SSL SubGen User Guide

Solid State Logic OXFORD · ENGLAND

Introduction

SSL SubGen is a high-quality sub-bass harmonic synthesizer that supports up to 4 independently configurable bands, generating frequencies an octave lower than the source signal. It is perfect for adding power and thump to snares, kicks, and bass, rebuilding bass frequencies in thin-sounding or poorly recorded tracks, or generating LFE content for film mixes or sound design projects. SubGen provides an intuitive interface to quickly generate rumble and sub-bass.

Beyond its musical sub-bass generation algorithm that blends naturally with the source instrument, SubGen offers an easy-to-use interactive interface for controlling gain, width, and frequency for each band. Workflow enhancements include per-band soloing options, mix lock, and built-in contextual help. The plugin features 3 tailored saturation modes (“pre”, “kick”, and “bass”) alongside a gain-compensated drive control to dial in harmonic character. The compressor module controls sub-bass dynamics, and the intuitive all-in-one mix control blends wet and dry signals, enabling parallel compression and punch.

The SSL SubGen plugin interface features a central graphical display of frequency bands and signal levels, with controls for four sub-harmonic generator bands (Gain, Frequency, Width) and global controls for Input Gain, Drive, Mode, Compressor, Make-Up Gain, and Mix. A frequency spectrum graph is at the top.

Key Features

Global filter control with gentle low-pass and high-pass filters.
Interactive graph for configuring band gain, center frequency, and width.
Per-band soloing options for auditioning the generated sub-bass.
Gain-compensated drive control for dialing in harmonics.
Three tailored saturation characters:
- Bass: 70s transistor-style drive and grit with strong harmonics, mild overtones, and a med-high wet/dry blend with aggressive overtones for adding bite to bass.
- Kick: 60/70s transistor-style drive with lighter harmonics and subtle overtones for adding distortion to kicks.
- Pre: 50s valve-style overdrive, with smooth and subtle overtones, emulating a valve pre-amp, ideal for sources other than bass and kick.
Quick A/B functionality for drive and compression effects using section bypass controls.
Intuitive all-in-one mix control to blend wet/dry signals.
Mix lock to preserve mix settings when switching presets.
Built on the SSL Plug-in Engine, featuring:
- Built-in help: Click the [help] icon and mouseover GUI elements for information.
- Cross-platform preset management.
- A/B for quick preset switching.
- Optimized for low CPU-usage and fast workflow.
- Undo/redo functionality.

Supported Platforms and Hosts

For compatibility information, visit the Plug-in Operating System and DAW Compatibility FAQ. SSL tests plug-ins on all Windows and macOS operating systems that are not End-of-Life (EOL) at the time of release.

macOS silicon (M1/ARM) Support

This plug-in is provided as a universal binary for macOS and features native support for Apple silicon.

Operating Systems

macOS: Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura
Windows: Windows 10, Windows 11, 12th Gen Intel

Hosts/DAWs

FL Studio
Ableton Live
Logic Pro
Reaper
Pro Tools
Cubase & Nuendo
Studio One

Demo/Trial

To demo this plug-in, download it from the product page and run it in your host. The software will guide you through the process.

Download and install the plug-in.
Open your DAW/host.
Insert the plug-in to commence activation (may occur when the plug-in is scanned on startup).
When 'Activation is required' appears, click 'Try'.
Log into your iLok account and click 'Next'.
Select a location to activate the license and click 'Next'.

Installation and Download

Download installers for the plug-in from the website's Download page or by visiting a plug-in product page via the Web Store.

Formats and Licensing

All SSL plug-ins are supplied in VST, VST3, AU (macOS only), and AAX (Pro Tools) formats. Installers (macOS Intel .dmg and Windows .exe) copy plug-in binaries to common directories, and the host DAW should recognize the plug-in automatically. Visit iLok for guidance on activating your SSL plug-in.

Bypass and I/O

BYPASS [bypass]

Bypasses all plug-in processing.

INPUT GAIN

Applies gain to the input signal.

OUTPUT GAIN

Applies gain to the output signal.

Input and Output Meters

Input and output meters are vertical bar graphs showing signal levels from -60 dB to 0 dB, with a peak-hold segment and a red clipping indicator that can be cleared by clicking it.

MIX

Sets the blend between wet and dry signals. At -100% (anti-clockwise), only the dry signal is output. At 0 (central), dry and generated sub-bass are output equally. At 100% (clockwise), only the generated sub-bass is output.

MIX LOCK [lock]

When enabled, the MIX control value is frozen when switching between presets.

Filters

The plug-in provides additional global filters applied at the output.

FILTERS GRAPH and FFT

This graph displays the output signal before and after filtering. Dragging 'flags' adjusts cutoff frequencies, and a button at the bottom of each flag toggles the filter in or out. The background signal shows the input, and the foreground shows the output, visualizing what is removed.

LOW FILTER CUT-OFF

Sets the cutoff frequency for the high-pass filter, which removes low frequency content. This helps control or dial back generated sub-bass.

HIGH FILTER CUT-OFF

Sets the cutoff frequency for the low-pass filter, which removes high frequency content. Useful for cleaning up mixes without needing a separate EQ.

Sub-harmonic Generators

SubGen includes 4 sub-harmonic generators, each with configurable frequency, bandwidth, and amount. Each band defines the frequency range for sub-harmonic generation and the level to introduce.

For example, to generate frequency content between 20 and 40 Hz, create and enable a band in this range.

The controls for Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, and Band 4 are shown. Each band has a large rotary knob for Gain, and smaller controls for Frequency (FREQ) and Width (WIDTH). The gain range is indicated as -60 dB to +12 dB. The graph above visualizes each band's frequency response.

How does the algorithm work?

Set a band to cover the desired sub-bass frequency range. Bass frequencies are generated by inspecting the frequency content of the signal an octave above, filtering to isolate the fundamental frequency, and using it to generate a new signal at half the frequency. The resulting sub-bass is sine-shaped but inspired by the original signal for a natural blend.

Per-band parameters

Each band has configurable parameters: BAND GAIN, FREQUENCY, and WIDTH, controllable from the graph and the dedicated controls.

BAND IN [toggle]

Toggles the sub-bass generator band in or out.

BAND AMOUNT

The gain of the signal generated by the sub-bass generator band.

BAND FREQUENCY

The center frequency at which to generate sub-bass content.

BAND BANDWIDTH

The width (in octaves) of the band in which to generate sub-bass content.

BAND LISTEN [solo]

Solos the generated sub-bass signal for this band.

Graph

The graph displays the generated sub-bass signal for all bands, color-coded. The left axis shows level (dBFS), the right axis shows gain (dB), and the top axis shows frequency (Hz).

Band nodes

Nodes (circles) on the graph indicate the center frequency and gain of the band. They become filled and highlighted when the band or its controls are focused.

Interacting with the graph

To change a band's gain and frequency, drag the node. To change gain only, drag the horizontal line. To change center frequency only, drag between the vertical lines. To change width, drag the vertical lines.

FFT

The foreground signal (faint outline) shows the FFT of the generated sub-bass frequencies in the band. The background signal shows the FFT of the original signal.

The example shows band 2 generating sub-bass frequencies around 40 Hz, while the original signal contains frequencies above and around 100 Hz.

Shaping (Drive and Compress)

The bottom section of the GUI features simplified controls for shaping the final output, pre-mix.

DRIVE ON

Bypasses the drive stage in/out.

DRIVE AMOUNT

Adds harmonics to the generated signal for 'glue'.

DRIVE MODE

The drive stage features 3 tailored saturation characters:

'Bass': 70s transistor-style (mostly 3rd order) drive and grit with strong harmonic depth, mild overtones, med-high wet/dry blend with aggressive overtones for adding bite to bass.
'Kick': 60/70s transistor-style drive (blend of 2nd and 3rd order) with lighter harmonics and subtle overtones for adding distortion to kicks.
'Pre': 50s valve-style overdrive, with smooth and subtle overtones, emulating a valve pre-amp (mostly 2nd order) and ideal for sources other than bass and kick.

COMPRESS ON

Toggles the compressor in or out.

GAIN REDUCTION METER

Displays the current amount of gain reduction being applied to the signal.

COMPRESS AMOUNT

Applies compression to the generated sub-bass signal, allowing transients or leveling harmonic content. This compound control sets threshold and ratio: as amount increases, threshold reduces from 0 to -40 dBFS, and ratio increases from 1 to 8. The compressor has a fixed attack of 5 ms and release of 20 ms, with a 6 dB knee for transparent transition.

MAKE-UP GAIN

Applies make-up gain post-compression.

Presets

All plug-ins ship with carefully designed presets to aid workflow. Factory presets are included in the plug-in installation.

macOS Location:

/Library/Application Support/Solid State Logic/PlugIns/Presets/[Plug-in Name]

Windows Location:

C:\ProgramData\Solid State Logic\PlugIns\Presets\[Plug-in Name]

Switching between presets is done via left/right arrows in the preset management section or by clicking the preset name to open the management display, which reflects the folder structure.

Revert Changes and Delete

Revert Changes: Discards any changes to the current preset. Delete: Removes the current preset from the filesystem. Factory and Producer presets cannot be deleted from the GUI but can be manually deleted using the filesystem.

A/B and Copy

A/B: Allows quick toggling between two presets for comparison. COPY X TO Y: Used to copy presets between A/B.

UNDO/REDO

SSL plug-ins include a built-in UNDO/REDO stack. UNDO undoes the current action, and REDO re-does the next action in the history stack.

Built-in Help

This plug-in features built-in contextual help. To turn this feature on, click the [help] icon in the bottom right-hand corner. Mouse over GUI elements to see information.

A contextual help tooltip displays information about a specific control, such as 'MID FREQUENCY', explaining its function and usage. Controls for LF, MF, and GAIN are visible.

Click the tooltip to cycle through the pages.

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