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Amsterdam's AES Convention will witness the introduction of SSL's long-awaited digital mixing console. Zenon Schoepe goes in for an exclusive preview
Having covered pretty much all the areas of broadcast and postproduction that could see benefit in digital technology, it was inevitable that SSL would finally have to face up to the challenge of presenting a digital alternative to its market leading analogue music desks. I have seen it, visitors to the Amsterdam AES this month will see it, it will ship in October, and it is called the Axiom-MT.
An outline of what is being offered should set the scene. The MT can run to 96 in-line channels (192 automated mix inputs) plus 12 stereo effects returns to the centre section. It has 48 multitrack, 12 aux, and 12 main mix buses and each strip has access to 4-band fully parametric EQ with high and low filters and a separate compressor-limiter and expander-gate section. Automation is fully dynamic and snapshot with 5.1 capability.
However, most significantly of all, the Axiom-MT looks from even a few paces like a generic SSL analogue desk - bits of the look of a 9000 and a 4000 - with bays of 8 channels loaded with in-line long and short motorised fader-equipped strips filled to brimming with pots and switches. It really does not look like the popularly accepted picture of a digital desk. There is predictably some familial resemblance to the Axiom, but the MT pips it substantially on knobs per strip. Dimensionally the MT is identical to the 9000, it actually uses its frame like the Axiom does.
We are looking at yet another manifestation of the original core Axiom technology that started the whole A-Series thing rolling; although it has to be said that this is probably the furthest out from the centre that the technology has been taken as the demands of the music mixing fraternity were seen to be specific and unique.
SSL stresses that the MT does not replace anything and does not signal the rapid abandonment of SSL's analogue desk interests. SSL want us to see the MT as an accompaniment to its analogue desks as the new digital board is described as a mixing product rather than a tracking desk....