Solid State Logic Bus Compressor 2 User Guide
- October 29, 2023
- Solid State Logic
Table of Contents
Solid State Logic Bus Compressor 2
Introduction
About Bus Compressor 2
Few pieces of gear are as universally revered as the SSL G-Series center
section bus compressor, and now it’s available as an SSL-designed plug-in.
Celebrated for its ability to glue a mix together to make it “sound like a
record,” the SSL Bus Compressor has a distinctly musical response that retains
the dynamic integrity of a mix even at higher compression ratios. A perennial
favorite of engineers, the SSL Bus Compressor’s simple interface belies an
incredible amount of flexibility, and the plug-in version boasts unique
features not found on the original hardware, including dry/wet signal blending
for parallel processing and a side chain high-pass filter to reduce low-end
pumping. Put the final shine on your mixes with SSL’s legendary Bus
Compressor.
Key Features
- THE legendary glue & punch maker updated for 2021
- Revered for its ability to “glue together” a mix
- Retains the dynamic character of a mix even at higher ratios
- NEW Attack, Release and Compression Ratios
- Dry/wet parallel processing control and sidechain high-pass filter
- Integrates with SSL 360 and is controllable from 360-enabled hardware surfaces such as the UC1 and UF8
Supported Platforms and Hosts
When we release an SSL plug-in, we test it on all Windows and macOS operating systems that aren’t End-of-Life (EOL) at the time of release. The versions listed below are the latest on which we have officially tested the product. It is possible for our products to work on platforms outside of this list. However, if your host, host version or operating system is not listed here, we recommend you demo theproduct before purchase to confirm that it works correctly.
Operating Systems
Hosts
- Logic Pro 10
- Pro Tools 2020
- Ableton Live 10
- Studio One 5
- Cubase 11
Demo
To demo this plug-in, you can get the 30-day free trial of the SSL Complete
subscription bundle via Gobbler: https://www.gobbler.com/solid-state-
logics-30-day-free-trial/
Installation and Download
You can download installers for a plug-in from the website’s Download page, or by visiting the plug-in product page via the Web Store. All SSL plug-ins comes ship with VST, VST3, AU (macOS only) and AAX (Pro Tools)formats. The installers provided (macOS Intel .dmg and Windows .exe) copy the plug-in binaries to the common VST, VST3, AU and AAX directories. After this, your host DAW should recognise the plug-in automatically in most cases. Simply run the installer, and you should be good to go. You can find more information about how to authorise your plug-in below.
Licensing
Visit the online plug-ins FAQ for guidance in authorizing your SSL plug-in.
Overview
I/O
Bypass
When switched out, the Bus Compressor is bypassed. Where possible, this is
linked tothe DAW’s insert bypass feature.
Compressor
Threshold
Controls the level at which gain reduction is introduced.
Makeup
Provides a gain stage to compensate for any reduction in level caused by
compression.
Attack
Controls the response time of the onset of compression once the threshold is
crossed. The 20 ms option has been introduced in Bus Compressor 2.
Release
Controls how quickly the level returns to normal. The .4, .8 and 1.2-second
options have been introduced in Bus Compressor 2.
Ratio
Controls the degree of compression. The 1.5, 3, 10, 20 and X options have been
introduced in Bus Compressor 2. X is the most aggressive option – greater than
20, but less than infinity.
S/C HPF
Applies a high-pass filter to the compressor sidechain.
Mix
Controls the blend of the processed (wet) and unprocessed (dry) signals.
Using a blendbetween 0 and 100% is commonly referred to as ‘parallel
compression’.
Advanced Controls
Oversampling
Bus Compressor 2 features the ability to use oversampling DSP. Options are
provided for none (OFF), 2x and 4x. When compressing material heavily (e.g.
smashing a drum bus),you may want to experiment utilizing oversampling, as it
will help to reduce unfavorable distortion that may be being introduced. The
DAW will introduce a small amount of delay compensation for Bus Compressor 2
when oversampling is used.
External S/C
The EXTERNAL S/C button allows the Bus Compressor sidechain to be fed from
a source different to the internal sidechain. e.g. A bus send could be set up
in the DAW, such as a kick drum that could be used to creatively ‘pump’ the
Bus Compressor. Please note you will need to determine the external sidechain
source using your DAW’s plug-in header bar.
Mix Lock
MIX LOCK excludes the MIX control from the preset system, which can be
useful for auditioning different presets, without the MIX control responding
to the preset being loaded.
Metering
Gain Reduction meter
The meter shows how much gain reduction is being applied by the Bus
Compressor 2plug-in in the style of the classic moving-coil meter found on SSL
consoles.
SSL 360 Integration
Bus Compressor 2 features integration with SSL 360’s Plug-in Mixer, which allows you to control all of your Channel Strip 2 and Bus Compressor 2 instances from a single virtual console. 360-enabled plug-ins are also controllable from 360-enabled hardware such as the UF1 and UC1. The UC1 features dedicated hardware controls for Bus Compressor 2.
DAW Track Name
Beneath the oversampling options the host track name the plug-in is
inserted on is displayed. The track name will only be displayed if the host
provides it.
Plug-in Mixer
The button labeled PLUG-IN MIXER opens SSL 360° on the Plug-in Mixer
page(presuming SSL 360° is installed). Otherwise, it will take you to the SSL
website.
Presets, A/B and UNDO/REDO
Factory presets are included in the plug-in installation, installed in the following locations:
- Mac: Library/Application Support/Solid State Logic/SSLNative/Presets/Vocalstrip2
- Windows 64-bit: C:\ProgramData\Solid State Logic\SSL Native\Presets\Vocalstrip2
Switching between presets can be achieved by clicking the left/right arrows in the preset management section of the plug-in GUI, and by clicking on the preset name which will open the preset management display.
Preset Management Display
There are a number of options in the Preset Management Display:
- Load allows loading of presets not stored in the locations described above.
- Save As… allows for storage of user presets.
- Save as Default assigns the current plug-in settings to the Default Preset.
- Copy A to B and Copy B to A assigns the plug-in settings of one comparison setting to the other.
A/B Comparison
The AB buttons at the base of the screen allows you to load two independent
settings and compare them quickly. When the plug-in is opened, setting A is
selected by default. Clicking the A or B button will switch between setting A
and setting B.
UNDO and REDO
UNDO and REDO functions allow undo and redo of changes made to the plug-in
parameters.
References
- Solid State Logic
- Solid State Logic's 30 Day Free Trial - Gobbler
- Downloads Support | Solid State Logic