SSL NUCLEUS REVIEW

Solid State Logic (SSL)… a name renowned in the music production world for manufacturing some seriously tasty professional mixing desks! Honestly, if you have never heard of this company before, their products really are something to get very excited about, having found homes in numerous top-end professional studios across the world. Their latest offering, the Nucleus, is a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) controller and audio interface and despite still costing over three grand, it is most definitely a significant step towards allowing the home user to incorporate an SSL product into their set-up. But what exactly makes this product so special? Does it warrant its price tag? How does it stand up to the Mackie Control Universal Pro? These are all things that I am going to investigate in this review, so stay tuned…

SSL NUCLEUS – DAW CONTROLLER

For those of you out there that aren’t all too familiar with what this product is, let me fill you in with all the details… The SSL Nucleus is a dedicated controller interface, aimed at helping DAW users to simplify and speed up their workflow. Now, novices may forgivably mistake these types of product as a ‘mixer’ due to their familiar fader-style layout, but there is an important difference between a controller and a mixer. A true mixer will route audio through each of its channels, allowing you to EQ, set levels, pan positions, etc., all using the circuitry in the unit. A controller on the other hand, does exactly what you may expect… it controls a separate piece of software. So for example, if you are using the SSL Nucleus with Logic Pro, the audio will all be routed within the software, but the controller will allow you to manipulate the controls of the software (e.g. the plug-in controls, the mixer levels, etc.) So for example, when you move a fader on the controller, the fader on Logic’s mixer will also move and affect the output level accordingly. In essence, the result of using mixers and controllers is the same, but hopefully you can see that there is an important difference.

The SSL Nucleus gives you 16 motorised faders (although you can control more than 16 channels using the Bank and Channel buttons), a number of multi-function V-Pots, a host of assignable buttons, a scrub wheel, transport controls and loads more! It even features an integrated 2-in 2-out USB soundcard with SSLs super analogue pres and monitoring, plus it comes bundled with two high-end Duende software plug-ins. There’s a load more to talk about as well and a lot more detail to go into, so if this product sounds like the type of thing that would improve your studio, then read on…

SSL NUCLEUS – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Nice! It has that distinctive SSL look to it so you can’t help but feel like the real deal when you have this plonked in your home studio in front of your computer screen! It’s definitely one to impress your mates with and it will instantly make you feel like a ‘real’ producer even if your beats and mixing skills leave a lot to be desired!

As you would expect, it has a great feel to it. It’s really nicely built (with a slightly angled surface for ease of use) and all the controls feel really satisfying to work with; smooth yet sturdy faders, a perfectly weighted scrub dial and buttons that are satisfying to touch – especially those super chunky transport buttons! This is definitely an area that I feel the SSL Nucleus outperforms the Mackie Universal Control… I would rather work with the thick buttons of the Nucleus over the plastic ones of the MCU any day and I also think that the V-Pots on the SSL Nucleus feel sturdier than those of the Mackie. There are also elements of the layout that I prefer on the SSL Nucleus. For example, I prefer having the jog wheel above the transport controls, so that the Stop, Play, Record, etc, buttons are closest to me. On the Mackie, you have to reach over the scrub dial to access these commonly used buttons, which risks knocking the scrub wheel. Ok, it is by no means a big problem and I imagine that there are a number of people out there that would argue exactly the opposite – that you risk hitting the transport buttons if you have to reach over them to get to the scrub wheel. I guess it is really just down to personal taste and as long as you aren’t a clumsy worker then either product should help massively speed up your workflow.

So, all-in-all, I would rate the general build and layout of the SSL Nucleus above the Mackie Control Universal Pro even before I begin to consider that it has an extra 8 faders, LED metering for each channel and a built-in ultra-high quality audio interface!

SSL NUCLEUS – HOW DOES IT WORK

I’ve got it hooked up to my computer via USB and ethernet, I've installed all the necessary drivers… now to test how it functions with my Logic set-up, although before I start, I should also mention that it is fully compatible with all the big-name DAWs; Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, Digital Performer, Reason, Ableton, etc. It currently only comes with templates for Pro Tools, Logic and Nuendo, although SSL state that it is simple to set up your own templates using a CC profile or by using an existing template as a starting point.

So, I’m up and running and everything seems to be working just as expected. The Nucleus’ faders intuitively map to the faders on my Logic mixer, allowing me to make ultra-fine and smooth adjustments with the control surface itself – very nice! By default, the V-Pots map to the ‘pan’ controls of each track within Logic, and again, the interaction between the hardware and software is as good as it could be with very responsive movements and absolutely no noticeable latency. Perfect! The display screen also gives me a readout for the name of each track, which is excellent for quick-reference purposes and the screen also displays a value corresponding to the current pan position of each track. For extra reference, each V-Pot is also surrounded by a ring of (let me count them…) 12 LEDs, which illuminate so that you can visualise the position of the dial – although of course you get a much higher resolution read-out by using the Nucleus’ screen instead. In fact, on further inspection, the LED at the 6 o’clock position isn’t actually used to indicate the V-Pot position... it is infact an indicator for the status of the V-Pot button! The values on the screen also briefly change whenever you make a change to the fader, so that you also get a numerical readout of the exact fader position. All very straightforward and intuitive so far then…

If you find that your project grows and you are using more than 16 tracks, then the SSL Nucleus provides you with standard ‘Bank’ and ‘Channel’ controls to extend the flexibility of the controller… so essentially, even though you only have 16 sets of immediate hardware controls, you can actually use the SSL Nucleus to control an unlimited number of tracks! If you aren’t familiar with DAW controllers in general then the 'Channel' button simply works by shifting your tracks along by one space within the controller, so for example, if you are currently controlling tracks 1-16, pressing the right Channel button will shift the SSL Nucleus so that it is now controlling tracks 2-17. The 'Bank' controls are similar, but instead work in blocks of 16! So, if you are originally controlling tracks 1-16 with the Nucleus and you hit the right Bank button, the Nucleus will immediately shift to control tracks 17-32 instead! Plus, because all the faders are motorised they all change position in real-time to suit the new tracks that you are controlling! If you are really bored, you can even create a fader Mexican wave by strategically positioning each fader and then using the Channel button to shift along… not that I would be sad enough to amuse myself by doing this though…. er…. :s There is even the possibility to assign the Channel scrolling function to the jog wheel itself, which is an excellent way for speeding up workflow if you are frequently sweeping across a wide range of channels (or if you want to crate a much smoother fader Mexican wave!)

Each channel also has standard Mute (labelled as ‘Cut’ on the SSL Nucleus), Solo and track Select buttons, although one thing that really stood out was the lack of a Record Arm button on each track. After a little research, I found that to prepare a track for recording, I firstly had to press the ‘Rec’ button (just underneath the ‘Nucleus’ logo on the front panel). I could then use the Select buttons on each track to perform the 'record arm' function and usefully, the Select buttons illuminated in red in this mode to indicate that a track was Record Enabled (rather than yellow, which they displayed in the standard selection mode). For extra visual feedback, the SSL Nucleus also displays a red LED below the track's channel meter, so that you can still see the Record status of the track even when you are not in Record Enable mode. However, whilst this is still an intuitive way to work, I definitely would prefer to have a dedicated ‘Record Arm’ button on each track, like you get on most other controller interfaces (such as the Mackie Control Universal Pro). Although it really doesn’t take much longer at all to press one extra button to begin record arming tracks (and I’m sure that you will get used to this really quickly), if I was working on a project that required lots of different audio recordings, I think that that one extra button press would begin to annoy me a little.

Ok, onto the other buttons of the SSL Nucleus, located underneath the LED meters on each track. SSL refer to these buttons as ‘Mode’ buttons and despite being located on individual track lanes, they actually have global functions. The main modes are all associated with the buttons on the left-hand side of the Nucleus, where you have Instrument, Plug In, EQ, Pan, Send and Track modes. So, for example, if you wanted to load an instrument onto a track, all you need to do is press the Instrument mode button, then turn the V-Pot on the channel that you want to load your instrument onto. The ‘scribble board’ (the screen) will then cycle through the names of all your available instruments and all you need to do is to press the V-Pot to select that instrument and load it. As you can probably guess, it is the same principle for loading a plug-in onto a track as well. Whilst this method is immediately more fun to work with than a mouse, I did find that after a short while I reverted back to my initial way of working for these processes, as I still feel that using a mouse is a quicker way of achieving results in this area. For example, if I want to load a Reverb plug-in onto one of my tracks, I feel that it is much easier to click the Insert slot in Logic, navigate to the Reverb folder and then select my chosen unit rather than press a button on the SSL Nucleus and scroll through every plug-in on my system until I reach the one I want. However, I think that different people will find that they work better in different ways and it is up to you to discover what works best for you. You may just need to get over the fact that even though you have this expensive professional piece of equipment in front of you, you don’t have to use every single little function that it offers if something doesn’t fit your style of working.

The other mode buttons are also very self-explanatory. For example, you can select a track and then use the EQ mode button to call up an EQ plug-in on that track. Once this is done, all the EQ parameters for the selected track are spread across the entire length of the scribble board (again, you can use the Bank and Channel buttons to scroll through the list of parameters if there are more than 16 available).

In the same way, you can use the Send button to add sends to a track – simply hold the Send button, press the track V-Pot to choose a destination and turn the V-Pot to cycle through a list of available busses . I could go on and explain every single detail of every single mode, but I am sure you get the general idea of how the SSL Nucleus functions by now.

One extremely useful feature of the SSL Nucleus (which you should be familiar with if you have ever used a DAW controller before) is the ‘Flip’ function. This handy feature allows you to use the faders of the Nucleus to control the function that is usually assigned to the V-Pot, e.g. pan, plug-in controls, etc. This is especially handy for recording automation changes as it allows for much more precise control. Equally as good, if you working with an organ plug-in, you can then use the faders to control the drawbars, leaving one hand free to play the keyboard.

There is a load more that you can do with the SSL Nucleus as well, such as change the automation mode of each channel, trigger Shift, Ctrl, Option and Alt key commands, as well as perform Save, Enter, Esc and Undo operations, plus activate and set cycle markers, etc, etc, etc!

SSL NUCLEUS – HIGHLY CONFIGURABLE

One of the best things that I found with the SSL Nucleus is that it is very configurable and so you can really gear it to suit your way of working. You will notice that the Mode buttons on the right-hand side are not labelled and that is because their function is up to you to decide! By assigning your most used functions (that aren’t already available on the Nucleus) to these Mode buttons, you can really increase your hands-on approach to studio work. A brilliant feature here is that you can also turn the Mode buttons into submenus, each of which can contain a further 8 options! So, despite only having 8 physical buttons at your disposal, you can actually create and access 64 different functions. The example used in the official SSL Nucleus product video was to create an ‘Edit’ menu, which contains all your ‘Select All’, ‘Cut’, ‘Copy’, ‘Paste’, etc. options. Another idea that I picked up from this video was to use these buttons to load common names into specific tracks to save you from typing them out again and again! E.g. with the push of a button, you can name a track ‘Snare’ or ‘Guitar’ etc…

When using submenus, you use the Mode buttons to make the submenu selection and you press the V-Pots to make the specific selection. All this architecture is programmed within a dedicated piece of software called the Nucleus Remote Browser. This software gives you a visual representation of the programmable buttons on the Nucleus and it is all very straightforward to program. I for one was very impressed and seemed to pick it up really quickly!

SSL NUCLEUS – AUDIO INTERFACE

The main feature that sets the SSL Nucleus apart from its competitors is the fact that it contains a built-in audio interface – and an extremely high quality audio interface at that (44.1kHz – 192kHz, 24-bit)! Despite not having a huge range of connections (it is a 2-in 2-out device with 2 analogue and 2 digital inputs), the quality offered with this device is of the highest pedigree. In fact, these are the same preamps as featured on some of SSLs flagship mixers, which retail for tens of thousands of pounds! After making a vocal and acoustic guitar recording through the two super-analogue preamps, you can definitely tell where a chunk of your £3000+ budget is being spent! These are words that probably get banded around a little too much with modern marketing spiel, but the phrase that immediately came to mind when listening back to my recording was ‘crystal clear!’

The front-panel section of the SSL Nucleus that deals with the audio interface parameters gives you controls for the input level of each channel, along with individual channel buttons for 48V phantom power, pad, Hi-Z (for recording inputs from an electric guitar), phase invert, an 80Hz low-cut filter and a button to add an insert point (e.g. for incorporating an external compressor, EQ, etc. into the input path).

The SSL Nucleus also gives you all the standard dials that you would expect on an audio interface, such as output level controls and a Wet/Dry knob for controlling the output mix between the sound you are recording and the sound coming from your computer.

One curious feature of the SSL Nucleus was the ‘Mixdown’ button… at first I was very confused as to what this actually did, so a little delve into the product’s manual was in order. It turns out that this button can be activated to insert external processing onto the stereo master track, so you can for example, put a bus compressor over your entire mix and then record the output as a mixdown into your DAW.

The final aspect of the SSL Nucleus interface that I will go into is the fact that you can use the buttons above the ‘Monitoring Level’ dial to choose an external source for auditioning. You can even quickly plug-in an iPod, iPhone or iPad and then select the 'iJack' external source, which is a fantastically handy feature in this day and age.

SSL NUCLEUS – CONNECTIONS

All connections of the SSL Nucleus are found on the back panel. Working from left-to-right, you have a socket for a power cable (underneath the on/off switch), ¼” jack Send and Return connections, Pre 1 and 2 'out' male XLR sockets, Pre 1 and 2 'in' female XLR/¼” jack combo sockets, a second pair of ¼” jack Send and Return connections, External (L and R) female XLR connections, Monitor (L and R) male jack sockets, two ¼” headphone sockets, a pair of RCA monitor connections, a mini-jack connector for an iJack, a USB socket (for hooking the Nucleus up to your computer), a 4 port USB hub and the S/PDIF connections.

I thought that the USB hub was actually quite an inspired idea! I am sure that I am not alone in operating a studio that constantly seems to need more USB connectivity, so for me, this is a very welcome addition. I found it especially useful for plugging my keyboard and mouse into, as the SSL Nucleus is also positioned on my desk.

One minor annoyance with the SSL Nucleus in terms of connections, is that I would have preferred the headphone sockets to have been positioned somewhere more accessible (i.e. on the front or down the right-hand side of the unit). Whilst my headphones generally tend to stay plugged into my interface, there are occasions where they do go on a little adventure and for times like these I would prefer easy access to unplug and plug them back in again. Minor moan over!

SSL NUCLEUS – SUMMARY

Despite a few minor (and I mean minor) areas for improvement, on the whole, I found the SSL Nucleus to be one monster of a DAW controller! Plus, I haven’t even told you yet that it comes with 2 completely free professional Duende plug-ins (the EQ & Dynamics Channel and the Stereo Bus Compressor). Plus, if you already have an interface, but just want to take advantage of the super high-quality mic pres, then this is also completely possible!

My favourite aspects of the SSL Nucleus were the sturdy build (including the build of all the controls, including the jog wheel), the general professional ‘SSL’ look, its highly customisable nature and of course those transparent pre-amps!

In terms of comparing this thing to the Mackie Universal Control, there are a number of factors that I need to take into account….

Firstly, as a complete product, I would definitely rather have the SSL Nucleus over the Mackie Control Universal any day! In my opinion, it looks better, it feels better and it is much more flexible than the Mackie - the SSL is really designed to replace your computer keyboard when working with a DAW, rather than to aid it! Plus, it has an additional 8 channels compared with the standard Mackie unit.

However, a major consideration is that the SSL Nucleus is almost three and a half times the cost of the standard Mackie Control Universal Pro unit! In fact, for less than the SSL Nucleus, you can purchase the Mackie Control Universal Pro with three 8-channel extenders, giving you a 32-channel controller, compared with the 16-channels of the Nucleus!

However, if you go down this route, you do miss out on those highly desirable super-analogue preamps… it’s a tough decision!

My advice to you would be to have a really serious think about what you need before making a DAW controller purchase. If you think that you will use all the features of the SSL Nucleus, then it is most certainly worth the money. However, you must consider that a large portion of your money goes towards investing in those pre-amps, so if you don’t have any use for them, then I would recommend looking at a cheaper controller, such as the Mackie Control Universal Pro. Yes, the SSL Nucleus is the most configurable and flexible DAW controller that I have ever used, but these features alone aren’t worth being double the price of a Mackie plus extender if you have absolutely no use for those pres. It's also worth bearing in mind that even though I have only discussed the SSL Nucleus and the Mackie Control Universal Pro in this blog entry, this is only because these are the only DAW controllers that I have used to date... there are plenty more available on the market though, such as a range of products from Euphonix, so be sure to do a bit more research!

So there you have it! The SSL Nucleus is an absolutely stonking product if you have the money and the need for all its highly professional features! Plus, it looks like the real deal and is guaranteed to have your mates drooling! For more information on the SSL Nucleus, or to purchase it, click the link below…

SSL Nucleus - More Info/Buy

Mackie Control Universal Pro - More Info/Buy

Mackie Control Pro Extender - More Info/Buy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-GF0dFtEvs