Plugin Type: Channel Strip

Description: The Harrison 32Classic Channel Strip is a full-featured channel strip plugin complete with an Expander/Gate, Compressor, and an EQ that is emulated from the Harrison 32Classic mixing console hardware. In addition to the 3 main processing elements, it also includes input, output, saturation, and routing controls.

Supported formats:

• AAX
• VST
• VST3
• AU

Supported channel configurations: 

• Mono
• Stereo
• All multi-channel configurations with up to 16 channels

Plugin Controls/Components:

• Master Section: The following controls/components pertain to the input and output stages of the plugin.
  • Input Trim: Adjusts the gain trim of the signal at the plugin’s input stage before any other processing takes place.
  • Polarity: Inverts the polarity of the input signal when selected. 
  • Saturator Drive: Adjusts the gain trim of the input signal fed to the Saturator (post Input Trim). Increasing the Drive will apply more saturation to the signal, while decreasing the Drive will apply less saturation.  
  • Saturator Drive Meter: Displays the level of signal fed to the Saturator (dBFS).
  • Saturator IN: Toggles the enablement of the Saturator. If toggled off, the Saturator processing will be bypassed and the Saturator Drive control and meter will be disabled. 
  • Output Trim: Adjusts the gain trim of the signal at the plugin’s final output stage after all other processing takes place.
  • Output Level Meter: Displays the plugin’s output signal level (dBFS).

• Module Controls: The following controls can be found at the top of the Gate, Compressor, and EQ modules and are used to perform various operations on each module. 
  • Reset: Resets all the controls in the module to their default states.
  • Solo: Bypasses the processing of the other modules so that only the effects of the selected module can be heard. This does not bypass the processing of the master input and output controls.
  • IN: Toggles the enablement of the module. When toggled off, the module processing is bypassed and all the controls within it are disabled.  

• Gate: The following controls/components pertain to the Gate module.
  • Input Meter: Displays the signal level at the input of the Gate (dBFS). If the Sidechain Filter is enabled, the meter will show the signal level post-filter.
  • Reduction Meter: Displays the level of gain that is reduced from the signal by the Gate (dBFS).
  • Threshold: Sets the dB level in which the Gate will open whenever the input signal reaches this level.  
  • Depth: Sets the maximum amount of gain reduction applied. The value range of this control varies based on the mode. In the default Gate mode, the Depth can be set up to 60dB of gain reduction. In Expander mode, the max Depth is 15dB. Note that if the Depth is set to the minimum value of 0dB, no gain reduction will occur in either mode and the Gate will have no effect on the signal. 
  • Attack: Sets the amount of milliseconds it takes for the Gate to fully open once the input signal reaches the Threshold.
  • Release: Sets the amount of milliseconds it takes for the Gate to fully close once the input signal falls below the Threshold.
  • Sidechain Filter Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the Sidechain Filter applied to the sidechain input of the Gate. The Sidechain Filter is a band-pass filter that boosts the selected center frequency and cuts the frequency ranges above and below it. This can be used to target certain frequencies to trigger the Gate with.
  • Sidechain Filter IN: Toggles the enablement of the Sidechain Filter. If toggled on, the Sidechain Filter will be applied to the sidechain input of the Gate. If toggled off, the Sidechain Filter will be bypassed and the Sidechain Filter Frequency control will be disabled.  
  • Sidechain Filter Listen: Allows for listening to the sidechain input signal that is processed by the Sidechain Filter when toggled on. This will have no effect if the Sidechain Filter is disabled.  
  • Gate Hysteresis (Gate mode only): Sets the amount of dB below the Threshold in which the Gate will close. This allows the signal to fall below the Threshold by a certain amount of dB before the Gate starts closing. For example, if the Threshold is set to -12dB and the Hysteresis is at 4dB, the Gate will open when the signal reaches -12dB and close when it comes down to -16dB (4dB below the Threshold).
  • Gate Hold (Gate mode only): Sets the amount of milliseconds the Gate will stay open after the signal has dropped below the Threshold/Hysteresis level.   
  • Expander Knee (Expander mode only): Adjusts the “smoothness” of the Expander Ratio angle. With a low Knee value (Hard Knee), the Expander will react more abruptly as the input signal crosses the Threshold. With a high Knee value (Soft Knee), the Expander will react more gradually.
  • Expander Ratio (Expander mode only): Sets the amount of gain reduction applied for every decibel the input signal falls below the Threshold. For example, a Ratio of 2:1 means that an input signal that is 1dB below the Threshold will be reduced so that the output is 2dB below the Threshold.
  • Expander Mode: Toggles between Gate mode (the default mode) and Expander mode. When toggled on, this button activates Expander mode for a gentler form of gating. The availability of certain controls depends on the selected mode. The Hysteresis and Hold are only available in Gate mode and the Knee and Ratio are only available in Expander mode.

• Compressor: The following controls/components pertain to the Compressor module.
  • Input Meter: Displays the signal level at the input of the Compressor (dBFS).
  • Reduction Meter: Displays the level of gain that is reduced from the signal by the Compressor (dBFS).
  • Threshold: Sets the dB level in which compression will be triggered whenever the input signal reaches this level.
  • Ratio: Sets the amount of gain reduction applied for every decibel the signal exceeds the Threshold. For example, a Ratio of 2:1 means that an input signal that’s 2dB over the Threshold will result in an output that’s only 1dB over the Threshold. The value range of this control varies depending on the mode.
  • Attack: Sets the amount of milliseconds it takes to reach full gain reduction once compression is triggered. The value range of this control varies based on the mode.
  • Release: Sets the amount of milliseconds it takes for the gain reduction to return to unity gain once the input signal falls below the Threshold. The value range of this control varies based on the mode.
  • Makeup Gain: Adjusts the gain of the Compressor output signal to compensate for any decrease in the overall signal level caused by compression.
  • Emphasis Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the Emphasis Filter. The Emphasis Filter is a high-shelf boost applied to the Compressor sidechain input. The gain of the shelf increases along with the frequency so that the approximate gain is 10dB at the minimum frequency of 100Hz and 40dB at the maximum frequency of 12kHz. This control essentially adjusts the sensitivity of the Compressor to high frequencies. Higher Emphasis Frequency values will cause the compressor to act more quickly on transients but slower on lower frequencies, resulting in a more vintage character that is associated with tube and opto-coupled compression devices.
  • Emphasis IN: Toggles the enablement of the Emphasis Filter. If toggled on, the Emphasis Filter will be applied to the sidechain input of the Compressor. If toggled off, the Emphasis Filter will be bypassed and the Emphasis Frequency control will be disabled.
  • Mode buttons: Sets the Compressor Mode which alters the internal characteristics of the Compressor for different types of compression.
    • Leveler Mode: This mode offers more subtle compression than the default Compressor Mode. It has a very low ratio with a small adjustment range, a very fast release with a small adjustment range, and a widely adjustable attack. 
      • Usage Note: Due to mic technique or other elements out of our control, sometimes a signal has a very wide dynamic range. Leveler Mode with a fast attack can be used to transparently reduce the level of the loudest parts, so that the track has a more consistent level. Reducing the dynamic range of our tracks can make them easier to mix, although it might rob some of the performance’s natural dynamics. Leveler Mode with a slow attack allows the initial sound (the first syllable of a word or phrase, for example), to be passed through at full volume, while reducing the “body” of the sound slightly. This retains and enhances the character of the recording, and it can help improve intelligibility of words and instruments in a busy mix.
    • Compressor Mode: This is the default mode of the Compressor. It is the most versatile of the three modes with full control over ratio, attack, and release.
    • Limiter Mode: This mode offers a more intense compression sound similar to a limiter. It has a nearly-instant attack with little adjustment, a high ratio, and a widely variable release time. Limiter Mode is an effect intended to sound like desirable analog devices. It is not a brickwall digital peak limiter.
      • Usage Note: A limiter is a very fast-acting compressor, and these were initially designed to capture signal peaks before they were passed on to sensitive broadcast transmitters, disc-cutting lathes, or speaker systems. By taming the transients of a very dynamic instrument (like drums), the limiter has the effect of extending the instrument’s decay, and an inherent increase in room-sound (reverb), sometimes called ‘bloom’ or ambience. A common use of the Limiter is to increase the room & ambience of a drum mix.

• EQ: The following controls pertain to the EQ module. The EQ is an emulation of the analog hardware EQ on the Harrison 32Classic console.
  • High Band (Bell/Shelf): This band can be either a high-shelf filter or a bell filter depending on the selected mode, but it is a high-shelf filter by default. Note that the ranges of the Frequency and Gain controls differ between Bell and Shelf modes, so the set frequency and gain values may change when switching modes. 
    • Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the high-shelf or high bell filter depending on the mode.
    • Gain: Adjusts the gain of the high-shelf or high bell filter depending on the mode. 
    • Bell/Shelf Mode: Toggles the High Band between Bell and Shelf filter modes. By default the High Band is in Shelf mode, but selecting this button will toggle it to Bell mode. 
  • High-Mid Band (Bell)
    • Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the high-mid bell filter.
    • Gain: Adjusts the gain of the high-mid bell filter.
  • Low-Mid Band (Bell)
    • Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the low-mid bell filter.
    • Gain: Adjusts the gain of the low-mid bell filter.
  • Low Band (Bell/Shelf): This band can be either a low-shelf filter or a bell filter depending on the selected mode, but it is a low-shelf filter by default. Note that the ranges of the Frequency and Gain controls differ between Bell and Shelf modes, so the set frequency and gain values may change when switching modes.
    • Frequency: Adjusts the center frequency of the low-shelf or low bell filter depending on the mode.
    • Gain: Adjusts the gain of the low-shelf or low bell filter depending on the mode.
    • Bell/Shelf Mode: Toggles the Low Band between Bell and Shelf filter modes. By default the Low Band is in Shelf mode, but selecting this button will toggle it to Bell mode.
  • Filters
    • Low-Pass Filter Frequency: Adjusts the cut-off frequency of the Low-Pass Filter.  
    • High-Pass Filter Frequency: Adjusts the cut-off frequency of the High-Pass Filter. 
  • Bands IN: Toggles the enablement of the EQ Bands (High, High-Mid, Low-Mid, and Low bands). When toggled off, the processing of the bands will be bypassed and the band controls will be disabled.
  • Filters IN: Toggles the enablement of the EQ Filters (Low-Pass and High-Pass filters). When toggled off, the processing of the filters will be bypassed and the filter controls will be disabled.

• Routing Section: The Routing Section at the bottom of the plugin window shows the order of signal flow between the Gate, Compressor, and EQ from left to right. Each of the 3 processing elements are represented by a routing item which you can click and drag around to change the order of signal flow. Dragging a routing item to any of the arrows in between positions will insert it at that position, shifting all other elements accordingly. If you drag one routing item over another routing item, it will swap the positions of the two items. Regardless of the routing order, the master input and output controls are always fixed at the input and output stages as shown by the INPUT and OUTPUT labels located at the beginning and end of the routing order.

Additional Features

At the top-right corner of the plugin window are the Momentary Bypass and Settings buttons.

Momentary Bypass

The Momentary Bypass button bypasses the plugin for as long as it's held. This is useful for auditioning A/B comparisons quickly. 

Settings

The Settings button reveals a pop-up menu where the window size can be adjusted. It also contains a link to the plugin manual and version info at the bottom.

Control Behaviors & Shortcuts

Various mouse & keyboard shortcuts can be used to perform certain actions on the following controls:

Sliders/Knobs

Labels

Combo Boxes (Drop-down menus)

Band Controls

Graph Rulers

System Requirements

Your system must meet the following requirements in order to run Harrison plugins:

• Windows 7 or higher
• Mac OS 10.9 or higher
• Linux GCC 5 compatible systems
• OpenGL 3.2 or higher
• libcurl-gnutls on Linux

macOS M1/ARM Support: This plug-in is provided as a universal binary for macOS and features native M1 support.

Note for Pro Tools users: Pro Tools 11 or higher is required on Mac, 10.3.5 or higher is required on Windows.

Additional requirements on Windows

Harrison plugins require the “Windows C++ Universal Runtime” to be installed on your computer.  Universal runtime is part of the system’s core libraries on Windows 10. On Windows versions Vista to 8.1,  it will be automatically installed via Windows Update. It is also possible to install the runtime manually, but that is outside the scope of this manual.

Note for Linux Users

If you’re experiencing issues with the plugin’s graphics or the GUI isn’t showing up correctly on Linux, make sure your system’s graphics driver supports the minimum required OpenGL version of 3.2 or higher. To check this, run glxinfo | grep Max in a terminal window and make sure that the value listed for the OpenGL core profile version string is at least 3.2 or greater.

If your core profile version meets this requirement but you are still experiencing graphics issues like the ones mentioned above, it is likely that your system is reporting an OpenGL version lower than 3.2 to ensure backwards compatibility with deprecated OpenGL functions. To work around this, you can force the system to report an OpenGL version of 3.2 or higher by setting this environment variable: MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.2

You can use this as a prefix when opening your DAW from a terminal command like so:

MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.2 {command_to_launch_program}

This will set the environment variable for that particular terminal session only, so it will be reset once the session is ended. If you don’t want to run this command every time you launch your DAW, you can set the environment variable in your profile script so that it automatically gets set every time you login.

Installation & Licensing

Licensing on macOS & Windows

This plugin is licensed through iLok on macOS and Windows. Visit iLok, Licensing and Activation for guidance on activating your Harrison plug-in. 

Licensing on Linux

This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org/)

In DEMO mode, after using the plugin for a certain amount of time, it will display a message:

This message will come up periodically unless a license is provided. You can purchase a license directly from Harrison’s web store or from an authorized plugin reseller. Once you’ve purchased a license, install it by entering your license key into the designated field on this screen. Continue to the next section for detailed instructions on how to obtain your license key. 

Obtaining your License Key

After you purchase a license, you will receive a license key that will look something like this:

{your  name}*AVA-BF*DC-138971-151520-1|gGLbnvCZJe386ULohzfQN6cIsoZ71n7c+AUg==|

This license key is required to install your license and activate the full version of the plugin. The way to obtain your license key varies depending on where you purchased the license from.

If you purchased the license from Harrison’s web store, you will receive an email with a link to download a text file containing your license key. If you purchased the license from a reseller, you will receive an email containing the license key text.

Licensing your Plugin

When prompted by the plugin, copy and paste your license key into the designated text input field. This will automatically install your license and register it with the plugin.

Once installed, Harrison’s license files are simple text (.txt) files which are stored in the user’s HOME folder. The HOME folder is the folder that contains your Desktop, Downloads and other folders. The location of your HOME folder is different for each operating system:

• Linux: /home/{your username}

You may keep a copy of this file for your own use. The license is a per-user license and you may install the license file on all of your computers. To install the file on a new computer, simply save the file to a USB key or other transferable disk; then transfer the license file to the new computer’s HOME folder. The license file has your name encrypted in it, so you should not share it with other people. Your name will appear on the top of the plugin’s control panel to indicate that it is licensed to you.

The plugin will automatically detect your license key as long as the license file is stored in the HOME folder of the computer you are using. After transferring the license file to a new computer, it may be necessary to close and re-open your DAW in order for the plugin to detect the license.

If you don’t want to keep your license in your HOME folder for whatever reason, you may also store it in the following alternative location:  ~/.config/harrisonconsoles

Finding the plugin in your DAW 

DAW operations vary tremendously. Generally speaking, to use the plugin you must follow these steps:

1. Install the plugins, using the provided plugin installer application.
2. Follow your DAW’s instructions to “scan” for new plugins.

Please refer to your DAW manual to see which plugin formats (AAX, AU, VST, or VST3) are supported by your workstation.

Most plugin formats require that plugins are installed to a specific location on the system. In these cases, the installer will place the plugins in the default locations.

For VST format, on Windows, it is normally expected that the user defines the location of VST plugins, and tells the workstation where to find the plugins. The default location for VST plugins is C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VST.  The plugin installer will save the VST (.dll) files to that location if a custom VST path is not provided by the OS.  If you are having trouble, you should verify that the path is included in your DAW VST scan paths.

Thank you for purchasing this Harrison plugin!

Harrison has been making products for the audio engineering industry since 1975. We continue to make these products, with intense dedication, from our Nashville, Tennessee factory.  

As the audio industry has changed through the decades, Harrison has too. Originally launched to provide mixing consoles for music recording studios, the Harrison brand has extended to provide products for live broadcast, live sound, theater installations, post-production, film dubbing stages, and bedroom studios. We’ve lived through the launch of the commercial music industry, the maturation of analog, the digital revolution, the establishment of the internet, and now the acceptance of computers as the de-facto platform for the audio industry. In our pursuit of audio excellence, we’ve developed our own analog circuits, digital I/O solutions, digital DSP engines, control surfaces, audio workstations, and nearly every aspect of pro-audio technology.

“If you asked a hundred engineers, mixers and producers to define the “perfect console” you would probably get a hundred answers. The answers, however, would all contain the same salient points.”
“The “perfect console” would have totally transparent sound, capturing the true musical quality of all performances. It would have unlimited features, facilities, and functions. It would perform all required tasks with a minimum of operator effort. It would be totally reliable and require no preventive or corrective maintenance…
You can spend the rest of your life looking for the “perfect console”. You’ll never find it. You will find, however, that we have what you need.”- quote attributed to Dave Harrison;  Harrison MR20 brochure; circa 1982

True-er words were never spoken; indeed every year there are many products and technologies that seem tantalizingly necessary for audio excellence. Our lasting experience has proven that simple, straightforward, well-engineered, and great-sounding tools are the only necessity.

These plugins represent the pinnacle of Harrison’s engineering practices for digital audio sound & workflow. We sincerely hope that you enjoy using these tools as much as we enjoyed creating them. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!