Following the launch of the Revival 4000 channel strip, Solid State Logic has announced its Super 9000 Channel Strip.
Introduced in the SL 9000 J and perfected in the Duality console, SSL’s SuperAnalogue technology paved the way for the recently launched Oracle Future Analogue consoles. Now, the Super 9000 channel strip brings the same professional polish into a single channel strip.
‘SSL’s SuperAnalogue technology redefined what could be achieved with analogue circuitry, marking a milestone in mixing console innovation and delivering truly unparalleled performance that paved the way for the sound of “modern” music,’ says Senior Studio Product Manager, Andy Jackson. ‘The Super 9000 represents the pinnacle of that evolution – a fully featured, sonically stunning 1U channel strip.
‘Building on the legacy of our SL 9000 and Duality consoles, this instantly recognisable sound – with all its dynamics, EQ and routing flexibility – is now accessible to a much wider community of studios, producers and musicians. The Super 9000 also perfectly complements our Revival 4000 channel strip, offering users two distinct yet equally iconic SSL sonic flavours.’
SSL’s SuperAnalogue technology creates an extremely wide and transparent signal path. Defining characteristics of the Super 9000 include ultra-low transient intermodulation distortion, the absence of electrolytic capacitors from the main audio path, extremely low noise and harmonic distortion and exceptionally low phase shift across the audible spectrum. The result of these elements is greater sonic definition and a larger-than-life soundstage.
The SSL Super 9000 offers the choice of two world-class preamps, as in the company’s flagship Duality console. The SuperAnalogue preamp offers extensive headroom and unmatched clarity, while the Variable Harmonic Drive (VHD) circuit delivers character and saturation. With VHD, users can dial in second-order harmonics for ‘valve-like warmth’, or third-order harmonics for a harder, transistor-style edge. An Input Flip button allows the line-input to be run through the VHD preamp, allowing harmonics to be introduced into DAW stems or other line-level instruments and sources.
Built around the high-performance THAT 2181A VCA, the compressor includes a switchable Fast Attack mode and the Peak Detect option – introduced on the SL 9000 console and carried through to the Duality series. It also incorporates SSL’s classic Expander/Gate section with variable hysteresis built into the Threshold. Additionally, Super 9000 allows the dynamics section to be moved Pre and Post EQ.
Users can choose the 292 G-Series Pink Knob EQ circuit or the 242 E-Series Black Knob EQ circuit. The 292’s variable-Q design delivers smooth, wide boosts and cuts that tighten as it is pushed harder, while its shelves feature a steeper slope and the signature ‘undershoot/overshoot’ for that renowned SSL musicality. The 242’s constant-Q design, developed in collaboration with Sir George Martin, provides greater control over that of the 292.
Super 9000 includes a balanced insert point for integrating outboard gear into the signal path. The insert can be repositioned from immediately after the input stage to the output stage, just before the Output Trim. It also features a dedicated external sidechain (key) input, flexible processing re-ordering, and sidechain linking for when using two Super 9000 units as a stereo pair. Input Flip routes the line input to the mic preamp, while the rear mic connection becomes routed through the line path – a straightforward way to process line-level DAW returns with saturation/distortion processing at the mix stage, without having to manually re-patch.
The Super 9000 SuperAnalogueT Channel Strip is priced at £1249 ex.VAT/US$1999/€1629 ex.Tax.
See also:
Solid State Logic Revival 4000