Building my own SSL Console

[Meadow]

Hey

This idea is probably very stupid and very expensive…

 

I want to build my own SSL Console.
I wanted to have a console like this for years, but with a starting price of around 50.000€ even the cheapest one is still way too expensive for me.

I’m not building an audio mixing console, I’m building a DAW controller with the layout of the current ORIGIN console.
Luckily most of the legendary SSL hardware components are available as plugins.

 

I think and hope the MIDIbox modules and software should be the answer to all my problems, but I hope and would kindly ask for help and or improvements on my design and use of the components.

1. Design

My friend Ole and me startet the design in Adobe inDesign.
He works as a graphic designer and pretty much knows his way around all the adobe design software so we startet working.

For the layout we take the ORIGIN console as an example.
Therefore the controller should consist of 32 channels, 16 on each side, a mastering section and a Bus section.

We nee to change some parts in the layout because we don’t need all the routing possibilities, because it’s just a controller not an analog console.

Working with the real measurements of an SSL I found on the website of https://www.recycledaudio.co.uk and inspired by pictures of the ORIGIN we came up with this design.

Every channel has a motorized 100mm fader with 3 buttons for solo, cut and arm and a Pan knob at the bottom.
Above that is the EQ unit and above that 8 free programmable knobs mainly for busses. At the top is a Gain knob and a mono button.
Working with a DAW controller all my stereo channels still are routed to one channel inside the DAW. Therefore I can’t split a stereo channel on two channels and the mono button will help differentiate between mono and stereo channels.

I am currently working on a MacBook Pro. Because of this I need some space in the mastering section for my laptop to sit.
I will build this section modular, so I can change the plate where the laptop sits to another one where a keyboard and a trackpad could sit, if I choose to work on a desktop PC in the future.
The. Laptop will sit on a grid with fans below. This way I hope I don’t have to run the fans of the MacBook as high, because they are quite noisy.
Next to the MacBook is the transport section with some basic control knobs and buttons.
Above the laptop is the bus fader section, consisting of 8 60mm Faders and Solo and Cut buttons.

 

The whole front panel of the console will be made out of 3 mm thick metal.
All the holes and cuts for the hardware will be cut by a laser cutting firm.

Adobe Illustrator can export DXF files with which the firm can work.

Last but not least on top of the console will be a meter bridge.
The meter bridge will be build out of 7“ LCD monitors and merged to one big screen with an 10 times HDMI splitter like this one:

https://kvm-switch.de/de/VS0110HA.html

 

I will post the next part in the next days, talking about the hardware components and the midibox modules.

 

This is going to be a very hard to build project, but I think also a lot of fun!

Thanks for sticking around after that long text!

 

Frederik / M e a d o w

 

[SSL Laser Vorbereitung.pdf](< base_url >/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=15475)[SSL Design Oberfläche ganz (Ohne Schrift).pdf](< base_url >/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=15476)

[Polykobol]

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[Phatline]

since you dont asked something - a few thougts about this.

for buss and eq i wouldnt use potentiometers - at least not on a DAW controller that big size (where daw has automations… and you load different songs…) - there are more clever ways - but that of course not would look like this console… (i would use encoders with ledrings and small displays arround it, a punch of them and some Banks to switch thru them…)

i havent count - how many pots and faders are there?

the modular thinking is a good idea - i would do that for all sections of the controller

which daw can send a meterbridge to your 9000x300 (or whatever that is) screen?

 

[Meadow]

Thank you for you’re replies!
I also thought about using endless pots, but I want to have the hard stops in the pots to work without looking.
When I load a different song the DAW shouldn’t change any settings as long as I don’t touch any pots.
If I’m right, the DAW safes the last information and will only change it when she receives a new information. So the pot wouldn’t point in the same direction as the plugin, but the plugin would be still on the right position, right?
I especially want to use analog pots, cause I like the stiffness in turning them more over the haptic of endless pots.

There will be a lot…
Roughly counted over 1000 Pots/ Faders and Knobs. I plan on using multiple cores running parallel, but I will write about that in a next post - still have some researching to do.

I need to write a program, which can export the level information out of the DAW. Then I need a design like an meter bridge showing the levels.
This program will sit on top of the DAW.
I am currently working with Ableton. I think this should as a midi remote script, but if not I still can program a Max 4 Live app which sends the meter information into my meter bridge program.
 

[Phatline]

1 hour ago, Meadow said:

If I’m right, the DAW safes the last information and will only change it when she receives a new information. So the pot wouldn’t point in the same direction as the plugin, but the plugin would be still on the right position, right?
I especially want to use analog pots, cause I like the stiffness in turning them more over the haptic of endless pots.

right, as long they are good quality - or are not gone bad (over the years) (a noisy pot sends some random values, and that will forces your daw to change the Controll)

There will be a lot... Roughly counted over 1000 Pots/ Faders and Knobs. I plan on using multiple cores running parallel, but I will write about that in a next post - still have some researching to do.

128 pots a core… what i know… multiple cores - you definitivly need that.

I need to write a program, which can export the level information out of the DAW. Then I need a design like an meter bridge showing the levels. This program will sit on top of the DAW. I am currently working with Ableton. I think this should as a midi remote script, but if not I still can program a Max 4 Live app which sends the meter information into my meter bridge program.

as an max4live user - not sure but you should be possible to read out the values…live.path-madness… maybe sending the CCs to a pair of minicomputers which runs a max patch that representate the meterbridge… could be a pd patch

[Meadow]

I plan to use alpha pots. I got them recommended from a friend. Hopefully they will do a good job.

I found an article in another thread which referred to the possibility to use 3 cores or even more.
I found some background information about using 3 cores with an stm32f4 but not more.
There should be a limit to the core processing wise but unit now I couldn’t find the numbers.

Thats an interesting idea with the minicomputers. I have to look into that!
Thank you very much so far