Solid State Logic SSL 12 Review - 5 things people aren’t talking about!

Enjoy guys :) NOTE: regarding being able to change the headphone out to high impedance, this makes a small difference but volume still needs to be 12 o’clock or higher (for my headphones anyway)

People that don't like "The SSL Sound" probably love lots of records that were recorded and mixed on an SSL console.

I really dig that design. It looks exactly like a tool for professional audio recording, robust physical controls without unnecessary stuff.

Hi mate, love this review, subbed. Really well produced content. keep it up. Just a quick (important) note - the headphone outputs can be configured to either high or low impedance in the software, an important thing to make an amendment about because you do list it as a con. I imagine you just needed to change this setting in the software to get better level from your headphones. There are also some other pretty awesome benefits to the outputs - for one they can be configured to work as voltage controllers (so for synthesisers etc). The software as a whole has a lot of extremely important features like this that really make this interface to me seem just head and shoulders above it's competition.

Thanks for another great review. I have a SSL 2+ but the 32 bit and the talkback feature might be enough for me to trade up.

Thanks for a real review on the SSL 12,appreciate the pro's,con's and meh's.

Very insightful, Harv … Appreciated. 💯

Agree with many others’ complimentary feedback - excellent video. Thank you!!

Awesome review! Very helpful. Any concerns about the build quality? I'm moving from Audient iD14 for the additional inputs and am concerned about build quality since Audient's is so good.

Seems like a fair review. I've had the SSL2+ for a while now. Like you, I combine it with a preamp beforehand to get some warmth before the clean. Best of both worlds. I find the 4k button handy for bass and percussive tracks that need more bite.

I'm using the SSL2+ since it came out and love it, especially because of the UX! The additional headphone outputs are so great I can design my very own monitoring situation with them (while mixing, I'm constantly switching between my main monitors, my headphones, and a Mixcube-type mono-speaker, all three controllable with the main knob and the headphone knobs). I also love the knobs haptics exactly how they are, I whish the knobs on the NI Kontrol S61 would feel like the SSL ones. Very smooth. When it comes to the 4K knob: I think it depends. A podcaster starting out his recording experience would benefit by that top sparkle, but I keep them disabled, because I have a SSL 9000J console plugin and tape emulation inserted on every channel by default to colorize my sound in the box right away. The 4K would just crank the highs too much and I don't like baking sounds either (my bad habit I guess).

What an excellent presentation and channel.Well Done ! Great points about whether your ears like the overall accumulation of sheen.

Great review video, just became a subscriber to the channel. Quick question if not asked before in here: does it work with ipad pro out of the box? ( i use logic pro for ipad). Many thanks & keep up the good work! Cheers

I really like the look I think it’s simple, no nonsense and most importantly, not distracting when I’m working, I do use the 4K button on vocals occasionally has a preference, but most of the time I’m looking for a balanced, sound true to the instrument and I feel I get that with the SSL 12. It also looks good next to my other SSL controllers. And I like the 360 options and 32 bit + two headphone inputs at the front with the other inputs at the back, it looks tidy and professional.x Note: on the 360 software, you can change the headphone impedance to a high impedance, which makes a massive difference and could solve the problem.

Happy new Year! This is my first go on your channel. Dig the vid. If the mic inputs, on the Volt were on the back, like the SSL, which one would you choose?

I love my SSL interface. But I never use the 4k button, harshes my vocal, too sharp n 'spitty'. No point putting it on to try EQ out! But everything else works so well. Very pleased with it. Thanks for the review, excellent job bud.

Hello Harv, first time viewer and subscriber as of today. This was a great video. I have owned this unit for nearly a year now and it is fantastic for recording woodwind instruments, especially the saxophone. The 4K Legacy really amplifies the high end on the saxophone and is fantastic for contemporary styles of music but highly overboard when recording genres such as jazz. You can hear my saxophone cover of a Whitney tune on my channel with 4K applied. When you did the comparison between SSL and the other unit, the SSL is so much more unforgiving and picks up every nuance in the sound. Which is great for a good take, but if you're looking to quickly track/overdub a part, it's likely to exacerbate any unwanted background noise or "rushed" gain staging. Fantastic video, super informative. Cheers George

The natural sound of SSL makes this unit the perfect foundation for plugins. We use plugins to color the sound. You wouldn't want to buy all the hardware, including channel strips, just to try it out, and then, if it's wrong or not perfect, start recording everything again. It's the 21st century, folks! I just upgraded from SSL 2+ to SSL 12 because I need more line-ins.

I have this interface as well. I liked your review and agree. The looks don’t bother me - I like the more muted look. I would love to see SSL come out with a rack mounted 8 pre expansion unit. I’m a drummer and would love to have more of these. I will say, as far as the 4k button, the only thing I have really liked it on is my kick drum - and if I record bass in the future, I wonder if I’d like it on that too. Something about the boost on low frequency instruments that might benefit from the upper boost it gives - but that might all just be in my head. Great review!

Amazing review, bro! I just bought one.