Slate Digital Virtual Console Collection

The Virtual Console Collection consists of two plug-ins, Virtual Channel and Virtual Mixbuss. Each plug-in allows the user to choose from one of five modeled consoles. Virtual Channel is applied on individual mixing channels. Virtual Mixbuss goes on the first insert of the master fader. "When using the Virtual Console Collection, your DAW instantly takes on the personality of a real analog mixing desk. The imaging and depth improves, instruments sit better in the frequency spectrum, and mixing becomes easier and more musical. You can even push the DAW faders up to find each mixer's sweet spot," says Steven Slate.

Despite the digital revolution in the audio industry, many of today's top commercial albums are still mixed on analog consoles. Audio engineers rely on analog mixing to provide the nonlinear musical qualities that digital mixing does not produce. "When you mix through an analog desk you get this life and body to the sound that just doesn't happen when you mix inside the workstation. The separation and imaging from the analog summing is very apparent, especially when your track count gets high," remarks mixer Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Evanescence).