The Path To Fusion
A little over two years ago, we set out to create a new piece of analogue equipment that would enhance any engineer’s studio setup
and easily attach to a pair of inputs and outputs on an audio interface or an analogue desk/summing mixer. In true SSL fashion,
this piece of equipment would seek to enhance not only the sound of the mix but also the workflow of whatever situation it would
be thrust into - a new analogue ‘sidekick’, if you will.
The critical path in any mix leads to the master mix bus, where all the individual instruments are bound together. In today’s hybrid
studio, the prevalence and importance of mix bus processing is ever-present. The DAW’s mix bus inserts slots are often stacked
high with plug-ins seeking to inject various aspects of analogue mojo or magic. However, even after all insert slots are filled, that
authentic analogue edge is still lacking and can often prove difficult to achieve convincingly when mixing inside the box alone.
Engineers often look towards multiple pieces of real analogue outboard equipment instead and this was the seed from which Fusion
as an idea began to grow.
We started the journey through months of research - subjectively listening to and objectively measuring a vast array of analogue
equipment, to pinpoint all of the most desirable analogue characteristics and behaviours. This “hit list” of differing sonic flavours,
difficult to achieve with digital emulations alone, formed the base from which Fusion’s five analogue colour circuits would be
engineered.
“The Analogue Hit List”
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#1 - A rich analogue EQ with gentle shelving filters.
➤
#2 - Smooth top-end rounding, in the analogue domain.
➤
#3 - Additional harmonics and gradual saturation that emerge from an analogue ‘sweet spot’.
➤
#4 - Wider stereo imaging with more depth via true Mid/Side processing.
➤
#5 - Transformer mojo.
The first circuit to emerge as a result of the work was the
VIOLET EQ
, a new SSL shelving EQ with a refined ±9dB gain range. Next
came the
HF COMPRESSOR
circuit as a tool to tame unwanted top-end brittleness and restore a natural analogue roll-off. Then
came the
VINTAGE DRIVE
circuit, our new non-linear saturation circuit that was tweaked over several months to hone its unique
character. The
STEREO IMAGE
circuit followed as a way of providing the often much-missed analogue mid-side processing.. The
custom-designed
TRANSFORMER
circuit completed the final piece of the puzzle and again involved many rounds of fine-tuning
to settle on the design. But we didn’t just design Fusion in the isolation of SSL HQ; when the first prototypes were complete we sent
them off to a selection of trusted engineers and made further adjustments to the circuits based on their feedback.
Let The Fun Begin...
And with that, you have a brief insight into how Fusion came to be. Fusion provides an armoury of mix tools at your disposal and
will help you arrive at the sound you want with ruthless efficiency!
Give your mix the analogue edge it deserves.
Happy Mixing.
