Waves SSL EV2

User Guide
 Introduction
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SSL EV2 CHANNEL

If any piece of hardware has earned the title “Classic,” it’s the Solid State Logic 4000 Series analog mixing console. A
generation of engineers created iconic mixes for music, television, and films, seated at these desks. The SSL 4000 E,
introduced in 1979, was the first mixing desk to incorporate dynamics processing on every channel, along with a master
bus compressor in the center section. The ability to patch into the master bus compressor, and to control its sidechain
from an internal sub-mix, provided a versatile workspace that opened up many creative possibilities. The 4000 E has a
unique personality: it can be present and aggressive, which, along with the characteristic punchiness of the dynamics
section, makes for a distinctive sound.

The original 4000 E channel strip includes a mic/line input section that introduces a certain amount of harmonic
distortion, a filter section with sweepable HP and LP controls, a four-band EQ, and a dynamics section with a
compressor and gate/expander. Filter and EQ can be part of the audio chain or used in the sidechain of the dynamics
section. As EQ capabilities evolved, new EQ modules were introduced. Models differed by the slope of filters and EQ
behavior. They were identified by the color of their filter knobs [Black Knob (242), Brown Knob (02), Orange Knob (232),
and Pink Knob (292)].

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 Brown Knob vs. Black Knob
The Brown Knob EQ was the original SSL 4000 E channel strip EQ/filter. This established the “SSL Sound” for rock and
pop music and was soon heard on the radio everywhere. Because of its wide EQ, the Brown sound can be pronounced,
even gritty, yet it is very musical; and it excels on drums and bass. The Black Knob EQ was introduced in the mid-
1980s, along with the 4000 G Series consoles. It is cleaner and a tad more open than the Brown Knob and is well suited
for vocals and acoustic instruments.

Brown is a wider EQ and is considered better suited for reshaping. Black is narrower, which is usually what you want for
scooping. Each has a distinct sound.

WAVES SSL EV2 PLUGIN

The original Waves SSL 4000 Collection was released in 2006, in partnership with SSL. It was a groundbreaker in
analog device modeling. Every aspect of the SSL hardware was measured, analyzed, and duplicated as a plugin. Every
routing option was faithfully recreated. It proved to be a very successful tool, and it remains one of the most frequently
used plugins in the business. The Waves SSL EV2 Channel plugin is a new modeling of the SSL 4000 E. It delivers the
same functionality as the classic Waves SSL Channel plugin, with a few new features and a slightly rearranged interface.
Most notably, you can now switch between the Brown Knob and Black Knob EQs, so you get the best of both worlds. It
also provides switchable input analogue harmonic noise distortion and an output imager to control the width of the stereo
field.

Waves has been developing modeled devices for a long time. SSL EV2 Channel is an offspring of this work and
experience. It reflects the latest advances in hardware modeling, so its sound and behavior are closer to that of the SSL
4000 E channel hardware than was possible when the SSL 4000 Collection was created. If, however, you’re using the
original Waves SSL 4000 plugin, you probably like its particular sound and know how to work with it. Each modeling—the
old and the new—has its own personality and color, so insert them both in your session and find out which works best for
you at that moment.

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 SSL 4000E Channel Routing Diagram

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 Waves SSL EV2 Controls
The plugin is made up of four sections, and, by default, this is the signal flow: input, dynamics, EQ, and master. The
dynamics section and EQ section offer alternative routing.

Input Section

• Line controls the input level to the plugin. As gain increases, so will harmonic
distortion.
Range: -20 dB to +20 dB
• Mic can add as much as 50 dB of input gain, which can result in internal distortion.
Such high input gains will increase THD but will probably not cause output
distortion.
Range: 0 dB to +50 dB
• Analog adds harmonic distortion, which is a key element in recreating the sound of
an analog mixing console. If Analog control is off, the line and mic controls will act as
pure gain: no THD will be added. If you prefer a cleaner, more modern sound, turn
Analog processing off.
Range: on or off
• 20 dB Pad reduces the input level by 20 dB.
• Phase Reverse (Ø) reverses the phase of the input signal.

THD is added in the input stage, as well as the output stage; the same behavior as in the SSL 4000 analog
mixing desk. Turning Analog off removes all THD from both input and output. It also removes these from the
CPU for better performance and greater track count.

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 Dynamics Section Controls
The dynamics section consists of a soft-knee compressor/limiter and an expander/gate.
Dynamics can be switched to pre-equalizer (default) or post-equalizer (CH OUT).

Although the same gain change circuitry is used for both the compressor/limiter and the
expander/gate, two dedicated gain reduction LEDs display activity for each device.
Automatic gain makeup, calculated from the Ratio and Threshold settings of the
compressor, is applied by the compressor to maintain a steady output level. The default
compressor attack time is program-sensitive, responding to the audio material’s
wavefront.

The dynamics section’s threshold circuitry uses variable hysteresis, which allows the
signal to decay below its opening level. (Hysteresis is the lag between making a change
in input, such as increasing or decreasing power, and the response or effect of that
change.) This enables program-dependent dynamic processing.

Compressor (white knobs)

• The compressor’s Ratio/Slope can be set from 1 to infinity (limiter).
• The Threshold is variably adjustable from +10 dB to -20 dB.
• When the Attack time switch is set to Slow (F.ATK off), attack time is auto-
sensing and program dependent. Fast setting (F.ATK) attack time is 1 ms.
• Release time is adjustable from 0.1 second to 4 seconds.

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 Expander/Gate (green knobs)
• The expander’s Threshold is variable from -30 dB to +10 dB.
• Range is variable from 0 dB to 40 dB.
• When the Attack Time switch is set to Slow (F.ATK off) attack time is auto-sensing and program-dependent; Fast setting
(F.ATK) attack time is 1 ms.
• Release Time is adjustable from 0.1 second to 4 seconds.
• The Gate switch toggles the section from an expander (default mode) to a gate.

Gain Reduction Meters

There are two LED meters in the dynamics section:

• Green: gate gain reduction
• Yellow: compressor gain reduction

Dyn To
• Bypass bypasses the entire dynamics section. Bypass removes the dynamics from the CPU for
better performance and track count.

• Ch Out moves the dynamics to the output of the E-Channel, making it post-EQ.

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 E-Channel EQ Section Controls

The equalizer is a four-band device that can be routed to the processor’s output
or to the sidechain of the dynamics section. Q can be adjusted in the LMF and
HMF ranges. The Black knob has a High Pass filter (18 dB/octave) filter and a
Low Pass filter (12 dB/octave). The Brown Knob has a High Pass filter (12
dB/octave) filter and a Low Pass filter (12 dB/octave) filter.

Normally, low pass and high pass filters follow the same path as the entire EQ
section. However, when Split is selected, the low pass and high pass filters are
placed before the dynamics processors in the chain. The equalizer can be
switched into the dynamics sidechain to afford simple de-essing and other
frequency- controlled dynamics processing by selecting Dyn S-C at the foot of
the section.

LF and HF shelves can be reshaped to bell curves by pressing Bell.

EQ Type
Use the buttons at the top of the EQ panel to select between
the SSL EQ types: Brown knob (default) or Black knob. On the
original SSL 4000 E channel strip, the color of the LF knobs
indicates the EQ type. Controls are the same in both types; only the max
boost/cut of the four EQ sections and the HP slope differ.

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 Low and High Pass Filters (Brown Knob)
• Low Pass: 12 dB/octave, 3 kHz to 22 kHz (-3 dB point)
• High Pass: 12 dB/octave, 16 Hz to 350 Hz (-3 dB point)
• Turning the knob completely to the left bypasses the filter.
• When Split is selected, the low pass and high pass filters are placed before the dynamics processors in the chain.

Low and High Pass Filters (Black Knob)

• Low Pass: 12 dB/octave, 3 kHz to 22 kHz (-3 dB point)
• High Pass: 18 dB/octave, 16 Hz to 350 Hz (-3 dB point)
• Q: approx. 1.7
• Turning the knob completely to the left bypasses the filter.
• When Split is selected, the low pass and high pass filters are placed before the dynamics processors in the chain.

High Frequency EQ Section

• Frequency range: 1.5 kHz to 16 kHz.
• Gain range (Brown Knob, bell): -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
(Brown Knob, shelf): -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
• Gain range (Black Knob, bell): -18 dB to +18 dB (±1db)
(Black Knob, shelf): -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
• Selecting Bell changes the LF and HF EQ from shelf to bell shape.
• Q (bell): 1.7 (±10%), varies with the cut/boost

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 High Medium Frequency EQ Section
• Frequency range: 600 Hz to 7 kHz
• Q: continuously adjustable from 0.1 to 3.5
• Gain range (Brown Knob): varies from ±15 dB when Q is set at 3.5, less when Q is set tot 0.1
• Gain range (Black Knob): varies from ±18 dB when Q is set at 3.5, less when Q is set to 0.1

Low Medium Frequency EQ Section

• Frequency range: 200 Hz to 2.5 kHz
• Q: continuously adjustable from 0.1 to 3.5
• Gain range (Brown Knob): varies from ±15 dB when Q is set at 3.5, Q is set at 3.5, less when Q is set to 0.1.
• Gain range (Black Knob): varies from ±18 dB when Q is set at 3.5, Q is set at 3.5, less when Q is set to 0.1.

Low Frequency EQ Section (Black Knob)

• Frequency range: 30 Hz to 450 Hz
• Gain range: (Brown Knob, bell) -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
(Brown Knob, shelf) -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
• Gain range: (Black Knob, bell) -18 dB to +18 dB (±1db)
(Black Knob, shelf) -15 dB to +15 dB (±1db)
• Selecting Bell changes the LF and HF EQ from shelf to bell shape. The slope of the bells varies with the cut/boost.
• Q (bell): 1.0 (±10%), varies with the cut/boost

EQ To
Bypass bypasses the EQ section. Bypass removes the EQ from the CPU for better performance and track
count.
Dyn S-C- E-Channel switches the filters and EQ into the dynamics sidechain, enabling simple de-essing,
etc.

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 EQ Solo
The EQ Solo button isolates the EQ band that you are currently adjusting,which helps you to
accurately adjust Q and frequency of that band. Touch an EQ frequency or Q control and you
will hear only that band.
The red light to the left of the Solo button is an EQ headroom indicator. It is triggered when the output of the EQ section
reaches -3 dBFS.

Master Section

• In and Out switches the meter between input and output.

• Level Indicator displays levels in VU, where -18 dBFS = 0VU. A red LED indicates clipping.
Click on the meter to remove the clip warning.
• Output Fader controls the output level of the processor.
• Width shapes the signal’s stereo image from normal full stereo (Standard) to mono (center
position) to reversed full stereo (Rev).
• Extra Wide is the width enhancer that lets you spread the sound image wider than the
loudspeakers. It’s an aggressive effect that alters the signal’s phase structure and reduces mid-
signal content, so it’s important to use it carefully. The amount of the Extra Wide effect is
influenced by the Mono control.
• Filter is a low-frequency shelf at approximately 200 Hz (before width adjustment) that helps to
maintain the integrity of the center during extreme width processing.

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 M/S and DUO Processing with StudioRack
When using the Stereo component, you can separate the left and right channels and process them separately. There are
two ways to split and control the channels independently.
M/S (mid/sides) The stereo signal is divided into mid and side components, which can be processed separately.
This lets you change the EQ and panning between the foreground and background.
DUO (separate channels) One SSL 2EV is dedicated to the left channel and another to the right channel. This lets you
adjust the processing of each channel separately.

M/S and DUO processing with SSL 2EV requires the free StudioRack plugin, a plugin chainer that can control the
channels of a stereo signal discretely. StudioRack is included with any SSL EV2 installation. If StudioRack is not installed
on your host, download the plugin and install it via Waves Central.

To set up M/S and DUO processing, first open an instance of StudioRack in your DAW.

In the main StudioRack, insert a Parallel Split.

Use the drop-down menus at the top of each Parallel rack

to select a rack input source:
For M/S processing, Ch1=Mid; Ch2=Sides
For DUO processing, Ch1=Left; Ch2=Right

Assign an instance of SSL EV2 to both racks.

With M/S processing, the SSL AV2 on the left controls the mid signal; the EQ on the right controls the sides. M/S EQ is a
very powerful tool that helps you change the space and focus of the image. DUO processing helps you rebalance the
image by applying different EQ to each side. These separately processed channels are returned to L/R stereo at the
output of the StudioRack.

Visit the StudioRack product page to learn more.

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