What is SSL

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Atipp

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I hear about SSL. I think It's something on a mixer. What is it?
Where can I get it and do I need it. Also, What does it mean to "compress the stereo bus". Specificalfy the stereo buss part. Do I have it on my tascam porta studio.

Sorry so stupid
Adam T.
adtsks@citlink.net
 
SSL is a maker of consoles (mixers)..

Sure, go out and buy one.. they are only $500,000 :D

No your potastudio doesn't have "one"
 
I think he meant can he "compress the stereo bus" with his tascam....
The stereo bus is basically the main outs of your portastudio. To compress it, you run the stereo out of your tascam into a stereo compressor, squash the signal and then take the output of the compressor to your tape deck. It's mainly done to get a hotter signal to tape. I never liked doing that unless it was a special mix, though.
If you're mixing to a digital medium, don't compress ... you can either transfer it to a PC and try to master it yourself or have someone else do it. If you're going to cassette or something like that, you could try to compress it ... but a little goes a long way and it's easy to overdo it. So, be careful. Personally, I wouldn't mess with it at all ... but I'm sure there's cases where it's necessary. With a cassette multitrack, I think you'll find that quieter sections of your material will be noisier if you compress.
Your tascam most likely does not have a compressor on it.
 
SSL= Solid State Logic. Makers of total Class A, descreet circuit design mixing consoles. Their eq's are often regarded as the most "transparent" (read: very low phase distortion....) on the market. Many, many, many hits mixed on them. Some of the most thought out and extensive analog automation packages available. A "must have" if you want to attract many big clients!!! :) And by the way Vox, I seen a little article and pic on a SSL that cost the studo $1,600,000!!!! They are not all that expensive, and I am sure you can get into the entry level stuff for $500k....:eek:

Compressing your Stereo Buss? Your stereo buss is your stereo SUM. Meaning, the stereo outputs are your stereo buss. On some mixers, there is an insert connection that would allow you to patch in a compressor so that you may apply compression over the whole mix before it goes to the mixdown recorder. This is not used that often unless you have one really kick butt compressor, and you REALLY know what you are doing with compression on a mix! There are many mixing engineers (me as one of them...) that would never DREAM of inserting a compressor over the stereo buss while mixing!!! If you apply too much compression, it really can't be undone in MASTERING, so it is better to wait until mastering to compress your mix.

Good luck.

Ed
 
I found that recording to analog tape has a compression of its own.
 
you can get some of the 80s SSLs for less than $50K. Seems like a pretty good investment for anyone in the "above project studio/below Major label" spot.
 
I'm working now on a SSL 4000 G+........a real beauty.
You can find better pre's but the EQ itself is worth the whole damm thing.
The misery of this studio is they own a SSL but I have to track to a Tascam:o :rolleyes: :eek:
They ran out of money after buying the mixer........

I'll see if I can take a pic this week and post it here.
 
*grin* I have spend almost 2 decades trying hard to avoid working on SSL's
 
I thought that was because you were pimping Amek for so long sjoko2! ;)

Ed
 
I suppose I have to admit I'm a Rupert groupie:D
SSL's to me are inferior copies of Neve consoles, made popular through clever sales and marketing by people who remind me of second hand car salesman (the worse kind).
Apart from that, a lot of the older ones have this strange high-mid sound I detest.
Ehhh does that sound like I don't like SSL's?;)
 
the Local studio I interned in for a while before they moved locations had 16 channels of SSL channel strips. Sounded ok but I wouldnt want to have to pay the bank off for that.
 
Yo All:

A half a mil? A mil and a half +??

I guess I'll be using my 2816 for a long, long time unless I can find some old lady with a few mil.

Green Hornet

Happy St. Patrick's Day:D :D :rolleyes: :p :p
 
Sjoerd, is that the same annoying high mid sound that the Yamaha PM 3k's had? I know, hard to compare the two, but I thought it would be fun anyway....:)

Ed
 
Wait!! Let me play with this some more!!!

Is that the same strange high mid sound that ALL Yamaha products have?!?!??!!??!?!?!?! :D

Maybe the Japanese have a strange curve in their hearing in that region. That would explain why they like those sintar, or whatever the hell they are called. That is an instrument that in the equal of nails on a chalkboard to me....;)

Ed
 
Nah...... that yammers beats everything,
LOL I was just going to write something in the blackboard vein, but you did it already.
I never understood why Yamaha cannot get their act together on that score. Its one thing to ALWAYS have had a problem like that throughout generations of analogue desks, but they have even managed to get screwed up mids in their digital gear as well.
The funny thing is, they really do know about good sound.......

The SSL "sound" is different, even tough I find it very irritating, to the extend that I have turned down projects in the past if it involved working on SSL's, or moved projects to other studios.
All you have to do is listen to Peter Gabriels records, made with great attention to detail in every way, and still they have this weird mid and high mid sound.

Don't get me wrong, its a little bit better than a Mackie ;)
 
But are they better than a Behringer mixer?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? LOL...;)

Ed
 
That makes sense regarding Peter Gabriel. I've been listening to his greatest hits in my car and it has amazing depth and clarity but the sound is very fatigueing after awhile.
 
sonusman said:
But are they better than a Behringer mixer?
Click to expand...

The low end Behringer mixers or the high end consoles?

I have 2 Yamaha recorders.... but then again....it was me at the alter sayin I do....and I was the one who thought having kids couldn't be that expensive. I like API's myself...but that was before the Mackie was invented...

Peace,
Dennis
 
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