A new bus compressor from SSL with a slew of new features and a 2 band EQ:
“We’ve been on a mission to create the ultimate and most versatile incarnation of the Bus Compressor ever. The bedrock of the design remains faithful to the original circuit and using this as the foundation, we’ve built upon it, adding several unique colouration options and advanced processing tools. If you need it to be clean and punchy like the SuperAnalogueTM 9000 Series version, it can be. If you need it to be gritty and grungy like an early 4000E, it can do that also. Or if you need over-the-top, saturated, parallel compression for the drums, THE BUS+ has got you covered.”
Bus Compressor
4 modes of operation - Classic Stereo, Σ S/C Stereo, Dual Mono or Mid-Side
External side-chain inputs and sends
The authentic SSL Bus Compressor circuit
LOW THD Mode reduces low-frequency distortion caused by compression
F/B Mode alters the compression characteristics for a more ‘relaxed’ style of compression
4K Mode - single VCA operation with variable harmonic distortion to bring some ‘grit’ and ‘grunge’ to the mix
Negative Ratios - for creative pumping effects and control of particularly loud signals
New Attack and Release options, including the new ‘Auto 2’ setting
MIX control for instant parallel compression
Moving-coil gain reduction meters
Unlockable Transient Expander
D-EQ
Powerful 2-band analogue Parallel Dynamic EQ - the D-EQ
Compress/Expand modes
3 choices of time constants for each band - Nominal, FAST or AUTO
16 selectable Frequency points per band
Adjustable Range control per band from 0.5 dB to 15 dB
HF band can be switched to Bell shape, with selectable frequencies covering High-Mids and Highs
Frequency band static ‘make-up’ gain for LF and HF bands (Stereo/ Σ S/C Stereo) or LF band (Dual Mono/Mid-Side)
G-Series mode changes LF filter to be 2nd order with degree of undershoot/overshoot
Tri-colour activity LEDs to indicate D-EQ activity
The price is pretty fair on it too. TBH I would have paid what they are charging for just the comp section, but this is almost a no brainer with the EQ tossed on there too.
I agree, I think the comp section alone is impressive. Being able to flip from clean and punchy 9k to gritty 4k mode is awesome. And the EQ is like the icing on the cake. As an all-in-one package, this could make for a great end-of-chain processing piece.
The SSL Bus comp has to be the most cloned compressor out there, and I think this offering from SSL is another example of how they continue to freshen up and build upon their classic designs.
Thats what really bought my eye on the comp section was the ability to quickly swap from 9k to 4k style. I read that and thought “well damn”. The EQ looks pretty flexible too and is incredibly useful to have it integrated as one unit.
For bus compression I have Warm Audio’s VCA bus comp. I absolutely love it. However to call it a true clone of an SSL is inaccurate. It doesn’t really sounds like and actually SSL at all. It sounds very good, but just in its own way. That being said, I have always loved that 9k punch and clarity for lots of things and I feel like going with an actual SSL is the only way I can REALLY get that
Yea, its def not cheap! But considering there are lots of less featured bus comps out there that are even more $$$ I feel like this thing will sell like crazy. The value of it seems incredibly good.
This unit has me looking around my studio at outboard gear that doesn’t get used much to sell to fund this thing!
Looks great. Can’t work out where this fits if you already have a Fusion? I guess this would go in the insert of the fusion…. Would it be worth having both? (As in, sell fusion to get this - I’ve been after a good hardware compressor for a while). All that said, I’ve not checked out the specs properly yet
They probably pair together fairly well, because the Fusion lacks the Bus Compressor. The Fusion has a high-frequency compressor, but that is different. The Bus comp really glues things together. The Fusion has a more full-featured EQ, so you may not need the EQ on the BUS+ as much, but it looks like it is post-compressor, so you might use it to add some final eq tweaks.
It’s hard to say whether or not it is worth having both, as everyone’s setup and budget are different. If you don’t need all of the features and different compressor modes of the BUS+, and just want a good bus comp, there are lots of options. The Audioscape Bus Comp, which is an SSL clone is nice, and the price is around $800. There are other companies that offer clones in that price range as well, such as Stam Audio, Warm Audio, etc. If you do a search you will find plenty.
It’s a thing if beauty imo, I’ve been wanting a device like this for awhile to pair with my Fusion and Six.
I won’t be getting it for atleast a couple years, but it’s the first thing that’s grabbed my attention in a long time. I’ve been pleased with my Kush Tweakers and Electra on bus duty, but it would be nice to free those up for individual tracks.
Bus+ looks (and sounds) fantastic–would be so nice on my Big Six master bus. SSL has packed a lot into the Bus±-maybe a little overwhelming as far as all the secondary functions? The G-series bus comps on the Six/Big Six are beautiful and super fast/easy to dial in. Nowhere near the range of Bus+, but there’s something to be said for a simple well thought out control. The Bus+ is compelling, though. I can see spending 40 minutes getting sucked down the rabbit hole of trying a bunch of options on every track instead of a couple minutes with the G-comp, Bugbrand stereo compress (SSL-ish), or the Boum.
I would say that you can absolutely use both. All of the modules on the Fusion can be individually bypassed, so you could A/B between the Bus+ EQ and the Fusion EQ for example. If you had to pick only one, for me the Bus+ is an easy choice. The SSL Bus comp is just the bees knees, plus the other comp options they added and the EQ, that pretty much takes care of bus processing for a lot of stuff.
The Fusion however becomes an excellent addition if you intend to do any mastering tasks as well as using it on a mix bus. The fusion gives you powerful stereo field manipulation as well as a very good “saturator”, both really nice tools for that kind of stuff. Fusion adds those little polishing tools that can really tie the final track into something awesome.
They do have some similiarites, but I think that the intent of SSL is different for each unit, although they should play really well together!
Makes total sense to use this with the Fusion, by the way. The Fusion has no real compression, even if you turn on the Phil Collins-mode instead of the high pass compressor, so anything that comes out of it certainly benefits from a little compression, if your music needs it. Compression isn’t mandatory.
But I use the g-bus compressor on the SSL SiX all the time, and it does a lot more than just squeeze stuff together. It adds a certain flavour to the sound as well so even when just lightly applied, stuff just come out, you know? There’s so much movement going on when it gets to work, with the push and pull of it, that a dedicated kit that takes that to next level, sounds like the dream.
That´s the thing of what I really like the WES Audio stuff for! Studio pro hardware that is controlable via USB from your DAW. Just wondering why SSL doesn´t went this route.
this is exactly what has me lusting after Bus+! Even with all of the really good clones out there, I have never heard anything that sounds quite like a SSL bus comp, except a SSL. I just has this unique “smooth punch”. Really hard to explain. The listen-mic comp in the Fusion is a neat little addition, but it def is not up to the duties that the G comp is famous for.
I was pretty much looking to get a big six, specifically for the built in G comp, but the Bus+ is literally what I had been wishing for and is a lot more space efficient for me.
Yeah, totally with you here. We talk about LFO’s as ways to add organics and movement to a sound, but really, analog processing at its finest is an equally powerful way to just have the sound shift and move in line with the variations in the dynamics. I much prefer this way when it comes to applying additional life to a track and this slightly subtle unpredictable way that analog does it, means even repeating sequences feel different every time.
just watched the video now and I think that compressor offers a lot of good stuff to tweak the master bus. Personally I think I would prefer the Bus+ to the SSL Fusion, because the Fusion has no bus compressor - but the Bus+ has also the eq and the different saturation / distortion options … and saturations is, what mostly is known as the charakter.
And on one hand is great to have so much new options regarding attack, release and saturation flavours! But I think a big plus the for easy to use SSL style bus compressor is … it doesn´t have to many options! Attack 30ms, release 100ms (or auto release) and if the comp has a sidechain eq, then sidechain between 100 - 200 hz for electronic music … its like 9 out of 10 times you go with that settings and it just sounds great.
Ofcourse there are certain tracks I wished my bus comp (WES Audio Dione) had another attack time between 10ms and 30ms just to try out. But I think to really hear the difference you really want to have a very good monitoring setup and well threated room - otherwise you more or less guessing whats the difference in sound between 10ms, 20ms, 30ms or 40ms attack time on a bus compressor is.
