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Your cart is empty.3.7 out of 5 stars
- #105,545 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
- #213 in Microphone Preamps
The Pro Channel from ART is the latest offering from the world’s most popular tube dynamics processing manufacturer. ART engineers have combined the world-renowned Pro MPA, Pro VLA, and Tube EQ into a single product – creating the world’s best-sounding and most affordable professional recording channel. The Pro Channel features many new and exciting design enhancements to ART’s pro and home studio staples, including the addition of a tube circuit to the compressor module. The Pro Channel allows you to select between ART’s award winning optical/tube compressor or the coveted tube circuit (a design made popular by the sound of the old broadcast limiters – now costing thousands of dollars). The tube circuit is fast, fat and a bit aggressive, and is guaranteed to become a legend among compressors as has the Pro VLA. The four-band parametric equalizer has selectable Q for the two sweepable mid-bands. As with all design elements of the Pro Channel, these Q options were fine-tuned by some of the industry’s top studio and live-sound engineers. Likewise, all new additions were made without compromise to the sound of the original designs (Pro MPA, Pro VLA, Tube EQ), which have become standards in professional studios and FOH rigs around the globe. The Pro Channel defines the term “channel strip.” The Pro Channel is an impressive package from the world-wide leaders in tube dynamics signal-processing gear. Pick one up and catch your own tube-buzz at your favorite ART dealer today.
charlie
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023
I had high hopes for this unit, having other ART gear that I’m happy with, particularly their tube mic preamps and compressor units.My hopes were dashed when I connected a high end condenser mic to this unit. I could never get enough gain to drive my mics unless I cranked the input gain, the preamp gain, the output pot AND hit the +20dB switch!It only worked with the correct headroom once I added another tube preamp between the mic and this unit. What’s the point of a mic preamp if you have to put another mic preamp in front of it just to drive the circuits?!Besides that, the unit has a 60Hz hum when it’s driven above about 4dB. That’s just bad filtering design and no isolation transformers. The solution was to add my Radial J-ISO immediately after the output to null out the hum. Another $400 just to get this thing to do what it should.So, here’s your real cost for this thing (2022 pricing):$450 Pro Channel II$400-$600 for a decent preamp in front of it$400 for a decent isolation DI after itActual cost to get decent sound: $1,250-$1,500. There are way better strips at that price and less. Save your money. Sorry ART; you dropped the ball on this one.
Aria DiMezzo
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
Save yourself some headache and get the ART TPSII instead. Even with a better mic going into this unit, I'm getting better audio from a $50 mic going into the TPSII than I am from this unit. Maybe this unit is more flexible if you have time to tweak every little thing, but I don't have time for that.
Mike Osgood
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2016
I was very excited to recieve my channel strip until I plugged it in and there was a nasty buzzing noise. I was running it from my furman so I know it wasn't a power issue. I'm pretty sure it got thrown around while shipping and something got knocked loose inside. The actual ART box with the equipment was solid, however the box that was inside, was way to big and not enough padding was around the box. Had to return it and hopefully the new one I get doesn't have a buzzing issue.UPDATEI received another broken product. Called Amazon and said they had a defective inventory? Contacted ART customer service and it's been a week and no response. I would save your money and buy something else. Thumbs way down.
Jay W Sloat
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2015
I like this unit so much, I've now bought four. The most versatile piece of equipment in my racks.Functions as an excellent pre-amp, semi-parametric EQ, and great compressor (for the money) with several compression detection modes and multi-stage tube warmth.A plus that it works no nicely as chainable / separable preAmp/Eq/Compressor. It has normalized in/out jacks in rear that allow me to patch each section into my patch matrix. With "in/out' front panel buttons for compressor and EQ, it's easy to control what's in the signal chain.I'm happy recording with it or using it live. I have Avalon's which are better, but at 6 times the price, I'm not willing to haul those around for live gigs. I have also heard of some folks changing out the tubes with more expensive higher end tubes but I haven't found a need.The main weak area in my opinion is in the ability to visualize the signal level, compression threshold, and amount of compression.While there is a meter for basic audio in/out, for judging levels for compression threshold and amound we only have a 8-10 segment LED display which isn't nearly as precise as I'd like.
Anymon
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2013
Perhaps the unit I received was damaged, so take 4 stars with a grain of salt.The features this unit offers are stellar. Unfortunately, I was unable to use them for the following reasons:* The unit I received produced unacceptable hum levels in my application.* The unit had insufficient gain to handle the dynamic mics I use for voice-over workDue to the lack of gain, I was unable to take advantage of the compression and other features.With a sufficiently high-output microphone, such as a condenser, it's entirely possible the problems above might have "gone away", but I'm "married to cardiod dynamic mics".I meditated on the idea that perhaps tube gear has the drawback on not surviving today's distribution methods. This may have been the cause of the troubles I had with the unit I received. I have, however, retrenched to a solid-state unit produced by company "B" that gives me the gain and compression I want without the hum.
Honey Creek Radio
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2011
As of July 10, 2011, I have owned this fine mono-line equipment for 48 hours. I bought it for a mono microphone line to my ham radio station. It is a wonderful piece of equipment. A.R.T. has built a preamp, compressor, and equalizer into one compact box; basically it is "plug and play". At first the equipment seemed daunting as to all of its adjustments. So I hooked it up to the left channel of my low-power FM radio station and, reading the user's guide and listening with my ear, I found its best adjustments that I prefer. Pulling it from the FM station I reconnected it to the ham radio. Ahhh! What a difference to my voice. So what's next? Well... to purchase its stereo counterpart for the FM station!Seller: Ordered on Monday and received equipment on Monday!Pros: excellent quality sound, quiet, 1/4" mono jacks, XLR plug, for microphone, musical instruments.Cons: gets warm due to the 3 12AX7 tubes (you EXPECT tubes to get warm!), so many dials, switches, and LED lights it SEEMS a never-ending task to get it set the way you want your sound to be. (well worth it)Would recommend this to anyone who uses a mono, single sound chain
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