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14-day money back guarantee included if product is not activated
You can purchase from Gear4music with complete confidence and peace of mind. All of our digital products come with a 14-day money-back guarantee as standard.
If you decide you don't want your order, you can return it within 14 days of receiving it. Provided your product hasn't been activated in that time, you can exchange it for a different product, or get a refund.
We will only issue a new product or refund if the supplier confirms that your product has not been activated. At the same time, we will ask them to invalidate it so that it cannot be used in the future.
This does not affect your statutory rights.
For more information, please refer to our Returns and Refunds Information.
If you decide your order isn't suitable for any reason you can return it - just let us know within 30 days of receiving it. Please keep hold of all the original packaging until you're sure you want to keep the order.
Eligibility for Money Back Guarantee
For hygiene and software licensing reasons, some items are only eligible for our Money Back Guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging with all software still "unregistered."
Details of exclusions are shown within the product descriptions.
Products include:
- Monitors and Headphones
- Earplugs and Ear Protection
- Reeds and mouthpieces for woodwind and brass instruments
- Mouth and Lip-Care Products
- CDs, DVDs and Software
We can collect your return for a small fee, or you can send it back to us yourself. The collection fee can be found in the returns information on each product's page on Gear4music.
In the unlikely event that any item in this order is faulty, damaged or incorrect on receipt, notify us within 14 days and we'll arrange a free collection.
When returning an order please ensure products are appropriately packaged and protected, to prevent them from getting damaged.
This table provides an overview of your statutory consumer rights, compared with our standard returns policy and optional extended money back guarantee and warranty.
| UK & Europe | EU Standard | Gear4music Standard | Gear4music Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return Period | 14 days | 30 days | up to 180 days |
| Standard delivery charges refunded? | Yes | Yes | Yes, up to 30 days |
| Upgraded delivery charges refunded? | Standard costs only | Standard costs only | Standard costs only |
| Free collection on cancellation | No | No | Yes, up to 30 days |
| Free collection if defective, delivered damaged or incorrect item | Yes, within 14 days | Yes, within 14 days | Yes, within 30 days |
We are unable to accept returns of any custom made items designed to work together as a unique package and some items are only eligible for money back guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging. For full information on our returns policy, please refer to our returns and refunds information guide.
Key Features
The Softube American Class A is a plugin recreation of a famous American channel strip that features distinctive stepped EQ switches, specifically-designed for Softube’s Console 1. Modelled on renowned American mixing desk designs, American Class A combines a distinctive EQ, flexible compression, and analogue-inspired saturation in a single workflow-focused plug-in. The stepped four-band EQ uses proportional Q behaviour, making broad tonal shaping quick while still allowing precise corrective adjustments. Its compressor can switch between feedback and feed-forward modes, giving you two different dynamic responses for everything from punchy drums to controlled vocals.
A dedicated Shape section adds both gating and transient processing, helping you tighten performances and enhance attack without reaching for extra plug-ins. Meanwhile, the output stage introduces adjustable harmonic drive for added weight and texture. Available as a native plug-in and fully integrated with Console 1, American Class A delivers a complete channel-strip workflow with detailed visual feedback and real-time signal analysis.
Product Ref: 382652
American Class A combines several essential mix tools into a single channel strip, helping you work quickly without sacrificing control. The Shape section includes both a gate and transient shaper, allowing you to tighten drum recordings, reduce unwanted spill, or add extra attack to instruments and percussion. Because these processes sit within the same signal path as the EQ and compressor, you can make broad tonal and dynamic changes from one interface. It's a practical workflow for busy sessions where maintaining momentum matters just as much as achieving the right sound.
At the heart of American Class A is a stepped four-band equaliser inspired by classic American console designs. Its proportional Q behaviour naturally changes the bandwidth as you apply more gain, making large boosts sound focused and musical while keeping cuts clean and controlled. Range controls allow you to reduce the amount of available gain for finer adjustments, making the EQ equally useful for detailed mastering tasks and broad mix shaping. Whether you're adding weight to a bass guitar or opening up a vocal, the controls remain fast, predictable, and easy to use.
The built-in compressor offers a less common approach by allowing you to switch between feedback and feed-forward topologies. Each mode responds differently to incoming signals, giving you greater flexibility when controlling dynamics. Feedback operation delivers a smoother, more vintage-style response, while feed-forward mode provides tighter, more immediate control. This makes the compressor suitable for a wide range of sources, including drums, guitars, bass, vocals, and electronic instruments. Rather than relying on multiple compressor plug-ins, you can access contrasting dynamic behaviours directly within a single channel strip.
American Class A works as both a native plug-in and a dedicated Console 1 channel strip, giving you the freedom to choose the workflow that suits your studio. Console 1 users benefit from hands-on control and streamlined mixing, while native users gain access to the same processing tools directly within their DAW. Detailed waveform displays and FFT visualisation provide clear insight into how your settings affect the signal in real time. Additionally, the compressor and EQ modules are available within Amp Room, making it easy to integrate the sound and character of American Class A across multiple Softube environments.
"I am finding that the drive section is phenomenal, and the compressor is amazing… It really does take seconds to improve vastly on the sounds of drums and guitars… All in all a pretty blinding console!" - Graham Coxon - Guitarist (Blur)
