Apollo
Native
sale
SSL 4000 E Channel Strip
Hit-making SSL sound, at your fingertips.
- Track and mix through a stunning emulation of a vintage SSL analog channel
- Get the full character of SSL’s Jensen transformer-based preamps
- Sculpt your sources with both Type E “black” and “brown” knob EQ and filters
- Harness the famous SSL VCA Compressor and Gate for incredible dynamics control
- Mix with artist presets from Just Blaze (Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar), Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers), Ian Boxill (Prince, Tupac), and more
Add Famed SSL Sound at your Fingertips
What They Say
Chris Coady
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, Future Islands
Ian Boxill
Lenny White, Prince, 2Pac
Richard Chycki
Rush, Aerosmith, Dream Theater
Reviews
94%would recommend this product
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66 reviews
- IKIvan K.Rated 5 out of 5 stars1 week agoThe Best!!!
That wow factor never gets old - I feel it every single time I use it.
- RSReiner S.Verified BuyerRated 2 out of 5 stars3 months agoTOO DSP Hungry
I would give 5 Stars, but it´s more or less unusable. I have 10 DSP´s, but when i only would use 5 Channel Strips, what is more then usual, almost 50% of my DSP´s are gone. That´s a bit annoying.
- MMattyInkVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars4 months agoChanged My Entire Sound
It only makes sense to familiarize yourself with a plugin that maps your understanding directly to an analog console.
- LGLeon G.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars6 months agoSSL 4000 E Channel Strip
What a wondeful plugin, should have bought this ages ago! This gets me where I need to go so quickly and really makes an audio statement in the process. Replaced other plugins with this in the mix and I no longer have that hiding of elements in the mix that can happen. Brings everything out. Has a very defined sound to it which I really like. An absolute plugin essential.
- AAggroRated 4 out of 5 stars8 months agoNot bad
This is a 'subtle' version of the Waves plug-in both of which integrate features of the famous 4000 G. I ran A:B comparison of consoles, not that this one isn't as efficient, but just subtle... I feel like I have to sometimes crank it up to achieve results that Waves would deliver on 3-4. It doesn't mean "bad" just - soft kinda. Another caveat that I generally don't like about UA plug-ins is that there's no 'back' button very common among up-to-day plugins. So, if you changed the setting to a new one and you don't like it, you have to make your ears work to the previous result if you forgot the values. Also - the character of this console is 'mild' I feel like I want more of its identity especially in the SSL compression. Just not to assume any ambush marketing, this is the only plug-in that Waves ever made better than UA :)
Frequently Asked Questions
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip plug-in is worth it if you want the sound of a classic British console on every track without having to buy or maintain the hardware. At $149, one license covers the modeled preamp, both Type E EQ revisions, the VCA compressor, and the gate/expander, and you can run it on as many channels as your system allows. It runs natively on macOS and Windows and accelerates on Apollo interfaces and UAD Accelerators, so it fits whatever setup you have.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip is built in partnership with Solid State Logic and models the full signal path of the original 4000 E channel, not just its EQ curves. UA's engineers modeled the Jensen input transformers in the preamp and the dbx "gold-can" VCA output section, so the character comes from the same places it does in the hardware. You also get both the 242 "black knob" and 001 "brown knob" EQ revisions inside one plug-in — something most console emulations don’t offer.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip models the channel path of the SSL 4000 E console, introduced in 1979 and used on more Platinum-selling records than any other desk. Each instance gives you the console's mic/line preamp, four-band EQ with filters, VCA compressor, and gate/expander, laid out the same way as the original hardware. You’re working with one channel of a full console, so a mix built on it behaves like a mix built on the desk.
Buy the SSL 4000 E Channel Strip on its own if the console channel is what you need, or look at the SSL 4000 Series Bundle if you want to add the 4000 G Bus Compressor for your mix bus. The channel strip covers per-track preamp, EQ, and dynamics, while the bus compressor handles glue across the whole mix. The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip is also included as part of a UAD Spark subscription.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip comes in two versions covered by a single purchase: a UAD native version that runs on your computer's CPU, and a UAD DSP version that runs on Apollo interfaces and UAD Accelerators. The DSP version keeps processing off your CPU and lets you track through the plug-in with near-zero latency, including Unison on Apollo mic and line inputs. Both versions use the same modeling, so the sound is identical either way.
Yes, the SSL 4000 E Channel Strip accurately reproduces the console's sound because UA modeled the circuits that create it, including the Jensen input transformers and the dbx VCA output stage. Engineers who learned to mix on the original desk report that the gain staging and the character of the channel carry over closely. In practice that means the punch and forward midrange the 4000 E is known for carry over on whatever source you put through it.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip includes both Type E EQ revisions, the 242 "black knob" and the 001 "brown knob," each with four bands plus filters. The brown EQ is broader and more forgiving, which makes it fast to dial in musical tone changes. The black EQ is tighter and cleaner, so reach for it when you need a surgical cut or precise boost.
No, the SSL 4000 E Channel Strip does not require Apollo hardware. It runs natively on macOS and Windows, and the modeling is the same as the DSP version. Apollo adds two things: it moves processing off your CPU, and it enables Unison, which sets the Apollo mic and line inputs to the console preamp's impedance, gain sweet spots, and circuit behavior while you track.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip runs on both macOS and Windows, including Apple Silicon Macs. The UAD native version installs and runs on your computer with no UA hardware required. Check UA's system requirements page for current OS versions and minimum specs before you install.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip works in any DAW that supports standard plug-in formats on macOS and Windows, including UA’s LUNA Digital Audio Workstation, which runs on both platforms. You load it on a channel the same way you load any other insert. If you have an Apollo, you can also run it inside the UA Console app for realtime tracking before the signal reaches your DAW.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip works on effectively any source, and it is especially strong on drums, vocals, bass, and guitars. The compressor gives guitars presence and makes vocals pop, the EQ adds punch to drums and heft to bass, and the filters clear out low end before it reaches the dynamics section. Artist presets from Just Blaze, Ryan Hewitt, Ian Boxill, and others give you a starting point per source.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip supports realtime tracking on Apollo interfaces, where it runs in UA Console with near-zero latency. You record through the preamp, EQ, and compressor and hear the result as you play, and Unison sets the Apollo input to respond the way the console preamp does before conversion. You can print that sound to the track or keep it monitor-only and decide later.
Load the SSL 4000 E Channel Strip on every channel and your DAW starts behaving like a 4000 E console. PRE-DYN routing lets you place the EQ or filters ahead of the dynamics section for different timbres track to track, and the DYN-SC buttons feed the EQ or cut filters into the compressor sidechain for frequency-dependent compression. Small moves on many channels are what add up to the cohesion the desk is known for.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip comes in both UAD DSP and UAD native versions: DSP runs on Apollo interfaces and UAD Accelerators, and native runs on your computer's CPU. A single purchase covers both, so you are not choosing one path forever. Use DSP when you want realtime tracking and CPU headroom, and native when you want to open the session anywhere without hardware attached.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip and the SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor do different jobs, so you do not need both to get started. The channel strip handles individual tracks with the console's preamp, EQ, compressor, and gate, while the bus compressor is the stereo unit that pulls a finished mix together. Plenty of engineers run the channel strip across their tracks and the bus compressor on the mix bus, and the SSL 4000 Series Bundle covers both.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip is a channel strip plug-in, which means it recreates one full input channel from a large-format mixing console: preamp, EQ, filters, and dynamics in a single insert. Instead of chaining separate plug-ins, you get those sections in the order and voicing the hardware uses. That also keeps the gain staging between sections behaving the way it does on the desk, which is a large part of why console mixes sound cohesive.
The SSL 4000 E Channel Strip is a strong choice for vocals because the VCA compressor controls dynamics quickly without softening the front of a word, and the Type E EQ finds presence without turning harsh. Use the brown knob EQ for broad tonal shaping and the black knob for narrow problem cuts. The gate and high-pass filter clean up room tone and rumble before the compressor ever sees the signal.