SSL 2+

434 Customer ratings

4.8 / 5

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283 Reviews

SSL 2+
£199
All prices incl. VAT
In stock
In stock

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Delivery free of charge expected between Friday, 5.04. and Monday, 8.04.
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Expensive but usable audio interface with good quality pre-amps
LUN4 07.04.2020
Some notes from my point of view after full-time using it for about 5-6 weeks. Other interfaces I use or have used are Roland Quad-Capture, Focusrite Scarlett, Focurite Clarett and some RME stuff.

Positive:
- Very nice sounding pre-amps with mics. Instruments also sound fine. Really nothing bad to say about the pre-amps.
- Knobs turn well, feel nice. A bit too small for my taste, since turning them only a little bit (like 0,2 mm or something) is a bit easier with bigger knobs (for me atleast). I like it that all the buttons are on the top panel and that all the cables are on the back panel. Some other interfaces have buttons on the back and I dislike that greatly.
- Two headphone mixes are a welcome addition!
- When pressing the phantom power button all inputs are briefly muted, which is a nice feature that I haven't seen before on units in this price range.

Neutral:
- Latency is comparable with a lot of other of these bus powered interfaces. Nothing to write home about, but also not bad.
- The 4K mode adds high end, boosts overall volume and seems to add a bit of additional gain. It's not bad in any way, but the same effect can be achieved with software. I like the mode for darker sounding acoustic guitars. It's more of a (marketing) gimmick though.
- Build quality-wise it's fine, but nothing special.

Negative:
- The db meter is practically useless. It ranges from -40 to 0 db in 5 steps and well... It sucks big time.
- About once every ~18 hours of using this device, audio stops and the interface need to be turned off and on again (by pulling and reinserting USB cable) in order to be able to use it again. I have not found logging data or the cause.
- It misses features that I would expect on a brand new € 300 audio interfaces. Most - if not all - price competitors offer additional features such as auto sensing, loopback, second monitor out or USB 3.0. Loopback would have been a welcome addition for example.
- Hyperlinks in the box for 'free' software were not working for days and the website didn't function correctly. Maybe they fixed it now, but since this is about my experiences with this purchage I also mention this. Also the 'free' software seemed to requires personal data and seems to require rootkits on your operating system. So this was (because of multiple reasons) a big no-no for me.

All in all a nice and usable audio interface with good quality pre-amps. You don't see small interfaces with top controls that much, so in that regard it's a nice addition. I feel the unit is overpriced/doesn't offer enough features for the amount of money paid, but it still delivers excellent sound so that compensates the high cost a bit.
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J
Almost ideal
Jgone 04.10.2021
I bought this interface, after a recommendation from my friend and testing his unit in action. After two weeks I decided to give it a shot.
I've been using it for 6 months since and it is a very solid product, but it has some flaws, which may or may not affects the overall experience - depending on the user.

1. Sound quality - preamps have very clean, pristine sound, and enough gain to drive an SM7B. They work well on line, instrumental, and mic input - DI guitar and bass sound really good.

Headphone outputs have enough power to feed both AKG K271 and Audio-Technica MX40, and they can be really loud - halfway through is more than enough for me but I have not checked them on any high-impedance headphones (AKG have 55 Ohms, AT - 35 Ohms).

The 4K buttons boost signal a few dB and add some noise - sometimes it can be used creatively (e.g. on DI bass or even microphone ) but if you want a really clean sound, they will indeed distort the signal.

Monitor outputs are loud - I have never reached past 12 o'clock during usual work and my room is about 20 square meters big.
I use Yamaha HS5 with SSL2.

2. Build quality - the knobs are really good. Especially the main monitor knob is very pleasant to touch and turn - just like in the real SSL console.

The buttons for phantom power, line, and HI-Z feel like they are of worse quality than the rest of the interface. Up until this point I have not had any problems with them but my friend told me that some of them fell off. There is space for improvement.

Overall the interface's chassis feel sturdy and solid, as well as the in/out sockets on the rear.
One last thing: it is made in China and for some of you it can be a deal-breaker, so bear that in mind. But on the other hand, what isn't built in China these days?


3. Usage experience - it is a very nice, little interface with good preamps quality and good drivers.
I work on PC, in 48KHz and 128spls and the latency in both Reaper and Ableton are around 5,1/4,5 which is very usable, at least for me.
But it would probably be nice to have a TB3 version of SSL2 because I can see no real difference between USB A and C connectors in this case.

The monitor mix knob, which is more and more common on modern interfaces is a nice feature to have while recording. MIDI I/O is also very nice to have.

The fact that all of the I/O are on the back could be problematic for some of the users. I think that having the DI-ins and headphone outs on the front panel would be useful. But it would definitely affect the neat look of the interface ;)

To sum up - I truly recommend SSL2+ for mixing in-home studio and some small recording sessions it can be an ideal piece of gear .
What I would really like to see in the future is a version with 4 preamps and an ADAT I/O as well as a Thunderbolt3 version.
Maybe someday SSL
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B
Started having problems after 6 months of (almost) flawless use...
Bib/'sfiha 05.10.2023
After 6 months of use the 4K switch on channel 1 started having issues to turn off. Now the red light on it just does not shut down anymore, it being pressed or not. Then I started having driver issues where it started connecting and disconnecting all day before I found any type of solution. Now the phantom power of channel 2 is having bad contact... And I barely use channel 2... Contacting SSL to see what they can do.
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J
Solid and Logical
Jackfisher 22.12.2021
I got this as an upgrade over my old Gen2 2i2.

This is indeed an upgrade, it's a new level for "budget" USB interfaces.
The pre-amps are top quality, this thing deserves the SSL credentials, instantly better than the focusrite, even at low volume.

The best thing about this interface for everyday use outside of instruments and music is the fact that it's actually registers as an input device in Windows 10, meaning that you can plug in a microphone, turn on phantom power and use it in any communication app like Discord or Zoom, while with the 2i2 I had to run Reaper and route the signal using AsioLink Pro.

The USB type C is also an upgrade with noticeable improvements in latency and elimination of bottlenecks when running some applications.
For example: Since the Gen2 2i2 is running a USB type A gen 2 bus, it can get overwhelmed when using CPU intensive applications like running a heavy session of reaper or just everyday PC use when playing some games, causing static.
The SSL2 and 2+ use a USB type C bus that has higher bandwidth that illuminates the bottleneck and gets rid of any problems.

Another great feature is the MIDI interface in this model, though I didn't get to use it yet.

The actual control layout of the interface is logical and simple to use, the knobs and buttons feel very solid and sturdy.
The back panel input method allows for a clean setup with all the cables being tucked away behind the interface.

Overall this is a great interface that I would recommend to anyone in the price range.

The only thing that left me wanting for more is the lack of a line in input that would allow for an expression pedal integration which could be nice at this price point, but besides that I couldn't find anything wrong with this.

10/11 (really, if this had a line in for expression, this thing would go up to 11)
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M
Excelent
Molaram 30.01.2024
Just updated from the Focusrite 4i4 3rd gen. the sound quality greatly improved both on headphones and monitors. My latency got better in ableton right out the box. It's clearly superior in this price range. Strongly recommend it. Cheers
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D
Strongly Recommend!!!
Dihydrogen_Monoxide 11.08.2021
For such an entry price for an audio interface, I would say it has done a very good job. Comparing to 2i2, which is a very popular competition, I could say both the recording quality of the preamp, and also the playback quality are better than the 2i2 which I previously own. Although I don't typically use the 4K button for a boost for texture of the sound in the recording stage, it is quite useful if you are lazy and trying to get a better sound just by pressing a button, especially for vocal in some live session.
There are a few improvements that I would like to see tho. Firstly, I am using 770pro 80Ohm headphone with my SSL 2+. I would say there are some situation that when you are turning the "monitor mix" knob to the middle to listen both your mic and the sound from PC, there is a small chance that the volume would be a little bit too soft when the incoming signal is not that strong. Also the indicator for loudness for input signal has the interval of 0, -10, -20, -30, -40, which is not very useful referencing to it because 0 to -10 is just too much of a difference.
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E
SSL <3
ErkinDav 25.04.2023
is a professional-level audio interface that delivers exceptional sound quality and versatile connectivity options. With two pristine SSL-designed microphone preamps, four line inputs, and four outputs, the SSL 2+ is ideal for recording vocals, instruments, and other audio sources with great clarity and detail. The interface also features MIDI connectivity and a high-performance headphone output with independent volume control. Its sleek and intuitive design makes it easy to use, and it comes with the SSL Production Pack software bundle, which includes popular plugins from SSL, Native Instruments, and other leading manufacturers. Overall, the SSL 2+ is an excellent choice for musicians, producers, and audio professionals who demand high-quality sound and flexible connectivity.
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V
With the MacBook M1 Max chip, some glitches. May be only my case.
Valters Veide 21.07.2023
This is a great interface and all the good is there of course. The 4k switch is great and the handling is nice too. I have experienced a very weird issue in my case where, once you plug in the sound card, it sometimes makes all the sounds down 1/8th of pitch and 1/8 slowed down. It's a weird glitch that resolves if I unplug and plug in a couple of times. Just be aware if you're using a MacBook with M1 Max, you may experience the same issues and it's just a tiny bit that makes this product feel less reliable than others.
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MN
The perfect upgrade
Mr. Nelson 13.02.2020
I purchased my first audio interface, the Yamaha AG06 five years ago. After accumulating various outboard analog equipment, and developing a deeper understanding of sound engineering, I decided to finally upgrade to a newer interface which would give me more possibilities than what I was used to.

I was about to buy the MOTU M4 because of it's amazing specs, but then the SSL 2+ was introduced. On paper - the MOTU M4 has better specs, but when considering the software that comes with the SSL 2+, I couldn't pass up on it.

I recently bought the SSL SIX and so thought that this was the logical decision to compliment it.

Having two headphone outs, two clean preamps, real analog circuit when the 4k switch is engaged, two phantom power switches, multiple outputs, zero latency monitoring and the big nob that goes to 11 makes this a nice feature packed product.

I like the design, it feels sturdy, and it comforts me to know that the analog to digital converters are of top quality.

At this price point, I do not think you can go wrong. It will be another 5 years before I get my next interface.
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WI
Great Value for money
Willo II 02.09.2022
This is my first interface. I ordered it from thorman and it was delivered in the expected time to Uganda. The build quality is solid.
It was a breeze to connect it to my PC (windows 11) and then setting up in my DAW. I haven't had any issues. I like the sound quality a lot but given that it's my first interface, I cannot speak about how it compares to the competition. However I don't like the noise levels when I connect instruments through the HI-Z inputs.
What blew me away is the included suite of plugins. You have hundreds of dollars worth of very good plugins. I am happy with my purchase.
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SSL 2+