JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
* Required Fields
exclamation-circle
Stock up on studio essentials before your next session. Explore top selling gear from the best brands.
Checkout using your account
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA - the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Checkout as a new customer
Creating an account has many benefits:
For more than 50 years, Solid State Logic has been developing new and innovative recording and mixing consoles, from the early SL 4000 Series to the modern Oracle Series. SSL’s new Odyssey console continues that tradition, combining classic in-line analog console architecture with revolutionary digital control technology.
Powered by SSL’s innovative ActiveAnalogue circuitry, Odyssey builds on the groundbreaking Instant Recall technology introduced in the Oracle Series with a fully modular design that can be customized to suit any workflow.
Available in preconfigured 24-, 32-, and 48-channel layouts (as well as an enhanced 32-channel console with two channel racks), SSL Odyssey consoles feature PureDrive mic preamps, legendary SSL channel dynamics, switchable E/G Series EQ, and assignable Filters on every channel—all fully recallable with the press of a button.
Continue reading to learn more about SSL Odyssey Series consoles, including a complete breakdown of the channel strips, Center Section, ActiveAnalogue Processing Racks, the included O-Control Application Suite, and more.
Customizable up to 96 channels, with straight, curved ProStation, and fully custom frame options, each Odyssey console features a Center Section and multiple eight-channel buckets for channel strips, all powered by outboard ActiveAnalogue Processing Racks.
Each channel features everything you need for tracking and mixing sessions, including Mic/Input gain, Aux sends, Dynamics, four-band parametric EQ, High and Low Pass Filters, a 60 mm motorised Small Fader, and a 100 mm Large Fader, plus additional routing and utility controls positioned to the left and right of each bay.
Let’s take a closer look at the heart of the SSL Odyssey console, the channel strips.
Odyssey’s channel strip section updates the classic SSL in-line architecture for modern workflows. Each channel provides separate record and monitor paths, with independent input gain, output level control, and processing routing. Both paths feature independent, switchable, and moveable Insert points, plus Independent Direct Outputs for routing to your DAW.
Channels operate in mono by default but can be linked in odd/even pairs as stereo sources such as keyboards, drum machines, external instruments, stereo effects returns, sub mixes, and stems. Each channel also employs SSL’s classic dynamics and EQ processing, which we’ll explore next.
SSL’s console dynamics helped shape the sound of generations of records, and the Odyssey carries that legacy forward with fully analog compression, limiting, gating, and expansion on every channel.
The Compressor/Limiter circuit features signal-dependent Attack with Fast Attack switching, plus RMS or Peak sensing modes, and a dedicated Wet/Dry Mix control for parallel compression, directly on the channel.
The Expander/Gate section offers Inf:1 Gate and 2:1 Expansion modes with signal-dependent Attack, Fast Attack, and variable Range, Threshold, Release, and Hold controls. Plus, Odyssey’s advanced sidechain circuit can be used to create de-essing, frequency-dependent compression, and keyed gating effects.
Below the Dynamics section, you’ll find the EQ section, which features a fully analog four-band parametric EQ with switchable E and G Series circuits. The E Series setting delivers the classically bold, punchy, and assertive SSL sound, while the G Series setting offers a gentler, more musical sound for broad tone-shaping.
No matter which EQ type you choose, selectable HF and LF shelf/bell curves and switchable mid-band Q shapes make it easy to dial in the sound you’re looking for. Best of all, the EQ circuit can be assigned between the Small and Large Fader paths so you can use it for tracking, overdubbing, and mixing sessions.
At the top of each bay section, you’ll find a shallow screen that displays track names, bus routing, channel metering, and labels for both the large fader and small fader paths. For channel metering, you can select either VU or Bargraph meters, just like the original SL 4000 console meter options.
The display screens can also be used to view per-channel information with either Channel Detail View or TouchView mode.
In the Center Section, you’ll find familiar controls for mix, monitoring, and control functions, including main level control for all buses, monitoring and foldback tools, eight fader-controlled Stereo Group Inputs, and up to 24 VCA control faders. There’s also a dedicated 100 mm motorised Main Fader for controlling any of the four Main Mix Buses, plus handy features like dedicated metering, AFL, insert switching, and fine balance adjustment.
A large screen in the Center Section displays Main, Track, and Aux Bus control, Foldback levels, and detailed position feedback, as well as dedicated controls for the Dynamic EQ, Bus Compressor, Main Bus processing, DAW transport, jog/shuttle, Talkback, Listen, Monitor selection, Foldback, and Solo functions.
There’s even a dedicated tablet/controller space with USB-C power to keep your favorite studio tools close at hand. Thanks to Odyssey’s modular design, the center tile can be positioned closer to the faders or moved higher towards the meter bridge, creating space for a wireless keyboard or trackball.
Odyssey’s bus architecture gives engineers exceptional routing flexibility for tracking, mixing, stems, cue mixes, parallel processing, and hybrid workflows. With 34 mix buses available to every channel, Odyssey provides 16 Track Buses, 10 Auxiliary Buses, and four stereo Main Mix Buses.
The console's 16 Track Buses can be fed from either the Large or Small Fader paths, with routing available in mono or as stereo odd/even pairs, making it easy to create stereo groups, stems, alternate outputs, and more.
The Aux Buses can be used as individual mono sends or be linked in odd/even pairs to create up to five stereo Aux Buses, making them ideal for foldback, effects sends, submixes, and stems. Plus, each Large and Small Fader path can route to any combination of buses, allowing for complex stem structures, alternate outputs, and even parallel mixes.
Speaking of parallel mixes, Main Mix Buses, Main Mix Buses B, C, and D all sum to Main Mix Bus A, making them perfect for independent mixes, alternate versions, or parallel mix bus processing.
Finally, Odyssey provides eight flexible, fader-controlled Stereo Group Inputs for creating stems, submixes, parallel processing paths, and more. Each Stereo Group can pick up the 16 Track Buses in stereo pairs, and includes a switched insert, dedicated direct output, and routing to the Track, Aux, and Main Mix Buses.
Every great console needs a great bus compressor, and no one knows bus compressors like SSL. The Odyssey is equipped with a fully integrated BUS+ stereo bus compressor, complete with four modes of operation, LOW THD, Feed Back, and ‘4K’ Saturation Modes, Dynamic EQ, Transient Expander, and more. Best of all, every parameter is fully recallable thanks to Odyssey’s ActiveAnalogue technology.
In addition to top-tier bus compressors, SSL consoles are known for their versatile monitoring features, and the Odyssey is no different. Each model offers support for multiple control room monitor sets, plus three independent Foldback feeds, a surface headphone output, and four stereo external source inputs. There’s even a dedicated surface stereo input for quickly connecting instruments, playback devices, or third-party Bluetooth receivers for fast reference playback from phones or tablets.
Console-wide Listen controls provide After Fade, Pre Fade, Solo In Front and Solo In Place monitoring from channels, Stereo Group Inputs, and buses, while the Studio Foldback section can source from Aux Buses, external inputs, and console monitoring paths to create flexible headphone mixes or playback feeds. Best of all, Talkback and Studio Listen functions can be controlled from the surface or remotely, and even offer support for third-party headphone mix systems.
For immersive production, Odyssey can hand monitoring control to an external system such as a Dolby Atmos renderer, working alongside the DAW’s Object panning and path inserts to enable analog-processed channel path feeds to be monitored through an immersive mix environment from the main console listening position.
The Odyssey offers the best of both worlds: the unmistakable sound and tactile response of an analog console, and the unparalleled digital control of modern DAW-based systems. With the FOCUS key, each eight-channel bay can be independently switched between analog processing and DAW control, allowing engineers to switch between workflows with the press of a button.
Powered by SSL 360°, Odyssey makes it easy to ride DAW tracks, navigate large sessions, control key workstation functions, and shape analog channels without leaving the listening position or interrupting your workflow. How does SSL pull it all off? With a suite of new O-Control plug-ins!
The O-Control Application Suite provides online and offline configuration, control, and session management for Odyssey and Oracle consoles on Windows and macOS. These plug-ins can be used when connected to the console or in stand-alone mode, allowing engineers to create, edit, update, and prepare before the session begins.
The O-Control Application Suite includes the following plug-ins:
Odyssey is available in standard, ProStation, and fully custom configurations suitable for any studio. Standard straight-frame configurations include 24, 32, and 48 channels, with larger 64, 72, and 96-channel systems available upon request.
To improve ergonomics on high-channel systems, Odyssey can be outfitted as a curved ProStation, or with a custom frame featuring 15° or 25° angled sections. Both models can also be specified with a split meter bridge over the Center Section to make room for DAW screens.
Odyssey systems typically use between two and five dedicated processing racks, depending on specification: one for Center Section processing and one to four for channel processing. The standard 24-channel Odyssey uses one rack, the 48-channel version uses two, and the 32-channel version is available with one or two racks. Racks can be located remotely from the surface, floor-mounted, rack-mounted, or installed in the control room or a separate machine room.
Want to try the SSL Odyssey console for yourself? Schedule a virtual console demo today!
Learn more about other SSL consoles on our blog!
