Recording - April 2021 - 38

-Review by Bill Stunt

PSP Audioware

InfiniStrip

FIRE

infinitely configurable
channel strip plugin
A full-featured, great-sounding,
modular plugin channel strip
PSP Audioware has a reputation for producing high-quality
plugins that emulate the characteristics of well-crafted
and time-tested audio processing tools. While not direct
emulations of specific pieces, the PSP ethos takes the best
of classic designs and then tweaks them with added features
and functionality. InfiniStrip is a unique modular take on the
traditional channel strip. Rather than being tied to a single
classic signal path, InfiniStrip mixes and matches components
from multiple eras and circuit design philosophies.

To infinity and beyond!

The interface resembles a 500 Series rack with nine slots,
with the signal path flowing logically from left to right. You can
resize the GUI to show the slots in use, or invoke a mini display
that shows one module at a time.
There are 24 modules in eight types: preamps, filters, compressors, equalizers, limiters, dynamics (expander, ducker and gates),
control, and dedicated modules for de-essing and hum removal.
Seven of the nine slots are dedicated to specific types of processors; the other two can be used for any kind of module. You
can remove modules from the signal path by menu selection or
by simply swiping them out of the rack.

Preamps

Preamp modules range from clean or pure gain to various
era-specific designs. The 60s preamp is a tube type. The 70s
and 80s variations emulate classic transformer and transformerless designs, respectively. The 90s preamp features a nonlinear 12-bit A/D converter emulation.

Filters

There are three different filter modules. 'Basic' offers two pass filters
with three slope options for each. The Pro module adds a parametric
mid-band filter with five selectable shapes. The 'S.C.' (sidechain) filter builds on the Pro Module and offers internal sidechaining.
38 RECORDING April 2021

Dynamics

The first selection of dynamics modules includes a gate, an
expander, and a ducker-all three with internal pass filters and
external sidechain utilities. There's a built-in monitor toggle that
facilitates setting effective filter values. Next are a choice of
three compressor types (Opto, FET, and VCA), which also feature similar internal and external sidechain functionality.

Classic PSP EQ

The EQ choices range from the uncolored general purpose
ChannelQ, to PreQursor and RetroQ, which offer different flavors of
classic analog EQs previously available as standalone PSP plugins.

Limiters

PSP recently upped the range of limiters in InfiniStrip to four
by supplementing the originally offered Opto and VCA-type
limiters with a Brick Wall limiter and a Saturator. The first two
are based on the limiter designs in their dual-algorithm PSP
Twin L plugin. They each have unique bus-style characteristics,
but neither is a true brick wall limiter, making the Brick Wall
module a welcome addition to the suite.

Control

The Control module acts as an overall master control for the
plugin. Along with a master fader, you get super-responsive
width, balance (when used on a stereo track), and metering
controls. The width control uses mid/side processing to widen
or narrow the stereo field.

De-ess, De-hum

There are two final Special modules: De-Esser and De-Hummer.
The former is for attenuating spitty vocals, ess sounds and harsh
transients. De-Hummer will attenuate hum in the 50 to 60 cycle
frequency range.

Infinitely useful?

I've played with InfiniStripFIRE for several weeks now, both
during tracking (darn near zero-latency) and mixing. I've found
it to be 'infinitely' flexible and effective.
While seven slots are dedicated to particular modules, you
can arrange them anywhere in the signal path; use the Clean
preamp to boost or attenuate gain at the end of the chain, place
compression pre or post EQ, and so on.
The preamps' unique mojo gets revealed when you push the gain
and drive controls, achieving tones from clinical to clean yet colored, to
transformer-type saturated heft right on through to low-res aggression.
The basic filters work well for unmasking and creating clarity,
and the choice of filter slopes helps to fine-tune the filtering. The
Pro filter's midrange control is very flexible and tweakable with
its five filter shapes.

Recording - April 2021

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