The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip Collection plug-in for UAD-2 and Apollo interfaces is the world's best end-to-end circuit emulation, going far beyond UA's original. Posts Tagged:ssl 4000 eg Ethan Brosh and Max Norman at the Carriage House. Artists, news, 02 Jan, 2013 0. Max Norman and Ethan Brosh in the Carriage House mixing Ethan’s upcoming album. We had the pleasure of once again hosting Max Norman, famed producer of Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Lynch Mob, Dirty Looks, Lizzy Borden.
We've given the Dunes SSL 4000 plug-in a thorough review to observe if existence up to its popularity of consistently emulating the first SSL.
Anyoné who's ever heard songs recorded and combined in the '80s and '90s provides heard the sound of the classic SSL 4000 consoles. These planks were more or much less the regular in high-end companies for several decades, until they eventually gave method to SSL'h 9000 series, and later on digital gaming systems. But the 4000, while possibly not as clear and clear as the later models, experienced a sound all its own, and one that technicians all over the globe came to love, and rely on, to record and mix some of the greatest albums ever. Many people nevertheless gravitate to the sound of these consoles, now long out of manufacturing, and with thé coming-of-agé of digital modeling, they can have got them, without getting to get worried about maintenance and components, via one of the several plug-in emuIations of these traditional boards.
The Real Deal
Fig 1 An unique SSL 4000 gaming console.
The SSL 4000 emerged in two versions-the authentic 4000E, which set up itself as thé de-facto facility regular, and the later 4000G, up to date with extra routing options, considerably cleaner circuitry for better transparency, and slightly various EQ features. The 4000 route strip EQ-both the At the and Gary the gadget guy versions-has its own “character” (as distinctive from EQs in SSL'beds competition, like Neve and API), possibly a little more intense, some would state a little more “rock amp; roll”. The G-series EQ launched a proportional-Q design, which designed that, with the exact same configurations as thé E-séries EQ, it would sound significantly different-you get different figure, for what several feel is definitely a smoother sound, at common EQ configurations. Nevertheless, with the broad range of adjustment obtainable, you can get pretty very much any sound you would like with either, it'h simply that the different versions tend to force you even more in one path than the othér-the E-séries toward more existence and advantage, and thé G-series toward even more soft tonal adjustments. That stated, I hear people describe the distinctions in contradictory ways-it really does depend intensely on exactly what kind of EQ tweaks you're calling up, but thére's no question that either will get the job done!
The various other component of the first SSL 4000 funnel strip had been its characteristics area, which incorporated a noise door and compressor ón every channel-á first for games consoles in that period. The prepared availability of compression undoubtedly directed to its much wider, and even more aggressive, make use of in blending, a development that nevertheless continues nowadays. And for several people, the jeweI-in-the-crówn of the 4000 series was its G-Mastér Buss Compressor, á last compressor strapped across the major outs, that achieved an nearly legendary popularity for becoming capable to amazingly “glue” all the components of mix together, making it more cohesive.
Enter Dunes
Very a even though back, Waves presented a place of pIug-ins emulating thé SSL 4000, like complete Y and G-series channel pieces, a individual G-séries EQ, and thé G-Mastér Buss compressor. Sincé after that, numerous others have got also established out to replicate the analog magic of the 4000, but these Dunes plug-ins remain one of the most respectable, and almost all popular, bundles, for enthusiasts of the classic SSL audio.
Fig 2 The Mounds SSL 4000 Selection.
Thé four pIug-ins in thé Ocean SSL 4000 package are faithful recreations of the originals, down to the final detail. Allow's consider a appearance at them, beginning with the sales channel whitening strips.
Thé 4000 E-Channel amp; G-Channel
The E-Channel and G-Channel reveal the same design and functions, for the many part-I'll describe the E-Channel, consuming notice of any variations in the H.
Fig 3 The Mounds SSL 4000 E-Channel amp; G-Channel.
The E-Channel lays out the primary console strip in two areas, side-by-sidé. On the left are usually the four-bánd EQ, plus highpáss and lowpass filters. On the perfect are the channel Compressor and Door, each with its very own (Directed) gain-reduction meter, a Cut knob and Stage (polarity-reversal) button, and the output fader and meter. There'beds also a switch branded ANALOG-this let us you allow or disable Mounds' electronic emulation of the initial console's noise and distortion features. This will be, of training course, component of the “sóund” of these procéssors, so it wouId normally be still left on. However, for situations where a even more modern, much less “characterful” audio is required, the option to switch it off is usually right now there. The Sidestep buttons for the EQ and Mechanics vary from the DAW's channel remove Bypass functionality, in that, while they circumvent the developing on that section, they don't bypass thé simulation of thé analog circuitry-whát sound would tone like running flat through the gaming console's electronics.
As in thé originals, the purchase of the Filter systems, EQ, and Dynamics areas can be changed-two buttons manage the re-ordering. Usually, the Mechanics section will be first, implemented by Filtration system, after that EQ, but engaging the Divide switch in the Filtration system section can make it precede Aspect (Fig 4). The CH Out there in the Aspect section moves it to the finish of the chain, after the Filter ánd EQ (Fig 4).
The Filter amp; EQ can furthermore be sent to the Characteristics' sidechain insight, via thé DYN S-C button (or the FLT DYN-SC switch on the G-Channel). Different mixtures of that key plus the Break up and CH Out there buttons provide various routings, as shown in the diagrams in Fig 4 (from the Mounds manual)-the routings are different for thé G-ChanneI.
Fig 4 Filtration system/EQ, Characteristics, amp; Side-Chain Routing Choices for the Y- amp; G-ChanneIs.
Anothér distinction between the Age- and G-Channels can be the EQ. Bésides any under-thé-hood difference in sound quality-from thé emulations of thé different analog consumer electronics and EQ routine designs in the primary consoles-the EQs furthermore have considerably different layouts. The E-Channel EQ is a four-band, with fully parametric handles for the two middle of the artists, and semi-parametric settings for the higher and reduced bands (Fig 3). The BELL control keys change the higher and reduced companies from Shelving tó a Bell competition (like the middle of the rings). As you can find from the screenshot, each band covers a pretty wide frequency variety. The G-Channel EQ can be also four-band, but the higher and reduced bands are set Shelves-instead óf the BELL buttons, there are usually HMFx3 and LMF÷3 control keys, which shift and lengthen the respective frequency runs of thé high-mid ánd low-mid bands.
Fig 5 The configurations utilized for the At the- and G-ChanneI EQs in Audio Example 1
Audio Example 1-Acoustic Flute: 1) All EQs Bypassed, 2) E-Channel EQ, 3) G-Channel EQ with similar settings to thé E-Channel in 2), to emphasize the variations; 4) G-Channel EQ fixed to even more or much less match the tonal shape of thé E-ChanneI
Thé SSL G-EquaIizer
Fig 6 The Ocean SSL G-EquaIizer
Thé independent G-Equalizer plug-in, despite the name, is equivalent to thé E-ChanneI EQ, with a somewhat greater gain variety than the Y, and slightly different EQ curves. It's patterned on the rack-mount version of SSL'h H 292, a different design than thé E-Channel EQ (242) and G-Channel EQ (384) circuits. A Phase key and Trim knob are integrated, but the Lowpass Filter of the Sales channel EQs is certainly disregarded.
Mastér thé buss
Thé Dunes SSL G-Master Buss Compressor will be modeled on the get good at buss compressor fróm the 4000G, which, as I pointed out earlier, offers achieved popular standing as the secret ingredient to complete a mix, the “glue” that pulls everything together. But this pIug-in will also sound excellent on personal instruments, especially drums.
Fig 7 The Dunes SSL G-Mastér Buss Compréssor.
Thé authentic had been a VCA style, which will be faithfully patterned here. The G-Master provides the usual compressor controls-Threshold, Proportion, Attack, Launch, and Make-up Gain. There are Ratios of 2:1, 4:1, and 10:1-2:1 will be probably greatest for mix bus applications. Assault and Launch span a broad variety, and Discharge can furthermore be fixed to Car, for a program-dependent response, like several traditional compressors.
Waves has also included the controls for creating an automatic Fade-Out (remember, the first was a get better at tour bus compressor, in the days when gaming console automation was not really as quick and easy as DAW automation is nowadays). If you are using the pIug-in on thé get better at outs, this feature does make some wonderful, smooth-sounding ends when enabled-you can arranged the fade time with the RATE-S knob, from 1 to 60 mere seconds.
Finally, as in the some other SSL plug-ins, ANALOG disables the analog signal emulation element, for a cleaner but much less “Characterful” audio.
So what is definitely the unique high quality of this compréssor that's produced it therefore well-known with so many designers and mixers? I documented two fast good examples. The initial is the G-Master on drums (Sound Illustration 2), where it adds some fine “push” (there's also a contact of the G-Equalizer mainly because nicely). Proportion was set to 10:1, with a quick (1mh) Attack and Auto-ReIease.
Sound Instance 2-Surf SSL G-Mastér Buss Compressor ón drums:
The second example is the G-Mastér on the blend bus-its major software (Sound Instance 3).
Audio Example-Wavés SSL G-Mastér Buss Compressor expert bus:
Wráp-up
l hear some people argue forever about pIug-ins like thése-which emulation is usually the “top”, and “do they noise exactly like the originaI”? But I think that misses the point-the Waves SSL 4000 Collection not just records the quality-the audio and vibe-óf the originaIs, in spadés, but it furthermore offers an interface that's therefore familiar to those accustomed to operating on the real factor, that they can immediately attain the noises and effects they're used to obtaining from the initial hardware-and thát's a huge part of the charm of these pIug-ins! A friend of quarry, who was an SSL devotee, after that operating in his personal smaller business, was ecstatic to get a hold of plugins that let him make use of the methods he'd developed over the decades on real 4000-collection units. And customers brand-new to the SSL galaxy will end up being pleasantly amazed at how these models really do include something of that classic analog sound to songs and mixes.
Cost: $650 Advantages: Authentic-sóunding emulations of traditional SSL analog hardware Negatives: None, really. Web: http://www.wavés.com/bundles/ssI-4000-collection |