SSL18
SSL18
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Why buy from Headline Audio?
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Official UK & Ireland home of SSL
- 2-year warranty included
Introducing SSL 18—a new era in rackmount production technology from Solid State Logic. Built on SSL’s unmatched expertise in analog and digital design, SSL 18 delivers exceptional audio performance with a studio session-ready feature set, all while maintaining the signature SSL sound that professionals trust.
Whether you’re recording, producing, or mixing, SSL 18 enhances your production workflow and elevates your creative space, making it the ultimate studio centerpiece. With its premium build quality, high-fidelity conversion, and seamless integration, SSL 18 sets a new standard in rackmount interface performance.
Best-In-Class Audio Performance
Next-generation 32-bit/192 kHz converters provide the platform for SSL 18’s analogue design to shine, with unrivalled dynamic range performance of 120 dB across all microphone, line-level and instrument inputs – capture your sources like never before. Experience 125 dB dynamic range on the monitor and line outputs to hear your music with uncompromised fidelity. Need to work on headphones? No problem, with the unbeatable 120 dB dynamic range on offer from the dual-headphone outputs.
8 x SSL-designed Mic/Line inputs
SSL 18 features eight high-performance SSL-designed mic pre’s, with switchable Mic/Line configuration. Leveraging our renowned engineering expertise, they deliver ultra-low noise recordings and a huge dynamic range, making sure you capture every detail of the performance with stunning accuracy. Their advanced 2-stage circuitry ensures ultra-low distortion while maintaining the natural character of the source – or flip them into Legacy 4K Mode to add real analogue saturation and the iconic 4000 series sound to vocals, drums, and more. What's more, in Line mode the mic preamp stage is completely bypassed - perfect for connecting external outboard gear. Located on the front of the unit, inputs 1 & 2 also offer instrument/Hi-Z inputs to capture DI’d guitars and vintage synths/drum machines.
10 x Line-outputs
SSL 18 comes equipped with ten balanced line-level outputs located on the rear of the unit. To ensure optimal signal integrity and maximise headroom, line outputs 1&2 and 3&4 can be configured between +9 and +24 dBu, providing seamless compatibility with a wide range of studio monitors and vintage equipment operating at lower levels. Outputs 3 to 10 operate at +24 dBu, perfect for integrating professional outboard equipment. For producers, all outputs are DC-coupled and capable of sending control voltage to synthesizers and modular rigs.
Dual High-Performance Headphone Outputs
Custom headphone mixes with two independent headphone outputs, configurable for different types with 'Standard', 'High Sensitivity', and 'High Impedance' settings. SSL 18's headphone outputs can also be repurposed as line-level outputs for added flexibility.
Monitor Controller + Talkback w/Listen Mic Compressor
SSL 18 features a full monitor controller section with built-in talkback input. Line outputs 1&2 and 3&4 offer alternative speaker switching with Alt and Cut accessible via the monitor controls located on the front panel. Alternatively, customise the monitor controls via SSL 360 and tailor them to your workflow. SSL 18 also features a dedicated talkback input channel that can operate in MIC or LINE mode. LINE mode is great for re-processing audio through the classic Listen Mic Compressor - crush drums, parallel vocals, and more.
4K Legacy Analogue Enhancement on Every Analogue Input Channel
The SSL 4000 series consoles (often referred to as ‘4K’) are renowned for imparting a unique ‘mojo’ to sounds and instruments that pass through them. This mojo comes from multiple stages of harmonic distortion from compressor VCAs, VCA faders, and other crucial components such as the transistor mix amps. Using modern components, SSL has developed a circuit that distils the two essential characteristics of the 4K sound into a single design. Legacy 4K Analogue Enhancement injects a controlled amount of finely-tuned, sweet-sounding harmonic distortion and a ‘forward’ yet musical high-frequency EQ boost into the signal path, giving your sound the 4K mojo and presence that artists and engineers have loved for decades.
Complete digital I/O
A host of digital audio connections means that SSL 18 is ready to expand your I/O count whenever you are, with an additional 16 channels via ADAT and a further two via S/PDIF. SSL 18’s dedicated Word clock output provides rock-solid clocking for integrating external digital devices into your system.
SSL 18 Mixer, Powered by SSL 360°
The SSL 18 mixer offers comprehensive management of all inputs and outputs, as well as detailed, scalable input metering in SSL 360°. In the SSL 18 mixer you can create and manage the control room monitor mix, as well as configure up to four independent mixes for performers. In addition, a flexible Mirror Routing system allows you to route any input or aux master directly to an output – perfect for feeding personal monitoring systems, external metering and outboard FX. Create different templates for tracking, mixing and more, then save them as a profile in the SSL 18 mixer.
Designed to make hit records
Designed by the same engineering teams behind the esteemed range of analogue and digital mixing consoles, SSL’s rich heritage can be found throughout the design and feature set. SSL 18 is the only product in its category that is designed to properly integrate with professional outboard gear, thanks to the +24 dBu capable inputs and outputs.
SSL Production Pack FREE with SSL 18 Audio Interface
We’ve been helping world-class artists, producers and engineers make great music and audio for decades. It's crucial to have the right tools for the job, so we’ve partnered with some of the industry's key brands to offer you the SSL Production Pack, bundled free with your SSL 18 audio interface.
Featuring a selection of must-have virtual instruments, plug-ins, samples and DAW, let your creativity shine and bring your productions to life with the SSL Production Pack.
Tech Specs
System requirements and Specs:
- Mac OS 13 or later | Class-Compliant, Plug-and-play
- Windows 10, Windows 11 | Install included ASIO/WDM driver
Connectivity
- USB 2.0 Type C Connector (Box includes Type C to C and Type C to A)
Mic Preamps
- 8 x XLR-¼" combo (Mic/Line)
- Mic Amp EIN (A-weighted) : -130.5 dBu
- Mic Amp Gain: 67 dB
Instrument/Line
- 2 x ¼" (Hi-Z)
- Max Instrument Input Level: +15 dBu
- Max Line Input Level: +24 dBu
- Dynamic Range (A-weighted) 120 dB typical
- Line Level THD+N: -106 dB
*Specs (Measured to AES17 Standards)
Line Outputs
- Dynamic Range: 125 dB
- Max Output Level: +24 dBu
Headphone Outputs - 2 x ¼" Ouputs
- Dynamic Range: 120 dB
- Max Output: +18 dBu (High Impedance Mode) / 24 dBu (Balanced Line Output Mode)
- Output Impedance: <1 Ω
Digital Inputs
- 2 x Optical (ADAT) I/O
- 1 x S/PDIF I/O
Sample rates - 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
For the complete list of technical specifications please refer to the user guide
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