New Music Gear Monday: SSL XL-Desk Console

I look at a lot of gear for New Music Gear Monday, but sometimes you find a piece that falls into the "why didn't anyone think of that before" category. The Solid State Logic XL-Desk console falls into this category, since you can classify it as one of the few "mix and match" consoles now available.

The XL-Desk is in many ways just a traditional 24 into 8 console except for the fact that there are 18 500 series slots built in so that you can integrate your mic pre or processing modules right into the desk. It has 20 channel strips (16 mono and 4 stereo), with the first 8 channels having SSL's VHD mic pre's built in.

There are 4 mix busses, and the desk also has the famed SSL stereo buss compressor fitted across Mix Buss A that now has a high pass sidechain input. The XL-Desk also has a fully featured monitor section that can handle 3 sets of speakers, plus a subwoofer with bass management for surround mixes.

Although this seems like a small feature, those of us that have owned large consoles in the past know its actually a big deal that the XL has a high quality internal power supply. Consoles used to suck up a lot of power, making those electricity bills skyrocket unexpectedly, and the PSUs took up a lot of space and threw off heat too. The new generation small and more efficient PSUs are a giant plus when it comes to today's consoles, and the XL is no exception.

The SSL XL-Desk is priced well at only $19,995. It can be had without any 500 series modules or filled with those from SSL as well.

Here's a video that explains the desk in more detail.

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