Solid State Logic 4000 G+
The analogue studio console that defined the sound of the 80s and 90s
Description
Technical
Specifications
Inputs / Outputs
| Mic preamps | Redesigned G Series mic preamps: a super-matched transistor pair, input gain switched in 6 dB steps and a very low noise floor. |
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Processing
| Architecture | In-line analogue console with a configurable frame; VCA faders, automation and Total Recall driven by the G/G+ series computer. |
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| Channels | Frames available from 32 up to 80 channels depending on the size ordered. |
| EQ | Redesigned four-band '242' pink-knob EQ on the G Series, descended from the equaliser co-developed with George Martin on the E Series. |
| Dynamics | VCA compressor/gate on every channel plus the famous master stereo bus compressor (the SSL 'glue'). |
Surface
| Motorized faders | No |
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| Touchscreen | No |
| Automation | Total Recall (save and recall of every surface setting) and VCA fader automation. |
Recording
| Onboard recording | No |
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Other
| Year / dates | G Series unveiled at the New York AES in 1987; the G+ variant (new G Plus computer and refinements) arrived in the early 1990s. |
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Strip & details
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Documents
Editorial & artists
Our take
History & design
The SSL 4000 G, unveiled at the New York AES in 1987, closed Solid State Logic's B, E, G trilogy of large analogue studio consoles. It kept the E Series in-line architecture while refining the sound: redesigned mic preamps with a super-matched transistor pair and gain switched in 6 dB steps, a four-band '242' pink-knob EQ and a polished dynamics section. The G+ variant, in the early 1990s, added a new computer (G Plus) and a handful of refinements.
Like the whole 4000 series, it is an in-line console on a configurable frame, from 32 to 80 channels, with a VCA compressor/gate on every strip and the famous master stereo bus compressor, the 'glue' behind the brand's sonic reputation. Automation runs on VCA faders, and Total Recall snapshots every surface setting to recall it from session to session.
Flexible, musical and generously routed, the 4000 G became the standard in studios worldwide and shaped countless rock, pop, R&B and film records. Its sonic signature is still so sought-after that it is recreated today by a host of hardware and software emulations.
- Colin Sanders, SSL founder and architect of the 4000 series
Notable users
- Abbey Road Studios
An SSL 4000 G+ is among the consoles in use at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Links
Related consoles
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