SSL UC1 physical midi controller Use Review

This is a review of SSL UC1(´◔౪◔)◞

I’ve only gotten as far as my first impressions, but I think I’m going to be hooked.

The plug-ins sound great too!

I’m planning to write several articles on UC1 intermittently.

since it has a lot of features…( ･ὢ･ )

What is SSL UC1?

The SSL UC1 is a dedicated controller developed by SSL (Solid State Logic) for its own console modeling plug-ins.

SSL (Solid State Logic) ( ソリッドステートロジック ) / UC-1 サウンドハウス

With this machine,

two plugin packages can be operated by default.

The modeling source for this plug-in is the SSL 9000 console.

SSL consoles have been installed in recording studios all over the world, and are used in so many different sound sources that there is probably not a listener who has not heard the sound of one.

High-end console for professionals.

SSL is said to be the most successful console manufacturer in the world( ･ὢ･ )

SSL (Solid State Logic) ( ソリッドステートロジック ) / UF8 サウンドハウス

SSL has recently released another physical controller for DAWs called UF8.

The UF8 and UC1 are exactly the same size vertically, so when used side by side…

–Reference image URL–

That’s exactly where SSL’s Virtual Console will be created (´⊙౪⊙)۶.

I really wanted to buy a UF8, but it’s too big…

The SSL UC1 I’ll be reviewing this time is also quite large in size,and my desk is just barely big enough for it.

Review of UC1

Now for the review!

Here’s the box, with the SSL logo.

Open! What looks like an instruction manual.

The main unit is here! It’s even bigger than I imagined!

Check the accessories before going to the main unit.

A variety of items came out.

This appears to be a leg that tilts the body.

Parts and tools to attach the legs? I guess so.

There were two USB cables in the box, one USB-C type and the other USB-A.

Only one cable is used to connect to the PC.

For some reason, there were two power cables in the box.

I didn’t check it properly, but I’m sorry, I didn’t know what the difference was between the two cables.

I only use one power cable.

This is the power adapter that connects to the main unit.

The power input is a universal power supply that can be used from 100-240 AC.

And the main unit!

Wow!SSL-like snacks are lined up!!

EQ section. This is the same arrangement that I always see on the actual unit.

The SSL9000 has the ability to switch between the SSL4000E and G EQ curves.

Press the “E” button to switch to the 4000E curve.

I like the E curve.

There’s an SSL bass comp in the middle! I like that the meter is a VU(`･ω･´)

The UC1 is a completely digital device, but it has an analog feel to it that makes me excited.

This bus comp section is independent from the EQ and dynamics sections mentioned earlier.

Only operable when the Bus Compressor 2 plug-in is up and running!

Below the bus comp are the encoder knobs and LCD screen that work with the plug-in side of the DAW.

I’ll write about this later, but this section is very good and easy to use!

On the right side of the unit is the dynamics section.

The EQ section and the dynamics section control the SSL Native Channel Strip 2 plug-in.

SSL’s comp is a bit plain on its own, but when combined with the EQ, it’s a real gem(´⊙౪⊙)۶

It was very pleasant to use the plug-in.

In the lower right corner, there are buttons for mute, solo, phase inversion, etc.

This section was also very useful.

I get the impression that the UC1’s button layout is designed to be lean and easy to use!

The FINE button limits the range of behavior of the EQ and dynamics knobs, so you can make more detailed and delicate settings.

The Softube console1, which is probably in a competitive position with the UC1.

The console1 is larger in width, but the UC1 is larger in height.

This is the feeling of the body.

The case is quite sturdy, but does it have a special sense of luxury? I’d say it’s pretty ordinary.

It’s SSL, but it has a normal texture.

The direction of the SSL2 (audio interface) is somewhat similar.

If you think about it as an SSL product, the price is still reasonable, and I think they’ve cut down on everything except the functionality.

If anything, the main focus is on the included plug-ins.

Let’s connect it to the PC.

Now connect to the computer!

User registration is required

The first step is to register as a user on the SSL website.

Enter the serial number of the product after user registration,

DL each plug-in!SSL360° is like a console platform that encompasses each of the plug-ins.

-SSL360°-

SSL360° is also very useful, but more on that later.

Then, after a lot of work installing and linking with ilok, I got it recognized.

On my Mac, I was able to link it without any problems at all.

Trying to use SSL UC1!

Now, let’s see what you’ve been waiting for!

In the meantime, I plugged in the SSL plug-in to the sound source I’m currently working on and did some tweaking.

The feel of the knob is different from the actual SSL9000, and the UC1 turns more lightly.

The SSL EQ is very good.

All the bands work well, and the changes are easy to understand. It’s a wonder.

All the plug-ins work perfectly with UC1.

I’ve been using it for a few years now, and I’m very happy with the results.

The bass comp is really good too!

It’s got a nice sticky comp feel that glues you in place!

The ability to control DRY⇆WET is also very useful.

Personally, I liked to use it very DRY and let it get a bit thin.

The meter is firmly linked. It makes me feel a little weird.

It seems to behave a little differently from the way the needle moves in the plug-in?

Maybe it’s just an analog feeling.

The way the compressor is applied is similar to the way I feel when I touch the actual SSL9000.

It’s not flashy, but it’s a craftsman-like comp that gives you a cohesive sound.

If you increase the ratio, of course you can make it tighter.

The LCD screen shows the name of the track that the SSL Native Channel Strip 2 is plugged into.

up to 12 single-byte alphanumeric characters, which I thought was useful enough to keep track of track names.

However, it seems that Japanese cannot be displayed. Only English is available.

By turning the channel knob, you can move the plug-in settings display between tracks that have SSL Native Channel Strip 2 plugged in.

I thought it would be difficult to use, but I found it to be very practical as well.

The track names are easy to read, so it’s easy to understand the channels.

This is a feature not available in console1.

And the aforementioned SSL 360° software.

It’s a great way to get a feel for the SSL console.

It’s really fun to mix with UC1 while looking at this screen(´⊙౪⊙)۶

You can also turn the screen up. This makes it easy to check detailed EQ settings.

The SSL360° screen can be instantly called up or hidden with this button on the UC1 itself.

It is very well designed( ･ὢ･ )

What does it sound like?

What does it sound like?

I’m not sure if this will help you, but I’ve made a sound source for comparison!

For comparison, I assembled the samples in Loopcloud and plugged in an SSL Native Channel Strip 2 to each track.

For the stereo outs, I plugged in a Bus Compressor 2.

The EQ and compressor settings are somewhat to my liking.

Please forgive me if I suck at this(´◔౪◔)◞

This is a sound source comparison with the plug-in turned on and off.

Original source

Sound source using SSL UC1

impressions

What do you think, huh?

Even with my poor mixing skills, I think I can get a sense of cohesion.

The way the EQ works, the way the comp is applied, and the way the bass comp brings the sound together, it’s just like SSL.

I felt this in another song production, but it makes it so much easier to mix instruments with different textures together.

I mean, this SSL plug-in is really good, woo…!

The sound doesn’t change in an unpleasant way, and it feels natural.

I like console1’s SSL a lot, but I feel that UC1 is so much better than the original that maybe I’ll shift my mind to this one.

I’d like to take some time to play around with it until I can make a more calm decision( ･ὢ･ )

There is no power button on the main unit…?

One thing I’ve been wondering about is the fact that there is no power off button on the unit.

I don’t think it’s a device that can be turned off by plugging and unplugging…

If that’s the case, it’s a disappointing point(-ω- ?)

Since I started this blog, I have noticed that there is a surprising amount of audio equipment without a power button. I still have the question “Why?

Why????

Is SSL UC1 a good buy?

There are a few negative points, but even with all of that, I personally liked the product a lot!

I mean, I really like it.

SSL (Solid State Logic) ( ソリッドステートロジック ) / UC-1 サウンドハウス

I especially like the way the plugin works!

I also felt that the behavior was very close to the actual SSL.

However, I haven’t done a detailed comparison with the real thing yet, so I’d like to find some time to play with it again.

I’d like to do a comparison with console1.

The size and the presence or absence of a power button (to be confirmed) were the only points that bothered me.

If you don’t mind, I highly recommend this item!

summary

That was my review of the SSL UC1 deployment!

Honestly, the product was much easier to use than I expected, the plug-ins sounded great, and I really wanted to keep using it(`･ω･´)

Thank you, SSL, for developing this for us!

I will continue to write about my impressions of the product.

Thank you for reading to the end!