Solid State Logic Nucleus² (White)

Now offering Dante capability over Ethernet connections, the Nucleus² from Solid State Logic is a portable desktop unit which combines customizable DAW control, transparent SuperAnalog monitoring, SSL console-grade mic pres, a talkback mic, and more to give your project studio an elegant and comprehensive monitoring, recording, and mixing solution. This unit, styled in a light finish, builds upon the previous iteration to give you a feel closely modelled on the SSL Matrix, allowing you to put your mouse aside and make your musical decisions in the console-style often favored by producers and engineers.

Able to switch among three different connected DAWs at the push of a button, the Nucleus² uses HUI and MCU protocols to ensure compatibility with applications such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Cubase/Nuendo. It can also transmit MIDI CC data. The net result: dedicated, assignable hardware controls for plug-in parameters and your DAW, with 16 100mm motorized faders, user-definable soft-keys, V-Pots, and dedicated select/solo/cut buttons at your command—as well as 10-point channel level meters.

A center section provides DAW-specific controls, giving you large, heavy-duty transport buttons, a sturdy jog/shuttle wheel, additional USB keyboard emulation buttons, and more. Some metering features come in particularly handy in low-light conditions, such as bright LCD digital scribble strips, DAW audio level meters, LED status indicators, and self-illuminating buttons.

Connectivity to your computer can be achieved via Ethernet connections for Dante audio and DAW control, and in this manner, the unit can be looped into a larger Dante network. It also features a USB connection and appears to your computer as a standard keyboard, enabling key command emulation. You can also utilize S/PDIF connections to feed the AD/DA of your existing interface, and in doing so, can use a “digital to DAW” record path and a “mic/line/instrument to digital” output path. Using a wet/dry control, you can balance the incoming signal with DAW playback to achieve zero-latency monitoring whilst recording.

In addition to Dante connectivity, the Nucleus² gives you another new feature in the form of a talkback input which feeds headphones and triggers a -20 dB dimming of your monitor outputs. You can switch the feed of this talkback input to input 2 of the Dante soundcard, and in this way, control talkback remotely over a network.

The unit provides a whole host of other useful qualities, so for a comprehensive list, please continue to the features section.

Analog Compliment

The mic pres on the Nucleus² are identical to those used on SSL Duality and AWS consoles, as well as the X-Rack system, giving this unit a transparent mic recording path. The mic inputs sport 80 Hz high-pass filters, polarity reverse, and phantom power. A pair of insert send/return connections for incorporation of external analogue processing or effects default to the mic/line/instrument inputs, but they can be moved across to DAW playback for mixdown. Two combi XLR-1/4″ mic/line/instrument level inputs can feed the audio interface and the monitor outputs simultaneously. An additional external stereo analogue input provides a transparent SuperAnalogue monitor path for another audio interface, or any other analogue device.

Comprehensive Monitoring

The unit’s signal path provides high-quality monitor outputs to both main and alternate speaker sets, doing so via +4dBu connections. An analogue output level meter gives you an accurate reading. A stereo minijack connection makes monitoring from an iPod or any other portable audio device straightforward. Two headphone outputs complete the monitoring options.

USB Connections and SD Storage

This device features a USB connection, appearing to any host computer as a standard keyboard, and thus, enabling key-command emulation over your DAW. There are three USB ports on the back which operate as a USB hub. A standard jack footswitch connection is also included, and an SD card slot allows Profile storage.

Custom and Recallable Configuration

Configuration and mapping of Key/DAW commands is via a remote SSL Logictivity browser, which allows differing control profile sets to be stored and recalled.

Included Duende Native Essentials Bundle

Nucleus² includes the Duende Native Essentials Bundle, giving you the Duende Native versions of the SSL Channel EQ & Dynamics and Stereo Bus Compressor VST/AU/AAX plug-ins. The EQ and Dynamics Channel is the classic SSL console channel strip, with 4-band parametric EQ, compressor/expander/gate, high-pass and low-pass filters. The Duende Native Bus Compressor is the sound of the classic SSL stereo bus compressor from the 1980’s G-Series analogue console delivered in plug-in form.

FEATURES

• DAW controller for professional project studios via Ethernet
• Compatible with ProTools, Logic, Cubase/Nuendo and all major DAW applications
• Switch between three connected DAWs with a single button press
• Two banks of 8-channel controls, plus center-section controls
• Touch-sensitive 100mm motorized faders
• Digital scribble strips with assignable V-Pots and soft keys
• User-customizable DAW & key-command mapping
• Remote Logictivity Browser for easy configuration
• Large heavy-duty transport buttons, as well as a jog/shuttle wheel
• Visual feedback via self-illuminating buttons, LEDs, and DAW level metering
• Benchmark SuperAnalogue output to two stereo sets of +4 dBu monitor outputs
• Dante audio interface (44.1 to 96 kHz / 24-bit) over Ethernet
• Digital S/PDIF I/O to the AD/DA of the audio interface
• Zero-latency record-monitoring with wet/dry control to balance input and DAW playback
• Mic inputs have 80 Hz high-pass filters, polarity reverse, and phantom power
• Additional “external” SuperAnalogue input monitor path for another audio interface
• Talkback input path with switchable -20dB monitor DIM and adjustable gain. Can be switched to feed input 2 of the Dante soundcard for remote communication over the network
• Two headphone outputs and one iJack monitor input
• Standard 1/4″ jack footswitch connection
• Dual Ethernet ports for incorporating additional Dante devices into your studio