SSL XL Desk
The XL-Desk is a modern twist on the classic analogue studio console. It’s designed for tracking or mixing engineers who require an analogue console within a DAW centric studio, but don’t want or need the integrated DAW control and analogue level automation other SSL console products have made the new hybrid studio standard.
The XL-Desk is in many ways a traditional 24 into 8 analogue console but it packs in an incredible collection of features. It has 20 channel strips: 16 dual input mono (switchable between main input or DAW return) and 4 stereo channels. The first eight channels have VHD mic pre’s. There is an 18 slot 500 format rack built in that can be used for processing or mic pre’s. XL-Desk ships with a legendary SSL Stereo Bus Compressor module in slots 17 & 18 (hard wired to Mix A). The rack has its own dedicated high spec‘ power supply. There are four main Mix Buses (A, B, C, D) with buses B, C and D able to be summed into Mix A. The Buses and channels can access the 500 rack and each have a separate insert point for processing. There are two mono aux sends and two stereo return inputs. Direct outputs on every channel, stereo return and mix bus enable convenient stem printing. Each channel has a Cue Stereo Bus section (with Pan and Volume) used to provide one of the headphone mixes while tracking. At mixdown the mono channel DAW return signals can be routed to the CUE ST bus and then summed into Mix A, so there are 16 main faders + 16 Cue ST inputs + 4 Stereo channels providing 40 summing inputs (using the stereo returns and insert Sum functions you can squeeze in over 50 summing inputs). There is also a fully-featured monitoring section with bass management (3 sets of speakers + subwoofer), Foldback A and B with individual talkbacks for headphone mixes and a built in Listen Mic input + classic compressor circuit, with its own direct output.
500 Format Modules Classic SSL analogue processing for the API 500 format rack
The SSL big console sound has been available in 12 different modules for our own modular X-Rack system for many years. The system enjoys a large and enthusiastic customer base with more than 15,000 modules sold. X-Rack users reap the benefits of the very high-quality power supply and on board TotalRecallTM offered by the X-Rack system. The release of modules for the widely-used 500 format modular rack platform makes a small slice of the SSL sound available to a wider group of users.
SSL’s range of modules for the 500 series rack format currently consists of five different modules; the classic Stereo Bus Compressor which has featured on every model of SSL large format analogue console, E-Series EQ and E-Series Dynamics modules which deliver the legendary sound of the channel strip processing from SSL’s 1980’s E-Series console, and the incredibly versatile VHD Pre input module which can deliver ultra-clean recordings or a range of more saturated tonal characteristics and the LMC+ module, a new twist on the legendary SSL Listen Mic Compressor.