SSL Fusion Vintage Drive saturation plugin interface by Solid State Logic

SSL Fusion Vintage Drive: Saturation Plugin by Solid State Logic

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (920 ratings)

SSL Fusion Vintage Drive is a saturation plugin from Solid State Logic, a digital emulation of the Vintage Drive processor from the SSL Fusion stereo outboard hardware. It adds harmonic saturation and soft compression to tracks, groups, mixes and masters.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

SSL Fusion Vintage Drive brings the Vintage Drive section of the SSL Fusion hardware processor into your DAW. Its non-linear saturation circuit is built to push a signal toward the tonal sweet spot of an analog console, producing harmonics, soft clipping and natural compression. The plugin is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats for Windows and macOS, and it is built on the SSL Plug-in Engine. Its controls focus on blending and level management, so you can add drive without losing control of your mix balance.

Best for

Mix bus saturation
Drum group coloring
Vocal and instrument warmth
Tracking with zero latency
Mastering color

Developer: Solid State Logic
Category: Saturation
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Modeled on the SSL Fusion Vintage Drive hardware section
Non-linear saturation circuit for added strength and cohesion
DENSITY and DRIVE produce harmonics, soft clipping and compression
MIX control for parallel blending with the original signal
AUTO GAIN offsets level changes from drive and density controls
ECO mode for zero latency, reduced CPU tracking use
Built on the SSL Plug-in Engine
Built-in UNDO/REDO and cross-platform preset management

03In depth

Saturation Character and Key Controls

The DRIVE and DENSITY controls interact to generate harmonics, soft clipping and compression. Together they shape how much the signal is colored and how dense it feels.

The MIX control blends the processed signal with the original in parallel, so you can set the amount of drive without replacing the dry sound. The AUTO GAIN function compensates for the level added by the DRIVE, DENSITY and INPUT TRIM controls, which helps keep your mix levels consistent while you adjust the sound.

The plugin is modeled on the original analog circuit, using real-life measurements and input from the designers of the SSL Fusion hardware. Solid State Logic says its DSP design references the original analog circuit designs.

Workflow, Presets and Use Cases

ECO mode switches the plugin to zero latency and reduced CPU use, which makes it practical during tracking and recording. Built-in UNDO/REDO support and SSL's cross-platform preset management and A/B system help you compare settings quickly.

The plugin includes presets from producers and engineers including Adrian Hall, Alan Moulder, Caesar Edmunds, Charlie Holmes, Michael Brauer, Romesh Dodangoda, Sean Divine and Wez Clarke. These give you starting points for drums, groups and full mixes.

An iLok account is required to authorize the software.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Solid State Logic
Type	Plugin
Category	Saturation
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is SSL Fusion Vintage Drive?

It is a saturation plugin that digitally emulates the Vintage Drive processor from the SSL Fusion stereo outboard hardware. It adds harmonic saturation and soft compression.

What formats and operating systems does it support?

SSL Fusion Vintage Drive is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS in 64-bit.

What do I need to use SSL Fusion Vintage Drive?

You need a host that supports one of the listed formats and a free iLok account to authorize the software. The system requirements list macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or 11.