Solid State Logic SSL 2 and 2+ MKII: These interfaces have the edge in a crowded marketSSL 2 MKII: £211 / €249 / $229
SSL 2+ MKII: £278 / €329 / $299
solidstatelogic.com
The 2020 release of the SSL 2 and 2+ audio interfaces marked a new chapter in the history of Solid State Logic. Unlike its previous forays towards the more affordable end of the market, the 2 and 2+ were aimed squarely at the needs and budgets of home and project recording studios. Coupled with the company’s growing presence in the plugin market, the interfaces brought a slice of SSL class within reach of the masses.

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A quick glance at the newly-released update to the range may leave you thinking nothing much has changed. But you’d be wrong!
The tough, black plastic desktop-style enclosure of the MKII is the same that SSL used for the MKI, meaning the layout of knobs and buttons is also the same. This means a spacious, clearly labelled control panel loaded with solidly mounted pots and switches.
There is a hint of the new in the lighter grey of the buttons, the change from blue to dark grey of the large output level dial, and the marginally redesigned metal top plate which now offers contrast between a brushed gunmetal border and smooth black central panel. These tweaks look smart enough but, thankfully, on closer inspection factors far more significant than cosmetic changes become apparent.
SSL 2+ MKII
What inputs and outputs do the SSL 2 and 2+ MKII interfaces have?
SSL 2 and 2+ provide two input channels supporting mic, line or instrument inputs. Mics and lines are connected via the rear-mounted XLR/jack combo sockets, but instrument inputs now have their own dedicated jacks located on the front panel, where they’re easier to access.
Each channel’s rear input can be switched between mic and line modes at the press of a button, but where the MKI units also had a button to switch to hi-z mode, MKII switches automatically to this mode when a jack is plugged into one of the new front-panel instrument sockets. In place of that hi-z button, each channel now sports a high-pass filter for cutting low boom and noise. And talking of buttons, all now have accompanying LEDs to indicate when they’re active. This is a marked improvement on the previous version where you had to judge a button’s state based on whether it looked like it was up or down.
Each input channel retains the ‘Legacy 4K’ mode that introduces an EQ curve that seeks to recreate the sound of SSL’s legendary 4000-series mixing consoles. Whilst it takes more than just EQ to truly emulate a 4K preamp, results are pleasing nonetheless, adding a definition, presence and focus that is particularly complementary to vocals and acoustic guitars.
Line outputs are around the back as you would expect, and are DC-coupled so can be used to send CV signals to analogue synths. SSL 2 has a single stereo output bus carried via a pair of balanced jacks and SSL 2+ has two stereo output channels (or four mono). Where previously the second pair was served via phono sockets, MKII features balanced jack sockets to carry the output 3&4 signals, which is far preferable.
SSL 2 MKII
Both units have a pair of 6.35mm headphone outputs that have also been relocated to the front for convenience. With SSL 2, both headphone outputs carry the main stereo output bus and there’s just a single amp driving both sockets (still, having two is an improvement on the single headphone output of MKI). With SSL 2+, though, the second headphone output has a separate amp and can be switched to carry the output 3&4 bus, allowing two different headphone mixes to be created.
Input monitoring is handled via a single knob that balances between the direct input signals and the playback signal from the host computer. This method of monitoring is simple to use and means the interface doesn’t need additional software for mixing monitor cue signals. On the downside, though, it becomes problematic when the two input channels carry different signals that demand different monitoring levels.
Both interfaces now have a built-in stereo loopback bus that makes it easy to record the output of other apps running on the host computer. Also, the SSL 2+ retains its pair of MIDI ports. Classic though this connection format might be, it never fails to come in useful when attempting to free up a USB port on your computer.
SSL 2+ MKII
Are there any big changes?
Alongside the cosmetic changes and ‘quality of life’ improvements mentioned above, the new SSL 2 and 2+ have one very big update to boast about. Both now feature 32-bit converters, and these can run at up to the same 192 kHz sample rate as the MKI. This major change brings big increases to the dynamic range of inputs (from 110.5dB to 116.5dB), line outputs (from 112dB to 120dB) and headphone outputs (from 111dB to 119.5dB).
The significance of these extra bits and improved dynamic ranges aren’t just in the dry numerical specifications, though. They are clearly discernible when working with either of the MKII interfaces.
Input signals benefit from improved crispness and clarity, and the increased resolution means you can choose to be conservative on the amount of headroom you allow on an input without compromising the accuracy of the digitised audio. The improvement to the output conversion can be heard in the detailed spectrum, precise and accurate stereo image, and the overall coherence of the sound. It isn’t what we’re used to hearing from interfaces in this price bracket, and we like it!
Adding to the value of the SSL 2 and 2+ is the included Production Pack bundle. This contains licences for SSL’s VocalStrip and DrumStrip plugins as well as a three-month trial of Complete Access, which includes everything from the company’s ever-expanding stable of quality plugins. There’s also Ableton Live Lite (is there a software bundle out there that doesn’t include Live Lite?), Native Instruments Hybrid Keys and Komplete Start, free samples from Loopcloud, and much more.
While the visible overhaul of SSL 2 and SSL 2+ may be minor, the repositioned connectors and added high-pass filtering provide a definite step up in functionality. More significantly though, the upgraded converters make for a major leap forward in sound quality.

Key features
SSL 2

USB-C, bus-powered audio interface
32-bit, 192 kHz converters
2 mic/line/hi-z input channels with a high-pass filter and phantom power
2 balanced, DC-coupled line outputs
Legacy 4K switch adds an analogue-console-like presence and high-end detail
Two headphone output jacks
Internal stereo loopback input
SSL Production Pack bundle
Comes with USB-C cable and A-to-C adapter

SSL 2+

All the features of SSL 2
Additional pair of balanced line outputs
Second headphone output can switch between outputs 1&2 and 3&4
MIDI input and output

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