UNIVERSAL AUDIO SSL 4000 G BUS COMPRESSOR
UA are remodelling their take on the G – the classic mix bus compressor that rode the levels on so many 80s and 90s hits
A firm favourite of countless mix engineers, the iconic stereo bus compressor from the SSL 4000 G-Series mixing console is best known for its ability to ‘glue’ disparate mix elements together, providing modern punch, cohesion and transparency where it counts. Universal Audio’s officially-endorsed, UAD-2-powered plugin emulation has been around for a fair few years now, and so following in the footsteps of their recent overhauls – such as the UAD SSL 4000 E Channel Strip Collection (8/10, 244) and the UAD Neve 88RS Channel Strip Collection – comes their modern revamp of the classic VCA compressor, now bundled with the original version to comprise the so-named ‘collection’.
As with the original hardware, the minimal controls and layout of this VCA-style device hide a self-assurance that becomes obvious when strapped across sub-groups and mixes. Dialling it in couldn’t be easier: turn Threshold (+15 to -15dB) anticlockwise to set compression, then use Gain Make-up (0-15dB) to bring the overall level back up again. The Attack control is stepped (choose from 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, and 30 milliseconds), as is Release (0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 seconds, plus a program-dependent Auto release setting). Ratio is switchable between 2, 4 or 10:1, and sits next to a large In/Out ‘bypass’ button.
The new additions are a Sidechain Filter (ranging from Off to 500Hz); a Mix control for parallel compression (0-100%); and a little Headroom adjuster pot, which lowers or raises the input so that the Threshold control window covers the optimal range. True to the original hardware, there’s also an Auto-Fade button and Rate control, set in seconds – although in the modern age of DAWs, we can’t imagine why anyone would choose to use this instead of drawing in regular volume automation.
Nothing but a G thang
As you’d expect, operating the SSL 4000 G is intuitive from the get go, and there are a host of presets from nine producers and engineers to use as starting points. Rightfully, what you first notice isn’t the compression working, but what it’s doing to your mix: the big ‘In’ button could just as easily be called the ‘Sounds Like a Record’ button, gluing the track together into a cohesive, united whole without sacrificing clarity. It’s just what the original hardware did, and if anything, this new virtual version is an improvement – we found it helpful to roll off low frequencies from the input sidechain signal to eliminate highfrequency modulation or pumping; and the new Mix control is especially welcome, particularly on drum buses, allowing you to dial in more heavy-handed settings than you usually would, before mixing in the uncompressed signal to temper the effect and maintain ‘openness’.
We’re still big fans of the also-included Legacy model (and for a low-DSP version it still stands up to its purpose), but the new remodelled version is a revelation in terms of accuracy and precision. It’s not a dynamics device for every mix situation, but the indescribable glue and unification it imparts is undeniably impressive and impactive. www.uaudio.com