SSL Unveils Pure Drive OCTO And QUAD Preamps At AES 2023

Solid State Logic has a long and distinguished history as a leading console manufacturer, but over the last several decades, the storied brand has branched out to create innovative new outboard solutions based on its groundbreaking console designs.

In that spirit, SSL's latest Pure Drive QUAD and OCTO rackmount preamps offer four or eight channels of the brand's renowned SuperAnalogue PureDrive microphone preamp technology. Originally used in the best-selling Origin series consoles, Pure Drive preamps use premium FET components for console-grade sound quality.

With distinctive Clean and Drive modes, PureDrive preamps are capable of dialing in crystal-clear clean tones, gritty overdriven tones, and everything in between. Plus, the new Pure Drive OCTO and QUAD preamps feature a new Asymmetric Drive setting for even more sonic possibilities.

Continue reading to learn more about what the SSL Pure Drive OCTO and QUAD preamps have to offer.

The SSL Pure Drive QUAD and OCTO

Tailor-made for hybrid studios, SSL's new Pure Drive OCTO and QUAD preamps offer the sound of the legendary Origin series consoles in a compact 2U rackmount unit—plus some exciting new features.

Aside from the number of channels, there are slight differences between the two units, namely the selectable (OCTO) vs. sweepable (QUAD) high-pass filters and the number of back-panel inputs. But both units sport responsive trim and gain controls as well four mic preamp input impedance options to help you dial in the perfect sound for any session. And of course, the quintessential PureDrive technology is at the core of both.

Here are some of the biggest additions that transform the Pure Drive from an already great console preamp to a full-blown studio workhorse.

Pick Your Drive

The Prue Drive units now offer not one, but three different flavors of drive to buff up a wide variety of sounds and setups.

Clean Mode

True to its name, Clean mode is the preamp’s uncolored, analog sound in all its glory. While the Pure Drive can certainly get dirty, this mode shows it can also capture signals with the utmost precision and clarity thanks to its extended range and ultra-low noise floor. It’s about as close to hearing the real thing in front of you as you can get.

Classic Drive

This mode is the original drive tone found on the Origin preamp: saturated, aggressive, and rich with odd harmonics. With the press of a button, Drive mode adds vintage warmth, amp-like breakup, or full-on jagged crunch to your mic signals. It’s a particularly great tone for drums, vocals, guitars, and anything that needs to hit hard and cut through the mix.

Asymmetric Drive

Last but not least, a second press of the drive button activates a new drive tone profile specially designed for the Pure Drive OCTO and QUAD. Asymmetric drive emphasizes even harmonics instead of the odd ones, making for a smoother, fuller drive that can even verge into fuzz territory when pushed hard enough. This tone is Ideal for instruments and sources that fill out a mix and come alive with a little bit of oomph, like electric piano, organ, and bass.

Connectivity Options

Like with the Origin, the Pure Drive OCTO and QUAD units are designed to thrive in analog, digital, and hybrid setups. Both sport a wide variety of I/O options for maximum flexibility and performance, as well as a premium-quality USB sound card.

The Pure Drive OCTO comes with:

Four Front-panel Hi-Z/DI instrument inputs
Three sets of D-sub connectors: line inputs, insert returns, and out/insert sends
Four AES/EBU output pairs
ADAT out port for eight additional channels at 24-bit/48 kHz or up to four channels at 24-bit/192 kHz via SMUX
- AES and ADAT outputs can also be switched to source audio from DAW outputs (via the USB soundcard) instead of the A/D converter.
World clock in and out ports

The Pure Drive QUAD is similar to the OCTO except for a few differences:

Only one D-sub connector
Four line ports for insert sends/outputs
Only two AES/EBU out ports

If you’re interested in purchasing the Pure Drive OCTO or QUAD preamps or have any questions about other SSL products, contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.

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