Recording - October 2017 - 62

Plug-In Outlet

Universal
Audio

SSL 4000 G Bus
Compressor
Plug-In Collection
By Alex Hawley
Universal Audio recently released a
completely redesigned emulation of the Solid
State Logic 4000 G Bus Compressor, part
of UAD's v9.2 update. The plug-in comes
paired with a DSP-light legacy version, and is
available exclusively for UAD-2 systems and
Apollo interfaces. For those who already own
the legacy plug-in, an upgrade price of $149
is offered for the new emulation, while buying
the collection will cost $299.
The UAD SSL 4000 G is the product of a painstakingly detailed circuit level
emulation of SSL's legendary VCA bus compressor. The engineers at UA captured
every nuance of the hardware's circuit behaviors, including SSL's control voltage
summing. The original hardware unit is famous for a powerful and punchy sound,
and having an innate ability to add glue to the mix bus. Its unique sound can be
heard on countless records from the 1980s up through the present day.

The landscape

The SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor is a favorite 2-bus compressor for many
engineers. Operation is simple, and it doesn't require much finesse to be used
effectively. The UAD emulation includes all of the original controls found on the
hardware version, with an accurate GUI presentation. The main controls include
Threshold, Make-Up Gain, stepped Attack times (ranging from 0.1 milliseconds
to 30 milliseconds), stepped Release times (ranging from 100 milliseconds to
1.2 seconds plus Auto), fixed Ratio settings, and an In/Out button.
The Ratio settings include 2:1, 4:1 and 10:1, which are designed with a
variable knee. The variable knee allows you to toggle between each Ratio
setting without affecting gain reduction or perceived loudness, as the SSL circuit
modifies the threshold for each ratio. This allows you to just focus on the changes
in character.
In addition to the original hardware controls, there are a few bonus parameters
added for the plug-in version. The first digital feature is a Sidechain filter, a 12 dB/
octave highpass filter with continuously variable corner frequency that ranges from
Off to 500 Hz. Using a sidechain can help achieve well-rounded and transparent
compression by allowing the low-frequency content to pass through without triggering any gain reduction (and without reducing bass content on the source material).
The next parameter that is exclusive to the plug-in is a very welcome Mix
knob. This allows you to blend the dry and compressed signals together, creating
parallel compression without the need for additional busing or routing.
62

RECORDING October 2017

The Headroom parameter, also not found
in original hardware, allows adjustment of
the internal operating reference level. This
setting has a stepped range from 4 dB to 28
dB, with a default value of 16 dB. This gives
you some extra flexibility on how much headroom you are mixing with, so you can have
a more useful range of threshold control.
Just like on the original SSL outboard units,
the Auto Fade function is useful when a song
needs an automatic and smooth fade-in or
fade-out. This parameter can be automated,
and has a range from 1 to 60 seconds using
SSL's signature fade curves.

In the mix

The original hardware SSL 4000 G was
already one of my favorite compressors on
the mix bus. UAD's most recent emulation
sounds distinctly different from the legacy plugin, and does an amazing job of capturing the
signature SSL sound. While the legacy version
sounds punchy and full, the new emulation
seems to achieve the same punch in a slightly
more transparent, less snappy package. It also
sounds like it has a bit more midrange detail,
clarity, and openness to the top end.
One of my starting settings for the 2-bus
starts with the 4000 G set with a 2:1 ratio,
and less than 3 dB of gain reduction. It's
transparent at this setting, but adds a nice
cohesion to the mix that might otherwise be
lacking. This compressor works wonders in
this role; its tight bottom end and clear midrange creates a glue that really helps tie the
whole mix together. The great thing about
the SSL 4000 G is that you don't have to be
afraid to push it harder, either-it responds
well, with energy and power. The character
from pushing it harder especially shines in a
pop or rock context.
I love the flexibility of the plug-in's added
Sidechain filter and mix knob. I've turned
to these features quite a bit. The SC filter is
very useful for bass-heavy mixes that need
a little room to breathe. If the kick or bass
is a major component of the mix, generally
speaking, you'd normally have to set the mix
bus compressor with fairly tame settings so
as to not overcompress. I've been mixing a
reggae project recently that needs a healthy
bottom end, and enabling the SC filter
allowed me to get the glue I wanted on the
body of the mix without choking the bottom.
Works like a charm!
Even though the SSL 4000 G has historically been used as a mix bus compressor,

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2017