2009
Since the hamsters that power the SSL website are obviously knackered, I thought I would gather together what I've found on the SSL X-Desk here, as a public service. Tony Belmont from High Profile put up the above picture on GS. If you click it, it'll get you a bigger one.
Long story short, it is an 8-input line mixer. (No mic pres at this price, of course.) Each channel has a send to cue plus two mono fx sends, and the board has two stereo fx returns. So if you're using it for summing and not sending, that's effectively 12 inputs. Here's a sketch of the channels and what they do. Here is a short video of the units at Messe:
Price is £1675 MSRP, which will translate in to an American street of around 2.2K, as far as I can tell. I'm very sad to admit that I really don't need this right now, because I sure do want one.
posted April 2, 2009 by synthetic
They're also considering the prevalence of 500-series modules, of course. Add a single 500 rack, and this as the levels and monitoring, and you've got a SMOKING location recording rig. It's also excellent if you're mixing stems for TV production (where most hardware is sold now, in my opinion.)
So, yeah, it's a little odd for a home studio. Certainly usable but odd. But in the context of most professional uses, it's quite handy. And it would be fucking _AWESOME_ as a keyboard mixer live. Absolutely perfect. I'm sure Mitchell Sigman, our resident professional keyboard player, could shine a light on that.
-CR
posted April 2, 2009 by Chris Randall
So part of the intention is to have an option to build a big desk incrementally.
posted April 2, 2009 by shamann
This is slightly OT, but does anyone know if Peter Gabriel is still part-owner of SSL? This mixer seems like Gabrielesque thinking.
If he's still involved with the company, I'm surprised they don't trumpet this association more loudly.
The further I get into this BP work, the more I realize that Gabriel is a kind of musical hero. This influence surprised me as it emerged. It certainly wasn't deliberate or conscious --- but it became somewhat conspicuous and difficult to deny.
Check out this video from 1982 where he expounds on his then-newfound love of the Fairlight and sampling technology.
I encourage you to watch the whole video, but in particular note: at 24 seconds in, he predicts the future unassailably.
27 years ago. Badass.
- c
posted April 2, 2009 by beauty pill
What do you mean, "This mixer seems like a Gabrielesque thing?"
posted April 2, 2009 by dualphin
posted April 2, 2009 by shotgunlab
posted April 2, 2009 by boobs
link [www.youtube.com]
posted April 2, 2009 by boobs
They just have an agreement in which only Peter Gabriel's catalog of music can be played through the gear for demo purposes....as in the video.
posted April 2, 2009 by Justin McGrath
It makes sense if you're a big believer in analog summing I guess, but otherwise it is, as we used to say on Analogue Heaven, a lot of money for something that doesn't make any sound.
Not that it won't be absolutely top notch hardware. But with Dangerous doing the 'bargain' 2-Bus LT, it seems like you can obtain equal build quality and most of the functionality for a lot less money.
posted April 2, 2009 by chaircrusher