In this article, Julian tests Infinistrip from PSP and finds, along with lots of processing options, a really effective way to manage gain structure, a feature missing from most plugins of this type.
What Is Infinstrip?
Infinistrip is a modular channel strip plugin based around the virtual 500 series rack found in some other products. This approach is effective and fun. I first came across it in the McDSP 6050 and one of the features of that plugin which endeared it to me was the fact that setting persist between module changes. what this menas is that if I have the threshold of the compressor set to -20dB, if I change the compressor module for a different one the -20dB setting remains in place.
So effective is this approach that I would expect to see it on any similar plugin today and indeed it is available here which is a very good thing because Infinistrip offers 25 different modules including EQ, compressors, gates, filters, limiters, mic preamps and more. The mic preamps are of particular interest here as they address something which is largely overlooked by many plugins - gain structure.
Gain Structure In Infinistrip
In any plugin which models analogue equipment, particularly analogue gear which has been chosen for its character, the nonlinearities which are modelled vary with level, these changes largely vary with level. The hotter you hit the gear the more “flavour” you get, until inevitably the distortion becomes too much for most purposes. The preoccupation with “gain staging” in DAWs is largely concerned with this, as well as practical considerations such as fader resolution.
What Infinistrip does so well is to allow you to set the gain of the mic preamps automatically by setting a reference level, playing a short, representative section of audio and allowing the plugin to do the rest. There are controls covering whether the gain change is up and down or just down and whether the measurement is based on the average RMS level or the peaks. in practice I found this feature to be very simple and very effective, allowing consistent performance from the plugin with widely varying input levels. if this plugin has a stand out feature it has to be this for me.
Pros
Sounds great
Wide variety of contrasting modules
Excellent system of Solos and Mutes
Zero Latency
Auto gain feature
Cons
Odd behaviour in Pro Tools where the plugin window doesn’t focus on the first click.