SSL releases Native V6 plug-ins
by The Press Desk   16th May 2018

Console Grade Processing For Your DAW

SSL Native plug-ins provide the precision, advanced feature set and legendary tonal characteristics of SSL audio products in affordable plug-in form

There are 9 plug-ins in the SSL Native collection:

Channel Strip

Classic SSL Console Channel Strip
Classic SSL console EQ and Dynamics Processing for your DAW.
The SSL Native Channel Strip delivers the legendary tone and features of an SSL console channel strip. The EQ is a classic 4-band design with parametric LMF & HMF sections and shelving LF & HF sections (LF & HF switch to Bell).



Bus Compressor

Classic Analogue, now Digital
The sound of the legendary SSL Stereo Bus Compressor.
The centre section compressor from SSL’s 1980’s G Series analogue console is an audio production legend. It is the secret behind countless classic recordings. 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.



Drumstrip

Clarity, punch and power for your drums
The simple path to better drum tracks.
The secret to making an average drum recording sound incredible can be elusive. It takes the right combination of processors, with the perfect sonic character, in the correct configuration and tweaked in the right way. Drumstrip takes drum sounds from ordinary and average to vibrant and exhilarating in a few quick, easy steps.



Vocalstrip

One Stop Vocal Processing.
The fast track to a professional vocal sound.
Vocalstrip is an application specific plug-in that draws upon decades of SSL professional engineering expertise to combine the right four processing elements to create the simple route to professional vocal recordings. Combining EQ and dynamics sections with essential vocal processors, Vocalstrip aims to bring power, character and clarity to vocal tracks from a single interface. Vocalstrip solves the challenges of producing great vocal recordings with four processing tools carefully selected and calibrated to deliver great results every time.



X-Saturator

Versatile analogue distortion circuit emulation
Analogue style edge for your digital recordings.
X-Saturator delivers a stunning range of analogue style distortion effects. It is an emulation of an analogue circuit that introduces either 2nd order valve style or 3rd order transistor style distortion or a blend of the two. At low drive settings the distortion is mild and can add gentle warming to help instruments sit nicely in a mix or to add a little extra edge to help instruments cut through a mix. As drive levels are increased so too is the level of distortion until at high drive levels heavy distortion occurs.



X-EQ

The all-in-one EQ collection
Mastering grade 10-band parametric EQ
X-EQ is an open and transparent sounding parametric EQ that provides the user with a truly comprehensive range of EQ tools within an intuitive user interface. X-EQ is exceptionally flexible with the ability to be surgically precise for mastering duties or to smooth and sculpt for everyday audio production and is particularly suited to real time manipulation for dramatic filter sweep effects.



X-Comp

The new face of dynamics processing
Mastering-grade compression.
X-Comp is a sophisticated and extremely versatile stereo compressor that cuts through the mass of freeware and bundled plug-ins available with genuinely professional features, results and interface. The audio performance, specifications, analysis tools and depth of control offered by X-Comp are exemplary.



X-ValveComp

Saturating valve style compression the SSL way
The fully featured channel compressor with added grit.
X-ValveComp is a fully-featured mono or stereo channel compressor with a full set of classic channel compressor controls and an added 'valve' emulation stage. The valve emulation stage sits after the compressor in the signal path and adds a variable degree of primarily 2nd order harmonic saturation and distortion that thickens and colours the sound.



X-Phase

Frequency specific phase control
Intuitive tool for correcting awkward phase issues.
X-Phase is an All-pass Filter plug-in that offers the user manual control and high quality response. It enables the user to apply a phase shift (sometimes called a phase offset) at a specified frequency within a signal. Unlike other filter types where the gain of selected frequencies is altered, with an All-pass Filter the gain remains unchanged throughout the signal. This is useful for fixing phase problems with microphones when recording: eg overheads causing phase problems when mixed with close mic's.



More info here

Looks like SSL have hidden the videos in their Youtube channel.

Yeah. maybe they could do a longer one with more info. Looks interesting.

Looks like a new GUI? Im not so much into subscription. I hope they have a new sale price. Also a free month subscription to try these out!

Hear Them In Action | Solid State Logic

There's videos on here that go into more depth

Here's the individual videos

I've beta tested these, all I can saying they are wonderful. A Major improvement from SSL, well done!!!

Interesting. Hate subscriptions anyway!
Is there a crossgrade for legacy Duende owners? I already have the whole Suite.

The GUI update is very pleasing and easy on the eyes. I used my demo up 3 years ago though.

Yes! Now that they're out all us beta testers can talk about these beastly plugins! What an awesome sound these give you. I know a lot of you wanna know about that channel strip, well I'm happy to report that it's everything you woul hope from SSL themselves and more. Drive that input to max and then follow that plugin up with the saturation plugin and what you get is gold.

So, this is a complete new plugin? Soundwise I mean.

X-Sat is the only one I have and I can tell you for sure it sounds and measures exactly the same, only GUI is updated.

I have serious doubts anything else was updated except for the GUIs. They do look nice though.

Yes. Built from the ground up and completely replacing the old code.
You my friend are looking at the SSL XL 9000 K in all its digital glory! I've been using the bus comp on my records for months now and it is permanently parked there

so any upgrade offers for existing owners?

Do you know if they will be resetting demos now that it is newly coded? Thanks.

Now that I can't say but I would only assume so as this is such a great product I would think they would want everyone to try it and enjoy it. But again idk...

Is the subscription is rent to own or just a rent?

From the SSL website:

"SSL Native v6 is a free update for existing Duende Native V5 customers. Each existing Duende Native iLok license will work with its SSL Native counterpart (eg SSL Duende Native Channelstrip iLok licenses will also license the SSL Native Channelstrip v6 plug-in)."

Curious about these. Beta-testers are hyping them a lot, while other users claim it's only a GUI update. The mystery gets bigger and bigger....

No I remember using the native version the legacy one and the plugin was decent. Never bought them just I can't justify the price tag. To be honest watching Waves selling their amazing plugins for 29, I'm so reluctant to spend such a price for a plugin. The other day I just bought Abbey Road Vinyl Plugin for 29 and I still can't believe it.

I own the X-Saturator, and I'm not willing to pay for a GUI update.

The new GUI sure looks great, expect for the perspective of the knobs that looks awful !

Great and fair!

Thanks. I'll eventually check with them if I can't get it up and running.

Are these totally re-coded from ground up, or just new Gui? A poster above said the xsaturator is the same sound as previous version on same settings etc...

It's a free update, so it's safe to assume it's just a visual rework.

The price tag cant be reasonable in 2018. They dont do sale often also. As much as I want these id go with Plugin Alliance Bx Consoles.

I did a quick and dirty test on a breaks loop with v5.1.3 and v6 bus comp and drumstrip, only other plugins used were hornet vu meter for gain staging and not just another cd, for dithering down to 16bits.

I matched the settings exactly for the bus comp and had the same settings for the drumstrip apart from output gain, there is a 0.2db difference between v6 and v5.1.3, to get everything to match gain wise with the original loop.

According to the site, they were completely recoded for JUCE, and the DSP algorithms have been "refined" in addition to the GUI rework. I'm going to check them out again, I liked the sound in the past, but I've stayed away due to the stability issues they had with PT over the past few years. Hopefully, that's all resolved with the new framework.

As I said, I only own and can speak for X-Saturator. And this one is completely identical to the previous version soundwise.