The Mixing Console That Changed Music
Imagine walking into a professional recording studio in 1990.
In front of you?
A giant SSL mixing console.
Hundreds of knobs.
Motorized faders.
EQ.
Compression.
Gates.
Automation.
Everything you need to mix an entire album.
And SSL consoles helped shape some of the biggest records ever made.
Today?
You can recreate much of that experience inside your laptop.
Or add a hardware controller and get your hands back on the knobs.
The console has become a plugin.
Quick Summary
Five ways to bring the SSL mixing experience into your DAW:
All five approach the same idea differently.
But first…
Why did SSL become so famous?
4000 B — 1976
The beginning. Rich, vintage character, aggressive compression and the early SSL sound.
4000 E — 1979
Punchy, aggressive and forward. The console that helped define the sound of 1980s rock and pop.
4000 G — 1987
A more refined EQ and dynamics section, with the famous SSL mix-bus compressor.
9000 J and K — 1990s
SSL’s SuperAnalogue era. Cleaner, smoother, more headroom and extended low-end response.
These designs helped establish the sound and workflow of modern recording studios.
One word.
Workflow.
A traditional SSL channel gives you nearly everything you need:
EQ.
Filters.
Compression.
Expansion.
Gating.
All immediately accessible.
The console also offers automation and the legendary bus compressor, which can help separate instruments feel like one cohesive record.
Also read:
Plugin Alliance offers several SSL console emulations developed by Brainworx.
These include the 4000 E, 4000 G and 9000 J.
One interesting feature is Tolerance Modeling Technology (TMT).
Instead of every plugin instance behaving identically, TMT introduces subtle channel-to-channel variations inspired by analog consoles.
You can effectively populate your DAW with different virtual console channels.
The 9000 J version emphasizes the cleaner, deeper and more open character of SSL’s later consoles.
Also read: Why Distortion Is the Secret Ingredient of Every Mix
Universal Audio recreates two essential parts of the classic SSL console.
Includes the preamp character, Brown and Black EQ variations, compression and gate.
Designed to bring the familiar SSL glue to drum buses and complete mixes.
Both are available as native plugins, so an Apollo interface isn’t required.
Softube approaches the problem differently.
What if you could control your plugins without constantly reaching for the mouse?
The Console 1 system combines dedicated hardware with an integrated software mixer.
Its current Channel Mk III offers hands-on EQ, compression and drive controls, while Fader Mk III adds physical faders.
Softube also offers officially licensed SSL 4000 E and XL 9000 K channel strips as optional purchases. The newer Mk III comes with Softube’s Core Mixing Suite, rather than an SSL strip.
SSL makes its own plugin versions of the 4000 B, E and G, alongside Channel Strip 2 and Bus Compressor 2.
But the interesting part is SSL 360.
It brings compatible plugins together in a virtual console, with hardware controllers designed to work alongside it.
UC1 — Channel control
Physical EQ, compression and gate controls, plus dedicated SSL bus-compressor controls.
UF8 — Faders
Eight motorized faders for mixing and DAW control.
UF1 — One-fader control
A compact solution for track control, automation and transport.
And with SSL 360 Link, UC1 can also control mapped third-party plugins, including Plugin Alliance SSL emulations.
Explore: SSL 360
Waves offers another take on the SSL 4000 E.
SSL EV2 includes Brown and Black EQ options, modeled preamp saturation, compression and gating.
It’s a straightforward option for producers who want the familiar SSL channel-strip workflow entirely in software.
Explore: SSL EV2 Channel Strip Plugin
Remember: With Waves you’re basically signing up for a subscription. They have a terrible policy of charging for future updates (of plugins you already paid for 👀).
IMHO: Only choose Waves as a last resort.
Its legendary gated drum sound grew out of experiments with the SSL 4000 B at London’s Townhouse Studios.
The engineers associated with SSL include Andy Wallace, Chris Lord-Alge, Tom Lord-Alge, Alan Moulder and Spike Stent.
|
System
|
Main attraction
|
Hardware
|
|---|---|---|
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Plugin Alliance
|
Multiple classic consoles and TMT
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Optional third-party control
|
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Universal Audio
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Detailed E channel and G bus emulations
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Optional
|
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Softube
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Integrated console-style workflow
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Console 1
|
|
SSL Native
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Original manufacturer’s console ecosystem
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UC1, UF8, UF1
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Waves
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Traditional software channel strip
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Optional
|
At one extreme:
The traditional console.
Physical knobs.
Instant access.
Hands-on mixing.
At the other:
The software studio.
Unlimited recall.
Portable sessions.
Multiple console models.
No enormous desk.
Today, the two approaches can work together.
Also read:
Can I Mix Music Professionally on my Laptop with Headphones?
The famous SSL sound is more than an EQ curve.
It’s the relationship between:
EQ.
Compression.
Gating.
Saturation.
And the way engineers use them together.
You can start with a single channel-strip plugin.
Build an entire virtual console.
Or add hardware and get your hands back on the mix.
The most important question isn’t which SSL emulation is closest to the original console.
It’s:
Which one helps you make better mixing decisions?
For more on those decisions, read
