Solid State Logic SSL Revival 4000

Introducing the SSL REVIVAL 4000 Channel Strip, the high-performance analog channel strip based on the SSL 4000 B&E circuitry from the 1980s.

The Revival 4000 is a high-performance analog channel strip from Solid State Logic, capturing the unmistakable sound of the SSL 4000 Series consoles from the early 1980s. A sound that set the industry standard and helped shape the music of iconic artists such as Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams, Pink Floyd, Prince, U2, Metallica, and many more. Building on the legendary circuitry of the B and E Series consoles, the Revival 4000 delivers the signature sound and sonic flexibility that form the very foundation of SSL's legacy.

Launched in 1976, the SSL 4000 Series consoles revolutionized music production, setting a new industry benchmark that would go on to shape music history. It all began with a rare SL 4000 B console, installed at London's Townhouse Studios. The 4000 B console was used to create smash hits such as Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" and the unprecedented depth of the drums in Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight."

This set the tone for what would become the most influential mixing console of all time: the SL 4000 E. Introduced in 1979, the 4000 E became the heart of legendary studios such as Abbey Road, Electric Lady, and The Hit Factory. It enabled engineers such as Hugh Padgham (David Bowie, Paul McCartney, The Police), Chris and Tom Lord-Alge (James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Santana), and Andy Wallace (Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana) to create their own signature sounds.

Description:

- SSL 4000 E Mic Preamp:
Featuring a Jensen JT-115K-E transformer-balanced preamp, the Revival 4000 brings richness and clarity to your recordings. This circuit incorporates the same Jensen component used in the original E-Series console strips.

- De-Esser 4000 B:
The Revival 4000's De-Esser is based on the original compressor/limiter design of the iconic 4000 B console, offering a 10:1 ratio and a 7 kHz sidechain filter. This configuration provides broadband compression precisely triggered by sibilance, making it ideal for taming sibilance on vocals, annoying resonances on cymbals, or other harsh sources. Its musicality is further enhanced by the circuit design, which mimics that of the legendary SSL bus compressor, adding familiar clarity and character to any signal.

- 4000 E Series Ultimate Dynamics Section:
The iconic dynamics section that defined the sound of the 1980s is fully present and faithfully recreated. The compressor/gate design remains faithful to the original E Series console strip, meticulously reproducing the circuits and components that gave it its legendary character. It includes a sidechain RMS detector and a fully discrete gain reduction stage, identical to the discrete Class A VCA chip used in the original console.
Switches allow you to bypass the soft-knee curve, activate a fast attack mode, and choose between logarithmic or linear release curves. Together, these features offer a wide range of tone-shaping options, reproducing the distinctive characteristics that contributed to the creation of countless legendary records with the E-Series consoles.

- SSL 4-Band EQ
The renowned 4-band parametric EQ that helped shape modern music. The Revival 4000 offers two iconic EQ options: the 4000 E's classic brown knob (02) and the legendary black knob (242).

The "Brown Knob" EQ features two fully parametric bands with SSL's signature symmetrical design, ensuring consistent musical intervals around the center frequency, regardless of gain or frequency settings. The treble and bass bands are 6 dB/octave shelving filters, with an option to switch to a fixed-Q bell curve. This equalizer became a staple of recordings and mixing in the early 1980s.

Developed in 1983, the "242" EQ circuit was developed in collaboration with the legendary George Martin for the first SSL console installed at AIR Studios. Known as the "Black Knob EQ," it introduced wider cut and boost ranges (±18 dB vs. ±15 dB), a refined control response, and a steeper 18 dB/octave high-pass filter, providing tighter bass control and greater tonal versatility.

- Processing & Routing:
The Revival 4000 includes a dedicated balanced insert point, allowing you to seamlessly integrate external equipment into the signal path. It also features a dedicated external sidechain (key) input, flexible processing order, and sidechain linking, ideal for linking two units in a stereo configuration.

Features:
- Classic SSL 4000 E mic preamp with balanced Jensen transformer.
- Musical 4000 B single-knob de-esser section.
- 48V phantom power, polarity reversal, pad, and line input.
- Ultimate dynamics section from the 4000 E series.
- Classic SSL 4-band EQ.
- High-pass and low-pass filters.
- Balanced insert point for connecting external devices into the signal path.
- Flexible process order routing.
- Line output adjustment.
- Switchable input/output metering.
- External sidechain input (key).
- Dynamic sidechain link - allows two Revival 4000 compressors to operate as a stereo pair.
- Dimensions: 630 x 370 x 250 mm
- Weight: 6 kg