Case Study
Recreation of a legend
We say that Solid State Logic (SSL) is a cool company, with equally cool people. And therefore it makes them a company who we always enjoy working with.
And for their latest project, it was no different, as we were brought on board to help promote their new ‘4K B’ software plugin, a recreation of their Legendary SL 4000 B Recording Console.
This iconic and rare console essentially takes SSL back to ‘where it all began’ with their most authentic emulation to date. Their latest plug-in is devoted to one of the SL 4000 B-Series.
In short, it is one of the rarest recording consoles in the world.
Originally released in 1976 and famously used in London's Townhouse Studios, the SL 4000 B's sound, pulses through iconic records such as Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight, The Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star and Peter Gabriel's Intruder… just to name a few.
As you can imagine, this was to be a significant product launch for SSL.
Therefore, when asked to produce an animated promotional video for software held in such high esteem, derived from hardware with its rich history — well, we went a little giddy with excitement.
Having made several promos for SSL; including the Fusion Vintage Drive and Stereo Image plugins along with Transformer and X-Delay — all respected products amongst audiophiles — we had a fair idea of the stylistic traits they appreciate in their videos.
Plus, we always enjoy a creative challenge...
The first nod we were asked to make was to that of the 1970s — the decade of prominence for the original hardware.
With this, we played around with some ideas from that time and pulled out elements of the software which encapsulate that period. To this end, we made some effects for the intro, to keep in line with that.
Using a 70s CRT monitor vibe, showing some of the original product photos from that time, and along with those ‘clunky’ keyboard sounds for the text animations we were able to re-engage with the 70s.
This animation builds before the monitor is switched off, with the remanence of the old 'glowing dot', before revealing the GUI of the new plugin — the transition from old to new was made.
As with a lot of these promos we needed to incorporate the 3D aspect (that isn’t shown in the standard 2D graphical interface), which meant adding in a host of buttons, dials and sliders, and to delve into areas of the busy interface.
By doing this, it offered the flexibility to move around and make the video more engaging, by using fluid movements in-time with the 70s audio track.
Along with animating all the lights, displays and dials, we added additional effects of the light (UV) meters, overlaid to add depth and work with the light flares for additional impact.
Essentially, seeing just the interface alone, which is technical by its own visual nature, isn’t as ‘sexy’ as is required for a promotional video of this kind.
Built and animated in 4K for future-proofing, it’s a promo that packs its required punch, surfacing all the key features, benefits and capabilities of the renowned product.
We were really happy with the result. It’s a polished and succinct promotional video, and with the client mirroring our own satisfaction, please take a minute and see what you think…
