MTMReviews SSL Nucleus

MTM ReviewsHardwareSoftwareMobile Technology Samples ergonomic to work with. Nucleus is intended to replace your keyboard for many tasks while you work with your DAW and as such is really meant to sit right in front of you rather than to one side. It therefore probably wouldn’t be wise to have it perched on the side of your desk; it’s better placed where you can see and work with it full-time.

Solid State Logic

Nucleus

Choice

Could SSL’s high-quality new control surface become the nerve centre of your project studio? Hollin Jones finds out.

Nucleus Manufacturer Solid State Logic  Price £3,600 Contact Sound Technology  01462 480000 Web www.solid-state-logic.com

Solid State Logic – or SSL as it is more usually known – is a highly regarded manufacturer of mixing consoles, many of which grace some of the world’s top studios. Its latest offering, the Nucleus, is designed to provide a range of facilities and features demanded by the serious professional project studio but in a single, durable unit.

Primarily functioning as an advanced DAW controller, Nucleus also offers audio interfacing and monitoring

Key Features ●  Ethernet-

connected DAW  controller ●  Switch between  three DAW setups ●  2 banks of eight  channel controls ●  16 touchsensitive  motorised faders ●  Digital scribble  strips ●  Assignable

V-Pots/soft keys ●  Customisable key  mapping ●  SD card file  storage ●  Software setup  application ●  SuperAnalogue  mic pres ●  4-channel audio  interface features, USB hub functionality and ships with the newly native Duende Essentials plug-in bundle. Of course, as long-time fans of Solid State Logic’s hardware we were eager to get our

The rear panel houses a range of ports, most of which relate to the audio interfacing capabilities. There are two mic/DI combo inputs and two preamp outs with SuperAnalogue mic pres (identical to those used on SSL Duality and AWS consoles as well as the

Nucleus is intended to replace your keyboard for many tasks while you work with your DAW

hands on the Nucleus and put it through its paces, placing it at the heart of our own project studio.

Ins and outs First, the nuts and bolts. It’s a solid but relatively compact unit and the upper surface is angled gently upwards so it is company’s X-Rack system). These inputs can feed the audio interface and monitor output sections simultaneously. Each of the two channels also has a send/return port for using hardware effects, which default to the mic/line/ instrument inputs but can be moved across to DAW playback for mixdown.

Among the connectivity options on the  rear panel of the Nucleus are mic/DI  combo inputs and two preamp outs.  Digital I/O via S/PDIF feeds the AD/DA of  the audio interface.

82 | February 2011 magazine