Editing Solid State Logic

{{Short description|British audio equipment manufacturer}}
{{for|the compilation album by the KLF|Solid State Logik{{!}}''Solid State Logik''}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name                = Solid State Logic Ltd.
| logo                = Solid State Logic logo.svg
| type                = [[Private limited company by shares|Private]]<ref name="registration">{{cite web|url=http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/bf7c9fe07febfa9fcc6fd72a9a56dabb/companysearch?disp=res&frfsh=1152656377#result|title=Companies house webcheck|access-date=11 July 2006}}</ref>
| industry            = [[Professional audio]]
| founded             = {{start date and age|1969}}<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.solid-state-logic.com/company/about.html|title=About SSL|access-date=11 July 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060517213108/http://www.solid-state-logic.com/company/about.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 17 May 2006}}</ref>
| founder             = Colin Sanders
| hq_location_city    = [[Begbroke]], [[Oxfordshire]]
| hq_location_country = England
| key_people          = 
| products            = {{Unbulleted list|[[Solid State Logic SL 4000|4000 series console]]|9000 series console|AWS900+ console}}
| num_employees       = 160
| num_employees_year  = 2006<ref name="about"/>
| parent              = [[Audiotonix]]
| subsid              = [[Harrison Audio]]
| website             = {{URL|solidstatelogic.com}}
}}

'''Solid State Logic Ltd.''' ('''SSL''') is a British company based in [[Begbroke]], Oxfordshire, England that designs and markets audio [[mixing console]]s, [[Audio signal processing|signal processors]], and other audio technologies for the [[post-production]], [[video production]], broadcast, [[Sound reinforcement system|sound reinforcement]] and [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|music recording]] industries. SSL employs over 160 people worldwide and has regional offices in Los Angeles, Milan, New York City, Paris, and Tokyo, with additional support provided by an international network of distributors. Solid State Logic is part of the [[Audiotonix]] Group.

==History==
===Early history===
Solid State Logic was founded by Colin Sanders in 1969 as the first manufacturer of [[Solid-state electronics|solid-state]] control systems for [[pipe organ]]s. Sanders coined the company's name to explain the then-modern technology of transistor and FET switching to organ builders.

Sanders also owned and operated '''Acorn Studios''', a recording studio in [[Stonesfield]], Oxfordshire. When he sought a [[mixing console]] for recording, with routing flexibility and settings recall unavailable on consoles at that time, Sanders applied his experience to design and built his own, building two mixing consoles with computer control which featured one-button switching between recording, tracking and mixdown modes. The two prototype mixing consoles, given the model designation of SL 4000 A, became the start of a [[Solid State Logic SL 4000|series of large-format mixers]] that would define and establish SSL as a mixing console manufacturer.

===Large-format mixing consoles===
{{main|Solid State Logic SL 4000}}

In 1976, SSL combined the SL 4000's in-line mixing console design with a computer that provided [[Mix automation|fader automation]] and programmable [[Magnetic tape|tape]] transport auto-location functionality,<ref name="Grammy">{{cite web|title=Douglas Sax and Solid State Logic, Ltd. to Receive 2004 Technical Grammy Awards|url=http://www.aes-media.org/historical/html/recording.technology.history/grammys2004.html|website=aes-media.org|publisher=The Recording Academy|date=27 January 2004|access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> A total of six B Series consoles were built for and sold to studios, beginning with [[Abbey Road Studios]] in London, followed by [[Le Studio]] in [[Morin-Heights]], Canada,<ref name="verna">{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4gsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA91 |title= Studio Morin Heights Reaches Far: Quebec Facility Embraces Int'l, Local Acts |last= Verna |first=Paul |date= 25 February 1995 |magazine=Billboard |pages= 91 |accessdate= 4 November 2014}}</ref> Virgin Records' [[Townhouse Studios]] in London, and Tocano Studio in Copenhagen.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=20 April 1996|title=Production Credits|magazine=Billboard|pages=61}}</ref>

[[File:SSL SL4000G+.jpg|thumb|Townhouse Studios SL4000G+ Serial #1000 (image reversed)]]
The SL 4000 E Series, introduced in 1979, offered various improvements on the B Series, including a new 4-band [[Equalization (audio)|EQ]] section developed in collaboration with [[George Martin]]. Most notably, the E Series introduced the ability to save and recall mixer settings, and was the first mixer to feature a compressor/gate on every channel as well as the master bus compressor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waves.com/ssl-e-channel-or-g-channel|title=SSL E-Channel or G-Channel?|date=20 April 2021|access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> SSL introduced the SL 4000 G Series at the [[Audio Engineering Society|AES]] New York Convention in 1987, which again offered a redesigned EQ, among other improvements. The ability to save and recall mixer settings, along with the inclusion of a dedicated compressor and noise gate on every channel on SL 4000 E Series consoles and its successors and variants drove widespread adoption in professional recording studios,<ref name="Willox">{{cite web|last=Willox|first=Mike|title=Reviews - Vintage: SSL 4000 Series|url=https://musictech.com/reviews/studio-icons-ssl-4000/|website=MusicTech.net|publisher=NME Networks|date=28 May 2014|access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Sweetwater">{{cite web|title=The History of SSL|url=https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/the-history-of-ssl/|website=Sweetwater.com|publisher=Sweetwater Sound, Inc.|date=18 February 2020|access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> including [[Power Station (recording studio)|The Power Station]], [[Sarm East Studios|Sarm Studios]], [[Larrabee Sound Studios]], [[Battery Studios]], [[Record One]], [[Eden Studios (recording facility)|Eden Studios]], and [[RG Jones Recording Studios]], and used by [[Audio engineer|recording engineers]] such as [[Bob Clearmountain]], [[Steve Lillywhite]], [[Tom Lord-Alge]], [[Alan Moulder]], and [[Trevor Horn]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Milner |first1=Greg |title=Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music |date=2009 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |location=New York, New York, US |isbn= |pages= }}</ref>

The SL 4000 E Series and G Series consoles were later also made available in 5000 Series, 6000 Series, and 8000 Series formats, which offered various routing and bussing configurations to address the needs of sound for the recording, film, video, and broadcast markets. SSL introduced SuperAnalogue design in the SL 9000 J Series console, which utilized a capacitor-free signal path to achieve very high bandwidth with extremely low distortion.
<div style="clear:right;">{{multiple image |direction=horizontal |align=center
 |image1=SSL9000.jpg     |caption1=SL9000 |thumb
 |image2=Solid State Logic SL9064J.jpg      |caption2=SL9064J |thumb
 |image3=Solid State Logic SL9064J module close up at ONKIO 1.jpg|caption3=SL9064J |thumb}}</div>

In 1996 [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard magazine's]] Studio Action Chart reported that 83% of number one singles that year had been produced using an SSL mixing console. The company claims that more platinum albums have been recorded on SSL mixing consoles than any other company's equipment combined.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.uaudio.com/blog/the-enduring-legacy-of-ssl/|title=The Enduring Legacy of SSL {{!}} Universal Audio|access-date=2018-09-03|language=en}}</ref> By 2004, there were more than 3,000 SSL-equipped facilities worldwide.<ref name="Walsh">{{cite news|last=Walsh|first=Christopher|title=Grammys Recognize SSL's Technical Contributions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQ8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22larrabee+west%22+studio+sold+2004&pg=PA50|magazine=Billboard|date=24 January 2004|access-date=1 March 2022}}</ref>

In the 1990s, SSL also developed products for the post production and motion picture industry, and introduced the A Series digital mixing consoles. In the 2000s, the company introduced the C Series consoles designed to meet the needs of the broadcast production market.

===Outboard processors and consoles with DAW control===
In 2003, SSL introduced outboard signal processors that offered processing previously only available in SSL's large-format mixing consoles. The XLogic family of products included the Logic Channel, the company's first standalone [[channel strip]]. 2005 saw the release of additional processors, including the E Series channel strip and G Series Compressor, which utilized SSL's classic G Series center compressor design elements within a SuperAnalogue design topology. The X-Rack offered a modular solution for outboard signal processing.

In late 2004, SSL launched AWS 900, an integrated analogue console and [[digital audio workstation|DAW]] controller,<ref>{{cite web|last=Robjohns|first=Hugh|title=SSL AWS900 Mixer & Control Surface|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov05/articles/sslaws900.htm|website=soundonsound.com|publisher=SOS Publications Group|date=November 2005|access-date=28 July 2022}}</ref> and introduced its successor, the AWS 900+, two years later. SSL eventually listed over 300 studios using the AWS900. SSL later introduced the AWS 916, 924, and 948 with support for SSL's delta control plug-in.

<div style="clear:right;">{{multiple image |direction=horizontal |align=center
 |image1=SSL XLogic X-Rack, Alpha-Link - IBC 2009.jpg|caption1=SSL XLogic X-Rack and Alpha-Link |thumb
 |image2=SSL AWS 900+ at Performance Studio.jpg|caption2=SSL AWS 900+ at Performance Studio}}
 </div>

In late 2006, SSL launched Duality, a large-format console that combined mixing console functionality of the XL 9000K with the control surface features of the AWS 900. Duality featured updated signal routing controls, accessible from the console's center section rather than on each channel. The console's channel strips include both E Series & G Series equalization, which is selected via a single button per channel. The console also features 'Variable Harmonic Drive', or VHD microphone/line preamplifiers, which can either be utilised as standard low-distortion preamps, or in a mode which introduces 2nd (even) & 3rd (odd) order harmonic distortion.

Also in 2006 SSL introduced the Duende [[digital signal processing|DSP]] platform designed to emulate SSL channel strip features for home recording enthusiasts, including filters, SSL E and G Series EQ and dynamics processing. Additionally, the system offers the SSL Stereo Bus Compressor. Based on the digital technology behind SSL's C-Series consoles, Duende was designed to integrate into [[Digital audio workstation|DAW]] environments using either a [[FireWire]] cable connection or [[PCI Express|PCI-e]] card, with the digital processing channels appearing as [[Virtual Studio Technology|VST]] or [[Audio Units]] [[Audio plug-in|plug-ins]]. On 25 April 2007, SSL announced the release of another plug-in for the Duende, called Drumstrip, which contained a [[noise gate]], a transient shaper, high frequency and low frequency [[exciter (effect)|enhancers]], and the Listening Mic Compressor.

The same year, the company announced its expansion into broadcast video content management and delivery with their MediaWAN system.

==Ownership changes==
Solid State Logic sold its organ division in 2002; it is now known as Solid State Organ Systems.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssosystems.com/|title=Solid State Organ Systems|website=Ssosystems.com|access-date=5 January 2021}}</ref> The [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[aptX]]-codec was sold in a management buyout,<ref name="irishtimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/adventure-ends-for-local-management-team-who-took-on-big-boys-1.632069 |title=Adventure ends for local management team who took on big boys |date=3 August 2010 |website=The Irish Times |access-date=30 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="mixonline.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.mixonline.com/technology/solid-state-logic-sells-apt-381257 |title=Solid State Logic Sells APT (Audio Processing Technology) |date=12 May 2005 |website=mixonline.com }}</ref> with APT Licensing Ltd. incorporated on 1 March 2005 in Belfast.<ref>[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/NI054094 APT Licensing Limited] on ''Companies House''</ref>

In 2005, musician [[Peter Gabriel]] and broadcast entrepreneur [[David Engelke]] became majority shareholders of the company.

In 2017, Solid State Logic was acquired by the [[Audiotonix]] Group,<ref>{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=David|title=Who Bought SSL? Inside the Acquisition That Surprised the Console World|url=https://sonicscoop.com/2018/03/05/who-bought-ssl-inside-the-acquisition-that-surprised-the-console-world|website=sonicscoop.com|publisher=SonicScoop|date=5 March 2018|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref> while Gabriel became a major investor in the group following this transaction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.solidstatelogic.com/media/solid-state-logic-joins-audiotonix-group|title=Solid State Logic Joins Audiotonix Group – Solid State Logic|website=Solidstatelogic.com|access-date=5 January 2021}}</ref>

==Awards==
The company received [[The Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade (Export) (1981)|The Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade (Export)]] in 1981, and [[The Queen's Award for Enterprise|The Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation (Technology)]] in 1993 and 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=SSL Wins Third Queen's Award|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound-IDX/IDX/00s/Studio-Sound-1993-11-IDX-56.pdf|website=worldradiohistory.com|date=November 1993|access-date=28 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=David|first=Antony|title=Oxford-based audio console maker wins Queen's Award for broadcast system|url=https://oxford.techtribe.co/news/oxford-based-audio-console-maker-wins-queens-award-for-broadcast-system/|website=Oxford.techtribe.co|publisher=TechTribe Oxford|date=20 May 2020|access-date=28 July 2022}}</ref>

The company received a Special Merit/[[Technical Grammy Award]] at the [[46th Annual Grammy Awards]] in February 2004 for "contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field."<ref>{{cite web|title=Douglas Sax and Solid State Logic, Ltd to Receive 2004 Technical Grammy Awards|url=http://www.aes-media.org/historical/html/recording.technology.history/grammys2004.html|website=aes-media.org|publisher=Audio Engineering Society|date=27 January 2004|access-date=24 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="Walsh"/>

Two of SSL's products were inducted into the TEC Awards [[TECnology Hall of Fame]], which "honors and recognizes audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology": the SL 4000 series of mixing consoles was inducted in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|title=TECnology Hall of Fame 2004|url=http://legacy.tecawards.org/hof/04techof.html|website=legacy.tecawards.org|publisher=NAMM Foundation|access-date=29 July 2022}}</ref> and the AWS studio console was inducted in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=TECnology Hall of Fame 2018|url=https://www.tecawards.org/tecnology-hall-of-fame/2018|website=tecawards.org|publisher=NAMM Foundation|access-date=29 July 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Soundscape Digital Technology]] – acquired by Solid State Logic
* [[Soundscape R.Ed]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Solid State Logic}}
* [http://www.solid-state-logic.com/ Solid State Logic – official website]
* [http://www.ssosystems.com/ Solid State Organ Systems – official website]

{{Peter Gabriel}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Manufacturers of professional audio equipment]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies of England]]
[[Category:Companies based in Oxfordshire]]
[[Category:Electronics companies established in 1969]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Audio mixing console manufacturers]]
[[Category:Audio equipment manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Peter Gabriel]]
[[Category:Audio software companies]]