SSL Alpha Channel with VHD Mic Preamp

Analogue Hit Maker

All great sounding recordings have to start somewhere.

With the classic combination of a mic preamp, filter, EQ and dynamics, the SSL Alpha Channel brings SSL’s sonic legacy bang up to date in an analogue channel strip designed to provide the perfect front end to your digital audio workstation.

With all the features needed to record great vocal or instrument tracks, the Alpha Channel offers a studio class mic pre and processing based on SSL’s years of experience in designing the world’s leading analogue recording consoles. A huge proportion of the music you know and love was recorded on SSL, renowned for the superior audio qualities you’ve heard on countless hit records. That elusive sonic ingredient is here in the Alpha Channel.

It’s time to show your DAW who’s boss

– SSL analogue channel processing for your audio workstation
– Pro mic preamp with line and instrument level switching
– Studio class EQ, Filter and Limiter sections
– Variable Harmonic Drive circuit – a time machine of distortion characteristics
– Analogue or digital outputs direct to your DAW

Features:

– Professional ultra clean mic preamp with line level & Hi Z instrument input switches
– ‘Variable Harmonic Drive’ circuit; a Time Machine of distortion characteristics
– High Pass Filter with selectable 40Hz, 80Hz or 120Hz cutoff frequency
– Built in professional quality Analogue to Digital conversion – as standard
– Auto sample rate sensing and self adjustment
– Three band SSL parametric EQ with mid freq Q control and dual LF curves
– Intelligent auto compression that maximises recording headroom and avoids DAC clipping

This could be one of the best ways to get the “SSL sound” on your DAW tracks. The Alpha-Channel is built to emulate the mic pre and EQ sounds of a classic SSL console strip, with the added features of onboard A/D conversion, and intelligent pre-DAC limiting.

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Weight	4 lbs
Brand	SSL
Condition	New

Physical

- Depth: 230mm / 9" casing only
- Height: 44.5mm / 1.75" (1 RU)
- Width: 438mm / 17.25" casing only 482mm / 19" inc’ rack ears
- Weight: 3.0kg / 7 pounds
- Power: < 20 Watts
- Boxed size: 320mm x 550mm x 80mm, 12.75" x 21.75" x 3.25"
- Boxed weight: 3.5kg / 8 pounds

Connections

- Power: IEC320 3-pin connector, 100 – 240 Vac, 50 – 60 Hz
- Analogue I/O
- Microphone: Balanced, 3-pin XLR-F, Zin = 1kΩ (10kΩ for Hi Z)
- Instrument: Un-balanced, ¼" Mono Jack, Zin = 1MΩ
- Output: Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ω
- Insert Send: Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ω
- Insert Return: Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zin = 10kΩ
- Link (2 of): RCA phono, limiter sidechain control voltage (dc.)
- Digital I/O
- SPDIF In: RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zin = 75Ω, SPDIF format. The ADC will lock to this signal if present.
- SPDIF Out: RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zo = 75Ω, SPDIF 24bit format. Synchronised to SPDIF In, else free-runs at 44.1kHz.

Measured Performance

- Mic Gain To Output: 20dB min, 76 dB max
- Instrument Gain To Output: 26dB min, 82 dB max
- Pad Attenuation: 20 dB

Input Impedance (Ω)

- Mic: 1K / 10K
- Instrument: 1 MEG

Noise Figure

- Equivalent Ein:
- Mic, Zin = 10R: -130.5 dBU
- Mic, Zin =150R: -127.5 dBU

Dynamic Range

- Mic Gain Min: 105 dB unweighted
- Mic Gain Max: 76 dB unweighted

Common Mode Rejection:

- 70 dB from 50Hz to 10KHz with 1Vp-p Common Mode

Common Mode Rejection

- Max Common Mode In: 5V p-p
- Frequency Response
- Mic To Out: +/- 0.2 dB from 10Hz to 70KHz
- -3dB (LF): 6 Hz
- -3dB (HF): 250 KHz

Mic Amp Distortion - A Typical Specification

Output Level/THD Knob CCW/THD Knob CW

- +5 dBU, 0.03 %, 0.1 %
- +10 dBU, 0.05 %, 0.3 %
- +15 dBU, 0.06 %, 0.5 %
- +20 dBU, 0.09 %, 2 %
- +24 dBU, 0.15 %, 5 %
- Maximum Analog Output: +24.3 dBU (10K)

EQ

LF Section

- LF Shelf Gain Range: +/- 19 dB
- LF Bell Gain Range: +/- 15 dB
- Shelf Freq Range: 40 - 600 Hz
- Bell Freq Range: 35 - 500 Hz
- Bell Q: 1.4

Mid Section

- Gain Range: +/- 17 dB
- Freq Range: 300 - 5200 Hz
- Q Range: 0.7 - 1.9

HF Section

- Shelf Gain Range: +/- 19 dB
- Shelf Freq Range: 1.5KHz - 22 KHz
- EQ Dynamic Range: 100 dBU

Limiter

- Limiter Threshold: - 3 dBFS
- Limiter Ratio: 6, over-easy
- Limiter Headroom: 12 dB min, 14 dB typ
- Attack Time: 50 uSec
- Release Time: 200 mSec
- Limiting Distortion: 0.5 % max
- Non-Limiting Distortion: 0.001 %

Insert Point

Operating Level

- Limiter Switch Out: 24 dBU, unity gain to output
- Limiter Switch In: 12 dBU, +12 dB gain to output
- Output Impedance (SEND): 150 Ω
- Input Impedance (RETURN): 10 KΩ

ADC

ADC Type: 24 bit, 192 KHz CS5361 ADC
Sampling Rate: locks to user supplied SPDIF IN Range: 32 KHz to 108 KHz
No SPDIF In: Defaults to 44.100 KHz

SPDIF In

- 200 mV p-p IN min
- 5V p-p IN max

SPDIF Out

- (Level): 1V p-p
- (Impedance): 60 Ω

ADC Performance Measured From Insert Return

- Dynamic Range, 20KHz measurement bandwidth
- Fs= 32K: 110.5 dB, A-wgt
- Fs= 48K: 110 dB, A-wgt
- Fs= 96K: 109 dB, A-wgt

Level/Distortion in 20K meas bw

- -0.5 dBFS, 0.0006 %
- -10 dBFS, 0.0015 %
- -20 dBFS, 0.004 %
- -30 dBFS, 0.013 %
- -40 dBFS, 0.04 %

ADC Freq Response

- Fs = 48 K: +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 20KHz
- Fs = 96 K: +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 40KHz

Miscellaneous

- Phantom Power: 47.5V typical
- Output Gain Range: +/- 19.5 dB

Download Installation Guide for SSL Alpha Channel with VHD Mic Preamp