SSL G-Comp 500 Series Stereo Bus Compressor Module

The legendary sound of Solid State Logic’s Stereo Bus Compressor, which has been glueing mixes together for 35+ years, is available in 500-series form factor with the SSL G-Comp 500 Series Stereo Bus Compressor Module.

Often imitated but never equalled, the center section compressor from the 1980s G-Series analog console is an audio production legend. It is a simple unit with a simple purpose; it makes complete mixes sound bigger, with more power, punch and drive. It brings cohesion and strength to your mix without compromising clarity. To this day it remains a key element of the SSL sound and has featured on countless classic recordings.

The availability of the Stereo Bus Compressor in a module for the 500 format makes this essential audio production tool available to users of the popular API 500 format modular rack platform.

The classic SSL Bus Compressor features a classic ‘dominant’ sidechain architecture. The left and right channels are independently rectified using a true peak full wave detector circuit, and the dominant (loudest) channel controls the gain reduction of the overall stereo level via the user selected time constants.

The ‘soft’ knee point of the compressor, ie. the level at which compression starts to take place, is set by the THRESHOLD control (±20dB). This is intentionally designed to change depending on the setting of the RATIO control; decreasing the RATIO setting lowers the effective threshold, hence maintaining the perceived ‘loudness’ of the compressed signal.

The original console compressor had three ratios (2:1, 4:1 and 10:1), the 500 series version brings three additional intermediate ratios, giving all the original options, plus additional 1.5, 3 and 5:1 ratio settings for finer control. ATTACK time is switchable in six steps between 0.1 and 30 ms, and the RELEASE time is selectable between 0.1 and 1.6 seconds in five steps. The AUTO release selection adjusts the release time according to the signal envelope.

Another additional feature of the 500 Series Bus Compressor Module is the incorporation of a sidechain High Pass Filter (HPF). This filters bass frequencies in the compressor sidechain to reduce the ‘pumping’ effect of signals with significant low frequency energy. The filter has five frequency selections at 30, 60, 105, 125 and 185 Hertz.

The gain MAKEUP acts as a level control to compensate for the lowered level that is a consequence of compressing the signal. This control may be set so as not to change the overall output level when the compressor is switched in.

FEATURES:

• Legendary SSL G Series Stereo Bus Compressor in 500 series format
• THE glue and punch maker
• Additional compression ratio settings 1.5 / 3 / 10
• Renowned ‘Auto’ release
• HPF in sidechain switchable to 30 Hz / 60 Hz / 106 Hz / 125 Hz / 185 Hz
• Sidechain In / Out switch