However, these consoles are recognised as having a sound in their own right, and to complicate things further, Duende doesn't run exactly the same algorithms as the C-series console either, because SSL's engineers revised and tweaked the C-series algorithms to get them even closer to the sound of SSL's analogue consoles in the course of developing Duende - which presumably leaves them wondering whether they need to update the C-series console software to keep up!Īnd why the weird name? Apparently 'duende' is a Spanish word meaning 'spirit' and the SSL guys liked it. Four SHARC-based DSPs provide the power for Duende, utilising 40-bit floating-point maths.īut wait a minute, surely any digital plug-ins purporting to be SSL channel strips must simply be emulations, because the big SSL consoles are analogue, right? The answer isn't as straightforward as it seems, because SSL also make the large-format C-series digital consoles, which run digital emulations of their analogue channel strips. Duende makes 32 channels of EQ and dynamics available simultaneously at sample rates up to 48kHz, with half that at 88.2 and 96 kHz, and you also get an SSL Bus Compressor plug-in recreating the hardware unit that is a must-have tool for many professional mix engineers.

The Mac OS version of Duende is already shipping, and a Windows version is expected in the autumn. Audio Units and VST plug-in formats are supported, and the plug-ins can also be used in Pro Tools thanks to an included version of FXpansion's VST To RTAS Adapter wrapper software. We've already seen their XLogic analogue outboard gear, based on elements of their console channel strips, but the new Duende sees SSL entering the DSP-powered DAW plug-in arena alongside TC Electronic's Powercore, Universal Audio's UAD1, Waves' APA units and the recently launched Focusrite Liquid Mix.ĭuende went into development in 2005, with the aim of recreating the EQ and dynamics processing sections of an SSL console as plug-ins that could be hosted on a rackmounting processor unit, hooked up to your computer via Firewire. As the project studio world has expanded, SSL have moved into that market too, with products derived from their flagship consoles. This sleek silver box promises to bring all the mixing power of a 32-channel SSL console into your computer recording setup.įew musicians need an introduction to SSL mixing consoles, as they've been an integral part of the high-end studio scene for as long as most of us can remember.

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