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The Matrix can operate in Analogue and DAW modes.

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The Matrix certainly has the look and feel of an SSL desk, but when it arrived at our studio it came in the back of a saloon car and could be carried out under an arm. OK, so we have long arms, but this thing is portable, don't doubt it. And when added to the power of your DAW it makes for a very impressive package.

The Matrix connects to your computer via Ethernet for the MIDI and USB for the key commands and macros. It uses the Mackie HUI protocol so it's very straightforward to set up. The device comes with control profiles for Logic, Nuendo, Pro Tools and Pyramix but you can also build your own.

Software is supplied on a DVD and, once installed, gives you control over various features, project names, Total Recall, the insert matrix and the all important soft key setup.

Audio connections are pretty straightforward, but there is one notable omission from the input list - there are no mic inputs! SSL has figured that most people in the market for a device like this already have a setup which includes various mic pres, EQs and compressors which they use to front-end their DAW.

Analogue and DAW Focus

There are two distinct operating modes to the Matrix. What SSL calls Analogue Focus and DAW Focus. In Analogue Focus the 16 faders, cuts and solos control the analogue channels. In DAW Focus they affect the selected bank of workstation digital channels.

The first pot above the faders is the V-Pot, which in DAW Focus can have many and varied functions (panning, routing assignment, plug-in parameter control etc). Above the master fader is a master channel, and a row of buttons giving you access to various channel strip controls for whichever audio channel or channels are selected.

So let's look at the channel strips. The whole section above the numeric display is analogue only so let's start at the top.

First up is a line trim, which can be fed from either the line input or the DAW return, depending upon which is selected. The line may be fed from a mic pre or some other input source; the DAW inputs are fed from your digital to analogue converters. Just below there's a phase reverse and an insert in/out selector which puts your selected insert into the channel path.

Underneath is the channel output which can be pre fader but post insert, post fader and post line-in. Below that is a stereo send with pan and level controls and two mono FX send pots.

Which brings us to our first minor criticism: there are four FX sends but only two pots. You have to choose between send 1 or 3 for the upper, and 2 or 4 for the lower. In a mix you'd have to plan pretty carefully how you assigned them in order to avoid wanting 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 on the same channel. Two more pots wouldn't have made the channel that much longer and would have given more flexibility.

Below these is a pan pot and the track switch which enables you to monitor the line-in or the DAW return when tracking, and the select switch which enables you to access switching functions in the master channel.

When tracking, channels can either go straight to your DAW via a direct out or you can mix together or bounce down any combination of the 16 via the record bus. During mixing the line inputs can be set up to feed the stereo cue which can in turn feed the mix bus, giving you the possibility of summing 32 inputs each with independent pan and level control.

There's even a version of supercue monitoring, allowing for direct monitoring of source or DAW output as you drop in and out, thus avoiding any latency issues.