preamp, before any filtering. MIC / LINE and IMPEDANCE set how hard it is driven, and more GAIN means more saturation.
Shape the tone
Sweepable high-pass and low-pass filters clean up the ends, and a fixed 80 Hz switch clears rumble in one move. Then four bands: HF and LF shelves, HMF and LMF broad bells, each with its own gain and frequency knob.
Control it and set the level
One compressor, VCA or FET, listens to the signal after the EQ. The CHANNEL FADER comes last, from +12 dB down to off. It also serves as make-up gain, without changing how hard the compressor works.
Features
Everything in the plugin
PREAMP
- GAIN, -20 to +70 dB
- MIC / LINE drive switch
- 20 dB PAD
- POLARITY invert
- IMPEDANCE: 200, 600 or 1.2k ohms
- Fixed 80 Hz high-pass switch
CHARACTER
- Saturation from CLEAN to AGGRESSIVE
- Sits before the filters, on the full-range signal
- Responds to level: quiet passages pass almost unchanged
- MIC drives it twice as hard as LINE
- Out of circuit at CLEAN
FILTERS / EQUALIZER
- HPF: OFF, then 20 to 300 Hz
- LPF: OFF, then 1 kHz to 20 kHz
- HF shelf, 5 to 20 kHz
- HMF bell, 700 Hz to 3 kHz
- LMF bell, 100 to 470 Hz
- LF shelf, 30 to 220 Hz
- Every band ±12 dB
DYNAMICS
- VCA or FET character
- THRESHOLD, -20 to +20 dBFS
- RATIO, 2:1 to 20:1
- ATTACK, 0.1 to 100 ms
- RELEASE, 0.1 ms to 1 s
- GAIN REDUCTION needle, 0 to 20 dB
CHANNEL AND WORKFLOW
- CHANNEL FADER, +12 dB to off
- Stereo peak output meter, -60 to 0 dBFS
- Click-free BYPASS with a short crossfade
- Circuit lights that follow the signal
- 4 factory presets plus your own
- A/B comparison, Revert and Import / Export
- Resizable window, 666 x 333 up to 1774 x 887
How to get it
Own it, or get every plugin
RSL All Access
This plus 5 more
$15/ mo, billed yearly
Every RSL plugin and every new one, with every update. No card for the trial. Or $18 monthly.RSL Complete
All 6, yours to keep
$349once
Founders’ price, then $449. Every current plugin; new ones are not included.Specs
Compatibility and licensing
- Operating system
- macOS 11 or newer, or Windows 10 64-bit or newer including Windows 11
- Plugin formats
- macOS: Audio Unit, VST3, AAX and Standalone. Windows: VST3 and Standalone
- Pro Tools
- Yes, on macOS: the installer includes AAX. There is no AAX on Windows yet
- Activation
- Installed and activated through RSL Hub on up to 4 computers, with no license key
- Current build
- Version 1.0.3 on macOS and Windows
- Signal path
- GAIN, PAD / POLARITY, CHARACTER, HPF / LPF, 4-band EQ, compressor, fader
- Channels
- Mono or stereo
- Latency
- None, no delay compensation needed
- Compressor
- Peak-sensing, hard knee, stereo linked, no lookahead
- Interface
- Opens at 666 x 333 points, resizable to 1774 x 887, proportions fixed
- Presets
- 4 factory presets, user presets as .rgpreset files
Questions
Questions before you buy
Will it run on my machine?
RSL Channel runs on macOS 11 or later and on 64-bit Windows 10 or later. The current build is v1.0.3 on both.
Which formats do I get?
On macOS you get AU, VST3, AAX for Pro Tools and a Standalone app. On Windows you get VST3 and a Standalone app.
Does it work in Pro Tools?
Yes, on macOS, as an AAX plugin. There is no AAX version for Windows yet.
How many computers can I use it on?
Up to 4. It activates through the RSL Hub app with your Renegade Sound Labs account, so there’s no license key to type in. You can free a place by removing a computer in RSL Hub or on your account page.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can try RSL Channel free for 14 days before you buy.
What happens to the price after the offer ends?
The founders’ price of $69 runs through 30 November. After that it’s $99. Either way it’s a one-time purchase, yours to keep with its updates. You can refund it within 14 days of purchase, for any reason.
Is it included in RSL All Access?
Yes. RSL All Access includes RSL Channel for $15 a month billed yearly, or $18 monthly. It starts with a 14-day free trial, and no card is needed.
Does it add latency?
No. RSL Channel adds no latency, so your host doesn’t need to compensate for it, and it works on mono or stereo tracks.
Is it a model of a specific console?
No. It’s an original Renegade Sound Labs strip, not a measured model of any particular piece of hardware. It is also not a limiter or a mastering processor: it’s one channel, built for individual tracks and small groups.
Pairs with
Works well alongside it
RSL Channel
Run every track through a console channel.
Founders’ price: $69 through 30 November, then $99
- Secure checkout
- Instant access in RSL Hub
- Up to 4 computers
