ChannelStrip got its start as a Pro Tools plugin for Pro Tools|MIX. When RTAS was introduced, Metric Halo added RTAS support. Pro Tools|HD came out, and support for the HD DSPs was added. And now, with version 2.2, ChannelStrip adds support for the Accel DSPs, PCIe cards and the Intel architecture (Universal Binary). ChannelStrip 2.2 has a number of Pro Tools-specific new features, bug fixes and enhancements over previous versions:

• Brand new DSP allocation engine that resolves some DSP allocation issues that could lead to DAE errors in previous versions of ChannelStrip, especially when closing and opening multiple sessions during one launch of Pro Tools.
• Complete overhaul of the 56k DSP code for TDM processing that fixes the long-standing “96k gate bug” on Onyx (Mix) and Presto (HD/Accel) DSPs.
• Completely revamped control surface page tables supporting all current Digidesign control surfaces.
• New support for Pro Tools plugin clip indication and global clip indicator clear.
• New support for the 321 chips on the Accel DSP cards.
• New version of 56k DSP code for the 321 chips on the Accel DSP cards that supports 16/8/4 mono instances at 48k/96k/192k.
• New support for 192k on TDM (RTAS always supported 192k).
• Fixed incompatibility with PCIe Accel cards (all DSPs).
• Updated support for resizing the plugin window.
• Support for Digidesign’s advanced DMA communication protocol for more efficient communication with DSPs both on local DSP cards and in the Expansion|HD chassis for expanded systems.
• Universal Binary support for Intel-based Macs, including Intel optimized version of the RTAS and AS processes.

As with previous versions of ChannelStrip, version 2.2 provides incredible DSP efficiency, making the most of your hardware investment. ChannelStrip 2.2 supports all TDM hardware from Pro Tools Mix up to the current Pro Tools HD|Accel PCIe. The tables below summarize the number of instances you will be able to use on supported Pro Tools hardware. Since the instance counts depend on the specific DSP type, we list the instance counts for all DSPs on each card type.

Mix Core Mono Instances DSP # DSP Type 48k 96k 192k 1 Onyx 6 2 — 2 Onyx 6 2 — 3 Onyx 6 2 — 4 Onyx 6 2 — 5 Onyx 6 2 — 6 Onyx 6 2 — Card Total 36 12 —

Mix Farm Mono Instances DSP # DSP Type 48k 96k 192k 1 Onyx 6 2 — 2 Onyx 6 2 — 3 Onyx 6 2 — 4 Onyx 6 2 — 5 Onyx 6 2 — 6 Onyx 6 2 — Card Total 36 12 —

HD|Core Mono Instances DSP # DSP Type 48k 96k 192k 1 Presto 6 2 — 2 Presto 6 2 — 3 Presto 6 2 — 4 Presto 6 2 — 5 Presto 6 2 — 6 Presto 6 2 — 7 Presto 6 2 — 8 Presto 6 2 — 9 Presto 6 2 — Card Total 54 18 —

HD|Accel (PCI) Mono Instances DSP # DSP Type 48k 96k 192k 1 Presto 6 2 — 2 Presto 6 2 — 3 321 16 8 4 4 321 16 8 4 5 321 16 8 4 6 321 16 8 4 7 321 16 8 4 8 321 16 8 4 9 321 16 8 4 Card Total 124 60 28

HD|Accel (PCIe) Mono Instances DSP # DSP Type 48k 96k 192k 1 Presto 6 2 — 2 Presto 6 2 — 3 Presto 6 2 — 4 321 16 8 4 5 321 16 8 4 6 321 16 8 4 7 321 16 8 4 8 321 16 8 4 9 321 16 8 4 Card Total 114 54 24

Every parameter of ChannelStrip is fully automatable with Pro Tools dynamic automation. Automation is completely smooth and interpolated. You can record automation via the mouse or with a control surface or you can lay-in automation via Pro Tools automation editing features. Touch automation is fully supported for all parameters.

All current Digidesign Control Surfaces are supported in control mapping tables. ChannelStrip’s page tables have been updated to Digidesign’s new mapping technology, making them easy to extend and maintain as additional control surfaces are added to the product family. Supported control surfaces include:

• ICON
  • D-Command
  • D-Control
    • Encoders
    • Center Section
    • Custom Fader
• Control|24
• Pro Control
• Digi 002/003
• Command|8
• Mackie HUI

With the advent of powerful host processors (like the Quad G5 and the Mac Pro Quad Xeon), it is natural to wonder “How many instances can I get with RTAS?”... and the answer is “A LOT!”

So then you might wonder — “Should I get the TDM version of the plug?”

The answer to this question is “It depends...” — basically with the power of today’s host processors the choice between TDM and RTAS depends on workflow and workstyle more than raw capability. The primary benefits of TDM are:

• Reduced host processor load with large channel counts. So if you do big mixes, you probably want TDM so that your workstation UI doesn't bog down.
• Enhanced routing for side-chains. This is especially important if you routinely key the gate or compressor with aux busses.
• Greatly reduced routing latency. This is critically important if you track through ChannelStrip or use ChannelStrip as bus processor on aux busses. On the other hand, if you will only be using ChannelStrip on channel inserts during mix down, it is not nearly as important.

Basically, if you felt the need to get yourself a TDM-based system instead of a native Pro Tools system, you are very likely to appreciate the benefits of working with the TDM version of the plugin.

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