SSL has just released two very powerful plugins which emulate sections of its Fusion stereo processer. Launched by SSL in 2018, Fusion is a 2RU all analog processor with six tools designed to add tone, weight, and space to a mix. Both the “Vintage Drive” and “Stereo Image” sections have been recreated from that hardware unit to provide the user with some expansive sculpting tools they can apply in-the-box.

Features and Use

Both plugins feature the usual SSL controls such as undo and redo as well as set-ups A and B. These are especially handy when you wish to compare settings as you are dialing in your sound. Both also have input as well as output trim.

Vintage Drive

The Vintage Drive from SSL’s analog processor Fusion is now available as a plugin.

The Vintage Drive seeks to recreate that glue a mix gets when you are pushing the mix buss to that sweet spot and it all comes together — those of you who have mixed on consoles know all about this. SSL’s hardware Fusion is designed with a nonlinear response in the circuitry of its Vintage Drive section, which provides this feel and it is well represented in this plugin. Of course, stereo metering for both input and output are provided.

Vintage Drive’s two main controls are “Drive” and “Density.” Used in combination they can provide users with a range of harmonics which give a fuller, more complex sound by introducing harmonics to the signal. The Drive control allows control of how hard you hit the program, while Density allows users to create said density by adding harmonics.

Unlike the hardware version where one must balance input versus Drive to obtain the desired blend, in the plugin version SSL provides us with a mix control so users can run the saturation in parallel to varying degrees. The hardware version includes circuitry in the Drive control to compensate for increased gain. In the plugin this is done through use of a button called “Auto Gain,” leaving the choice up to the user. Lastly there is an “ECO” button which runs the plugin in reduced CPU usage so as to reduce latency while tracking.

In use, this is very powerful tool and really filled in the gaps I was feeling in the rock tune, “Something Else to Say,” that I had just finished for Joe Gigs when I inserted it across the mastered mix. Density must be used judiciously: Lower settings across the mix added nice saturation with the harmonics, but when I set it above 6 there was a noticeable drop in harmonic content and the mix felt dark and murky. Obviously, this effect will vary depending on the stems.

There is also a meter for Saturation that, like the Drive knob, goes to 11. (SSL has always had a great sense of humor and I suppose this is a tip of the hat to Nigel Tufnel.) There are also colored segments which represent saturation amounts. I found just kissing the yellow to be the most pleasing. Finding that right balance between Drive and Density really helped make the mix feel radio-ready the way console mixing used to!

Stereo Image

The Fusion Stereo Image plugin can shift the focus of an image or widen it.

The Stereo Image plugin uses Alan Blumlein’s “stereo shuffling” technique to focus the image. Developed in 1931, this is coincident with his creation of frequency-dependent width control. The plugin is in fact an M/S matrix (mid-side) and, by adjusting the bass response of side, we can adjust the focus and feel of the stereo image. There are M/S meters for both input and output as well as trim controls.

The main controls here are “Shuffle,” “Space,” and “Width.” “Shuffle” allows for a specific frequency selection to be used as the main focus of Space. The Space knob dictates the amount of low end present in the side signal. The Width knob controls the gain of the side. Used in combination you can shift the focus of the image as well as widen it.

This plugin really saved the mix for me when I used it on the above-mentioned rock mix where I just wasn’t feeling like it was glued together the way I wanted, the guitars especially. Using Stereo Image across the mastered mix, I was able to beef up the guitars by boosting low mids in the sides and then widening the sides. Widening had the added effect of making the Mid more defined and the bass felt a little heftier as well as the vocal and kick feeling less crowded. Turning the sides up and emphasizing some low mid did the trick.

Hear a segment of Joe Gig’s “Something Else to Say” prior to remastering:

And after remastering:

The experience with Stereo Image made me want to dive even deeper into the M/S world when mastering, as well as when mixing. I’ve included audio examples so you can hear it in action.

To be Critical

Perhaps the nomenclature on Stereo Image could be a bit clearer, but twisting the knobs immediately lets you know what’s happening. And perhaps if we were all a bit more learned in our craft, Shuffle would instantly be recognizable as Blumlein’s early work in stereo.

So in a practical sense Shuffle and Space are a bit obtuse, but in a metaphysical way they made me think about the concept of what I was doing, and that ain’t bad.

Summing it Up

These are two well thought out plugins designed to do powerful work in an extremely flexible way. By using the combination of SSL’s Vintage Drive and Stereo Image I took an OK mix and made it really jump.

The result reminds me of how mixing on a J/K 9000 sounded: There is a power and a clarity to the sound of SSL’s plugins that just remind me of the countless radio hits those desks created. I felt they both were intuitive to use, but if you find yourself stuck there are plenty of presets including a section from many world-renowned producers and mixers.

To be specific I used these two plugins in combination on a track which I had already mixed and mastered. In use these plugins would work well at any stage of production. You could track through them (don’t forget the ECO button!) use them on stems, or across the mix buss as well. I look forward to using both Vintage Drive and Stereo Image fairly often, and finding new ways to do so.

Vintage Drive and Stereo Image are each $199 for a perpetual licence, with an early bird discount for first responders. They are also part of the SSL Complete Subscription bundle $14.99/month. Additional Fusion processors, the Violet EQ, HF Compressor and Transformer will be launched in the coming months.

Rick Slater is a freelance audio professional/writer/educator in the NYC area. You can contact Rick at rick@audiobyrickslater.com. Special thanks to @djtinonyc on Instagram. Thanks to Joe Gigs for use of his track “Something Else to Say.”

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