For anyone with the vaguest interest in audio production, the name Solid State Logic is synonymous with technical innovation and the very highest quality analogue and digital audio consoles. As audio production techniques have changed, their product range has adapted to the new landscape. In our current DAW-dominated culture, SSL have provided us with two of the best examples of analogue/control surface hybrids – the AWS and the Matrix. In their X-Rack system they’ve included all the classic mic preamps, compressors and even a summing mixer confi guration. Therefore, it begs the question of the X-Desk: ‘Why bother bringing out what is ostensibly another summing mixer with no DAW control and no total recall?’