The release of Scheps Omni Channel 2 sees a number of new features added to the strip of one of audio’s best known grandees. We check out its sound and the things that promise to make Andrew Scheps’ go-to even better.
In Summary
Scheps Omni Channel 2 is a channel strip audio plugin with new features and sounds. These include new saturation, a new filter, soft knee compression, and perhaps most noticeably the ability to patch in any third-party VST3. New Focus presets suggested by Andrew can guide the user on which controls to tweak next.
Going Deeper
For those who grew up working on consoles, the channel strip is the obvious place to go for everything from input conditioning, EQ, dynamics, level, routing, and just about everything else. Following this century’s mass exodus into the box, a single window for everything is a complete no-brainer for hardware users. For a great deal of ITB mixers who have never laid hands on a real console, the channel strip audio plugin also offers concise control with a unified workflow and sound.
Scheps Omni Channel 2
With a technical background and mixing discography that reads like a who’s-who of modern pop music, Andrew Scheps is someone who may have a thing or two to offer when it comes to devising a channel that delivers. Distilling Andrew’s audio engineering wisdom spanning well over thirty years comes the second incarnation of Waves realisation of AS’ one-window audio toolkit.
Waves describe Scheps Omni Channel 2:
The original Scheps Omni plugin has been Andrew Scheps' dream plugin - everything you'd want in a channel strip, from versatile preamp saturation flavours, to detailed EQ, to diverse compression options, to innovative de-essing all in one window. Now, after using the plugin for several years as his primary mixing tool, Andrew wanted to add even more options, which bring the Omni further into the realm of creative sound design.
In the video we get hands on with Scheps Omni Channel 2 to check out its sound and new features. Using its new Crush saturation pre stage and SOFT compression, we add size and density to drums. We then fully exploit its new 24dB per-octave filters to bracket guitars and regulate subsonic clutter in the bass. We dial in some extra resonance to get some targeted thump for both plus some extra teeth for the guitar stem. We also show how Scheps Omni Channel 2 can more than hold its own across the whole mix for some final finesse.
Key Features:
Channel strip audio plugin from the mind of Andrew Scheps.
5 modules for preamp colour, EQ, de-essing, compression, and gating. These can have their order changed for custom signal flow.
3 compression options with easy A/B/C comparison.
New CRUSH mode: a fourth preamp saturation flavour, for aggressive distortion beyond anything the Omni had before.
New Filter: A new 24dB-per-octave filter.
New SOFT-KNEE compressor: a fourth compression type, adding unique soft-knee compression to the Omni’s VCA, FET, and OPT compressors.
New Non-Waves VST3s can now be added to the Insert point for flexible custom signal paths.
New Extra "Focus" presets prepared by Andrew, which guide you to controls you may want to tweak next.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re an old school hardware fan, or seasoned ITB native, the channel strip is the answer for anyone who thinks that there’s a better way than curating different plugins for each stage down the channel. There are those times when a given module such as an EQ or compressor in the strip might not be cutting it. Traditionally, this is where the patch leads would come out for piping to and from a particular piece in the rack. Until recently, this is where many strip plugins fell flat, being a closed loop where audio was either in or out. Scheps Omni Channel 2 addresses this nicely, allowing engineers to let their signals out for a breath of fresh air using tools from any third party.
There are plenty of one-window toolkits to choose from, not least from Waves themselves. But if you’re going to put your faith a single tool that has the flexibility to grow and built-in chops for everything else, Scheps Omni Channel 2 is going to do the business. With its sharp new filters, CRUSH saturation, and compression curves adding to its riches, Waves version 2 refresh has a lot there for new and existing users to like. Just add talent.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.