Bought this on an amazing sale. I was looking at channel strips to simplify my process when this deal came up. I knew of SSLs reputation. The purchase was easy but getting it to work in my system not so much. Too much overwhelming instructions involving iLok. I finally put a call into SW and Brian (the tech) was extremely helpful. The only glitch was I could no longer use Google Chrome. I had to switch back to Safari.
I'm a working musician not an engineer but this bundle is certainly helping with my demos.

Couldn't pass it up! Sounds spectacular! Don't have the real thing for comparison, but I'd say it's well worth it!

Caught it on a sale. Connects with SSL 360.

This was my first SSL purchase, and I'm impressed with these tools. The presets are helpful, especially for those like myself who are not familiar with the knob and dial set up of more vintage gear. The sound quality is better than most any other plugins I've heard. I'm happy with my purchase.

Wait till it's on sale. I can't believe I paid over $for this. In this day and age, there are so many competitors, but I wanted SSL and this was one of my first forays into quality plug ins.
In my opinion this is a value in this competitive market for $$ or so. That being said, it does what it promises.

In my workflow, I like to sound-design or sculpt in one set of tools... but I like to mix in a different set of tools so that I force myself to commit to the individual sounds in the creation process. Then I mix with just a focus on BALANCE.

It's still early in my use. I use the FABFILTER stuff for just about everything, but I got this to see if I could really hear a marked difference. The short answer is "No.... Not Really", but with the visual feedback that I get from Fabilter...I really have to concentrate with my ears, do a loooooot of A=B-ing. I focus on judging whether I like the overall sound or not in the mixing process.

The Bus Compressor and Channel Strip are both great for shaping or squashing your sound. I am partial to an SSL '80s sound, and you can get there with these in the box. For the sale price they were a steal.

SSl doesn't need a introduction folk that sound is one of a kind.

This is a great tool specially on the mixing stages of your project. A plugin that does not only offer audible solutions but also character to your projects.

The first thing I noticed about the channel strip was how musical it sounded. I used it to replace the stock compressor and eq in Logic Pro and immediately heard how effective it is over multiple tracks. It's lightweight in terms of computer resources and I was able to run 40 plus instances without my iMac working overtime. The EQ section is classic SSL and can really add high end to the source. The Dynamics section proved to be versatile. I was able to apply everything from a gentle compressing to really aggressive control. And it also has a gate/expander which works with a little tweaking. The interface offers pretty good visual feedback so I can judge with my ears and not with mere numbers on a dial.

The bus compressor works like you would expect. It can be gentle or hard and offers side chain filtering. The only thing that the modern bus compressor lacks is that classic fade in / fade out option that you find on other G-series compressor emulations and that feature is sorely missed.

Overall, this proved to be a better than expected bundle. And if you can get it on sale, it's gold.

The channel strip and compressor are very transparent and help provide the depth I'm looking for from an analog emulation.

fantastic channel strip and bus compressor combo from SSL! all you need

It's faster and more efficient when I downloaded the (free) SSL 360 to mix in the DAW. I'm happy and more importantly, the client is happy. This setup sounds AMAZING.

Excellent!!

I really like the sound I get I get from the ssl. I use the channel strip on almost all of my tracks and the bus com. Is super tight with not a lot of thought.

A great deal for a couple of great plug-ins! I have the Waves equivalent and they are very good too but these two plug-ins from SSL just seem to have more zing, clarity and flexibility while maintaining the overall analog warmth that I love on my projects. Nice job SSL...thank you Sweetwater!

I got these on sale for a very low price but they are definitely worth every penny of their full price. These things sound great, not sure how they match up with the original equipment but that does not matter to me, they give that sweet SSL magic to everything that passes through them! They are also very nice to use, the interface is as good as the sound.

The only negative is the licensing, you need to prepare yourself for a mind bending experience with iLok and getting multiple confirmation emails and crazy captchas!

These software companied really need to ditch iLok and look at Plugin Alliance for their licensing model, it is easy and stress free! This is 2022, time to get with the times folks!!!

I will reach for the SSL "Native" line of plugins first when doing initial quick mixes, especially on demos. They are very natural sounding, easy to program and offer very satisfying results. In final mixes I usually want to be a bit more surgical with EQ and compression than can be achieved with these products. However, the speed with which great results are achieved with the SSL's make them a welcome and frequently used part of my mixing process. These items become irresistible when SSL offers them at the 90% mark down.

This is too good to be true. This is like having an SSL console. It's insane and more processor efficient than Waves. I only use Waves for reverbs and delays now. Waves is gonna have to step up their game cause these plugs are so good it makes you think you have the hardware. It feels like waves was modeling a Behringer copy of an SSL with their SSL plugs, cause you hear no character comparatively. I legitimately have the feeling of having a new piece of hardware with these plugins. Far beyond worth every penny.

First, I've worked on real consoles with loads of outboard gear much of my 20 years in audio, but now mix almost always in the box. These plugin channel strips are getting REALLY good now. I have and use the Brainworx SSL models, Waves, UAD, and now this. For the crazy bundle / sale price it was a no-brainer to spring for this in a crowded field of other great sounding SSL emulations. Full price? I dunno, maybe if I didn't already have the others. ...I'll just say a couple things. One is that these do have their own sound, and I would classify it as a bit more elegant compared to the other versions out there. While some emulations tend to be a bit inflated in the harmonic distortion to make them sound more impressive or more "analog," these SSL versions have plenty of analog character, but a slightly cleaner, classier sound than the others mentioned, which sounds a bit more true to me. Second, is that the buss compressor has a smoother character to it than the other versions out there that might make you choose this one over say the darker sounding Waves or the more present sounding UAD version. This one just kinda sits right in there in a nice way and doesn't draw too much attention to itself, unless of course you crank it a bit, then it'll respond in kind.

Why ding the set a half star? Well, here are my very small gripes... For the Bus Comp, I'd love to see a slower attack, and an alternate, faster Auto Release setting. (see the new Bus + hardware unit) My small gripe with the channel strip is GUI related. The knobs are kinda small and the Gate and Compressor LED's are pretty small and hard to gauge. There's all this real estate and resolution for the I/O meters, but then these tiny little LED's for the dynamics in 3dB steps. I know that's what the desk had, but those could really be better on the plugin. But those are pretty small nit picks on something I'm otherwise pretty impressed with.

Summary: An elegant sounding digital version of the SSL hardware, and a fantastic value when the bundle is on sale. ...Over and out.

this is the essential for all my mixes

I've been a long time user of SSL Consoles from the '80s as a session musician and band member the hardware version.
In the past decade I've been working more "In-the-Box" productions as the cost of hardware maintenance is pretty High into Thousands (SSL, API, Teletronix etc.)

The New SSL set "Sounds Wonderful" it has the SSL richness/fullness sound that most people know from years of albums being done on their consoles, I have been working with the SSL 4000E hardware for a long time then the Waves Plugin Version, which is a good emulation but this New SSL Set is something special! It sounds & feels like the hardware version and the most important thing to me is that "This is coming from SSL Engineers" Who would know more than them and how it should sound. It is a bit pricy but if you've been working with or serious about audio production this would be a "Must Have" Software.

As always Sweetwater it the best place for "up to date" knowledge & service and Mark M. is one of the best Professionals.

Can't say enough about how instant you hear a difference.. you know something is right when it takes less effort to get something great sounding.... You could literally throw away all your other mixing plugins and just use these and get great warm mixes...

I'm in the camp of hardware redundancy isn't needed.. unless it is. The money you save by going with this plugin far outweighs any negligible difference (if any) you get in return for purchasing the hardware version(s), instead. This makes it such that the hardware isn't worth the investment. I love my SSL plug-ins.

I love them

ssl channel strip changed everything. It just sounds right

Excellent Plugins. Incredibly easy to use and to find the sound I need.

Instant SSL vibe without spending megabucks purchasing a full-size hardware console. Just push a button to compare the sounds of G and E version of that legendary desk. Ear-pleasing results can be reached without hours of tweaking knobs. Thank you SSL, thank you Sweetwater!

already had excellent Softube console SSL, so was just being nosy when I saw this deal & downloaded demo,....

& here I am... writing a review, ....it was that good, real quality is always welcome.

Thank-you Sweetwater team for this crazy deal in crazy times.

Stay Safe

These are high quality sounding plugins with a clean and intuitive GUI. I really didn't "need" anymore SSL-style plugins, but the deal was too good to pass up and I'm glad I didn't. The Bus Comp is finding a nice place on my mixbus. It glues the mix in a subtle way and not super colored. I think of it like transparent glue. And the strip has everything you'd want in an all-in-one strip. Very nice input drive to add some grit, musical EQ section with 2 colors and a compressor that can grab those peaks, or round out your tone. It has just enough features to get the job done and doesn't overwhelm you with extra bells and whistles. Highly recommended.

It does what it's supposed to do.
Not very happy with the horizontal view.

I jumped on this offer. The SSL module is a must-have for any Pro Tools user. Great EQ, a terrific compressor and gate function, and a nice warm touch to your plug-in collection. Worth every penny !

It's so easy to use and eq is Working without being harsh. I have lots of ..... but this is my go to !

The offers are good and you have to take advantage of them. Make sure first before buying because later to cancel the purchase it may take time or not be possible

The title says it all. I feel restricted to using this excellent sounding console on mix busses, not on individual tracks, due to the excessive CPU drain. Brainworx SSL consoles seem to be much more CPU friendly, but have other bugs of their own and a different sound.

Got it for $... just at the right time. My subscription was ending with SSL plugins and this just happened at the right time. No longer forced to pay a monthly fee for their two most important plugins (for my use).

the best ssl comp e strip plugin!!!

These plugins are excellent and come recommended. Very easy to install and use on all types of music whilst capturing that distinct SSL vibe. Thank you Sweetwater for the amazing price and outstanding service that I received from my new favourite supplier.

very good texture for all bus song
very great

It is dizzyingly performing ... I bought itand I already see that it is exactly what I needed to bring my songs to a high level of quality. It is extraordinary. The price really justifies the quality. .You can finish and clean with a millimeter precision any shade and the presets ..... already convince you of all the capacity. I recommend to everyone who really cares about the quality of the details!

SSL have delivered once again best sounding plugins that they emulated from their hardware. Yes there are many facturers that emulate hardware, but best of all of them is always the original. Wish that the rest of their plugin bundle would be in Ale soon especially Vocalstrip and the Reverb plugin. I want that so badly so I don't have to use many other plugin on my channel chain. All in one.

Bo contacted me immediately after my purches was having some issues and was in constant communication with me updating on the status. Such level of support is really hard to get these days. Much appreciate it!

It's SSL so you know it is good, but these plugins are the best I've ever used.

Great bundle to make drums pop.

I've always wanted to work with an SSL console and this was perfect since I work in the box so to speak. The bundle is easy to use and really sounds good on my current projects. I hope Sweetwater is able to get more of the SSL plugin's to be available at a sale price similar to this bundle. This was well worth the price.

The channel strip works great, sounds great and looks great! Same goes for the bus compressor, I have no complaints. When you know what you're looking for with SSL this promises and delivers exactly that.

My ONLY issue with it, has nothing to do with the plug-in itself. When you download the installer, it installs every plugin SSL has. But, this was only a pack of 2. So now every startup of logic I have to hit quit on authenticating the 6 other plugins... every time. I'm sure there's a way to stop that, and I'll figure it out soon.

But both programs deliver and I'd recommend to everyone looking to the SSL sound.

I've tried a few SSL emulations and, I have to say, this is my favorite one. Not only is the EQ smooth but I also love the wonderfully designed graphic interface for the channel strip.

Amazing, the best of the SSL console emulations. OK busted , yes I have pretty much all of them but these are the best

This plugins are great I can't say much about it and plus I'm a huge SSL fan

Not many of us get the opportunity to work in expensive studios or sit while world class mixer my you or your artist music... But I have. These two plugin act and react like true SSL hardware functions. Any other
knock off version you've tried aren't even close to what these do to and for your sound. I promise you won't regret this purchase.

Milton V. Davis
Producer/Writer/Mixer

Far be it from me to say anything negative about this plugin!

I am very appreciative of Sweetwater and Solid State Logic for sharing the SSL Channel Strip and Bus Compressor plugins at such a great price. And, although these plugins are great looking, fully functional, and easily controllable, the presets are all geared toward music production and not that helpful for dialogue or poken word recordings. Perhaps the SSL Vocal strip would be better for that, but I am inclined to say that these two plugins were Okay, but not exactly what I was expecting.

Its is Solid and very useful, great emulation working on my MIX.

I have many channel strips and software consoles on my DAW... such as plugin alliance SSL 9000J, Lindell 50/80, waves ssl G, E, etc... but this one is the best sounding console I have ever had. Plus SSL bus compressor is unbelievable itself.

I love this plug in. It makes a difference. It has become my go to set of tools to begin working with. A must have channel strip.

I've worked in live audio and post production for over 10 years. These are must have tools.

Both the SSL Channel Strip and the SSL Bus Compressor are great plugins. The Channel Strip works like magic, and it is almost difficult to make the music sound bad (but it still is possible if you try). I just wish it had a side-chain possibility from other plugins. It does have an internal side-chain that works fine.
The Bus Compressor is my new go-to compressor on the stereo bus. It sounds sweet and silky. I'm very happy about this buy from Sweetwater - $... was really a bargain.

there are 2 issues that keep these from becoming my favorite plug-ins.

#1 (the big one)
There is a weird lag in the controls of the channel strip. This is the only plug-in where this happens and it's across multiple different DAWs, so it's on the plug-in. It's like the EQ needs a bit to think before doing what you told it to (feels like about 1 - 1.5 seconds, for bigger boost/cuts). Makes working with it slower because you have to wait after every adjustment, especially when doing bigger cuts/boosts.

#2
There is a nice a/b function, to compare different settings. But when saving a project, the a or b setting (whatever is not selected), doesn't get saved in the project and comes up with all settings to default, when you load a project and switch to it.

These would be my favorite plugins, if the weird lag and the a/b function could be fixed, because they sound really good. Resizable UI would also be nice, for those 4k display users.

If you can't afford an actual SSL console, this is the next best thing.

For $... I essentially have an SSL console in my DAW. How can you not love that? And it sounds like I imagined: wonderful! Why wouldn't you buy this plug-in? Do yourself a favor, add it to your arsenal.

These are genuine SSL plugin emulastions. Can't beat that!

There's a big difference in tone and timbre between these and the Waves emulations, overall the SSL Natives sound more bold, punchy, and akin to the real SSL consoles I've worked on while the Waves sound brighter and more focused on enhancing certain aspects of a sound with a comparable interface rather than fully modeling and emulating the board.
Solid Choice!

I think these are great emulations of the gear (Used to work on an SSL 4000 console for awhile), and the bus compressor is pretty good. I do think though that these plugins add a bunch of noise (from like 80hz and lower) to the track. I use the channel strip on my vocal chain a lot, and by the time I do post EQ after all the plugins, the noise generated at 80hz and below is a LOT. It's like an emulation of the analog warmth of the noise floor and it colorizes the sound in a cool way but in a way that isn't conducive for me mixing in the box.

The plugins don't use a lot of CPU which is great, I do think there's better plugins that do the job better without adding so much noise.

Was watching Spectre Sound with Glen Fricke on Youtube as he was demoing this product while it was on sale. I own the Waves and UA versions of SSL, so it only made sense to try the software version from the company which actually makes SSL. Well worth the sale price I got it at. The channel strip allows you to switch the order of the processors as I generally will compress before eq. The Bus compressor can go from subtle to spank. Presets included are great starting points. The plugins are not taxing on my CPU.

Powerful combo, and... it's a no-brainer! Could have bought directly from SSL with the coupon they sent, but always happy to cut Sweetwater in on the deal if the cost is the same.

Own Waves SSL and the SSL's From Plugin Alliance

After demoing the SSL Native Essentials.
It is far above IMO.......glad I got for $... basically.
A desert Island Plugin. Best investment made and CPU friendly on my system........Sounds Fantastic

Two very useful and easy to use plugin. By far two of my favorite VST plugins. Glad I caught these on a deal, but worth it even at full price.

I know SSL is a very quality product and when there is an affordable SSL Native Essentials Bundle. So I hurry to become the owner, thank you

I have SSL console emulations by Plugin Alliance, Waves, and now SSL. This one to me seems to be the one that is the easiest to get great tones out of. The 9000J from Plugin alliance is really good sounding as well. Also, the Bus compressor that comes with this bundle is fantastic, perhaps the best I have ever heard!