(March 31, 2023)—SSL has created significant momentum in the plug-in market, and its latest entry, SubGen, a sub-bass harmonic synthesizer, should only add to that. Subharmonic synths help beef up the bottom end on bass, kick, snare, floor tom or any source that needs more emphasis in its bass and sub-bass frequencies. They’re also handy for LFE processing in multichannel audio mixes.
Unlike some sub-bass plug-ins, SubGen’s interface is exceptionally straightforward. It features four individually switchable and adjustable bands, whose controls reside below a main waveform display.
Individual controls for each band include a Gain knob, which allows up to +12 dB of boost, and numeric fields for Frequency and Width that enable settings between 20 Hz and 160 Hz and 1/10th of an octave up to 1 octave, respectively. The same parameters can also be modified graphically in the main display.
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At the top of the GUI is another, smaller waveform display where you can drag high-pass and low-pass filters to reduce the frequency range at the plug-in’s output. Another global control is the gain-compensated Drive circuit, which lets you add Saturation (the knob ranges from 1 to “11” in a nod to Spinal Tap). The Drive offers three modes: Bass, which features strong harmonics; Kick, with lighter harmonics and subtle overtones; and Pre, which is designed for other source types.
The global Compressor circuit sports Compress and Make-Up gain knobs. According to SSL, the Compressor features “newly designed attack/release times and a smooth knee.”
Another handy feature is the Mix knob for adjusting the Wet/Dry balance. Values below 100 percent turn SubGen into a parallel processor. The knob defaults to 50 percent and can be locked to stay at its setting if you change presets.
Finally, the plug-in includes input and output controls with meters, a power button and SSL’s standard Undo/Redo and A/B functionality.
SubGen is available for $79.99 or as part of the SSL Complete subscription, which starts at $14.99/month.
