waves ssl 4000 collection native

[floater138]

I am getting towards the tail end of a long recording project and have been thinking of purchasing the ssl 4000 collection (native version) to help spice up my mixes as I think I am gonna explode if I have to deal with logic's eq's once again.

I am running logic 8 into an iMac with 4 gigs of ram. I am curious if there are any issues with logic 8 and waves ssl 4000 plugins being compatible with my setup, including ram/dsp power problems and weather or not native or tdm is the way to go with my setup seeing that I am not running an HD rig or a mac pro.

Also, does know of the cheapest way to go about buying this package. I was probably gonna through sweetwater, but maybe ebay or something could be better.

Thanks dudes!

[britdick]

i think i saw someone on the Gearslutz classifieds blowing a copy out for $425...or maybe Craigslist LA...you could probably buy it from the LA and have the box shipped to you. i bought the set 6 months agon and it is ****ing gnarly....the buss comp alone is worth the price of admission. Now that i am writing this i think it was CL LA. Check it out. $425 is a stoopid price!

Good luck!

[Never1]

The SSL bundle has a relatively small footprint, like most of Waves' plugins, when it comes to dsp usage. There's no issues with logic as far as I know and you should have no problems running the plugins for your mix.

[floater138]

awesome. the music I am making is getting better creatively and my recording abilities have come a long way, so I figure it would be nice to have a mix that could match it. Logic has some ok reverb/dynamic/modulation plugins, but their eq is not my cup of tea. Plus, I would love to expand to some outboard ssl gear at some point and this could be a good way to kind of learn my way around it a bit (i know i know...its not quite the real thing).thumbsup

[jbsg02]

the E Channel and bus comp are pretty awesome

[R3altruth]

If you're not using PT|HD then native (RTAS) is pretty much your only choice....
Don't quote me on this.. but I am thinking WAVES still have a 14 day trial of it and then after 14 days it wont work anymore so you have to purchase it if you wanna keep using it...
they are not very CPU extensive either... The DEMO disk I had (Which technically has the full version of ALL of their software, you just need an ILOK to fully register and use it) is on 1 CD....

[TonyBelmont]

There are demos available on the Waves site. Download them and check it out.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by R3altruth

If you're not using PT|HD then native (RTAS) is pretty much your only choice....
Don't quote me on this.. but I am thinking WAVES still have a 14 day trial of it and then after 14 days it wont work anymore so you have to purchase it if you wanna keep using it...
they are not very CPU extensive either... The DEMO disk I had (Which technically has the full version of ALL of their software, you just need an ILOK to fully register and use it) is on 1 CD....

why does it being on 1 CD have any bearing on if it's CPU intensive?! and FYI it's AU format that Logic uses for plugins, not RTAS - that's Pro Tools only.

Anyway, I'd recommend resellers on eBay, particularly dutchmuzik. I bought my Studio collection from him, and got a great deal.

[recall]

I got mine from wavesuniverse (Waves | Waves Universe The World's Leading Developer of Audio Software) usually has really good deals and discounts.

[roadsweeper]

Also check out the API collection. I used to always use the SSL's until I tried the API. I generally prefer the API comp and find that the API eq is also more musical. They are very in your face but I quite like that as I mostly use console/outboard equipment and like my plug-ins to give me something different. However, it is very useful having the G-Buss comp as this really can be nice to stick on your mix buss/drum group. I would recommend having a listen to both collections before making your mind up as they are both similar in price. If you want the comp's to tame vocals in particular I would definitely recommend the API over the SSL. Just my opinion of it though.

[James Meeker]

Keep in mind that the API equalizers are very 'coarse' without much fine tuning. Awesome for broad strokes, but not so great for fine tuning. The API 2500, much like the real thing, can be a bit 'fiddly' to set and is a hit-or-miss kind of device; sometimes it's brilliant, sometimes it's bloody awful.

[floater138]

i checked out waves universe and it appears that the price for the 4000 native collection is 1000.00 instead of 750.00. i just bought a bass from guitar center as well, so should probably be getting yet another 10% coupon in the mail soon. not sure it would be valid for plugins...doubt it.

also, i really want to expand to the api plug ins as well, but just am really excited on the ssl stuff at the moment and feel this could give me my fix in that department. seen demos and was fairly impressed with the quality.

[floater138]

yo psycho monkey, good call on dutchmusik. i think i am gonna go that route when i get my next paycheck or two. does he actually send the disk/package as well though, or is itjust a download?

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by floater138

yo psycho monkey, good call on dutchmusik. i think i am gonna go that route when i get my next paycheck or two. does he actually send the disk/package as well though, or is itjust a download?

I got my stuff as an ilok asset - you can download the installers of course, and I personally have no need for any more packaging!

i'd never pay full price for a plugin...and the good thing is the official discounts are often passed on, so for example there's currently a mercury promotion on (20% off) - the resellers tend to take this off of their price, so you get an even better deal!

[R3altruth]

Originally Posted by psycho_monkey

why does it being on 1 CD have any bearing on if it's CPU intensive?! and FYI it's AU format that Logic uses for plugins, not RTAS - that's Pro Tools only.

Anyway, I'd recommend resellers on eBay, particularly dutchmuzik. I bought my Studio collection from him, and got a great deal.

Wow.. I didn't read carefully.. when he said it wasn't PT|HD I assumed he meant it was LE....

and size has an overall role to play in how much CPU you are eating....

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by R3altruth

Wow.. I didn't read carefully.. when he said it wasn't PT|HD I assumed he meant it was LE....

and size has an overall role to play in how much CPU you are eating....

File size has no bearing on CPU use though! We're not talking loading DVDs worth of samples into RAM or anything.

[Daedalus77]

Overall, it's a great bundle. I've been using the E-Channel, and, occasionally, the G-EQ with almost every session since we got the bundle. The Buss Comp is great, too, though I confess I find myself using it less than I'd anticipated—and more often on the drum sub than the 2-buss.

For what it's worth, we've got an HD system but I bought the native version and use it (in RTAS) when mixing. Works fine; very little CPU damage.

Best of luck.