In praise of the new Solid State Logic SSL 2+ Audio/MIDI interface

[mhschmieder]

As some of you know, I gave up on the employment challenge in California after seven months of the audio industry not recovering from the shutdown and took a startup software company offer in Durham NC, driving east in my tiny subcompact with barely anything but some clothes and kitchen stuff.

I left the rack-mounted RME Fireface UFX and mics and other stuff (plus instruments) behind, foolishly thinking I'd be "going home" once every four to eight weeks, but realizing I could buy a cheap two-channel interface for my time here in NC. But I made a HUGE goof due to having very limited internet access and thus rushing to make a decision, not realizing that most computer interfaces today no longer have MIDI support!

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is what I grabbed due to great reviews, but I didn't see back panel pictures and was rather shocked when it arrived and I found that it has no MIDI I/O. So I ordered an ESI MIDI I/O after a lot of research, pre-paying for a February 2021 estimated back-order shipment.

Over the weeklong Thanksgiving break, I got increasingly frustrated that I couldn't work on music production effectively, so I did more research and discovered the somewhat recently released SSL 2+ "pro" version of the Solid State Logic two-channel table-top interface. It actually has MIDI I/O!

This unit arrived very quickly and I am extremely pleased with its quality and build and especially the ergonomics. Best of all, I finally have a "big knob" volume control, to eliminate mouse errors (a click that goes to max volume) and much faster reaction to overly loud websites and unwanted audio.

This is a bargain unit at its asking price. I haven't used its mic inputs yet but the D/I's are quite good. I don't know how they brought this unit in at such a low price, and it even comes with free SSL plug-ins. It's 8" wide by 5" deep, so fits easily in a tiny table-top environment such as I have at this rental.

[mikehalloran]

I looked at that, If there was a bigger brother, I would have ordered one. Since there wasn’t, I decided to give the M-Audio Air 192/14 a try. I needed more inputs and digital outs. The 192/14 is about the same size and has its MIDI DIN-5 sockets on dongles to save space. I’m ok with that.

[bayswater]

Just considering the digital to analog conversion, can you hear a consistent difference in audio quality between the Focusrite you bought earlier, and the SSL? I'm looking for something with better sound on the D/A side, currently using a Focusrite 18i8 which I assume sounds pretty much like your 2i2.

[mhschmieder]

Yes, it seems smoother on the D/A side; I haven't had time with A/D yet. I've always thought Focusrite gear sounds a bit granular or slightly distorted if you will, but of the brands that are heavy in the budget department (though of course they do a lot in the high end as well), their build quality has always seemed better to me that PreSonus and some others. MOTU didn't have a model that specifically met my short-term placeholder criteria, and once I found one with a fine-tuned volume knob from a company that uses quality converters and pres/DI's across their product line, I was done.

Two headphone amps is a nice treat and they're good ones too, which is rare. Better than what's on the Fireface UFX. I do have a four-channel DACS high-end headphone amp back in CA, but it ended up not being workflow or signal path compatible with my needs, so I may sell it once home again. Specifically, the routing flexibility of the DACS unit did not play out due to my limited options in how to work it into the Fireface's signal flow.

[bayswater]

Yes, it seems smoother on the D/A side; I haven't had time with A/D yet. I've always thought Focusrite gear sounds a bit granular

This is how I would describe the sound on my Focusrite (granular) and my old Tascam unit (smoother). Not unlike the difference between a SM57 and Royer 121.

This is encouraging, particularly with your comment on the headphone amps. I'll have to check this out more closely.

Thanks.

[mhschmieder]

Yeah, and to Mike's point earlier, if there was a four-channel version of this, I'd be all over it, as then I for sure would ONLY need the Fireface for drum tracking sessions, where I can use it in standalone mode with a USB stick.

Four channels is great for ghost tracking sessions, guide tracking sessions, multi-miked individual instrument overdubs, and classical contexts such as choir as well as live jazz recordings and good studio captures of song run-throughs.

[rp88.2]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the SSL 2+.

I am looking for a new portable interface to use with my iPad and the comments about the D/A and headphone amp is quite encouraging!

Were you able to compare to the MOTU M4? I have pretty much narrowed it down to those two.

Thank you again.

Rich

[mikehalloran]

Some are having issues with the M4 and iPads because it is bus powered. With USB-C iPads, not an issue — use a powered hub. My iPad Pro is Lightening and the Apple CCK doesn't provide quite enough juice with a 12W iPad power supply, one of the reasons I sold my M4.

The M-Audio Air series is externally powered, has a number of different I/O configurations, most have MIDI… the 192|14 is 8 x 8 with 4 mic pres, 2 DIs, 2 Line Ins and 2 headphone amps for $299. Fewer features cost less.

All the newer interfaces are using the same family of DACs despite claims to the contrary by internet reviewers who parrot companies' marketing blurbs and don't tear down to look at the chip. Unfortunately, the report I wrote on this hasn't been published and I can't print it before/if that happens. I can say that the version with 8 mic pres costs $6.30 each if you want to buy a thousand. At that performance/price point, no one is making their own. No one.

Of course, how the chip is implemented varies among the manufacturers. SSL has their "vintage" circuit. NI and Mackie have on board effects and the Mackie lets you send a mic pre to both outputs (switch or pan pot depending on the unit). M-Audio has a circuit that provides enough gain in the mic pres for an SM7B (and a resultingly weird gain response curve that takes a bit of getting used to). None of the Focusrite units have an I/O Mix/Blend control like the M4 (that I really like) etc.

[rp88.2]

Hi Mike:

Thanks for the info!

Currently, I am using a NI Komplete Audio 6 with my 2016 iPad Pro. What I found, is a USB 3.0 powered hub (Insignia at Best Buy) that works great with this setup.

The Insignia hub has a 4.5 amp power supply and supplies full power to all 4 ports. Many of the so-called powered hubs on amazon have low current power supplies. In addition, the hub seems to indicate it is a 'low power' interface to the CCK/iPad, so no annoying power message on iPad.

I have noticed that bus powered interfaces are 'cable' and power hungry. The NI Komplete Audio 6 needs a USB cable that will deliver the current. NI has an article on their site about that and how to look at the cable specs to ensure the cable will deliver enough power.

Current setup is:

• CCK connected to iPad

• USB hub 'uplink' port connected to CCK USB port

• NI Komplete 6 to port 1 on the USB hub

• Lighting cable to port 4 on the USB hub and lightning connector to CCK lightning port

Works flawlessly-- iPad stays at 100%, phantom power works, etc. Just looking for a new compact interface with better D/A (an A/D) performance.

Hope this is useful.

Rich

[mikehalloran]

Thanks for sharing what works.

Just looking for a new compact interface with better D/A (an A/D) performance.

Since they're using the same chipset family, all the current ones are good. Most advertise Fast USB 2, there are a couple USB 3 and TB3 but the only benefit is a slightly faster round trip. All were introduced after September 2019—you don't want anything older. It's time to shop features. What do you need it to do?

The MOTU gear is great, of course but more than I need right now with the M2/4 not having enough. If they were to come up with an M8 — or if Mackie's ProFXv3 had more than 2 channels out over USB — or, or, or…

So, while the Air 192|14 isn't ideal, it meets my current needs. Among those is 8 x 8 over USB with 2x phones, MIDI and an I/O blend control in a compact desktop package. I'll put up with its quirky gain structure and no pan pots to get the rest. BTW, M-Audio advertises this as 8x4, not 8x8 — weird.

[bayswater]

The MOTU gear is great, of course but more than I need right now with the M2/4 not having enough. If they were to come up with an M8 — or if Mackie's ProFXv3 had more than 2 channels out over USB — or, or, or…

Ultralite Mark 5? Got email today. Looks like it has the same new chips as the M2/4. Also Cuemix 5.

[mikehalloran]

Ultralite Mark 5?

Looking at the specs, it may be 8x8 with Loopback over CoreAudio with more functionality once the drivers are installed. Probably does not have the +4/-10 options of the 828 etc. so the claim that the Line Ins are for keyboards doesn't apply to quite a few. CueMix 5 takes the place of an I/O Mix/Blend control.

The manual isn't online yet so it's an guess only. Still, looks pretty impressive.

[bayswater]

The description looks like a M4 with 8 analog ins and 10 outs, and an ADAT in and out.

[mikehalloran]

The description looks like a M4 with 8 analog ins and 10 outs, and an ADAT in and out.

Yes it has that but what about over USB —what you need to know when considering an interface? Based on what others are doing, it will surprise me if each on the analog ins does not have a corresponding out over USB. Again, just a guess. Mackies are 2 Out only whether 6 in or 30.

[rp88.2]

We may need to open a new thread for Ultralite-mk5 musings...

As an Ultralite-mk3, mk4 (non-ESS) and AVB user, I am not sure the mk5 is a step forward. The mk5 is using ESS DACs but probably not the same chip as the one in the Ultralite-mk 4 ESS version [conjecture]. Sound quality will probably be similar.

From what I could tell from the screenshots of Cuemix 5, they are returning to a 'simpler' management app for the Ultralites-- like CueMix FX 4 that works with the Ultralite-mk3. The routing matrix seems to be missing in Cuemix 5.

Even though the MOTU Pro Audio / Touch Console was slightly more complicated, I would miss the routing matrix that the mk4 had. The routing matrix in Pro Audio / Touch Console was nice because you could define which inputs were actually routed to the DAW and vice-versa.