Best Channel Strip For Home Studio (2024 Update)

Overall: I own 2VLA II's and one PreSonus Studio Channel.. preface .. I bought 2 VLA from the big "A' new and both were used.. they went back in a hurry.. got 2 NEW VLA's ZZOUNDS and the were new as could be.. then I purchased a B-stock PreSonus from ZZOUNDS and it was a mess.. after a ten minute warm up it made my cheap Dean Bass notes sound like a honey.. very very good for bass. but after 20 minutes it fizzled and the push buttons didn't light. So I returned the problem one and bought another, this new from zZounds who were very patient, sorry about the B-stock junker sent me a pre paid shipping label and I must say at no time did I worry things would turn out fine which they have. Now to the matter at hand. I have one VLA dedicated to my MicroArranger (KORG) the other to a great stereo mike which sits in front of a cab w/two twelve' and powered by 2 Greta's (Fender) 2 watt amps isolated in another room as is another condenser which I switch between the Bass and another mike .. mono. Its really a tough call but I do know every thing that comes out of the KORG especially the drum patterns are terrific.. very easy to mix down and get em into my computer program. It use to be difficult to bring up the drums as the sound through my monitor speakers because of clipping.. no clipping now.. I have dialed in the 10 knobs and its like Pink Floyd sounding (drums) the voices are sweeter and that's a bonus.. sometimes I bypass one channel and tube the other and adjust the volume-pan on the DP 32 s and that's great also The VLA's are built like the proverbial tank.. The base sounds great but I give the nod to the PreSonus. It really is great to have the bass does not hog the spectrum of frequencies and mush up the kick pedal. The PreSonus has 16 knobs and twelve push buttons .. phantom tube gain Tube Drive compression and eq. These features are not just ornamental they actually make for big changes and they are incremental which I like. The VlA's are not, just a tight clean sweep. Also the VLA's have no phantom power as the STUDIO CHANNEL does. I bought a ROLLS external phantom for 50 bucks. doesn't add any noise and does the job.. of course your adding extra cable in but it is what it is. Should be obvious to ART that a phantom is necessary I have other non tube compressors which do a good job but having tubes you can really tell the different in the mix down.. All instruments stay isolated and you get good imagery in the final production.. I am partial to the VLA's but the PreSonus has more variables to work with and as I said the bass is great thru it. Seems like it was made for bass. Now that I confused you, for the money they both are really good.. I don't have alot of bux so I will be eating plenty of cheap soup for sometime because of these purchases. These are two very good units. If you need help with your bass or vocals I would choose the Presonus. For that matter drums sound good thru the PreSonus but its only one channel, however you can really fine tune whatever you input. where as with the VLA's you would fine tune post production. Overall these units have been a game changer for me.. very inspirational for studio work.. Live.. I don't have any idea. I have visited studio's with much higher end gear, mostly PreSonus but honestly, with my DP-32, the compressors a ZOOM G3 guitar possessor and a few other goodies I would not be embarrassed t at all to compare sonics . I'm sure the nod would go to the mega studios, I'm not that naive but I think diminishing returns would fit the high ends. Finally, once again I say I am very happy with ZZOUNDS. I won't return to "A" onless I need a can opener or something (or MP3's)Paul

We own a studio writing/recording for major film, games, and TV. We researched the reviews on this product before purchasing and since purchasing it, we are happy with our choice. We recently started producing a new show where we have multiple simultaneous interacting voices. We had to add in one more mic and it's associated gear for the show. We needed to match the "hard-to-reproduce" tube tonal quality and compression signature of a vintage Presonus mic preamp from the 90's so the voices sounded consistent. This vintage unit has warmth and clarity hard to find today except in tube vocal processors over $4k. This unit actually exceeds our expectations. Warm consistent sound with good control. After installation we went to immediate recording time and matched the sound of the vintage unit in seconds. Wish it had a desser but that can be applied in pre via DAW. Sound is clean and consistent. Worth three times what we paid for it versus the benefit we have from it in the studio.Kevin Village-Stone

Its very easy to adjust and you can get great sound. The only think was it has a hum and depending on the unit you get its loud or not so loud. The first one was so loud that I send it back to B&H. The customer service guy at DBX told that the transformer can become loose during shipment and recommended getting an exchange. The second one is much much quieter but it does have the hum. These kind of units are rare to get. Now a days the modern interfaces have digital interface that you need to tweek. Few other ones I found are more expensive. One with a big bottom. And the other that you need to eq.Ashwin

This 1U rack space unit packs a buncha tone and features inside. It sounds fantastic just running a mic through it w/ all processing off; in this mode it's like an "Ever-So-Much-More" sound: just like the mic's natural, basic tone only bigger, better, badder, and boffo-er……er, ok. Maybe not the last one, but……Ennyhoo, start monkeyin' around with the other sections of this l'il wonder and WOW! While I haven't tried out all of our mics thru the 286 yet, I have demo'ed some of our best mics (Carvin CTM100, MicParts S-25 that I built from a kit, Shure Beta 87A, Rode NT-1A, '60s EV644), and our most humble ( SM58, EV767ND, '60s RS "Highball 2" hi-z Omni), and every one benefited from this box's sonic magic, most mightily. It's worth the price of admission just for what it does to and for the hand-held mics alone! I can see this transforming a dynamic vocalist's possibly lackluster PA in a live setting into an interesting and much more pleasing listening experience, one capable of encouraging more audience engagement. And in today's shart-fone obsessed 'society', that's sayin' something! In a recording studio setting, it has a definite place as a vocal and/or solo instrument overdub instrument, especially when more 'in your face' quality is what's desired. It also has been the budget-minded podcaster's choice for quite awhile now, and for the same reasons. You can spend many more digital zero$&one$ elsewhere for only small incremental improvements in performance here and there. This magic dingus box delivers, in spades. I just love mine. Recording vocals is exciting again! Just imagine how it feels for the vocalists…….Busta

This product is increasingly hard to find, but offers exceptional audio processing power for both broadcast and music applications and at a good price. We've bought these units primarily for broadcast voice applications and so cannot comment on their use in music recording or via the line input. However the unit provides what is essentially a complete channel strip consisting (L to R) of the following: A Mic Pre with gain control, a basic 4-LED level indicator, phantom power and 80Hz HPF, plus a button to use the mic pre on its own; A VERY powerful but very easy to use compressor with input level and release controls; A de-esser (which I've never used); An LF/HF enhancer which boosts bass and/or treble without muddying the sound; An expander/gate that lets you remove room background noise below a certain threshold and by a chosen amount; and An output gain control that enables you to maintain a good gain structure for the signal path into your mixer. There are tutorials on the web for how to set this unit up as a starting point for broadcast applications – BSW has a video and cheat sheet that springs to mind – but in fact once you get the hang of what the controls actually do, it's very easy to set up. "Gotchas" include: Don't apply too much Drive to the compressor or it will remove all the dynamics in a voice and can be noticeable. Follow the maxim that if you can hear what it's doing you've turned it up too much; Be careful with the Expander/Gate ratio. Too much noice reduction here can sound a little "papery" on speech as the gate flutters in and out on breaths and other sounds when you are using a lot of compression. Try to set the Threshold so that it gates out room noise but only just, so the minute you speak or breath it opens up. My one complaint with this unit: they should have included a main power switch, even if it was round the back attached to the power socket. While a larger studio may well have a big power switch that brings everything up at start of day, and while there are arguments for leaving gear on all the time, if you are NOT using it all the time it would be nice to be able to switch it off. I bought an IEC in-line switch to do the job, but a built-in switch associated with the power socket would have added almost nothing to the cost – and you could still leave it on if you wish.rgelen

Had one for almost a year now its the first channel strip I reach for, for vox, and acoustic guitars, and bass. It's a great channel strip not cheap but within reach of the project studio owner, but price did go up $50 in a year. It the best deal on this level of quality around for a grand, jump on it while you can before prices go up again.Fabian Vasquez Jr

Overall: I own 2VLA II's and one PreSonus Studio Channel.. preface .. I bought 2 VLA from the big "A' new and both were used.. they went back in a hurry.. got 2 NEW VLA's ZZOUNDS and the were new as could be.. then I purchased a B-stock PreSonus from ZZOUNDS and it was a mess.. after a ten minute warm up it made my cheap Dean Bass notes sound like a honey.. very very good for bass. but after 20 minutes it fizzled and the push buttons didn't light. So I returned the problem one and bought another, this new from zZounds who were very patient, sorry about the B-stock junker sent me a pre paid shipping label and I must say at no time did I worry things would turn out fine which they have. Now to the matter at hand. I have one VLA dedicated to my MicroArranger (KORG) the other to a great stereo mike which sits in front of a cab w/two twelve' and powered by 2 Greta's (Fender) 2 watt amps isolated in another room as is another condenser which I switch between the Bass and another mike .. mono. Its really a tough call but I do know every thing that comes out of the KORG especially the drum patterns are terrific.. very easy to mix down and get em into my computer program. It use to be difficult to bring up the drums as the sound through my monitor speakers because of clipping.. no clipping now.. I have dialed in the 10 knobs and its like Pink Floyd sounding (drums) the voices are sweeter and that's a bonus.. sometimes I bypass one channel and tube the other and adjust the volume-pan on the DP 32 s and that's great also The VLA's are built like the proverbial tank.. The base sounds great but I give the nod to the PreSonus. It really is great to have the bass does not hog the spectrum of frequencies and mush up the kick pedal. The PreSonus has 16 knobs and twelve push buttons .. phantom tube gain Tube Drive compression and eq. These features are not just ornamental they actually make for big changes and they are incremental which I like. The VlA's are not, just a tight clean sweep. Also the VLA's have no phantom power as the STUDIO CHANNEL does. I bought a ROLLS external phantom for 50 bucks. doesn't add any noise and does the job.. of course your adding extra cable in but it is what it is. Should be obvious to ART that a phantom is necessary I have other non tube compressors which do a good job but having tubes you can really tell the different in the mix down.. All instruments stay isolated and you get good imagery in the final production.. I am partial to the VLA's but the PreSonus has more variables to work with and as I said the bass is great thru it. Seems like it was made for bass. Now that I confused you, for the money they both are really good.. I don't have alot of bux so I will be eating plenty of cheap soup for sometime because of these purchases. These are two very good units. If you need help with your bass or vocals I would choose the Presonus. For that matter drums sound good thru the PreSonus but its only one channel, however you can really fine tune whatever you input. where as with the VLA's you would fine tune post production. Overall these units have been a game changer for me.. very inspirational for studio work.. Live.. I don't have any idea. I have visited studio's with much higher end gear, mostly PreSonus but honestly, with my DP-32, the compressors a ZOOM G3 guitar possessor and a few other goodies I would not be embarrassed t at all to compare sonics . I'm sure the nod would go to the mega studios, I'm not that naive but I think diminishing returns would fit the high ends. Finally, once again I say I am very happy with ZZOUNDS. I won't return to "A" onless I need a can opener or something (or MP3's)Paul

We own a studio writing/recording for major film, games, and TV. We researched the reviews on this product before purchasing and since purchasing it, we are happy with our choice. We recently started producing a new show where we have multiple simultaneous interacting voices. We had to add in one more mic and it's associated gear for the show. We needed to match the "hard-to-reproduce" tube tonal quality and compression signature of a vintage Presonus mic preamp from the 90's so the voices sounded consistent. This vintage unit has warmth and clarity hard to find today except in tube vocal processors over $4k. This unit actually exceeds our expectations. Warm consistent sound with good control. After installation we went to immediate recording time and matched the sound of the vintage unit in seconds. Wish it had a desser but that can be applied in pre via DAW. Sound is clean and consistent. Worth three times what we paid for it versus the benefit we have from it in the studio.Kevin Village-Stone

Pros: Easy to set up and works well with Alexa and via the phone app. You can set schedules. You can also extend or shorten them. Cons: The effects are editable but not very versatile. You are unable to make your own from scratch. I wanted to create a runway strip effect but all leds are always on.Charlotte

I love LED accent lighting and was excited to see Kasa come out with these. I already have over a dozen other Kasa products – mostly smart light bulbs and a couple smart light switches. PROS: – For me, smart controls with Google devices works well. This is the main reason I paid a big premium for this type of light strip and it was the most important thing for me – Kasa app is easy and intuitive to use – Very easy to install – peel and place, plug and play – Extensions are also very easy to add. You just plug them in to the end of a 6.6' strip , turn the strip off and on, and the extension acts like an extension (same color, patterns look good, etc.) – Great brightness range – Great color range, including cool and warm whites as well as many, many vivid colors CONS – Depending on your application, these can get really expensive really fast. Used as accent lighting running the inside perimeter of two 6-foot tall bookcases cost over $300 with tax. And I paid for them with my own money, these were NOT given to me in exchange for a review – Once you cut a strip, the rest of it is trash. For each of my bookcases, I had to cut the last ~16" of lights off to fit, meaning I threw away about $25 worth of extensions – Strips are not very flexible – you'll probably need to run them in a straight line. There are no angle adapters available that I know of that would allow a 90 degree turn Boiled down, the pros are the lights perform really well and give you something I don't think I could easily get from cheaper lights – the ability to control on/off, color, and brightness with my voice. But the cons areyou need to have the right application to pull these off. They are expensive, but the price compares pretty favorably to most of the other smart strip lights out there and you don't need a hub or anything else at all (other than electricity and a smart device to set them up) to run these lights. I have had pretty good luck with Google controls. The first couple days, connection was a little spotty. But it quickly improved and even if one command did not work (e.g. turn on light), I could use another command (e.g. set light to 20%) and then the strip would respond to everything. Now, it seems to work well and its very rare that I have to do anything special to control the bookshelf lights, which are part of a group with other Kasa lights. If you're like me, this is the main reason you're buying these lights. You buy the product in a 6.6' foot stretch and can add extensions (sold separately in 3.3' increments). You can't just buy an extension, the extensions only work with the full 6.6' strip. So if you are trying to light a 3' section, you'll have to buy the 6.6' strip and basically cut it in half and throw the cut section away. This is annoying because the strips are clearly made in 1.65' sections and either connected by thin wires or a bulky (0.18" thick) connector. I wouldn't mind so much if you could install the strips with a turn (like make a 90 degree angle), but you can't really do that. Now for the good stuff. The strips are very sturdy. Even though you can tell they are mated about every foot and a half or so, they are encapsulated in a soft clear gel-like plastic. The back has a high quality 3M tape strip. I never once had an issue with the tape not sticking, though I was working on a clean surface. Once installed and turned on, the lights are just what I wanted. Because my lights wrap around the inside of bookshelves (Ikea Hemnes shelves), I get a LOT of light. They very easily light up the shelves and I use them all the time at different brightness for different moods. The patterns are fun but I don't use them often. Kasa promises to allow custom patterns at some point. I love that you can adjust the white color from warm white to cool white and there are tons of fun colors. I included a few pictures of the brightness taken late at night when it was dark out. I have the two bookshelves, each one with one 6.6' light strip and 3 extensions (though the last extension is cut in half to fit cleanly). My camera sort of auto-adjusted the brightness but I think you can tell they are very bright. At 100% brightness, they virtually light up my (relatively small) living room. My bookshelves unintentionally have a light rail that helps hide the LED strip so I don't see the strip itself unless I'm looking at the bookshelves from the side. At less than 0.5" wide, they do a good job of lighting things up without sticking out. The product description leaves a lot to be desired. More dimensions… the cord from the power outlet to the light strip controller is 22" long, the cord from the controller to the light strip is 6'10" and 1/8" in diameter. The thickness of the light strip is 0.18" at block-like connections on the strip, but only 0.11" thick at the LEDs. So if you're trying to run in a bookcase along the sides of shelves, the strip was thin enough for me to fit it between the side wall and the shelf keeping the LEDs …S.t.M.

Really love these super simple and cost effective LED light strips. They are plenty bright and the kasa app enables some really cool lighting effects like aurora, candle light, and candy canes. My install for 4 separate cabinet sections took less than 45 minutes. I ran one behind the microwave, the other to the oven vent, one behind my fridge, and the other into a power outlet into the cabinet. The LED strip slides easily through a 1/4” hole. I am not that handy and was able to get the attached pictures done quickly for under $180 vs having a professional do the work for $250. Absolutely love these. They also work with Google Home, so voice activation is what we mainly use.M.

This preamp is easy to use and easy to figure out, but the analog VU meter on mine wasn't calibrated. There's a trim adjustment accessible on the front panel to calibrate it which is nice as the tubes performance will drift as they age, but it should have been calibrated to at least ballpark accuracy at the factory. The LED meter works fine though, so this is really just picking nits and has no effect on using the preamp. I don't have any really quiet places I can test this for noise performance, but for my home studio use noise hasn't been an issue. EQ works the way it should. The compressor sounds pretty good and it's easy to tell how much it's reducing the signal and with the bypass switch A/B testing the sound is easy. I could wish for a lower ratio, but 2:1 is fine and it's easy to make it sound transparent. The variable input impedance is a cool feature, as is the high/low plate voltage for the preamp tube. They make more difference than I thought in the way my mic sounds, so there's a lot of "tuning" available with those controls.Mike

My long-term knowledge of preamps is somewhat limited but bear with me. The only channel strip type I have used enough to become very familiar with was my Focusrite, which cost twice as much and always delivered fine sounding tracks. This ART got good reviews, so I gave it a try. It compares very favorably to the Focusrite, I cannot detect any less quality in the sound department AND it has more flexibility in the settings for additional variety of character. There are only 2 quibbles I have with the item & they aren't major, but can be annoying. First of all, the manufacturers advertise that it can be set up to place the EQ before the dynamics processor, yet the manual makes no mention of how this is done. On the Focusrite it was merely a matter of pushing a switch. I questioned the dealer in a follow-up to see if he knew. He wasn't able to tell me any more than I was able to speculate on my own, which was a combination of using the back panel patch connections and possibly the bypass switch(es) on the front. You see, there is no "patch point" at the exit of the EQ. He suggested using preamp output (I think he was referring to the output stage) which is after the EQ, and patching it back into the compressor. I haven't narrowed down the exact setup yet, but his advice wasn't thathelpful to me. Secondly, the main LED meter (beneath the large Vu meter) is positioned such that you need to mount the unit quite high, about eye-level. My rack is low, designed to be used sitting down. Even so, I had to lower & tilt the mic stand so that I could lay on the floor while singing in order to see the darn thing to set the level. The questions above are fairly silly. Yes, the sound quality is good. Easy to use? That all depends. For an experienced engineer, it is fairly easy but does have a lot of interdependent setting that affect each other and can be tricky to get the desired sound. But this is made up for by the great variety of sounds. For a beginner? Could very well be baffling! But hey, engineering is fun…so is learning! Lightweight? Heck no, but that's not necessarily a negative. It's far more substantial-feeling than my last unit and the fit and finish leave nothing to complain about. It has the look & feel of serious piece of equipment.redsky0_0

I've created a good sized bag of songs and figure it's time to see if this stuff is marketable. I purchased the first Pro Channel II ( PCII ) and it made lots of noise in the speaker/ daw, so I returned it and got my money back. Bought a different preamp that was hyped up big and matched my daw… but it did not seem to have as many features as this PCII, nor did I feel it made the sound as good, even though it was totally quiet. So I bought another PCII… This one is quieter with just a touch of hiss if you turn it up too much… so I'd say the hiss/ noise was manageable. I am a single singer/ acoustic guitar just beginning my recording(s). I'd say the PCII preamp has made the guitar sound vastly better, making the sounds clearer/ the control of the volume more controlled going into the daw… I felt the guitar sound was muddy and without definition before I bought the preamp. To sum it up… If you want a perfect preamp… you are going to pay a couple thousand ( more). If you have limited funds before you prove yourself, this is a good preamp for the job… Oh yeah, I've read one can change the China made tubes out for better. AND… They could have done better on the documentation, but it can be figured out. Steve HightowerMr Stev

I've been recording my own music and others' for 30+ years. The Manley CORE Reference Channel Strip gives me audio reproduction of a whole new level. Recorded voices and instruments sound like their best. I would go so far as to say the CORE is a fine musical instrument in its own right. The way the tube pre interacts with the ELOP compressor is sublime, and the Baxendall EQ section is both simple and flexible. The real acid test for me, though, is how easy it is to mix songs I've recorded with the CORE – the tracks sit just right to the point where no mix-engineer judo is required. This unit is the best bang-for-the-buck gear I've ever encountered, a design and engineering masterpiece.Curve Dominant

The hype this thing has gotten is off the charts. But why? I don't get it. In comparison to other preamps at this price (high end by any standard), this would be my last choice. Compared to Empirical Labs and SPL, the preamp is weak and thin sounding, the compressor seems to do nothing (I've switched it in and out and noticed nothing happening), and the limiter doesn't kick in until it's too late, letting peaks get through. The only part that works well is the EQ – which sounds very good. This thing needs more gain and a better compressor to compete with other brands in this range. It should also have a D-Esser function, because of it's inherently bright sound. I'll stick with my SPL.Data-Bank-A

The tube path is fat but not flabby, the compressor 3:1 Elop can be transparent to heavy character, the BAX EQ has nice filters on the low end, great for bass with a 48V DI rather than the front panel DI which isn't quite as good. I don't normally limit when tracking, but just in case you get a momentary spike you won't lose the performance. I got two of these over a single Vox Box. I use them to touch up mix busses and on the 2 buss if a tube path is needed with or without signal chain bypass.Jon P.

This Channel Strip/ Preamp and compressor is amazing! The tubes bring out so much richness and body. If you only buy one channel strip for your studio, this should be it! Worth every penny, and this thing was so easy to set up. It gets great sounds right out of the box, nothing complicated with this unit.Tai

Sound: Sound is simply amazing. Very warm and clear but when you drive the pre or the output you can get a really aggressive saturation. The Hi and Lo shelving EQs give nice smooth boost and cuts and there are alot of control over the gain so you can push the tubes just how you want to. I love the pre but the compressor is my favorite part. You can get good amount of Gain Reduction and still have it be pretty transparent. Also hooked up my Les Paul through the DI and was able to get some very usable tones. Havent tried it with a bass yet but I hear good things about its capabilities there Features: You get a tube pre, Hi and Lo shelving Eqs with three frequency choices for each, the mic impedance switch is a nice option as is the ability to accept line level signals(doesnt bypass pre though). Then for good measure they give an awesome LA2A style compressor limiter. Everything you need in a channel strip Ease of Use: Simplicity is king for me and this is definitely simple to use. Very few knobs so there is nothing to focus on but sound and its easy to dial in the right sound for anything I need. Quality: Very well built, Solid as a rock, VU meter is nice, Knobs all turn smoothly but not too loose, switches feel extremely sturdy too. I like that the eq adjust in fixed increments so its easy to recall when you need to. Value: Totally worth the price. I used zZounds pay as you play but if anything happened to it I wouldnt mind being late on my rent to replace it in a hurry. Manufacturer Support: havent needed to try them I can say the included manual is very nice The Wow Factor: It's is all in the sound. Every mic I plug into it sounds better, period. Ive also ran mono keyboard/synth sounds and some drum samples through it and adds a nice feel to those workstation sounds. One day I might have to get a second one.The real Wow factor comes from the inspiration you get when you hear yourself recording through it. All the vocalist I usually record gave some of there best performances though the LA610 and every single one of them was gushing over it after the fact and couldnt wait to record again. And I'm generally the only one thats a gear head Overall: Love itMarcus

The Millennia Media STT-1 is a channel strip that can either be pure preamp with no added color or one with tube based harmonics. I personally always used the pure channel. It also has transformer saturartion. There is also an EQ and compression section that can be used for mic sources or as a mastering strip. Solidly built.sdpate1948

Overall: I own 2VLA II's and one PreSonus Studio Channel.. preface .. I bought 2 VLA from the big "A' new and both were used.. they went back in a hurry.. got 2 NEW VLA's ZZOUNDS and the were new as could be.. then I purchased a B-stock PreSonus from ZZOUNDS and it was a mess.. after a ten minute warm up it made my cheap Dean Bass notes sound like a honey.. very very good for bass. but after 20 minutes it fizzled and the push buttons didn't light. So I returned the problem one and bought another, this new from zZounds who were very patient, sorry about the B-stock junker sent me a pre paid shipping label and I must say at no time did I worry things would turn out fine which they have. Now to the matter at hand. I have one VLA dedicated to my MicroArranger (KORG) the other to a great stereo mike which sits in front of a cab w/two twelve' and powered by 2 Greta's (Fender) 2 watt amps isolated in another room as is another condenser which I switch between the Bass and another mike .. mono. Its really a tough call but I do know every thing that comes out of the KORG especially the drum patterns are terrific.. very easy to mix down and get em into my computer program. It use to be difficult to bring up the drums as the sound through my monitor speakers because of clipping.. no clipping now.. I have dialed in the 10 knobs and its like Pink Floyd sounding (drums) the voices are sweeter and that's a bonus.. sometimes I bypass one channel and tube the other and adjust the volume-pan on the DP 32 s and that's great also The VLA's are built like the proverbial tank.. The base sounds great but I give the nod to the PreSonus. It really is great to have the bass does not hog the spectrum of frequencies and mush up the kick pedal. The PreSonus has 16 knobs and twelve push buttons .. phantom tube gain Tube Drive compression and eq. These features are not just ornamental they actually make for big changes and they are incremental which I like. The VlA's are not, just a tight clean sweep. Also the VLA's have no phantom power as the STUDIO CHANNEL does. I bought a ROLLS external phantom for 50 bucks. doesn't add any noise and does the job.. of course your adding extra cable in but it is what it is. Should be obvious to ART that a phantom is necessary I have other non tube compressors which do a good job but having tubes you can really tell the different in the mix down.. All instruments stay isolated and you get good imagery in the final production.. I am partial to the VLA's but the PreSonus has more variables to work with and as I said the bass is great thru it. Seems like it was made for bass. Now that I confused you, for the money they both are really good.. I don't have alot of bux so I will be eating plenty of cheap soup for sometime because of these purchases. These are two very good units. If you need help with your bass or vocals I would choose the Presonus. For that matter drums sound good thru the PreSonus but its only one channel, however you can really fine tune whatever you input. where as with the VLA's you would fine tune post production. Overall these units have been a game changer for me.. very inspirational for studio work.. Live.. I don't have any idea. I have visited studio's with much higher end gear, mostly PreSonus but honestly, with my DP-32, the compressors a ZOOM G3 guitar possessor and a few other goodies I would not be embarrassed t at all to compare sonics . I'm sure the nod would go to the mega studios, I'm not that naive but I think diminishing returns would fit the high ends. Finally, once again I say I am very happy with ZZOUNDS. I won't return to "A" onless I need a can opener or something (or MP3's)Paul

We own a studio writing/recording for major film, games, and TV. We researched the reviews on this product before purchasing and since purchasing it, we are happy with our choice. We recently started producing a new show where we have multiple simultaneous interacting voices. We had to add in one more mic and it's associated gear for the show. We needed to match the "hard-to-reproduce" tube tonal quality and compression signature of a vintage Presonus mic preamp from the 90's so the voices sounded consistent. This vintage unit has warmth and clarity hard to find today except in tube vocal processors over $4k. This unit actually exceeds our expectations. Warm consistent sound with good control. After installation we went to immediate recording time and matched the sound of the vintage unit in seconds. Wish it had a desser but that can be applied in pre via DAW. Sound is clean and consistent. Worth three times what we paid for it versus the benefit we have from it in the studio.Kevin Village-Stone

It's a Tube Based Channel Strip and surprisingly High Fidelity, 'Musical Sounding' and Smooth. For the price point it's at, the shortcomings of the Unit are not something to really complain about; personally being familiar with the sound of Tube Based equipment, I was surprised how everything sounded together, from the Preamp, to the Full Compressor section, to the De-esser, to the Expander and Gate, to the little push button Variable Voltage (medium and love voltage) and to the lovely, lovely, Four Band Semi Parametric EQ section before coming out to the master output section where you have a choice of a multitude of outputs including sample rates up to 192khz. Lovely piece of equipment for tracking too! Sounds clean but nice and warm! Can't go wrong with it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.