Solid State Logic XLogic Alpha Channel Strip

The XLogic Alpha Channel is destined to bring the elusive SSL 'sound' to a whole new generation of producers and engineers. With the classic combination of a studio class mic preamp, filter, EQ and limiting, the XLogic Alpha Channel is a classic analog channel strip designed to provide the perfect front end to your Digital Audio Workstation. With all the features needed to record great vocal or instrument tracks every time, the Alpha Channel offers a recording solution based on SSL's years of experience in designing the world's leading analogue recording consoles. Alpha Channel retains the superior sonic fidelity, quality and attention to detail that have established Solid State Logic as the worlds leading audio console manufacturer.

All great sounding recordings have to start somewhere...
With the classic combination of a mic preamp, filter, EQ and dynamics, the XLogic Alpha Channel brings SSL's sonic legacy bang up to date in an analogue channel strip designed to provide the perfect front end to your digital audio workstation. With all the features needed to record great vocal or instrument tracks, the Alpha Channel offers a studio class mic pre and processing based on SSL's years of experience in designing the world's leading analogue recording consoles. A huge proportion of the music you know and love was recorded on SSL, renowned for the superior audio qualities you've heard on countless hit records. That elusive sonic ingredient is here in the Alpha Channel.

Features
- Professional ultra clean mic preamp with line level and Hi-Z instrument input switches

- 'Variable Harmonic Drive' circuit; a Time Machine of distortion characteristics

- High Pass Filter with selectable 40Hz, 80Hz or 120Hz cutoff frequency

- Built in professional quality Analogue to Digital conversion -- as standard

- Auto sample rate sensing and self adjustment

- 3-band SSL parametric EQ with mid freq Q control and dual LF curves

- Intelligent auto compression that maximizes recording headroom and avoids DAC clipping

Technical Info

Physical
Depth: 230mm / 9 in. casing only

Height: 44.5mm / 1.75 in. (1 RU)

Width: 438mm / 17.25 in. casing only, 482mm / 19 in. including rack ears

Weight: 3.0kg / 7 lbs.

Power: < 20 Watts

Boxed size: 320 x 550 x 80mm, 12.75 x 21.75 x 3.25 in.

Boxed weight: 3.5kg / 8 pounds

* All values are approximate

Environmental
Temperature Operating: +5 to 30 deg. C
- Non-operating: -20 to 50 deg. C
- Max. gradient: 15 deg. C/hour

Relative Operating: 20 to 80 %

Humidity Non-operating: 5 to 90 %
- Max. wet bulb: 29 deg. C (non-condensing)

Vibration Operating: < 0.2 G (3 - 100Hz)
- Non-operating, power off: < 0.4 G (3 - 100Hz)

Shock Operating: < 2 G (10ms max.)
- Non-operating: < 10 G (10ms max.)

Altitude Operating: 0 to 3000m (above sea level)
- Non-operating: 0 to 12000m

Connections
Power IEC320 3-pin connector, 100 - 240 Vac, 50 - 60 Hz

Analogue I/O:
Microphone: Balanced, 3-pin XLR-F, Zin = 1kOhm (10kOhm for Hi Z)

Instrument: Un-balanced, 1/4 in. Mono Jack, Zin = 1MOhm

Output: Balanced, 1/4 in. Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ohm

Insert Send: Balanced, 1/4 in. Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ohm

Insert Return: Balanced, 1/4 in. Stereo Jack, Zin = 10kOhm

Link: (2 of) RCA phono, limiter sidechain control voltage (dc.)

Digital I/O:
SPDIF In: RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zin = 75Ohm, SPDIF format.
- The ADC will lock to this signal if present.

SPDIF Out: RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zo = 75Ohm, SPDIF 24bit format.

Measured Performance
Mic Gain To Output: 20dB min, 76 dB max

Instrument Gain To Output: 26dB min, 82 dB max

Pad Attenuation: 20 dB

Input Impedance (Ohm):
- Mic: 1K / 10K
- Instrument: 1 MEG

Noise Figure:
- Equivalent Ein:
- Mic, Zin = 10R -130.5 dBU
- Mic, Zin =150R -127.5 dBU

Dynamic Range:
- Mic Gain Min: 105 dB unweighted
- Mic Gain Max: 76 dB unweighted

Common Mode Rejection: 70 dB from 50Hz to 10KHz with 1Vp-p Common Mode

Max Common Mode In: 5V p-p

Frequency Response:
- Mic To Out: +/- 0.2 dB from 10Hz to 70KHz
- -3dB (LF) : 6 Hz
- -3dB (HF) : 250 KHz

Mic Amp Distortion - A Typical Specification

Output Level THD Knob CCW THD Knob CW:
- +5 dBU 0.03 % 0.1 %
- +10 dBU 0.05 % 0.3 %
- +15 dBU 0.06 % 0.5 %
- +20 dBU 0.09 % 2 %
- +24 dBU 0.15 % 5 %

Maximum Analog Output: +24.3 dBU (10K)

- Synchronised to SPDIF In, else free-runs at 44.1kHz.

ADC
ADC Type: 24 bit, 192 KHz CS5361 ADC

Sampling Rate: locks to user supplied SPDIF IN
- Range: 32 KHz to 108 KHz
- No SPDIF In: Defaults to 44.100 KHz

SPDIF In: 200 mV p-p IN min
- 5V p-p IN max

SPDIF Out (Level): 1V p-p
- (Impedance): 60 Ohm

ADC Performance Measured From Insert Return:
Dynamic Range, 20KHz measurement bandwidth
- Fs= 32K: 110.5 dB, A-wgt
- Fs= 48K: 110 dB, A-wgt
- Fs= 96K: 109 dB, A-wgt

ADC Distortion, 1KHz test tone:
- Level Distortion in 20K meas bw
- -0.5 dBFS 0.0006 %
- -10 dBFS 0.0015 %
- -20 dBFS 0.004 %
- -30 dBFS 0.013 %
- -40 dBFS 0.04 %

ADC Freq Response:
- Fs = 48 K: +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 20KHz
- Fs = 96 K: +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 40KHz

Miscellaneous:
- Phantom Power: 47.5V typical
- Output Gain Range: +/- 19.5 dB

Classic analog channel strip for digital recording! SSL studio-quality mic preamp with filter, EQ and limiting; supports Hi-Z instrument input. Drive circuit adds warmth and grit, and selectable hi-pass filter tightens-up the bottom. On-board converter senses sample rate and self-adjusts.