Could the UF8 be the SSL DAW controller that you can actually afford?

>Ever dreamt of sitting down in your studio chair in front of a bank of Solid State Logic knobs and faders? You'll like the UF8, the company’s new ‘advanced’ DAW controller. While still not exactly cheap, SSL are promising the premium build they're known for at a lower price.

Said to be compatible with all of the major DAWs, and to deliver “a new level of user-focused design,” this is designed to improve your music creation, production and mixing workflow.

There’s a touch-sensitive fader, endless rotary controller and high-resolution colour display on each of the eight channels, while five banks of eight user keys and three quick keys enable you to customise your workflow.

There’s also an ‘intelligent’ multi-purpose channel encoder, which looks like it will give you control of any plugin parameter that you hover your mouse over.

You can switch control between three simultaneously connected DAWs, with workflow templates for different software being provided. The management of the UF8 is handled by the new SSL 360° control software.

This is very much an expandable system, too; up to four UF8s can be chained to create a 32-channel control surface.

Andy Jackson, SSL Studio

Product Manager, explained a bit further: “UF8 is an obvious next step in SSL’s development in ergonomically designed studio tools for today’s mixers, producers and creators. The layout and build quality are all about our fixation with ‘human engineering’; creating products that keep you in the creative zone with high-speed access to every fader or control, without operator fatigue or discomfort.”

Bundled with the SSL Native Vocalstrip 2 and Drumstrip plugins, the UF8 is available now priced at £833 plus VAT.