Mixing With Mike Plugin of the Week: Waves SSL G Channel

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[@guitarplayer5932]

i use that waves g channel on almost everything , its so easy and it forces me to use my ears

[@geamase]

I learned more about these plugins in the first 4 mins of this video than anywhere else. Maybe it's because every word you say is relevant. My kind of video! Good job!

[@antoniopedroza411]

i think the same

[@xXKMCPXx]

I wanted to learn this plugin and this video did not disappoint. Earned a like and subscribe. Great work!

[@sparkyapplepants8944]

Excellent tutorial. I recently bought this plugin and this is the best explanation of the strip I've seen. Thank you!

[@danielmauric8491]

Gotta love the passion in your presentation, inspiring.

[@simpleforces9576]

Great walk thru of the SSL G channel. I liked the discussion of the signal flow through the plugin, as well as the unique capabilities of the EQ. It took me a while to wrap my head around the x3, /3 buttons, but your explanation cleared it up for me!

[@mixingwithmike]

+Simple Forces Cheers!

[@kapitbanda]

wow ! so good to listen and learn ! thanks !

[@UniqueThaPoet]

The expander section helps alot with bleed . Excellent plugin.

[@tystunes569]

Thank you so much, I'm just getting into producing and I had no idea what I was looking at on the plugin.

[@Melvin7727]

Awesome video, man. Very helpful.

[@molecularization]

thanks for doing this plugin. The SSL 4000G was the first inline console I learned, but that was a lifetime ago. Life circumstances hampered me pursuing the engineer pathway. I'm going back into the game again. The first time I used this plugin, I didn't know how to really use it at first and wound up getting harsh sounding mixes. The eq could get harsh if one is not careful. Few mixes later and a lot of reading with few acoustic panels, I started getting powerful, clear, open sounding mixes out em. People say E channel and G channel sound the same but truly they're not.

[@mixingwithmike]

+JT Hey JT, Thanks for the share! It's always great to hear opinions based on personal experiences and history. There is always something to learn from them... The E and G series desks are indeed very different from each other sound wise and require a different approach. The aggressiveness of the G can get harsh if you don't understand how to work it. For this reason, many dismiss it too quickly because there are too many options out there. The amazing thing about this desk is that, at one point in the late 80's - early 90's, 9 out of every 10 records were being mixed on SSL consoles. There was something about this desk that just translated so well to radio. Cheers! Mike

[@_allcap]

Is the attack time on the compressor section not 1ms\program dependent? Thanks for the great videos!

[@tomashcroft7024]

Great video.

[@professorfarnsworth3164]

Great vid thanks!

[@thesuncollective1475]

I got it I love it..thanks for the lesson I like it cause there are no graphics like fab you gotta use your ears

[@bruindodger]

Great video. Any plans to do one on the E channel?

[@ASJerrell]

Freudian slip on that ‘mid bud’ line, Mike. :) haha. Love your videos man, thank you so much.

[@mixingwithmike]

Cheers!

[@hr2186]

With all the ssl emulations out do the waves strips still hold their own?

[@YouGuys-ux5sm]

Thank you. Needed this. Question: do x3 and /3 knobs work on the green and the blue knobs of the eq aswell? I thought only on the purple and the black knobs...

[@antoniopedroza411]

thank u

[@simontrem080]

Amazing explanations, I just discover your channel and I'm already a better engineer ! Thanks a lot and keep up the good work!

[@mixingwithmike]

+Simon Tremblay Cheers Simon!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

excellent demo, on sale now for $29, seems like a good deal?

[@bastion_music]

I've been very satisfied! Totally worth it.

[@yamansitar6153]

hi , iv got a ssl six and only channel 1-2 have EQ , I have the ssl G channel strip in my DAW I only want to use the EQ in the software is that possible ? [if I turn the analogue switch of ] , thanks

[@underpressureman]

Hey Michael, I was wondering if you have an email I can contact you by?

[@AudioReplica2023]

the comp from the G its the same from the E? Im referring to the functionality and sound.

[@bastion_music]

There are videos comparing the two. They do sound different-- G is a bit more aggressive, in a good way (in my opinion)

[@deucebennetttv-dbtv4461]

The compressor and gate come before the EQ? I was taught to EQ into compression. Also why is the compressor and Gate be on the right if it happens after the EQ? Is there a way to put the EQ first? I should look in the manual....

[@deucebennetttv-dbtv4461]

haha nevermind he answered my question later

[@ojreal925]

Do the channel out function and signal flow applies to the E channel as well?

[@mixingwithmike]

Yes, the signal flow is the same and the dynamics can be pre or post EQ.

[@ojreal925]

Michael White Thanks for the feedback

[@CarlosGunX]

Mr, White is the first poster on U-tube that I have seen, that has a handle on the signal flow of the SSL. Notice that when the dynamics section is selected to post EQ, the "split" switch becomes redundant. "Split" will toggle the filter between the signal and side-chain when in de-esser mode... ( slight differences between the E and G models) The compressor has a unique two stage threshold function that gives the SSL its "auto" compression feel.. I began career on MCI's, before the SSL came to being..The first thing I noticed upon seeing the SSL for the first time, was that the signal flow was a rip-off of the MCI 500 desk... MCI was ahead of its time....brought to the audio world the auto locator, inline desk, and the 1/2" 2 track tape machine (Buddy at MCI converted a four track 1/2") ..The 500 offered "VCA automation with groups" option, but the draw back was that it needed an audio track to print the data to, and another to bounce the data when updating the automation (time lag anyone after a few passes?)..SSL resolved this issue by saving the data on a removable computer disk (floppy on early desks)...As a last note.. Some SSL have plasma meters, instead of the VUs. I believe that Waves uses the plasma meter idea on their plug-in to save space.....Thanks for all you do Mr. White...

[@mixingwithmike]

+CarlosGunX Hi Carlos, Thanks for the history on the MCI 500 desk. I can't recall ever working on one specifically the same way I do the Neve, API and Harrison desks. Too many great consoles, not enough gigs to work on them all... hahahaha! Interestingly, the SSL B Series was released at about the same time as the MCI 500 and was made in England, not sure there would have been enough of a history there for Colin Sanders to take the same signalflow and adapt is so quickly to the marketplace. Could be coincidence or maybe the changes you discuss were not added in until the E-Series desk in the late 70's. About the 'Split' switch with the Dynamics set to Post EQ, there is one very subtle difference which is that the Split moves the filters before the 4 band EQ, whereas with the Slit switch out, the filters are actually after the 4 bands. I'm not sure why they designed it this way but, depending on how aggressive you are with the filters, you do change the distortion and band interaction characteristics of the 4 band when set to Split. For this reason, I always set it that way by default. Regarding the Plasma Meters, I worked on SSLs with the Plasma meters but they were in the vast minority of builds. They also had a significantly better resolution that the ones shown on this emulation. It also had a cool "Spectra" switch that turned the meters across the desk into an 8 foot long spectrum analyzer! Cheers! Mike

[@CarlosGunX]

+Michael White MCI was based in S. Fl, where I lived there till 2005. Mac Emerman had his home in North Miami in the 70's and his house became the proving grounds for MCI. As history has it, his home turned into Criteria Studios, where the BeeGees recorded there early hits, till they built their own place, Middle Ear...(Later, Criteria West in LA also helped weaken the Criteria empire), In the late 80's MCI was purchased by Sony and then later, The Hit Factory, purchased, Criteria... Studio Center West still has their SSL 4000E, with plasma..MCI had a 32 track multitrack, 3 inch machine, but it had problems with the tape transport, so it never went into full scale production...In the early 80's, they were playing around with a digital DASH, which I got to work with..Really a great company.. We used to kid around with Buddy ,their main tech, and declare that MCI meant, "Mostly Crap Inside".. LOL!!! ....Without getting into details, my engineering career runs deep in the Miami music scene of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s..Thanks for all you do Mr. White.. An old man like me learns a bunch from your videos in this age of DAWs....

[@CarlosGunX]

+Michael White . If you worked on a Harrison, then you can say you have works on an MCI 500..

[@mixingwithmike]

I didn't know there was a connection between Harrison and MCI. Cheers!

[@bradferguson9840]

Mike, do you think the Waves SSL G and E still hold up sonically after all this time, especially with competition from the likes of Brainworx and UAD? Thanks.

[@hinky7729]

Yes it does - I have all of them, even the SSL 4k E. Mixed a song yesterday and replaced everything with the Waves and it did a great job!

[@mrmorpheus9707]

would like to see it on vocal

[@mixingwithmike]

+Shawn “MORPHEUS711” Waters Interestingly, that is the one place where I rarely use the processing of the G-Channel. This was true of the hardware console as well. Using other plugins also helps to create a uniques sound for the vocal. Cheers! Mike

[@mrmorpheus9707]

My thoughts exactly

[@ginotarabotto]

Does this have a hard limiter?

[@mixingwithmike]

Technically speaking yes. the compressor does go up to Infinity :1. Not a brick wall limiter

[@ginotarabotto]

Thanks. What's the difference? So no brick limiter, ok