SSL Duende: Three new plug-ins, migration to iLok and AAX development announced

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The three new plug-ins complement the existing range with two plug-ins (X-Saturator & X-ValveComp) designed to bring some analogue saturation and distortion emulation to your digital DAW and the third (X-Phase) delivering high precision frequency specific phase correction. The new plug-ins are due for public release by May 1st 2014. To coincide with the new plug-in release SSL has announced migration of the entire Duende Native plug-in collection to the iLok copy protection system. SSL has also announced a summer release for AAX versions of the entire suite.

"We're excited to bring these new tools to the Duende family. Like the others in the Duende range the new plug-ins are a mix of easy-to-use sound sweeteners and technical problem-solvers." says Jim Motely, Head Of Business for Workstation Partner Products at SSL. "By responding to our customer's requests to move to what many see as the industry-standard copy protection system we hope to ensure that using Duende plug-ins is as simple an experience as possible".

About the new plug-ins:
X-Phase is an All-pass Filter plug-in that offers the user manual control and benchmark audio quality. It enables the user to apply a phase shift (sometimes called a phase offset) at a specified frequency within a signal. Unlike other filter types where the gain of selected frequencies is altered, with an All-pass Filter the gain remains unchanged throughout the signal. This is useful for fixing phase problems with microphones when recording: eg overheads causing phase problems when mixed with close mic’s. With X-Phase the controls are simple: a Frequency control selects the desired frequency where a phase offset needs to be applied, a Q control sets the slope of the curve of correction to be applied across the signal and a phase invert button enables the phase of the filter to be flipped 180 degrees. A separate Delay section is applied to the entire signal for broader time alignment. The Delay controls consist of a delay control which can be set to display and adjust in seconds, milliseconds, samples, metres or feet and a set of buttons for fine tuning. The overall plug-in can be used in mono or stereo modes. X-Phase can be automated via standard DAW Automation data and has A&B Preset ‘slots’ with an A/B switch for easy comparison of two different combinations of settings. There are Input and Output Meters with Input and Output Level controls. Read More.
X-Phase Price: £199, €249 and $329 +Tax

X-Saturator delivers a stunning range of analogue style distortion effects. It is an emulation of an analogue circuit that introduces either 2nd order valve style or 3rd order transistor style distortion or a blend of the two. At low drive settings the distortion is mild and can add gentle warming to help instruments sit nicely in a mix or to add a little extra edge to help instruments cut through a mix. As drive levels are increased so too is the level of distortion until at high drive levels heavy distortion occurs. The controls are simple: a Harmonics control selects 2nd or 3rd order distortion or a blend of the two, a Drive control sets the drive level, a Depth control adjusts the amplitude of the distortion and a Shape control adjusts whether the distortion has smooth or hard edges. A Headroom button provides an additional 6dB of headroom for creating heavily boosted/distorted signals without digital clipping. A dedicated wet/dry mix control facilitates parallel processing. There are Input and Output Meters and Input and Output Level controls. X-Saturator can be automated via standard DAW Automation data and has A&B Preset ‘slots’ with an A/B switch for easy comparison of two different combinations of settings. Read More.
X-Saturator Price: £69, €89 and $119 +Tax
Special introductory pricing of £49, €59 and $85 + Tax for the first 30 days only.

X-ValveComp is a fully-featured mono or stereo channel compressor with a full set of classic channel compressor controls and an added ‘valve’ emulation stage. The valve emulation stage sits after the compressor in the signal path and adds a variable degree of primarily 2nd order harmonic saturation and distortion that thickens and colours the sound. The compressor can be switched between Peak or RMS modes and has a full set of standard controls including; Threshold, Ratio, Knee, Attack, Release and Hold. There are Input and Output Meters with separate kick down compression amount indication and Input and Output Level controls. There’s a Gain Make Up control and switched Auto Gain Make Up mode. A dedicated wet/dry mix control facilitates parallel compression. A Side Chain input high and low pass filters can be used to trigger compression. X-ValveComp can be automated via standard DAW Automation data and has A&B Preset ‘slots’ with an A/B switch for easy comparison of two different combinations of settings. Read More.
X-ValveComp Price: £69, €89 and $119 +Tax
Special introductory pricing of £49, €59 and $85 + Tax for the first 30 days only.

About iLok migration
To coincide with the release of the new plug-ins the entire Duende plug-in collection will be migrated away from SSL’s existing ‘Codemeter’ by WIBU Systems based copy protection system to the more widely used iLok system. The move is aimed to streamline the purchase process and improve overall user experience. Existing Duende Native and Legacy DSP hardware owners (who have not already cross-graded to Duende Native) will be offered a free cross grade to iLok. Owners of Codemeter hardware dongles will be offered a 50% discount on iLok purchase from SSL’s online store and a free X-Saturator or X-ValveComp plug-in. SSL’s Codemeter based online license centre will cease to function in January 2015 so all users are strongly encouraged to migrate to iLok by December 2014. SSL’s iLok support is scheduled to become live by 1st May 2014.

About SSL’s AAX development:
Release of versions of the entire Duende Native plug-in suite which are compatible with Avid AAX format and thus ProTools 11 are due for release in Q3 2014. The AAX versions will be free to all existing iLok based Duende Native plug-in owners.

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I guess moving from proprietary dongle to iLok is a step in a right direction. But it is still a bunch of iLok protected EQ's and compressors with butt-ugly GUI so who cares. I love how they pitch the move to "industry standard copy protection" like they are doing everyone a huge favor. FU industry standard copy protection! It's a easy pass. :shrug:
No signature here!

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X-phase...all pass and a delay for 249€ + tax...what a joke :lol:

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Seriously!!??? A friggin allpass filter for 249 euros!! If there ever was a huge LOL to be had due to the sheer BALLS it takes to rip people off like that, this is it!

L O L!!!

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



.. seriously.. this is amazing! SSL used to be a company I could respect but I'm not sure that is possible any more.
"Wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the idiot who said it." -an idiot

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robotmonkey wrote:I guess moving from proprietary dongle to iLok is a step in a right direction. But it is still a bunch of iLok protected EQ's and compressors with butt-ugly GUI so who cares. I love how they pitch the move to "industry standard copy protection" like they are doing everyone a huge favor. FU industry standard copy protection! It's a easy pass. :shrug:
Maybe not for new users, try sit thru their current activation scheme, _anything_ is an improvement..

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bmanic wrote:Seriously!!??? A friggin allpass filter for 249 euros!! If there ever was a huge LOL to be had due to the sheer BALLS it takes to rip people off like that, this is it!

L O L!!!

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



.. seriously.. this is amazing! SSL used to be a company I could respect but I'm not sure that is possible any more.
The same as Universal Audio :dog: this ppl lives still in the last century there are far better developers from them nowadays for dirty cheap...

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SSL says:

X-Phase is a really good tool for those that understand that phase is not just about time-aligning signals but also about different frequencies inside a signal being in phase with each other. Nothing else does everything that this can do in a single plug-in.

True?
Aiynzahev-sounds
Sound Designer - Soundsets for Pigments, Repro, Diva, Virus TI, Nord Lead 4, Serum, DUNE2, Spire, and others

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In which some people think they know more about DSP than the folks at SSL is quite entertaining.

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I'm pretty eager to hear what their saturator has to offer...

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DFoisie wrote: SSL’s iLok support is scheduled to become live by 1st May 2014.
iLok/Pace Virus = No Sale.
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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I have some of the SSL stuff. Their prices are bizarre considering the quality around these days.

As I have an iLok. I'm pleased that I won't have to use their poxy e-dongle thing.

Meh, to their new plugins. But I'd like to see the distortion.
Last edited by Robmobius on Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I will take the Lord's name in vain, whenever I want. Hail Satan! And his little goblins too. :lol:

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careyletendre wrote:In which some people think they know more about DSP than the folks at SSL is quite entertaining.
A simple allpass filter + a delay is NOT a difficult DSP task. If you can not understand that the it's your loss. People who decide to stay absolutely ignorant about everything and blindly believing what an authority or a brand says are the unfortunate victims of these kinds of blatant rip-offs.

.,. but like I said, it's your money/your loss. I won't be stopping you from buying the plugin if you feel like it, but don't expect me to not laugh. I laugh when I find something funny. A simple allpass + delay sold at 249 euros/300 dollars is comedy gold.
"Wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the idiot who said it." -an idiot

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I'll probably demo and not buy as I'm not in the market for anything, Especially the allpass + delay! It is a plus for me personally them going to deathLOK and on a positive note at least continuing the range.

Trying to stay in the glass half full state of mind

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I have absolutely nothing against the other plugins. Heck I own the SSL console bus compressor and like it a lot. I too prefer the iLok in this case as I have 2 of those buggers in the studio computer.. but that allpass + delay is just.. words can't describe how bizarre that plugin is. It's the kind of plugin many companies would probably offer as freeware.

Heck, if Aleksey from Voxengo feels like it he could easily add a single all pass filter to his already excellent Sound Delay and Latency Delay plugins and it'd kill the SSL offering.

.. or just use ReaEQ + both/either of the mentioned voxengo plugin and you have exactly what the SSL plugin is offering. You even see the phase response in ReaEQ if you enable that tiny tick box that says "show phase". :D
"Wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the idiot who said it." -an idiot

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bmanic wrote:
careyletendre wrote:In which some people think they know more about DSP than the folks at SSL is quite entertaining.
A simple allpass filter + a delay is NOT a difficult DSP task. If you can not understand that the it's your loss. People who decide to stay absolutely ignorant about everything and blindly believing what an authority or a brand says are the unfortunate victims of these kinds of blatant rip-offs.

.,. but like I said, it's your money/your loss. I won't be stopping you from buying the plugin if you feel like it, but don't expect me to not laugh. I laugh when I find something funny. A simple allpass + delay sold at 249 euros/300 dollars is comedy gold.
I feel pity for you.

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