Not For The Faint Of Heart | SSL 500 B-Series Dynamic Compressor Module Review

[@phable]

Have you mixed on an SSL console before? :D

[@Mike-vr7mb]

Yes AWS 924....Sweet lovely beast!

[@phable]

@@Mike-vr7mb hell yeah! That thing keeps me up at night. :D

[@andrewkoss297]

@@Mike-vr7mb Spent 10 years working daily on a J - and it was a beast (and a headache) and you could fry an egg on the thing - but man did those channel strips sound good.

[@danepaulstewart8464]

This thing is the BOSS for quickly and reliably creating AUDIBLE AGGRESSIVE COMPRESSION nearly immediately. Almost nothing equals it. Just imagine 80-channel consoles with these on every channel! Well, I’ve worked on a couple of them. It really was INSANE. You would just pray that the next client into the studio would lay something down intense enough that you could fire all of the guns up and go to town!! ⚡️⚡️✨💥💥💥⚡️⚡️✨💥💥✨⚡️⚡️ POW!!

[@phable]

Best description ever :D

[@MixedByDotRob]

Sounds great ... also on the bus. I've worked on 4kE and G and 9kJ SSLs and I always loved not only the compressors, but especially the gates! Even if you do not dial in the compressors and the gates, they do a lot. Have to try out some of the SSL 500 modules finally!

[@phable]

Wow, you're lucky! The 500 modules are a lot of fun. Can't wait to try put the Bus+

[@braxal6983]

I really like the way you did this review. Perfect! Love the honesty.

[@phable]

Thank you, I'm trying my best :)

[@braxal6983]

@@phable If that is your best. It is perfect for me. I love detail and honest reviews of the good and bad. Do you know if Ferrofish is coming out with an updated version of the Pulse 16MX?

[@phable]

Lot of things which I will improve (hopefully) the future. But each step after the other ;)@@braxal6983

[@nightonmars]

Actually I’m pretty sure the 4KB comps are feedback rather than the E series’s feedforward so this makes this comp closer to the SSL bus comp.

[@phable]

Interesting, I definitely get bus comp vibes.

[@YARDMANMX]

It sounds really great i need to get one

[@gavmurray7398]

the ssl native 4kb plug in really behaves like the hardware as it turns out. it really nails this

[@phable]

Have to check this out!

[@ZenMountain]

No.

[@andrewkoss297]

There are days that I seriously miss my SSL J9080 Console (I don't miss the cost of running it) - it's the EQs and Dynamics I miss the most - even having 6-8 channels would be lovely. Wondering how does the B dynamics compare to the E series which I imagine would be closer to my old J desk.

[@georgewoolf6300]

I worked on Patchwerks J9000 and the Boom Boom Room's J9000 and a ton of E and G 4000's fron NYC, All, and LA. The biggest difference between the 4000 EQ's and Comps and the 9000 EQ's and comps are the 4000 are more mid agressive while the 9000 series are slightly less aggressive but more open across the freq range. If I could have 4000 EQ's and Comps for drums and 9000 EQ's and comps for musical instruments I would be in heaven.

[@ryanshook8284]

When you say 19db of reference level, what do you mean? For example what should the peaks be hitting in the daw? -19? Or do you mean +19 of gain over 0? I'm not following.

[@sinewavekings8636]

Are you in stereo or dual mono?

[@phable]

Dual Mono

[@winstonphilip9231]

Is it a model?

[@phable]

What do you mean?

[@winstonphilip9231]

@@phable you said it's the "best model...". It looks like the actual hardware. That confused me. :(

[@phable]

@@winstonphilip9231 still a bit confused. But yeah it’s a great compressor. That’s all I wanted to say :)