The Gold Channel analogue live vocal channel: A U47 sound on your SM58?
Legendary Audio's Gold Channel boutique processor for live vocals · Source: Legendary Audio
The Legendary Audio Gold Channel is a boutique-style, all-analogue channel strip and vocal processor that according to its manufacturer can do some wonderful things to your live vocal sound. But we must admit that we’re trying to figure out who this processor is aimed at. This premium-price floor-mounted unit has got us scratching our heads, that’s for sure…
Legendary Audio – Gold Channel
So, what’s The Gold Channel all about then, and why would you want one? Legendary Audio claims that The Gold Channel is the equivalent of a high-end console channel strip, in a portable format. An all-analogue design, you get a microphone pre-amplifier, high-pass filter, parametric EQ, compressor and other processing goodies. Sounds good so far.
There are some pretty whacky processing features included, too, along with some pretty bold marketing claims. Take the “Legendary Mic Sound” control, for example, that allegedly makes your SM58 sound just like Buddy Holly’s own Neumann U47! Other processing features include two I.C.E. processors (a proprietary frequency-specific dynamic EQ and variable limiter). I.C.E. stands for In Case of Emergency. As the name suggests, these functions are about controlling problems in your vocal signal, removing unwanted distortion or artefacts at specific frequency bands, killing feedback and so on. There’s a software plug-in version of the feature, too, which costs $89 and is available in a free trial version here.
Additionally, there are effects loop circuits that you can switch in and out with a footswitch. You see, Legendary Audio is pitching The Gold Channel as a floor-mounted processor, operated and controlled by vocalists. Which begs a couple of questions…
More Money Than Sense?
The Legendary Audio Gold Channel costs $4395. Yup, we’ll say that again, four-thousand, three-hundred and ninety-five dollars! If you’re a vocalist and want to craft your perfect live sound, would you put an all-analogue high-end channel strip on the floor at a gig? Would you trust people not to kick drinks over your expensive boutique channel strip? And if you’re a live engineer, would you trust a vocalist to dial in their vocal sound from the stage?
Surely this would make far more sense as a rack mount unit for use by front of house engineers. In fact, the more we try and figure out who The Gold Channel is intended for, the more confused we get! The price, the form factor and the tools provided leave us trying to imagine the target user and intended use case.
Still, if you’ve always dreamed of an all-analogue, boutique channel strip in a floor mount box that makes you sound like Buddy Holly… then dream no more!
More Information
- Legendary Audio Website
- RRP: $4395
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2 responses to “The Gold Channel analogue live vocal channel: A U47 sound on your SM58?”
And for the ultimate vocal control, a one knob compressor – great….
No parallel path customisable processing, no recall of different setups, no serious level metering, no precision to any of the settings, no way to change the HPF frequency from fixed 110Hz, no mention of any technical performance spec in the literature or webpage, and many, many, many, many, many other design weaknesses. It’s a total joke, pile of rubbish.
>”we’re trying to figure out who this processor is aimed at.”
I can tell you, guitarists and morons (categories that somewhat overlap maybe.)
Erm…what?