ORIGIN EVO builds on the very foundations of Solid State Logic, carrying forward the legacy of the iconic 4000 Series console while integrating the latest hybrid features and workflows. ORIGIN reignites the 4K lineage; ORIGIN EVO takes it even further, delivering an in-line console with the unmistakable SSL sound engineers know and love – thanks to flexible PureDrive™ mic preamps, an authentic E Series dynamics section, and the iconic ‘Black Knob’ 242 EQ with LP/HP filters.
ORIGIN EVO’s high-headroom mix bus, paired with the enhanced Bus Compressor and forward-thinking routing capabilities, delivers mixes with analogue warmth, creative edge, and the renowned SSL glue and punch. Available in both 32 and 16-channel versions, the expanded modular centre section of ORIGIN EVO provides true hands-on control and ergonomic freedom for hybrid workflows. It seamlessly integrates a UF8 DAW controller or 19" processors, ensuring the workstation and outboard processors sit exactly where you need them.
With advanced bus routing, a power-friendly design, and an intuitive ‘freelance-friendly’ in-line workflow, ORIGIN EVO faithfully recreates the character that defined the E Series – and evolves it.
Authentic E Series Dynamics
ORIGIN EVO brings SSL’s E Series dynamics to every channel – one of the defining elements of the classic ’80s SSL sound. Expect punchy, aggressive compression and ultra-fast gating, faithfully recreated with original-spec circuitry and components to deliver the authentic 4000 E character.
Each compressor includes a LINK function, feeding the sidechain signal to the adjacent channels, allowing multiple consecutive channels to be linked together. ORIGIN EVO’s dynamics section features a true RMS sidechain detector and an all-discrete gain-reduction stage, identical to the Class-A VCA chip used in the original console. Flexible controls let you bypass the soft-knee curve, engage fast attack, and select logarithmic or linear release – providing three distinctive compression characteristics that have shaped countless classic records.
Upgrade to EVO
Existing ORIGIN owners are supported with an upgrade kit. ORIGIN EVO’s innovative channel strip design allows them to be retrofitted to existing consoles. These retrofits are available in 8-channel upgrade kits, making the upgrade process manageable and cost-effective in stages. Contact an SSL expert for more information.
Pure Drive™ Mic Pre
ORIGIN EVO’s PureDrive™ Mic Pre offers engineers a complete sonic palette, from high-resolution, ultra-clean capture to rich, driven tones. Its discrete transistor design delivers pristine, low-noise transparency; engage DRIVE – an evolution of SSL’s VHD technology – to introduce warm, harmonically rich colour when the track demands it. Whether you’re tracking, printing stems, or shaping tones through channel processing, PureDrive™ provides the flexibility to choose between pure transparency and characterful saturation – one preamp, two distinct personalities, unmistakably SSL.
E Series EQ
Every channel strip on ORIGIN EVO features the most sought-after EQ design from the 4000 Series consoles: the iconic E Series 242 ‘Black Knob’.
Originally developed in collaboration with Sir George Martin for the SL 4000 E, this EQ has been the choice of professionals for shaping exceptional mixes for more than four decades.
High and Low-Pass Filters
High-pass and low-pass filters are integral to the ORIGIN EVO channel strip, with the typical routing flexibility expected from an SSL in-line analogue console. ORIGIN EVO adds a 12dB/octave low-pass filter to ORIGIN’s existing 18dB/octave high-pass filter, providing enhanced tonal shaping options. Both filters can be switched to the dynamics sidechain, allowing precise control over frequency response – ideal for gating drums or triggering the compressor with a tighter focus for tasks such as de-essing.
Hybrid Production Workflows
One of the key design principles behind ORIGIN EVO is authentic E Series sonics, delivered through hybrid production workflows and ergonomics. At its core is a 19-inch, rack-based modular centre section that adapts to different control priorities and adds space for custom outboard processing, keeping the engineer in the sweet spot with workstation control and processing within arm’s reach.
Seamlessly integrate a UF8 or UF1 DAW controller, while the Stereo Group fader tile can be moved up the centre section to place the UF8/UF1 in the lower bay, directly in front of the engineer. The 3U centre meter panel can be repositioned to bring a workstation monitor closer without obscuring the main meters.
Beyond the adaptable layout, each channel strip is optimised for hybrid work with a 0 dB fader bypass for printing stems and insert points on both the Large and Small faders for easy integration of additional processing.
Enhanced SSL Bus Compressor
Few pieces of studio production equipment have earned the legendary status of the SSL Bus Compressor. For decades, it has been the secret weapon behind countless hit records – trusted by producers and engineers for its ability to deliver the ‘glue’ that brings a mix together. In ORIGIN EVO, this heritage lives on through the authentic circuit and design, built true to original specifications. Its signature mix bus cohesion adds power, drive, and clarity, creating the polished sound professionals demand. The Bus Compressor in ORIGIN EVO adds new compression ratios, an insert return for external processing, and a built-in sidechain filter – delivering the classic SSL punch with modern flexibility.
The SSL Mix Bus
A defining element of SSL consoles is their mix bus, and ORIGIN EVO is no different. ORIGIN and ORIGIN EVO take a new approach compared to other SSL large-format consoles to deliver excellent noise performance and very low distortion via a new ‘all-analogue’ design. Part of the magic of SSL consoles is their ability to effortlessly sum sounds together with detail and separation, while creating an extremely wide stereo image for the engineer to use creatively.
Many engineers comment that the mix bus on SSL consoles ‘bends’ sonically, allowing them to add more sounds, dynamics, and energy into a mix without it ‘falling apart’.
Advanced Bus Routing
ORIGIN EVO’s electronic routing overcomes several ergonomic and reliability issues associated with traditional routing switches at the top of the channel. The new routing approach avoids the need for the user to repeatedly reach to the top of the strip and improves console reliability, with electronic switching removing components that are often located in the hottest part of the channel strip and therefore prone to cleaning or replacement.
A single ROUTE select switch allows each channel to address the centrally located bus assignments, and with intelligent multi-select finger presses, setting up a session is far simpler and less prone to issues than traditional switch-based routing.
Mission Control
The Centre Tiles are the heart of ORIGIN EVO, designed with easily accessible features and tools needed for fast, creative session workflows. Taking sustainability, ergonomics, modern gain-staging, and communication requirements into consideration, ORIGIN EVO offers a reassuringly familiar Centre Tile feature set with some ahead-of-the-curve functionality:
