New Music Gear Monday: SSL UF1 Superior DAW Controller

To a point, we’ve all discovered find out how to reside with no console throughout mixing or content material creation. That mentioned, mixing with a mouse may be downright boring and fairly a bit slower than utilizing a devoted controller. The issue is that the majority DAW controllers have both restricted features or a clunky UI, to not point out that it has to speak to your DAW seamlessly. SSL’s new UF1 ups the ante for the controller class with a unit that’s as horny wanting as it’s purposeful.

The Fader Part

The UF1 incorporates nearly the whole lot you’d need in a controller mixed with a slick, skilled structure in a field that appears at residence in any studio state of affairs. It consists of a long-throw motorized fader with a coloration LCD TFT show that gives visible suggestions of observe metering, observe names, V-POT readouts, observe record-arm states and extra. Talking of V-Pot, that’s the digital pot beneath the show that permits you to management numerous DAW parameters together with Pan place, Ship ranges and Plug-in parameters. Above the show is a small mushy key that permits management over numerous assigned DAW parameters.

On the left facet of the fader are the widespread SOLO, CUT, and SELect keys discovered on most DAWs and controllers. There’s additionally a FLIP swap that exchanges the management from the fader to the V-Pot and vice versa. The MASTER key immediately reveals the fader because the DAW grasp, however that’s not out there on all DAWs.

Extra Management

On the decrease proper there’s the standard transport management and on prime of which can be automation task buttons. These embody OFF, READ, WRT (write), TRIM, LTCH (latch), and TCH (contact). These keys additionally develop on the most typical DAW transport controls and for many DWA profiles come preassigned to widespread features equivalent to Loop on/off, and Metronome on/off. These 6 keys are customizable through SSL 360° software program included with the controller.

There are many methods to manage issues, together with a big weighted jog wheel, cursor and mode keys, and layer and financial institution keys. There’s additionally a larger-than-the-rest switched pot labeled Channel that takes you from channel to channel in your DAW, however may act as a grasp monitor quantity management.

On the very prime of the part are 4 mushy keys, adopted by a show, with 4 digital pots beneath. The high-res show may be switched between a wide range of readouts, together with the DAW’s time show, observe names, V-Pot parameter readouts and extra.

Expandability

The UF1 may be expanded with the addition of SSL’s UC1 plugin controller and/or its UF8 eight fader controller by linked a USB A connector on the rear of the models. The UF1 connects to a pc utilizing USB-C however a USB A adapter can also be included.

UF1 integrates with all main DAWs and consists of workflow prepared templates for Ableton® Dwell™, Cubase™/Nuendo™, Professional Instruments®, Logic Professional®, Studio One®, LUNA™ and Pyramix™. Many producers and engineers choose to separate their inventive course of throughout a number of DAWs, and the unit will let you management 3 totally different DAWs concurrently.

Each UF1 buy features a perpetual license for the SSL Meter plug-in (price $99.99) which is visualized on the massive 4.3” IPS show and may be managed instantly from the UF1 floor and the SSL 360° Plugin Mixer. The SSL Meter Plugin affords important metering instruments together with Peak & RMS ranges, Ok-System, stereo steadiness, section corelation bar, Lissajous section scope, 31-band RTA, VU and PPM metering. It additionally comes with a free 6 months trial of the SSL Full plugin bundle.

The SSL UF1 retails for $699, and works with each Macs and PCs. Yow will discover out extra in regards to the controller right here, or watch the video beneath.