Solid State Logic (SSL) is running a Black Friday sale on Native Bus Compressor 2, its plugin version of the legendary SSL bus compressor!
In this article, we cover the current Native Bus Compressor 2 deal along with an overview of the plugin.
We will keep this article updated whenever the sale changes.
1. Native Bus Compressor 2 Latest Deals
Native Bus Compressor 2 is currently on sale as follows.
Bus Compressor 2 & Channel Strip 2 Black Friday Sale: Until November 30, 2026
- (Until 11/30) Solid State Logic “SSL Native Bus Compressor 2” – SSL G-Series bus compressor with Dry/Wet mix and sidechain HPF
- (Until 11/30) Solid State Logic “SSL Native Channel Strip 2” – SSL 9000K channel strip with E/G-switchable 4-band EQ and independent compressor/gate
- (Until 11/30) SSL “Native Essentials Bundle” – Bundle of SSL’s classic-modeled bus compressor and channel strip
Sale ends November 30, 2026. Check the current discounted price on Plugin Boutique.
2. What Is SSL Native Bus Compressor 2?
Native Bus Compressor 2 is SSL’s own plugin recreation of the bus compressor found in the center section of its 1980s G Series analog console.
The original unit has been used on countless hit records, and both its design and purpose are simple: make the whole mix sound bigger, with more power, punch and drive, adding cohesion and strength without losing clarity.
The SSL bus compressor has been described like this:
- “It glues the mix together like audio glue”
- “Put it on your mix and it sounds like a record”
Bus Compressor 2 has the same compression characteristics and sound as the original. Its hallmark is a musical response that preserves the dynamics of the mix even at high ratios.
Despite its simple interface it is highly flexible, adding features the original hardware never had, such as a Dry/Wet mix for parallel processing and a sidechain high-pass filter to tame low-end pumping.
Bus Compressor 2 Highlights
- Same characteristics and sound as the G Series bus compressor
- New attack, release and ratio settings
- Built-in Dry/Wet mix and sidechain high-pass filter
- 2x / 4x oversampling
- External sidechain support
- Controllable from the SSL 360° Plug-in Mixer and hardware controllers
Compressor Parameters
There are seven parameters to work with.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Threshold | Sets the level at which gain reduction begins |
| Makeup | Gain to compensate for the level lost through compression |
| Attack | Response time from exceeding the threshold to the start of compression |
| Release | How quickly the level returns to normal |
| Ratio | The amount of compression |
| S/C HPF | Applies a high-pass filter to the compressor’s sidechain |
| Mix | Blend between the processed (Wet) and unprocessed (Dry) signal |
New Settings Added in Bus Compressor 2
New values have been added to attack, release and ratio, making it flexible enough for individual sources and subgroups as well.
■ Added settings
- Attack: 20 ms
- Release: 0.4 s, 0.8 s, 1.2 s
- Ratio: 1.5, 3, 10, 20, X
The “X” ratio is the most aggressive setting, greater than 20 but less than infinity.
Release also includes the acclaimed “Auto” release, which optimizes the release time according to the signal content.
Sidechain High-Pass Filter (S/C HPF)
This filter removes low frequencies from the sidechain used for compression detection. It prevents pumping and breathing when processing material with heavy low end such as kick and bass.
Mix (Parallel Compression)
Mix blends the compressed and uncompressed signals. Mixing anywhere between 0 and 100% is what is commonly called “parallel compression,” and it lets you add punch.
■ MIX LOCK
When MIX LOCK is on, the Mix control is excluded from presets. Loading a preset will not change the Mix value, which is handy when auditioning presets.
Oversampling
Oversampling can be set to OFF, 2x or 4x.
■ When to use it
- Worth trying when compressing material heavily, such as smashing a drum bus
- Reduces unwanted distortion caused by compression
- Using oversampling introduces a small amount of latency compensation in your DAW
External Sidechain (EXTERNAL S/C)
Pressing the EXTERNAL S/C button lets you feed the compressor’s sidechain from a source other than the internal signal. For example, you can set up a bus send in your DAW and send a kick drum to deliberately make the compressor “pump.”
The external sidechain source is selected in your DAW’s plugin header bar.
Gain Reduction Meter
This meter shows how much gain reduction Bus Compressor 2 is applying. It is styled after the classic moving-coil meter found on SSL consoles.
Control from SSL 360° and Hardware
Bus Compressor 2 integrates with the SSL 360° Plug-in Mixer, letting you control every instance of Channel Strip 2 and Bus Compressor 2 from a single virtual console.
■ Integration highlights
- Control up to 8 instances of Bus Compressor 2 from the Plug-in Mixer
- Operate it from the UC1, UF8 and UF1 hardware controllers
- UC1 features dedicated hardware controls for Bus Compressor 2
- Open the SSL 360° Plug-in Mixer page from the on-screen “PLUG-IN MIXER” button
- Displays the name of the DAW track the plugin is inserted on (only if the DAW passes the track name)
Presets, A/B Comparison, UNDO/REDO
Factory presets are included, and you can step through them with the left/right arrows in the preset management section. Clicking the preset name opens the preset management screen.
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Load | Load presets stored outside the default location |
| Save As… | Save as a user preset |
| Save as Default | Make the current settings the default preset |
| Copy A to B / Copy B to A | Copy one comparison setting to the other |
| A / B buttons | Load two independent settings and switch quickly between them to compare |
| UNDO / REDO | Undo or redo parameter changes |
Features
- ✔ Same compression characteristics and sound as the G Series bus compressor
- ✔ An “audio glue” compressor that brings together tracks, subgroups or the whole mix
- ✔ Retains the dynamic character of the mix even at high ratios
- ✔ New attack, release and compression ratio settings
- ✔ “Auto” release that optimizes release to the signal
- ✔ Dry/Wet control for parallel processing
- ✔ External sidechain and sidechain high-pass filter
- ✔ 2x / 4x oversampling
- ✔ Integrated with SSL 360° and controllable from 360-compatible hardware such as UC1, UF8 and UF1
3. Summary
We have covered the latest deal on SSL Native Bus Compressor 2. The sale runs until November 30, 2026, so grab it while the Black Friday pricing lasts.
SSL product lineup