Plugin Alliance Brainworx SSL 4000 E and 4000 G

Freebird

It's over 2 hours long, but timecodes are provided.

Cirrus

Interesting, I'll check this out tomorrow. I really like the E, but the low mid frequency knob is waaaaay off.

Freebird

Cirrus said:

Interesting, I'll check this out tomorrow. I really like the E, but the low mid frequency knob is waaaaay off.

Have you got the new version or the original one? Apparently SSL engineers assisted with the new endorsed version. I've seen a few blind tests between the various SSL plugins and SSL hardware, and the answers have been all over the place. Do you have experience with a real SSL 4000 E console?

PolarityMan

Got into both of these recently...great on kick drums, so easy to dial in the meat. 

Freebird

PolarityMan said:

Got into both of these recently...great on kick drums, so easy to dial in the meat. 

I got them both on sale for $25 ea (with vouchers), along with the Townhouse "SSL" compressor for a bit less. They work great with Nebula SSL 4000 console emulations, and the usability is really good for mixing. I usually add some Neve or API flavours when tracking as part of my workflow, which adds a bit of depth to the sound. They are definitely near the top of my algo plugins list.

PolarityMan

Yeah I got them pretty cheap with vouchers too

Glad I did though. Dont have the townhouse though, I went for the shadow hills instead and I really dont have good enough ears to get the best of that one!

Freebird

PolarityMan said:

Yeah I got them pretty cheap with vouchers too

Glad I did though. Dont have the townhouse though, I went for the shadow hills instead and I really dont have good enough ears to get the best of that one!

Isn't the Shadow Hills a mastering compressor? The Townhouse is a cobbled together G Bus Comp that can also be used on drums and bass, etc. It's always the 1st plugin on my mix bus to add some "glue" and I usually mix into it.

Cirrus

Freebird said:

Cirrus said:

Interesting, I'll check this out tomorrow. I really like the E, but the low mid frequency knob is waaaaay off.

Have you got the new version or the original one? Apparently SSL engineers assisted with the new endorsed version. I've seen a few blind tests between the various SSL plugins and SSL hardware, and the answers have been all over the place. Do you have experience with a real SSL 4000 E console?

I've got no idea, whichever one plugin alliance are selling now - I bought it about 3 months ago.

I'm not questioning the authenticity, or casting a judgement on it vs. any other ssl style channel strip - it's just that low mid frequency knob does stand out like a sore thumb. If you switch it to the other "EQ type" it's within the realms of what the knob says.

I'm cool with gear not quite doing what it says on the controls, but being out by a factor of 2 is quite extreme. And I don't have experience of the real deal (the only top tier console I've ever experienced in person long enough to form an opinion is a Neve 80 series), but I'd be surprised if it was that far out.

The Focusrite strip (which is also quite nice) has a different oddity; on the upper mid and high shelf bands, the gain knob does about 1/2 of what it says. I was surprised that in some cases I was pushing up towards a +10dB high shelf until I tested it and saw it was actually barely +5. Kinda gave some of the comments on Gearslutz about it having such "smooth high boosts" some context. 

lento

I see UAD do the SSL E strip and also a bundle with the G compressor .. a little pricey though, and their deals don't seem to be as good as Brainworx offerings .... 
Going to dowload a demo from Plug Alliance and then wait and see if they'll have a deal anytime soon ..

Also see the Focusrite SC at a ridiculously cheap price on a well-known auction site ....    
How does that, or doesn't it, compare ?

Freebird

lento said:

I see UAD do the SSL E strip and also a bundle with the G compressor .. a little pricey though, and their deals don't seem to be as good as Brainworx offerings .... 
Going to dowload a demo from Plug Alliance and then wait and see if they'll have a deal anytime soon ..

Also see the Focusrite SC at a ridiculously cheap price on a well-known auction site ....    
How does that, or doesn't it, compare ?

The best deals are usually just after the deal has ended 

I haven't tried the Focusrite, I'm mostly into Neve, API & SSL emulations.