SSL Super 9000 Channel Strip  From SSL

Super 9000 is Solid State Logic’s all-in-one analogue channel strip, combining the best of SuperAnalogue™ technology to deliver the modern SSL sound. First introduced in the legendary SL 9000 J and perfected in the Duality, the Super 9000 Channel Strip offers the ultra-low distortion, exceptional punch, and breathtaking clarity of our SuperAnalogue™ studio consoles in 1 RU. 

The 9000 Series made rock and pop mixes sound bigger than ever, while enhancing hip-hop and R&B with deep, extended low-end and shimmering highs. Renowned for making music sound larger than life, with unmatched dynamics and depth, the 9000 Series became the industry standard of its era – setting a milestone in analogue design and paving the way for the development of the Duality and Oracle consoles. Now, the Super 9000 brings that same professional polish – once exclusive to the colossal 9K consoles – straight into your studio.

Prestigious facilities, including Abbey Road and Metropolis Studios (London), Real World Studios (Bath), Record Plant (LA), and Avatar/Power Station (NY), quickly made the 9000 Series their standard. Top engineers such as Manny Marroquin (Alicia Keys, Rihanna), Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer), Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin), and Tony Maserati (Jay-Z, Beyoncé) used SuperAnalogue™ sound to craft genre-defining hits.

SuperAnalogueTM. Design 
SuperAnalogueTM technology creates a signal path so transparent and wide bandwidth that nothing is lost, putting the engineer right there in the room with the artist. Key design elements include:

• Super-wide audio bandwidth.
• Ruler flat frequency response: ±0.1 dB between 20 Hz – 20 kHz. 
• Ultra-low transient intermodulation distortion.
• No electrolytic capacitors in the audio path.
• Extremely low noise and harmonic distortion. 
• Exceptionally low phase shift across the audible spectrum.

The result is unmatched punch, definition, and a larger-than-life sound stage—qualities that define the modern “SSL sound” and are why SuperAnalogue™ consoles remain the professional’s choice for music production.

Dual Mic Amp – SuperAnalogueTM or VHDTM
Choose between two world-class preamps, just like on SSL’s flagship Duality console. Opt for the pristine, high-headroom SuperAnalogue™ preamp for unmatched clarity, or switch to the Variable Harmonic Drive (VHD) circuit to add character and saturation. Shape your tone by dialling in 2nd order harmonics for rich, valve-like warmth, or add 3rd order harmonics for a harder, transistor-style edge. The INPUT FLIP button allows you to move the VHD circuit from the Mic Input to the Line Input, making it easy to add harmonic colour to DAW stems or line-level instruments and sources.

Variable Harmonic Drive (VHD): 
Variable Harmonic Drive was created to provide engineers and producers with a single preamp capable of covering a wide tonal spectrum. Initially designed to complement the Duality console’s ultra-accurate SuperAnalogue™ preamp, VHD technology can be found across numerous SSL consoles and rackmount units – over the years becoming many engineers’ secret weapon for adding vibe to recordings.   

Full Dynamics Processing 
The Super 9000 features SSL’s quintessential modern dynamics section, delivering ultimate control and punch. Built around the high-performance THAT 2181A VCA, the compressor includes a switchable Fast Attack mode and the Peak Detect option—first introduced on the SL 9000 console and carried through to the Duality series. It also incorporates SSL’s classic Expander/Gate section with variable hysteresis built into the Threshold, plus a HOLD control for precise gate and downward expansion management. Additionally, Super 9000 allows the dynamics section to be moved Pre and Post EQ. 

Pink (292) and Black (242) EQ Circuits & High and Low Pass Filters 
Choose your SSL EQ: the 292 G-Series ‘Pink Knob’ EQ circuit or the 242 E-Series ‘Black Knob’ EQ circuit. The 292’s variable-Q design delivers smooth, wide boosts and cuts that tighten as you push harder, while its shelves feature a steeper slope and the signature ‘undershoot/overshoot’ for that renowned SSL musicality. The 242’s constant-Q design, developed in collaboration with Sir George Martin, gives more surgical control when compared to the 292. The Super 9000 EQ section also features two buttons labelled ‘E Bell/G÷3’ and ‘Gx3/E Bell.’ When in 292 mode, these buttons allow the Low-Mid Frequency to be divided by 3 and the High-Mid Frequency to be multiplied by 3, so that the mid-bands can be used to target frequencies normally far outside of their standard range, providing incredible flexibility and range. In 242 mode, these buttons switch the Low Frequency and High Frequency bands between Bell and Shelving modes. As expected from SSL, the EQ can be placed in the dynamics sidechain, and the high-pass (18dB/oct) and low-pass (12dB/oct) filters can be fully bypassed or routed to input or sidechain for ultimate control.

Flexible Processing & Routing  
Super 9000 includes a balanced insert point for integrating additional outboard gear into the signal path. The insert can be repositioned from its default location (immediately after the input stage) to the output stage, just before the Output Trim. It also features a dedicated external sidechain (key) input, flexible processing re-ordering, and sidechain linking—ideal when using two Super 9000 units as a stereo pair. 

Input Flip control routes the LINE input to the Mic Pre, whilst the rear MIC connection becomes routed through the LINE path – an easy way to process line level DAW returns with saturation/distortion processing at the mix stage, without having to manually re-patch. 

Key Features 

• Dual Mic Pre – Choose between SuperAnalogue™ (9000) & VHD™ (Duality) w/ +48V, Polarity invert, and Pad.  
• 2 Impedance options for the mic pre: 1.3 kΩ and 11 kΩ. 
• Dedicated LINE Input with “Input Flip”. 
• Quintessential 9000/Duality Dynamics section. 
• High-Performance THAT 2181A VCA compressor section. 
• Peak/Hard Knee or Soft Knee modes. 
• FAST attack on/off. 
• Classic Gate/Expander section. 
• Fast attack on/off. 
• Hold control.
• 4-band SSL EQ with switchable modes. 
• Fully parametric mid-bands. 
• Switchable between G-Series ‘Pink Knob’ 292 and E-Series ‘Black Knob’ 242 circuits. 
• High and Low Pass filters. 
• 18 dB per octave HPF & 12 dB per octave LPF. 
• Insert point for connecting external devices into the signal path. 
• Extensive ‘to sidechain’ functionality. 
• Filters to Dynamics sidechain. 
• EQ to Dynamics sidechain. 
• Flexible process-order routing.  
• Filters to input, Dynamics post-EQ, and Insert to output. 
• Line Output Trim.
• Switchable Input and Output metering. 
• External sidechain (key) input. 
• Dynamics sidechain link – allows 2 x Super 9000’s compressors to work as a stereo pair (loudest signal wins). Linking via a TS/TRS jack cable (not included).