Solid State Logic Live Consoles: Ultimate Sonic Performance
Solid State Logic (SSL) has been a leader in audio console design for over 35 years, with innovations shaping modern music, broadcast, and film post-production. SSL Live consoles embody this legacy, offering exceptional audio quality and advanced features for live sound engineers.
SSL Live Console Range
The SSL Live console family includes four models: L100, L200, L350, and L550, each offering distinct configurations for various live sound applications. These consoles are designed to meet the demands of modern live production, providing a superb user interface and powerful new features.
The L100 offers off-site preparation and real-time remote control via PC. The TeCa Decat Control Application provides additional control options, including on-stage personal monitoring control via iOS or Android tablets.
Control Surface Features
SSL Live control surfaces are built around four core elements: a multi-gesture touch screen, Fader Tiles, a Channel Control Tile (available on L550 & L350), and a Master Tile. These elements provide intuitive access to all console functions.
Multi-gesture Touch Screen
A high-resolution central touch screen serves as the console's hub, offering constant visual feedback and access to Channel View, Overview interfaces, system configuration, Layer Manager, and the Effects Rack. It supports multi-touch gestures for precise parameter control.
Fader Tile
Fader Tiles are configurable for any signal path, featuring clear color-coding and 12 fader strips per tile. Each strip includes a touch-sensitive 100mm motorized fader, Solo, Mute, Query, and Select buttons, an LCD display, and Quick Controls. Level meters and gate/compression meters are also integrated.
Quick Controls
Located at the top of each Fader Tile, Quick Controls (push/select control with three buttons) can be assigned to console-wide parameters or used in 'Follow Detail' mode for individual parameter control of EQ, Dynamics, or Effects. These controls can also be flipped onto the faders.
Channel Control Tile (L550 & L350)
This tile offers direct physical control for a selected path, featuring a high-resolution 5.7" touch screen surrounded by color-coded controls. Rapid access buttons allow instant recall of functions like EQ, Dynamics, Inserts, Panning, and more. It combines with the Master Tile's Focus Fader to create a 'Focus Channel'.
Master Tile
The Master Tile centralizes automation controls, Mute Group buttons, a Main Fader (assignable to any path), the Focus Fader, and user-assignable keys. It also includes a flexible Solo and Talkback system with two individual Solo Buses and two Talkback channels.
Peripheral Interfaces
An optional boom arm allows for VESA screen or laptop mounting. Screens can display the Console Overview or Automation interface. SSL's TaCo iOS or Android application can also provide additional tablet control.
Workflow Enhancements
The Big Screen
The main touch screen provides access to system configuration, surface layouts via the Layer Manager, automation, the Effects Rack, and detailed channel information through the Channel View. The Console Overview offers a glance at the entire signal flow, allowing immediate access to any channel or bus.
Super-Q System
SSL's Super-Q system offers flexible workflow by allowing users to 'spill out' contributing elements or destinations for a selected path across the control surface. It works for all path types, displaying mix buses, contributing channels, or VCA-controlled channels. Super-Q operates in 'Compressed' (focused view) and 'Expanded' (user-defined layers) modes.
Stem Groups
Stem Groups are a powerful new signal path type, functioning as a hybrid of a subgroup, input, aux, and matrix. They offer flexible routing options and can be configured in mono, stereo, LCR, 4.0, or 5.1 formats, enabling sophisticated mix management.
The Focus Channel
The combination of the Channel Control Tile and the Focus Fader in the Master Tile creates a 'Focus Channel', providing immediate access to all parameters of a selected channel with both touch screen and hardware control.
Flexible Open Architecture & Configurable Surface
SSL Live consoles feature a flexible 'Path Pool' for processing power allocation, allowing paths to be assigned as Channels, Stem Groups, Auxes, and Masters. Processing can be full or dry, and Insert Effects have dedicated, dynamically allocated processing. The Output Matrix also has dedicated processing and can be segmented.
Managing Your Session
The control surface layout is fully configurable using a drag-and-drop Layer Manager interface, allowing users to place any signal path type anywhere on the Fader Tiles. This ensures a personalized and efficient workflow.
Color Function
Consoles utilize color-coding for signal path identification and organization. User-definable colors are used for channel strips and controls, providing visual cues for parameter editing and effect assignments.
Stunning Audio Performance
SSL Live consoles are designed for ultimate sonic performance, utilizing SSL's SuperAnalogue™ mic amp technology with high-precision gain control and 24-bit/96kHz ADCs. Internal 64-bit processing ensures maximum precision.
Classic Processing
The consoles offer a comprehensive processing toolkit, including a four-band parametric EQ (switchable between constant Q and SSL Legacy EQ), filters, dynamics (compressor, expander/gate), a delay line, and an All Pass Filter. Precision analysis tools like spectrum analyzers and Dialogue Automation are also included.
Channels
Live channel architecture is highly configurable and flexible, with dedicated processing power. Channels can be full or dry, offering two insert points. Configuration and routing are managed via the touch screen.
Effects Rack
An internal effects rack provides over 45 studio-quality, low-latency effects, including reverbs, delays, modulation effects, EQs, and the SSL Stereo Bus Compressor. The effects rack has a dedicated processing core with adaptive processing.
SSL Live Console Models
L550 - The Big One
The L550 is the largest and most powerful console in the SSL Live range, designed for grand productions and complex requirements.
L350 - Compact Powerhouse
The L350 offers substantial power in a more compact frame, ideal for mid to large-scale productions where space is a consideration.
L200 - Dare To Be Different
The L200 is an ideal mid-scale production console with a unique, ergonomic layout that places essential controls within easy reach. It supports screen arms or laptop mounts on either side.
L100 - Little Beauty
The L100 is a compact, premium solution for space-restricted installations or sub-mix positions, featuring a 12x2 fader configuration and retaining core SSL Live technologies. It can be expanded with a Remote Tile.
Expansion Options
Remote Tile
The SSL Live Remote Tile is a 12-fader extension that can be connected to any Live console via USB and mains power. Up to two Remote Tiles can be added to expand console capabilities.
Remote Expander
Remote Expanders offer 24 or 36 faders and a touch screen for remote hardware control of a main console. Multiple Expanders can be connected via Ethernet, and they can be used in parallel with SOLEA for flexible remote control.
Remote Control & Offline Setup Software
Offline Preparation
SOLSA (SSL On/Off Line Setup Application) allows for offline preparation and editing of Live console Showfiles on a PC. This includes console configuration, Fader Tile Layers, Banks, Stageboxes, I/O routing, scene creation, and automation editing.
'TaCo' Tablet Control App
The SSL Live TaCo (Tablet Control) app provides wireless control of SSL Live consoles from iPad and Android devices. It can be used by monitor engineers and performers for on-stage control, offering access to individual mix or full console control. Engineer Mode allows remote control of processing parameters.
SSL Networked I/O Ecosystem
SSL offers a networked I/O ecosystem utilizing MADI, Blacklight II, X-Light, and Dante protocols for flexible and robust distributed audio networks. This system integrates SSL Live consoles with stageboxes, recorders, and broadcast consoles.
Remote I/O - MADI
A scalable range of remote I/O units are available, including analogue, AES/EBU digital, MADI, and Dante devices. Interconnection is via MADI or Dante, with remote gain control data carried by either protocol. Blacklight II provides high-bandwidth multiplexed MADI over fiber.
Remote I/O - Dante
SSL's Network I/O range of Dante devices provides analogue, AES digital, or embedded SDI bridging. Dante networks offer flexible audio routing and sharing. Stageboxes feature SSL's SuperAnalogue™ mic pre technology. Compatibility with System T broadcast audio technology is also provided.
Automation
New Improved Advanced Scene Control
SSL Live consoles feature an advanced automation system with virtually unlimited scene storage. Filters allow precise control over what settings are stored or recalled, and scene groups enable efficient editing. Scenes can be triggered manually or externally.
Built For The Road
SSL Live consoles are built with a stainless steel chassis for durability and ease of transport. They are designed to operate in various environmental conditions and lighting levels, featuring bright touch screens and powerful color-changing LEDs.
A front panel USB port allows for saving and loading show files. SSL Live showfiles are compatible across all SSL Live consoles without external conversion.
