Solid State Logic .. SSL Big SiX

The Lounge Other Gear
#266

Please let us know if you check it : ) after some period of denial I again want to get back to SSL plan. In need of good analog mixer since a few years so slowly getting one later this year… usual considerations like Midas, Apd dynasonics, and now again Big Six.

Multitrack recording is a big thing for me, but having only 12 inputs is a bit limited (still possible to do quite a lot with it ). But if it works with rme and can provide seamless 12 + 8 channels, I think it would be easier to decide.

Clean and punchy sound is good.

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#267

To be honest, I probably won’t have the time to check any aggregates. I’ve put the Big Six away for now because I don’t want to use it in its current state and it is just taking up space. So maybe someone else here can check that if they have it set up.

I imagine it would aggregate fine since it is class-compliant, and any of its setup is in the Audio Midi control panel, which is the same place you set up aggregates. In the past, the issues I had run across were with certain companies’ specific drivers, but that was rare. One issue I had was with aggregating an interface with Roland audio over USB, but that got worked out somehow, I think. Anyway, that was years ago. And also, even if it did aggregate fine with the ID44, doesn’t necessarily mean that it would work with an RME interface, because those are different drivers from different companies.

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#268

I googled the „big six aggregate“ and discovered so many others asked the same, seems like it’s important for many ppl. So probably we will get the answer soon.

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#269

Also after some considerations I discovered that there’s something about this 4 mono / 4 stereo channels mixers I really like: They are super suitable for live tweaking, „mixer as an instrument“, „mixer as an extension of synth or drum machine via IND outs“ and all that kind of live control.

For my style having more channels is not perfect since it’s harder to memorise all controls, lagers size doesn’t allow to use it next to sampler/synth setup (you have to move from instruments to reach mixer which brakes the flow…), with smaller board I can easily tweak synth with my right hand and do live processing (sending to efx, muting, etc ) at the same time. Also having less control, less auxes and eq knobs is good - it’s more immediate and allow more access.

Learned it all during mess with 1220. it’s a really „playable“ mixer.

So maybe it will work great this way with B6. Plus stereo cues with one knob operation open up new possibilities compared to 2 mono auxes with 2 knobs.

2 Likes
#270

Does it make click sound when muting / unmuting?

I think I did aggregate with Roland and RME, wasn’t issueless, had to mess with drivers and some settings but at the end it worked.

Wasn’t solid solution anyway, that feeling when „anything could go wrong anytime“.

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#271

Apart from potential other problems: Aggregating devices increases latency. When working just with the Big Six you would usally use direct monitoring – listen to the desk’s analog output while recording – and that’s the best way to deal with latency anyway, it just wouldn’t matter. With aggregating devices you would need to monitor through the DAW (at least for sources connected to the second device) with increased latency.

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#272

yes… usually I aggregate for “silent” recorder mode to get more channels, and all monitoring happens on analog side, however yeah, some latency issues could happen, so better check after in DAW and maybe fix timing if needed. It works, but I would not use it as permanent solution, only in some cases when you really need those channels…

RME alone works quite good and fast enough for thru daw monitoring… and midi clock sync is good, just a little delay compensation in daw needed like 15-20ms… with SLL aggregate I guess it would not be as reliable and fluid…

#273

I prefer Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback for aggregating. It’s a lot more flexible, and it never crashes–unlike the Audio Midi Setup app.

5 Likes
#274

Just received mine. I can confirm that it has all the issues mentioned above: the DC level on the ADCs (around ~-70dB, goes to -105dB with Ableton’s DC correction). This is not much of an issue for me.
It also has the power supply issue: I noticed that a couple of instruments were noisy (they were not on the previous mixer). Initially I though that it was my “Make Noise Strega” :wink: because it sounds like it with “activation” about half way. But the Strega was off. Then I went to hunt for ground loops, and as noon as I put my ear close to all the PSUs of my setup, I could hear exactly the same audible noise, which was coming from the Big SiX’s PSU. I have opened at Ticket at SSL, I hope they can replace it with one that does not have that issue. Otherwise, the Big SiX seems well thought out.

2 Likes
#276

You guys might want to check this out I did a review on it. I hope this helps

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#277

nice review!

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#278

thank you

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#279

nice review indeed…

do you really believe AD/DAs are on the same level as your older Apollo interface (which was quite good)?

Both compressors (channel and bus ) sounds quite good. Channel comp should be very useful on vocal, bass, some guitars and live instruments, but do you think they will be useful on more “techno”, “electronic” / drum / faster attack material?

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#280

I have had the Audient ID44 and I was not impressed by the converters they were just fine, my metric halo 2882 sounded much better and the sound is much more open

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#281

Well I would hope so. Metric Halo are in a whole different price bracket. If there was no difference I would be worried.

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#282

I bought a new power supply (XP Power, “medical grade”), with the same specs, and it seems to have solved the problem. It also reduced low-frequency noise somewhat. Here is a sonogram from the same channel and settings powered with the new PSU (left) and the original one (right).
SSL made a great decision to put an external, and fairly easy to find, PSU ! But they were probably a bit unlucky with the supplier. With the current covid restrictions, doing quality control in China must be close to impossible. I would have paid maybe 1k more for it to be made in the UK. Quality control is better when the engineers can visit the production line. Nothing wrong with Chinese brands making products in China though!

Screenshot 2022-01-20 at 19.57.15
Screenshot 2022-01-20 at 19.57.152306×1086 698 KB

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#283

Great, I might try this as well. I got a replacement power supply from SSL yesterday (same brand and everything) and switched it and am still having the same problem. Do you have a link to the power supply you used?

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#284

Sorry to hear that, you would have thought that they would test it before sending it, knowing that the batch may have an issue… I bought the ALM120PS24 from XP power. There are versions with and without chassis ground connection. Not sure which is best in which context, maybe someone can help here. I just got a “medical” one (70$), because I figured they may undergo a bit more testing, but there are less expensive ones (50$) that are probably just as good.
Still, I am a bit surprised by these power supply failures, I engineered some power supplies in the past, and I remember you had to make official tests, costing ~50k, and if they fail, you have pay again. You can skip the test by signing that you take responsibility, but, as the damage can be massive (e.g. fire), I don’t know anyone who would risk it.

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#285

Thanks! It looks like the one with the shell grounded is the type they used since it is an IEC 320-C14 connection for the input.

Edit: after looking at the specs for a few different choices for equivalent power supplies it looks like you chose a pretty good one, I might go the exact same route and report back.

#287

Could you please post a link? My Big Six is finally on it’s way – and as sad as this is – buying a better PSU might be a better solution than asking SSL to swap theirs and receiving a similar one.