Solid State Logic Launches the Super 9000 Channel Strip

	SSL's SuperAnalogue technology is at the heart of the Super 9000. It creates a signal path so transparent and wide bandwidth that nothing is lost, the company says, putting the engineer right there in the room with the artist.

Solid State Logic (SSL) announces the launch of its new Super 9000 Channel Strip. The Super 9000 comprises the best of SSL's SuperAnalogue technology in a 1U channel strip, the company says.

Recognized for its depth and transparency, the 9000 Series consoles pioneered SSL's SuperAnalogue technology, quickly becoming the professional industry standard of its era, paving the way for the Duality and recently launched Oracle "Future Analog" consoles. Now, the Super 9000 channel strip brings the same professional polish into a single 1U channel strip.

"SSL's SuperAnalogue technology redefined what could be achieved with analog circuitry, marking a milestone in mixing console innovation and delivering truly unparalleled performance that paved the way for the sound of 'modern' music. The Super 9000 represents the pinnacle of that evolution -- a fully featured, sonically stunning 1U channel strip. Building on the legacy of our SL 9000 and Duality consoles, this instantly recognisable sound -- with all its dynamics, EQ and routing flexibility -- is now accessible to a much wider community of studios, producers and musicians. The Super 9000 also perfectly complements our Revival 4000 channel strip, offering users two distinct yet equally iconic SSL sonic flavors," says Andy Jackson, senior studio product manager.

SSL's SuperAnalogue technology is at the heart of the Super 9000. It creates a signal path so transparent and wide bandwidth that nothing is lost, the company says, putting the engineer right there in the room with the artist. Defining characteristics of the Super 9000 include ultra-wide audio bandwidth, ultra-low transient intermodulation distortion, no electrolytic capacitors in the main audio path, extremely low noise and harmonic distortion, and exceptionally low phase shift across the audible spectrum.

The channel strip offers the choice of two world-class preamps, just like the company's flagship Duality console, the company says. The SuperAnalogue preamp offers extensive headroom and unmatched clarity, while the Variable Harmonic Drive (VHD) circuit delivers character and saturation. With VHD, users can dial in 2nd-order harmonics for rich, valve-like warmth, or 3rd-order harmonics for a harder, transistor-style edge. An INPUT FLIP button allows you to run the line-input through the VHD preamp, making it easy to add harmonics to DAW stems or other line-level instruments and sources.

The product also features SSL's quintessential modern dynamics section. Built around the high-performance THAT 2181A VCA, the compressor includes a switchable Fast Attack mode and the Peak Detect option -- first introduced on the SL 9000 console and carried through to the Duality series. It also incorporates SSL's classic Expander/Gate section with variable hysteresis built into the Threshold. Additionally, Super 9000 allows the dynamics section to be moved Pre and Post EQ.

With SSL EQ options, users can choose the 292 G-Series "Pink Knob" EQ circuit or the 242 E-Series 'Black Knob' EQ circuit. The 292's variable-Q design delivers smooth, wide boosts and cuts that tighten as it is pushed harder, while its shelves feature a steeper slope and the signature "undershoot/overshoot." The 242's constant-Q design, developed in collaboration with Sir George Martin, provides more surgical control when compared to the 292, the company says.

Super 9000 includes a balanced insert point for integrating additional outboard gear into the signal path. The insert can be repositioned from immediately after the input stage to the output stage, just before the Output Trim. It also features a dedicated external sidechain (key) input, flexible processing re-ordering, and sidechain linking - well-suited when using two Super 9000 units as a stereo pair. INPUT FLIP control routes the LINE input to the Mic Pre, whilst the rear MIC connection becomes routed through the LINE path -- an easy way to process line-level DAW returns with saturation/distortion processing at the mix stage, without having to manually re-patch.

The Super 9000 SuperAnalogue Channel Strip is available now through SSL's network of authorized dealers.