New York, NY (October 25, 2023)—Solid State Logic has launched two new 2U rack-based microphone preamp units at AES 2023 that incorporate SSL’s SuperAnalogue PureDrive technology introduced by the company’s Origin recording console.
The 4-channel Pure Drive Quad and 8-channel Pure Drive Octo units feature a newly introduced Drive mode, analog and digital connectivity options plus an integrated USB-C soundcard. The Quad and Octo models also offer four mic preamp input impedance options, enabling engineers to explore various tonal possibilities or match each mic pre’s impedance closely to the microphone. Additionally, each mic pre includes independent +48V phantom power, polarity inversion and a high pass filter, which is sweepable on the Quad unit.
The two new devices offer four or eight microphone preamps with Origin’s Pure and Drive modes while also adding a new Asymmetric Drive. Clean (Pure) mode delivers SSL’s signature low noise floor, linear preamp. Classic Drive generates predominantly odd harmonics, as found on the Origin console. The new Asymmetric Drive mode makes the even harmonic content dominant, reportedly providing more pronounced thickness, coloration and softening of transients.
Both units feature four front-mounted Hi-Z/DI instrument inputs with automatic input detection, rear-mounted combo XLR inputs, D-sub connectors for line-level inputs, as well as insert send and insert return. All insert returns/ADC inputs operate up to full +24 dBu line-level, for interfacing with other professional equipment.
Digitally, Quad and Octo feature an integrated USB-C soundcard providing conversion up to 32-bit/192 kHz, AES/EBU outputs, and ADAT out with SMUX. The AES and ADAT outputs can be individually repurposed to be fed from the onboard USB soundcard as outputs from a DAW. There is an auto-ranging word clock input and output for digital clocking.
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In the US, SSL’s new Pure Drive Quad and Octo preamplifiers are priced at $1,399 and $2,499 respectively.
