Analog Obsession has released NCAR, a freeware virtual sidecar and analog summing mixer effect in VST plugin format for DAW software on PC and Mac.
NCAR is a multi-channel analog summing plugin. It emulates an eight-channel analog summing console with a three-band EQ and a preamp on each channel. The channel equalizers have three fixed frequency bands ( 110Hz, 1.6kHz, and 10kHz). Each stereo channel also features a VU meter for proper gain staging, a bypass switch, mute switch, adjustable input/output gain, and an editable text box for channel name entry.
See also: All Analog Obsession VST Plugins Are Now FREE (Donationware)The eight stereo channels are summed to a single stereo master channel. The master channel features a VU meter, an output volume control, and an editable text box. It is also possible to rout each stereo channel to a corresponding stereo output. This way, the NCAR plugin can be used as a gain staging and EQ plugin without taking advantage of the analog summing functionality.
As expected, a virtual summing plugin like NCAR will require some manual routing inside the DAW. The process can vary from one digital audio workstation to another. However, the routing procedure is pretty straightforward and well documented on the NCAR product page.
Unfortunately, due to the input and output routing limitations of the VST3 and AU plugin formats, the multi-channel version of NCAR is only available as a VST plugin. Analog Obsession has also released a single-channel version of NCAR called NCAR SE, which is available in VST3 and AU plugin formats, too.
On a related note, Analog Obsession has released several other VST plugins lately. One particularly exciting release is Konsol, a freeware console channel preamp plugin. It emulates three different console types, each with a different flavor of saturation. It seems like NCAR could work very well in tandem with Konsol.
NCAR can be downloaded entirely free of charge from Analog Obsession’s Patreon page. No signup required. Only 64-bit plugin hosts are supported. Analog Obsession plugins are free to download and use. The users can donate to Analog Obsession through their Patreon page.
More info: NCAR (6.59 MB download size, ZIP archive, 64-bit VST plugin format for Windows & macOS)
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