# Best SSL Plugins (Solid State Logic) Audio Plugins



## Sonnie

What are your favorite SSL Plugins (Solid State Logic) Audio Plugins?

I can't upload mine right now, but will do so later on.


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## DrGeoff

That would have to be the UAD 4K channel strip, emulating the SSL4000 console channel.


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## DOMC

I have had the pleasure of using most of them - I own/work with Duende, waves, UAD - I really liked Duende for the overall tone and DSP. Waves were also good. The Bus comp is my hands down fav of all SSL plugins


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## DragonMusic

1+ for the Bus comp. Love it.


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## ngarjuna

Alex B's Classic Logic Console for desk/channel strip.

Cytomic's The Glue for 4k style buss comp.


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## immortalgropher

Waves SSL. All of em!


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## chonc

I really like waves', I've used them side to side with SSL X-rack components and they measure pretty good!


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## immortalgropher

I'm leaning more and more towards an X-rack.


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## chonc

AstralPlaneStudios said:


> I'm leaning more and more towards an X-rack.


Who wouldn't? But if you are on a tight budget the waves' plugins are pretty decent.

That said, I like more the sound of waves' API bundle , (specially because I don't have 75K to spend in an API console), and I use API Eq plugins way more than SSL... but then again, this is a SSL plugin dicussion.


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## immortalgropher

Doesn't the X-rack just allow you to use your outboard gear as a plug in?


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## chonc

AstralPlaneStudios said:


> Doesn't the X-rack just allow you to use your outboard gear as a plug in?


No, the X-Rack is a family of analog modules from SSL (EQ, Comp, Line Mixer, Master Bus Comp) that you configure to your needs in a 3-space rack lunchbox (which can accommodate up to 8 modules. The module's circuits are supposed to be the same found in their AWS and Duality consoles. It is really like having a chunk of a SSL console.


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## ngarjuna

chonc said:


> No, the X-Rack is a family of analog modules from SSL (EQ, Comp, Line Mixer, Master Bus Comp) that you configure to your needs in a 3-space rack lunchbox (which can accommodate up to 8 modules. The module's circuits are supposed to be the same found in their AWS and Duality consoles. It is really like having a chunk of a SSL console.


It's like having a chunk of one of the digital desks. That doesn't suck but it's not the same thing as having a chunk of a 4000 series.


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## chonc

ngarjuna said:


> It's like having a chunk of one of the digital desks. That doesn't suck but it's not the same thing as having a chunk of a 4000 series.


well, maybe it's not the sound of the 4000 series... but it is the analog bit of the AWS and the Duality what you get with these modules.

They use their new super analog, capacitor-less circuitry. It does have the SSL sound, but it has more headroom. These babies don't suck at all!!


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## ngarjuna

chonc said:


> well, maybe it's not the sound of the 4000 series... but it is the analog bit of the AWS and the Duality what you get with these modules.
> 
> They use their new super analog, capacitor-less circuitry. It does have the SSL sound, but it has more headroom. These babies don't suck at all!!


Yeah, I've mixed on the 9000 series. They are very nice consoles...but they really don't have the "SSL sound" that I get out of my plugins which are modeled after or sampled from the classic 4000 series desks. If you're looking for color (granted, console coloration in the flavor of SSL 4000 series is still a fairly subtle sound) there are better, cheaper choices.

For console coloration I think Nebula3 Pro with a couple carefully chosen 3rd party libraries is unbeatable at the moment. And for a tiny fraction of the cost of an X-Rack you can end up with the very best versions of not only SSL sound but also Neves (classic and modern), API, Sphere and some other very rare and sought after consoles (short of actually buying those consoles). Nebula still has workflow limitations (it's a CPU hog) with current levels of processing resources but hardware dsp has the same kinds of limitations (actually hardware dsp is usually more limited since you can't usually expand the resource capabilities by simply upgrading the processor).


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