Hi All
 
I am just getting to grips with the WAVES SSL Bundle and wondered how others were integrating this (or other "analogue emulation" channel strips) into their SONAR workflow/set up
 
I never cut my teeth on consoles so when I tried to solely mix using the SSL Channel strip (as an exercise) I found it improved some aspects of my mixing (ie mixing with my ears instead of my eyes) but I did start missing the convenience of the QuadCurve EQ for some surgical EQ (ie knocking down resonant/horrible frequencies) and finding a good complementary EQ between kick and bass
 
I am liking using the QuadCurve EQ FIRST to make these surgical adjustments and then using the SSL channel strip for further EQ and Compression (or Compression first and then EQ depending on what I am doing)
 
Is anyone else regularly using "analogue" channel strips and if so where and how are you putting them in the chain?

I tend to use the Quad eq (or whatever eq the DAW comes with) first partly because it shows the initial frequency plot and partly because it's more precise. if I'm happy to be using any of the console eq emulations (some of which are SSL eq emulations by the way) that it does then that might well be all I use.

Otherwise I do initial low and high-passing in the Quad eq and any very tight band/high Q eq notching that might be needed - console-style eqs are generally broad-band and can't do very accurate narrow bands and have fewer bands as well. Once upon a time narrow-band notching was the kind of thing 1/3 octave band graphic eqs got used for.

An emulated analogue eq/channel strip comes after that, sometimes pre-compression (if used), sometimes after. I seem to be favouring the Waves Pultec and Boz Digital +10dB emulations at the moment, I just happen to find them very intuitive.

I use the SSL and other channel strips in projects.  They go in the first (top) slot in the effects bin and I put one of the *same type of channel strip* on every track including busses and the Master.  I just put them in and do nothing else until the tracks are all recorded.  Do I hear a difference?  Maybe...I think...perhaps.

i am finding the waves nls to be excellent, owned it for a long time and only recently started messing around with it, liking it a lot, use it all the time, also really like the ssl (different animal) as the dude above i put it first inline.
 
with the nls you have buss and channel versions each with 3 different consoles, a ssl 4000g, a neve 5116s and an emi tg 12345 mk4 i believe, and the way it works is quite good. in studio one apart from using them on all the tracks and busses i have started opening up the inputs and place an instance there so anything coming in goes through it first before hitting the tracks, fx bins/busses etc, has made a huge difference, wouldn't do it any other way now, and in conjunction with the console shapper and/or ctc1-pro, it sounds awesome

I don't have the SSL but I have Slates VCC, NLS and the abbey road consoles, Ik's SSL and a few other console sims.
I've set them up many ways and at the end of the day for me with limited resources I may put something on the master out when recording but nothing else. Though there is some type of "track bleed over" with VCC and I don't know about the SSL, The bleed is not worth the resources eaten. But if I do put consoles on all channels I will bounce them down and (save a before project) then move on... :) kind of infinite... FUN FUN FUN... :) peace~!

I really like the ssl 4000 collection!
 
I use the quad curves for correction, then the ssl 4000 for the broader and enhancing strokes.   I use the stereo comp on the master buss, and on certain other busses.
 
I have found that the ssl channel sort of "wants" to be pushed, in the eq section.  For example, you can make what would appear on the quad curve eq to be... eccentric or extreme moves... and it makes more musical sense in the ssl format.  You can add 8 db of gain at 8k to a vocal, and it sounds good haha!
 
Congratulations!