Solid State Logic SSL The Bus+ Compressor

If there is one analog processing device synonymous with SSL, it must be the SSL Bus Compressor. From the original SSL 4000B console in 1976, through many generations of SSL consoles, the bus compressor has always remained the heart of any console. For many of the world's top engineers and producers, the Bus Compressor is the go-to processing tool for making mixes sound larger than life with the drive and energy from adding that iconic SSL glue and punch. SSL set out to create the ultimate and most versatile iteration of the Bus Compressor. The foundation of the design stays faithful to the original circuit, and builds on that foundation by adding multiple unique color options and advanced processing tools. If you want it to sound as clean and punchy as the SuperAnalogueTM 9000 Series version, it can. If you want it to be as gritty and gnarly as the early 4000E, it can do that too. Or if you want to absolutely smash, saturate and pump the drums in parallel, THE BUS+ can do it all. Key features Bus Compressor 4 modes of operation - Classic Stereo, S S/C Stereo, Dual Mono or Mid-Side External side-chain inputs and sends The authentic SSL Bus Compressor circuit LOW THD Mode reduces low-frequency distortion caused by compression F/B Mode alters the compression characteristics for a more 'relaxed' style of compression 4K Mode - single VCA operation with variable harmonic distortion to bring some 'grit' and 'grunge' to the mix Negative Ratios - for creative pumping effects and control of particularly loud signals New Attack and Release options, including the new 'Auto 2' setting MIX control for instant parallel compression Moving-coil gain reduction meters Unlockable Transient Expander General 100% analogue circuit, controlled digitally using stepped front-panel pots Huge +27.5 dBu headroom Configurable processing order - Bus Compressor pre D-EQ (default) or post CH 1 IN and CH 2 IN buttons for global bypass Settable Operating Level - 0 dB (nominal), +10 dB, -5 dB Sleep and Auto-Sleep modes Precision MDAC-controlled MAKE-UP Gain with two ranges - 1 dB or 0.5 dB steps D-EQ Powerful 2-band analogue Parallel Dynamic EQ - the D-EQ Compress/Expand modes 3 choices of time constants for each band - Nominal, FAST or AUTO 16 selectable Frequency points per band Adjustable Range control per band from 0.5 dB to 15 dB HF band can be switched to Bell shape, with selectable frequencies covering High-Mids and Highs Frequency band static 'make-up' gain for LF and HF bands (Stereo/ S S/C Stereo) or LF band (Dual Mono/Mid-Side) G-Series mode changes LF filter to be 2nd order with degree of undershoot/overshoot Tri-colour activity LEDs to indicate D-EQ activity Individually bypass-able bands THE BUS+ circuit design uses high-quality components, including 2181 THAT VCAs for unmateched analog performance, with four modes of operation and three unique compression modes that can be combined to perfectly match the genre you're working in. THE BUS+ also offers sophisticated routing options and advanced processing tools such as a Dynamic Equalizer (D-EQ), Transient Expander and much, much more. To round out the new feature set, SSL aimed to introduce improvements that would help recallability and technical performance. Every pot on THE BUS+ are stepped and read by a microcontroller that translates the pot position into the required circuit configuration or electrical parameter. This groundbreaking approach not only makes recalls far easier, but it also means THE BUS+ is immune to pot tolerance - ideal for precision processing applications such as mastering. Dynamic Analogue Equalizer D-EQ is a powerful 2-band dynamic EQ that can be placed before or after The Bus Compressor. Many engineers are familiar with dynamic EQ plug-ins, but analogue dynamic EQs are hard to come by. Dynamic EQ is a smart form of EQ that proportionally changes the gain of an EQ band depending on the signal level when the signal level exceeds a set threshold. This enables you to change the balance between the background material (below threshold) and the forward material (above threshold). THE BUS+ Settings Engineers and producers use bus compression in very different ways. Some build mixes into a bus compressor with “set-and-forget” settings, while others tweak the time constants to work with their particular production and apply them as the finishing touch to the mix.