American Class A

American Class A

Dream Big, Sound Bigger

Gut-busting drums. Crackling, searing, face-melting guitars. Meaty, punching bass. Rich, up-front vocals. Wide-open, airy, living electronics. If you will it, it is no dream with the American Class A.

Based on the greatest classics of American mixing console hardware, this channel strip is fast and easy to work with, and brings a truckload of character to the party.

With a shape section featuring gate and transient designing, a stellar four-band EQ with proportional Q and range control, a fascinating compressor design which can be switched between feedback and feedforward operations, and a warm, crunchy output drive section, no modern studio is complete until this sonic option is at hand.

The American gear on which this strip is based is perhaps best known for the way it brings out the power and energy of modern rock music; acts such as Radiohead, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, and Pearl Jam have used similar consoles.

Drums leap out of the speakers, vocals grab you by the scruff of the neck, guitars spontaneously combust. But the American Class A is also capable of subtlety.

Using the range controls of the EQ to limit the gain boosting and cutting to a half or even a quarter of the starting values, it becomes a high-resolution mastering unit. And running a synth sound through these same hard-rocking controls can result in improved openness and vitality just as easily as an increased grunt.

This plug-in also seamlessly integrates with Console 1 as a channel strip, so anyone using a Console 1 will have the added benefit of Console 1’s analog workflow and features.

Don’t spend another second longing after that ideal sound. Get the American Class A today. Dream big, sound bigger.

In Short

• American mixing console sound, for Console 1 or as a standalone plug-in.
• One license for both the Console 1 version and the native plug-in.
• Characteristic stepped EQ with proportional Q values. Gives bold boosts and clean cuts.
• Unique compressor design, which can operate in feedback or feedforward topologies.
• Cutting-edge graphics and waveform visualisations offer all the information you need.
• Shape section has both gate and transient shaper, with all the same tasty analog sound of the strip’s circuitry.
• Crunchy drive from the output stage, with controllable character.
• A real and complete workhorse replacement for stock DAW mixing tools.

System Requirements

• macOS Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13
• Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11
• Softube account
• iLok account
• Computer with AU, VST, VST3, and/or AAX-compatible DAW host software
• Internet access (for downloading installers and managing licenses)

Supported CPU Families 

• Apple macOS computers with Intel Core i3/i5/i7 or Apple silicon (M1 or newer) CPU. Apple silicon is supported natively. 
• Windows computers with quad-core Intel Core i3/i5/i7 or AMD quad-core processors with SSE 4.2 support.
• Other Intel processors (Celeron, Pentium, and Xeon) are compatible if they support SSE 4.2 instructions. 

Supported Host Software (DAW)  

Any 64-bit VST, VST3, AU, or AAX (Pro Tools 11.0.2 or higher) compatible host application should work. However, due to plug-in host differences between DAWs—and our rigorous standards—Softube only officially test their plug-ins and instruments in the most recent versions of Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton Live, Studio One, and Reaper. Softube plug-ins are not tested regularly in non-listed systems. They will likely work if the system requirements are met. However, the manufacturer cannot guarantee a solution for issues in unsupported systems. 
  
Softube strongly recommend using VST3, as some of their plug-ins have features that are not present in the older VST format. Supported sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 kHz, in both mono and stereo. The most recent maintenance release of your DAW application is recommended. AAX DSP is not currently in active development. TDM/VENUE/RTAS are no longer supported. See Legacy Installers.

Important Note: Make sure that you always use the latest iLok License Manager. It is not included in the Softube installer but can be downloaded from www.ilok.com​