TrackPlug 7

Name: TrackPlug 7
Price: 129 USD
Author: Wave Arts

by Wave Arts · Channel Strip · Channel strip

Not rated yet

TrackPlug 7 is Wave Arts' channel strip: gate, compressor, 10-band EQ, transient processor, tube saturation and peak limiter in one plugin.

The modules can be reordered, and EQ matching and a real-time spectrum are included. It sells for $129.

Best for: Vocals, Drums, Bass, Guitars, Acoustic Instruments. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: match EQ, metering, tube, visual feedback, sidechain input, CPU-light, mid/side, utility, bass, corrective, downward expansion, drums, look-ahead, low latency, mixing, stereo-linked, surgical, vocals, wide.

What it does

TrackPlug 7 is Wave Arts' "all-in-one channel strip": gate, compressor, EQ, transient shaper, tube saturation and limiter in one window, aimed at the everyday processing a track needs rather than at copying a console.

Gate/expander: with side-chain EQ, a scrolling time view, and threshold and ratio you can drag directly on the display.
Compressor: multiple compression modes, side-chain EQ, a scrolling time view and real-time gain reduction display.
10-band EQ: parametric, shelf, analog shelf and notch types, brickwall high- and low-pass filters with variable slope, stereo-linked or mid/side processing per band, a real-time spectrum and an expanded view.
EQ Match: automatically matches the EQ curve of one track to another.
Transients and tube: a transient processor for attack and sustain, and a tube saturator for analog-style harmonics.
Limiter and output: a low-latency lookahead peak limiter, output gain, pan, width and polarity controls, and K-meter metering.
Flexible order: the modules can be rearranged into any processing chain.

Version 7.11. A free trial is available.

Source: Wave Arts product page

When to use it

TrackPlug 7 is a clean, flexible utility strip: more EQ bands, mid/side EQ, EQ matching and transient shaping than most console strips, but no modelled console sound. Compared with bx_console SSL 4000 E or the SSL Native Channel Strip 2, it trades analog character and familiar hardware controls for precision and scope. It is closer in spirit to iZotope Neutron 5, but without Neutron's assistant features, and with a fixed set of modules you simply reorder. Its low CPU use, praised by a KVR user, makes it practical on every channel of a large session.

Best for: processing many tracks quickly with one plugin per channel, corrective EQ and dynamics, and matching the tone of different takes.
Genres: general purpose.
Look elsewhere if: you want the sound and workflow of a specific console; bx_console SSL 4000 E or Native Channel Strip 2 do that.
Tip: reorder the modules, for example placing the EQ before or after the compressor, to suit each source.

What producers say

Reviewers treat it as a capable, efficient workhorse rather than a character strip.

Production Expert (Luke Goddard, January 2025) called it "a true one-stop window for everyday processing", praising the 10-band EQ, EQ Match, rearrangeable modules, metering and side-chain EQ on the dynamics.
KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from one review (of version 5, 2011), which praised its "very low CPU load" and clear, precise interface.
Criticisms: Production Expert noted the dense GUI takes careful study for new users, though it is as clean as its scope allows.

Where to buy

KVR Marketplace: $129
PluginFox: $129

Tutorials and reviews

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