SSL Alpha Link MADI SX

Solid State Logic Alpha Link Review / See All ZenPro Audio Reviews Here: Review Page

Solid State Logic (SSL) has been building unique consoles for decades, and now that the market is changing and getting more compact (like everything is!) SSL have been rolling out products that continue to impress me not only in build quality and sound, but in price point. Considering it’s all still built right there in Oxford it makes it even a bit more amazing to me. When it comes to the “Alpha Link” range of converters and DAW interfaces I have to say, they are well deserving of the name “SSL” and deserve serious consideration for any studio.

First of all, these converters sound fantastic. Such a natural, detailed and extended sound which gives you all the boom on the bottom and air on the top, in a very linear fashion. I do not hear them accenting one part of the range over another, it sounds like what I hear coming off my mixer or preamps. I know some companies incorporate a “sound” to their converters but sorry, I’d rather achieve that with other gear. The fact that you get 24 in and out in a single box is astounding, nevermind the additional 24 digital in and out onboard (AES or ADAT). All 24 analog channels will operate at 96k / 24 bit without being halved in channel count as well. The onboard metering is simple (single multi colored LED’s for each channel switchable between AD and DA) but effective enough for my uses. When you look at the pricing it is absolutely a stunning deal, so do not let the low price fool you; this is SSL quality through and through.

I have used the PCI “Mixpander” cards and now own the latest generation of MADI PCIe cards and use them daily here at ZenPro Audio. Very simple and straight forward stuff to operate, my Rain Recording PC and Nuendo setup enjoy a 100% stable relationship with the SSL MADIExtreme card. I have seriously never had a glitch with interfacing, and I have owned two systems on two PC’s thus far. Reliability is so important, so I can testify that it is delivered here as well when it comes to a strong and stable connection.

Conclusion: The pinnacle of tape machine recording has been 24 track, I find that having 24 analog in and out available for my DAW setup is never a limitation when producing rock and pop recordings. SSL has not only hit the nail on the head with features and sound, but knocked one out of the park on pricing. As a daily user of the Alpha Link system I highly recommend SSL for any serious recordist or studio owner.