I was mixing a ska/reggae song that had two programmed sampled grand pianos; they sounded harsh, bright, small and electronic. The SSL R&D team have something to tell you... To celebrate the launch of Fusion at AES New York back in 2018 and to thank existing and future Fusion users, SSL R&D team have unveiled a secret hidden 6th processor available in ALL Fusion's. This is great for A/B’ing multiple processors or one at a time, in/out of the chain, which is a necessity when using the Vintage Drive section. No chat, just the sound of Fusion doing its thing. A tri-color LED measures what is going on. Pros: Five wonderful analog processors in a well-balanced chain. These small transformers add low-frequency harmonics and some high-frequency phase shift. Fusion was designed as a hybrid-mixing tool; it worked great as a delay-compensated hardware stereo insert in my Pro Tools rig, but I also tried it in a recording chain after my Sunset Sound S1P mic preamps. SiX has a feature set driven by an obsessive desire for total flexibility and to encompass every creative eventuality. It can be used lightly for subtle thickening saturation or driven hard for more extreme distortion. These buttons are backlit white and dim while in bypass and become a bright orange when that processor section is engaged. The five processors are brilliantly designed and sound equally great whether used alone or in a chain. The Density control changes the additional harmonic content from even-order distortion products when the knob is toward CCW, or more odd-order third harmonics as you turn it CW. All Rights Reserved. In conjunction with the Stereo Image section, I adjusted the stereo size and compressed the side more, raising its level slightly. Fusion takes SSL into a new era with the introduction of a suite of new analogue processing tools that offer exceptional tonal character and versatility. You could also patch it in the send/return insert path of a console’s stereo bus or directly on the bus output. Fusion is solid! High and Low frequency circuits each offer four switched frequency points and +/-9dB attenuation. Even from across a dark room, you can see and check their status instantly. SSL R&D team have unveiled a secret hidden 6th processor available in ALL Fusion's. Stereo matching of the two channels’ levels is within 0.25 dB and Noise (AES17) is –75 dB typical with Vintage Drive on and set to mid Drive and mid Density. The Space control is a broad, 6 dB/octave boost/cut bass equalizer centered at 180 Hz for the Side signal only. For individual, low-level tracks, I found it necessary to increase the Input Trim level, and there is still a bit of an increase in RMS level happening. A switched, custom-designed SSL Transformer circuit introduces subtle low-frequency saturation, alongside a high-frequency phase-shift. Although I’m not a mastering engineer, I did try Fusion across several different rough and finished stereo mixes. The Stereo Image section has Width and Space controls and is SSL’s take on stereo shuffling. It can sound very subtle and similar to using an external analog line amp on a mix bus for “color,” or, if you prefer, crank it up to a kind of quirky compression effect and distortion. Although this piano was not recorded in an acoustic space, I could hear a widening of the entire piano image. Boosting 20 kHz “air” was nice, too, but I reserved this boost for recordings at 88.2 or 96 kHz to avoid exacerbating the preexisting and ugly aliasing noises on cymbal crashes I heard on an old 44.1 kHz session. X-Over becomes a wet/dry parallel mix control. The way they all work together or separately is amazingly intuitive, fast and conducive to creativity. Fusion’s default processor chain order is exactly the same as the physical location of their control knobs and buttons on the front panel. I also tried using the compressors in a pair of Elysia Skulpter 500 modules, and they proved to be a far better choice for an aggressively clean sound. I tried the Transformer section on a direct five-string bass recording. © 2020 Solid State Logic. The Vintage Drive circuit is highly dependent on the input level coming into Fusion, and I liked that its controls are close by the Input Trim control. Cons: Transformer processor section is too subtle. Price: $2,495 MSRP. Fusion fits right in with a collection of workflow enhancing features including: +/-12dB Input and Output Trim controls, an Input overload LED, large peak-hold metering, a front-end 3rd order High Pass Filter with three selectable cut off frequencies, and tri-colour status indicators for the Vintage Drive and HF Comp/LMC sections. It’s smooth and not too extreme, but I wish there were a lighted bypass button like in the other sections. To access the hidden 6th LMC processor - hold down the HF Compressor ‘in’ button for 5 seconds and unlock full band LMC mode. All the pots and rotary switches are by Alps, and the bypass buttons are rubber matt switches made in Germany by Knitter. Give your studio a new heart. Tags ⋅ Analog ⋅ SSL ⋅ SSL Fusion ⋅ Stereo Estudio A Sonido enhances workflow with Solid State…, Legendary Mix Engineer Chris Lord-Alge Adds SSL Native…, Recording: The magazine for the recording musician, Abbey Road Institute Inaugurates Solid State Logic…, By submitting this form you agree to have your data processed in the method defined in the. In this quick audio tour we run a drum stem and tweak the controls of Fusion in real time so you can hear it in action. SSL Fusion The SSL Fusion is an all-analogue 2U stereo outboard processor featuring five new analogue colouration tools designed to bring the perfect combination of added tonal character, weight and space to your mix bus or stereo stems, with the detail, warmth and finesse that … In all my uses, this filter was just right. The Low band rotary switch has 30, 50, 70, and 90 Hz positions, while the High band has 8, 12, 16, and 20 kHz positions. Vintage Drive has two controls called Drive and Density, along with a tri-color LED to indicate how hard the circuit is being driven into saturation. In this quick audio tour we run a backing vocal stem and tweak the controls of Fusion in real time so you can hear it in action. Before downloading this file please read and consent to the EULA. There is an Output Level Trim control with ±12 dB of gain followed by the Master LED Meter. Designed for users who require an analogue console within a DAW centric studio, XL-Desk is a modern twist on the classic analogue studio console. Fusion: Powerful SSL Color Tools . We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our high standards are maintained with on-site engineers and our test systems are linked directly, so we can monitor from HQ in Oxford, England.”, (As a side note, my own Fusion review unit was delayed briefly in shipment because of issues with the front panel finish! Sustained notes were just slightly compressed and darker, and I didn’t notice any loss of low frequencies or a diminished punch. I checked that Fusion passes unity gain with an –18 dBu = 0dB @ 1 kHz reference tone with the Output and Input Trim controls on the detents. A new Stereo Image enhancer provides a true analogue Mid-Side circuit that manipulates the Side signal, allowing for widening and spatial manipulation of the stereo field. Starting at the left side of the panel is the Input Trim control with its center-detent at unity gain—I would always check and reset this control before building a new sound. Next in the chain is the purple- and pink-knobbed Violet EQ—a discrete, minimum phase 2-band analog shelving equalizer. © 2020 MIX is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I found the Violet EQ simply awesome to put a mastering “sheen” at 16 kHz (+2 or 3 dB), as well as some boom at 30 Hz (+1 or 2 dB). No chat, just the sound of Fusion doing its thing. Inside Fusion’s all-steel 2U case is the main circuit board, which uses surface-mount components and is powered by an onboard linear power supply. A nice, useful collection of excellent processors, SSL’s Fusion is becoming my go-to piece for setting up creative signal chains fast. When Fusion is in bypass, this meter reads the input level automatically. Unlike my sometimes wonky chains of disparate analog gear, I had no worries of proper gain matching or internally overloading one section or another while trying many different effect chains. I used the Vintage Drive section to add even-order harmonic distortion, and it was like running those tracks through an old tube line amp. Fusion introduces six completely new analogue colouration tools designed to bring the perfect combination of added tonal character, weight and space to your mix bus or stereo stems, with the detail, warmth and finesse that only real analogue circuits can provide. Product manager Andy Jackson says: “Being part of the Audiotonix group allows us to leverage greater purchasing power—we’re heading in a direction of finally being able to offer products that will reach into the price range of people who’ve never been able to afford SSL equipment before. The X-Over control sets the frequency at which compression starts and ranges from 3 kHz to 20 kHz. ORIGIN is the culmination of four decades of technical innovation and the ultimate analogue in-line console for hybrid production environments. This in depth product video uses four audio examples to let you hear Fusion in action, give you a guided tour of the controls and how to get the best out of Fusion. I have nothing in my analog racks that does what these processors are capable of achieving with so much precision and repeatability. Fusion is the product of two years of research by SSL “subjectively listening and objectively measuring a vast array of various analog equipment” to determine their most desirable analog characteristics and the best circuits to produce them. The default point is right before the Stereo Image section, but you can also move the Insert to before the Violet EQ, and in Mid-Side mode you can insert before or after Stereo Image. I first tried Fusion on a stereo drum stem. Input and Output connections are via XLR. Fusion is an all-analogue 2U stereo outboard processor created for the modern hybrid studio. With a fixed Density knob setting, Drive compensates for the concomitant level jump associated with this kind of effect by internally balancing the input and output levels. In Stereo Insert mode the insert point can be switched to pre-Violet EQ, when in MS mode the insert can be switched to pre-Stereo Image controls. A compressor that effects high frequencies only, optimised for smooth and transparent harshness reduction and a tape-like high-frequency roll off – great for taming brittle high frequency fizz. The Width control increases or decreases the Side signal level only. I held the Bypass button in to switch over to Fusion’s Standard Bypass mode. There was more “hair” to the sound—great for overly clean bass guitar tracks. But I wish I could hold down the Transformer button and switch to a 300-ohm primary winding for a “hi-gain” boost! I liked that even with the Insert bypassed in Fusion the path is still active, so I could roughly set up the compressors before “dropping” them into the path. The Threshold was at –2 dB with X-over set to 5 kHz. Description. A new High Frequency Compressor delivers the distinctive sound of high frequency rounding in the analogue domain. The Transformer process is subtle on most sources—there is an “enrichment” effect that is difficult to put into words. Both bands are 6 dB/octave shelves with up to ±9 dB boost/cut. Available on ALL Fusion’s - hold down the HF Compressor ‘in’ button for 5 seconds and unlock full band LMC mode. A/B ’ ing objectively or directly on the Master LED meter I found no problematic stereo compatibility or phase issues... Had two programmed sampled grand pianos ; they sounded harsh, bright, small and electronic sounds like an analog! Doing its thing from snare fills or cymbal crashes five-string bass recording that have featured in of. 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