Airwindows has released ConsoleX3, a free and open-source mixing console system for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Most Airwindows plugins famously prioritize efficient DSP over custom interfaces, but ConsoleX3 continues the developer’s newer experiments with in-house GUIs. It is not the first Airwindows release with one, but I think this one is the most elaborate example so far.
The original ConsoleX used separate Channel, Buss, and Pre plugins. ConsoleX3 puts all of those inside a single effect, with a Channel/Buss control determining how each instance behaves.
It opens in Channel mode for individual tracks. When you place another instance on the mix bus and move the selector fully toward Buss, it completes the console system. Double-clicking the control centers it in Pre mode, which retains the tone-shaping tools without applying the console summing stage.
The processing combines resonant high-pass and low-pass filters, four-band EQ, dynamics, saturation, panning, input and output gain, and console coloration. Its dynamics section can compress or expand the signal, so it can do much more than standard channel-strip compression.
For example, Chris Johnson demonstrates how to use expansion to emphasize the impact of close kick and snare microphones while reducing the surrounding kit. The More control introduces the new Weave saturation algorithm, while the EQ incorporates work related to the upcoming BezEQ4.
The adaptive interface is super interesting. When you resize the window, the controls reorganize themselves to fit. Shrink it far enough, and ConsoleX3 becomes a compact meter.
The meter can visualize peaks and frequency activity while using its background to suggest the signal’s tonal balance. It can also follow your DAW’s track color. The optional AirwindowsGlobals package lets you customize colors, knob behavior, interpolation, and even load a background image, while the standard interface follows the operating system’s light or dark mode.
ConsoleX3 is currently at version 0.0.7, which GitHub still labels as a pre-release. The GUI edition comes as a 13.4 MB macOS installer, 6.39 MB Windows installer, and 6.13 MB Linux archive. The project supports standalone, VST3, AU/AUv3, and CLAP builds where applicable.
An 882 KB no-GUI AU/VST2 package is also available. However, Mac users should not install its Audio Unit alongside the GUI edition because the shared plugin name can prevent the new installer from working correctly. ConsoleX3 is too large for Airwindows Consolidated, so it must be downloaded separately.
The GitHub page does not currently mark v0.0.7 as the latest release, so open the releases page and select the version at the top. ConsoleX3 is free, DRM-free, and published under the MIT open-source license.
Download: Airwindows ConsoleX3 (FREE)
Deal of the day 🔥: Get the VATRA mix finisher plugin by Flame Sound!More:
- Airwindows releases ConsoleX for macOS, Windows, and Linux
- Airwindows released FREE ToTape9 tape saturation plugin
- Air-G Audio releases 18 FREE Airwindows plugins with custom GUIs
