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This plugin duo is designed to speed up a full mix with an immediately recognizable SSL sonic signature. Channel Strip 2 is used on individual tracks (vocals, guitar, bass, synths, toms) to shape tone, clean up takes, control dynamics, and improve clarity. Bus Compressor 2, on the other hand, is placed on a bus (drums, instruments, choirs) or on the master bus to provide the famous "glue": a more coherent, denser, and livelier mix without crushing the energy.
Whether you produce pop, rock, hip-hop, electro, film music, or high-end podcasts, this pack is a solid choice to achieve a more "finished" sound while maintaining fine control over attack, punch, and level stability.
Previous versions of Channel Strip mainly relied on an Output Trim control. Here, SSL adds a true Fader Level developed according to the SSL fader scale. The result: you manage your level like on a console and can combine both output behaviors. The Fader Level provides a soft saturation digitally modeled, while the Output Trim remains dedicated to clean and transparent gain. By balancing the two, you find the sweet spot between analog color and digital precision.
At the heart of Channel Strip 2 is a 4-band EQ with SSL ergonomics: two separate mid bands (low mids and high mids) to easily target vocal presence, guitar attack, or the critical area of an overhead. The low-pass (12 dB per octave) and high-pass (18 dB per octave) filters allow cleaning without losing naturalness.
The "E" button switches the EQ response between two philosophies: Series G (shelf curves and filters with a more "console" character, possibly showing slight overshoot depending on frequencies) and Series E (softer curves without this behavior). Depending on the mode, the relationship between gain and bandwidth varies: an excellent lever to shift from subtle corrective EQ to more surgical EQ, ideal for example on drum elements.
In digital EQ, some filters can lose naturalness near the upper limit of the audible spectrum. The Anti-Cramping technology developed by SSL aims to preserve a more linear response and a more coherent bell shape during boosts, even in the extreme high frequencies. This provides an "air" sensation closer to analog behavior, without needing to change your project's sample rate or force internal oversampling to correct this phenomenon.
Channel Strip 2 goes beyond hardware constraints by offering a customizable processing order between filters, EQ, and dynamics. For example, you can compress before EQ to stabilize a source, or EQ before compression to influence the compressor's detection and response. This is a real advantage for establishing a fast, consistent, and reproducible workflow from session to session.
Designed as an SSL 360 plugin, Channel Strip 2 integrates with the 360 Plug-in Mixer and can be controlled via compatible surfaces, notably the UC1 and UF8. The goal is clear: to regain console gestures, reduce mouse back-and-forth, and keep your focus on listening rather than the screen.
The Bus Compressor 2 replicates the musical behavior and punch of the Series G bus compressor, famous for making "everything fall into place." On a drum bus, it enhances impact and coherence. On an instrument bus or mix bus, it can add density and movement while preserving dynamic integrity, even at higher ratios when settings are well balanced.
To meet current needs, SSL has enriched the controls with new Attack, Release, and Ratio settings to tailor compression to tempo, groove, and musical intent. You also benefit from a classic Auto trigger mode for quick setup across a wide variety of styles.
Bus Compressor 2 includes an external side-chain input as well as a high-pass filter (HPF) in the side-chain path, useful to prevent low frequencies from over-triggering compression and muddying the mix. The Wet/Dry balance facilitates parallel compression without additional routing, and oversampling (up to 4X) plus HQ mode allow you to balance maximum quality and CPU load depending on your project.
Finally, workflow comfort is enhanced by a cross-platform preset system, Undo/Redo buttons, and an A/B switch to instantly compare two settings during a mix.
