If you've spent time in a professional studio in the last three decades, you've mixed through an SSL 4000 G-series console. The "black-knob" G-EQ — constant-Q mids, 12 dB/oct shelves, and a character that makes vocals sit effortlessly in a mix — has been on records from Drake to Def Leppard to Beyoncé.
Until now, getting that sound in-the-box meant paying $199 for Waves SSLEQ or $299 for Brainworx bx_console SSL 4000 E. Rys Up GEQ delivers the same four-band topology, constant-Q mids, and 12 dB/oct shelves for $49.99 one-time, with optional subscriptions at $9.99/mo (yearly) or $14.99/mo (monthly).
What is an SSL G-Series Channel EQ?
The 4000 G-series is one of two dominant SSL console revisions (the other being the 4000 E-series). The difference matters if you care about sound:
- E-series (brown-knob): gentler 6 dB/oct shelves, proportional-Q mids that widen as you boost. Warmer, more "mixing desk" character.
- G-series (black-knob): steeper 12 dB/oct shelves, constant-Q mids that stay tight at any gain setting. Sharper, more surgical, better for modern productions.
The G-series is why SSL-mixed records through the late '80s, '90s, and 2000s have that crisp top-end and precise midrange. Rys Up GEQ models the G-series topology exactly.
The Control Set
Five stages in series, exactly matching the classic 4000 G-channel strip:
- High-pass filter — 16 to 350 Hz, 2nd-order Butterworth (12 dB/oct). Kill rumble before anything else touches the signal.
- LF shelf — ±17 dB at 30 to 450 Hz. 12 dB/oct slope. Deeper than E-series shelves, ideal for vocal weight or kick extension.
- LMF parametric bell — ±20 dB at 200 Hz to 2.5 kHz. Q from 0.1 to 3.5, with a ×3 narrow toggle for problem-frequency surgery (boxy 400 Hz, nasal 1 kHz, resonant 800 Hz).
- HMF parametric bell — ±20 dB at 600 Hz to 7 kHz. Same Q range + ×3 toggle. This is the vocal presence band on the G-series — 3 to 5 kHz boosts here make vocals jump out of the mix.
- HF shelf — ±17 dB at 1.5 kHz to 16 kHz. 12 dB/oct. The "air" shelf that gives SSL mixes their trademark top-end sheen.
Plus: output gain (−24 to +12 dB), phase invert, master EQ bypass, and an optional analog saturation mode for subtle third-harmonic color.
What Makes Rys Up GEQ Different (vs Waves SSLEQ)
Waves SSLEQ has one big problem and one small problem. The big problem is pricing — $199 at retail, plus the Waves Update Plan at $149/year or you're locked out of updates on the OS/DAW version you own. The small problem is the UI: it's a 1999-era skeuomorphic image with tiny knobs, no live frequency graph, and no way to type in exact values.
Rys Up GEQ fixes both:
- $49.99 own-forever, or $9.99/mo (yearly) / $14.99/mo for access to every future plugin too.
- Free updates for life on the perpetual license. No update plan, no annual rent.
- Live frequency-response graph built into the UI — see exactly what your EQ is doing as you tweak.
- Inline-typeable values — double-click any knob value and type the exact number (3.5 kHz, −4.2 dB, Q = 2.8).
- Light + dark themes — match your DAW or your eyeballs at 3 AM.
- RysUpHub one-click activation — no Waves License Center, no machine-authorization dance. Sign into our Hub once, install, done.
How It Compares to Brainworx bx_console SSL 4000 E
bx_console is the "official" Plugin Alliance licensed SSL plugin. It's an E-series emulation (not G), it's $299, and it adds a 72-channel "TMT" virtual mix bus feature that's great for mastering engineers and overkill for everyone else.
If you specifically want the E-series sound, bx_console is fine. If you want the G-series sound that dominated the late '80s onward, Rys Up GEQ is a better match topology-wise — and it's 15× cheaper.
Vocal Chain Example: Rys Up GEQ Start-Point
Drop Rys Up GEQ on a rough vocal and try this as a starting point:
- HP: engaged, 80 Hz — kills proximity boom without thinning the voice.
- LF: +2 dB at 120 Hz — adds chest weight below the fundamental.
- LMF: −3 dB at 400 Hz, Q = 1.8 — removes the "cardboard" box tone common in closet/home-studio recordings.
- HMF: +4 dB at 4 kHz, Q = 1.2 (×3 ON for tighter Q) — vocal presence bump, classic G-series move.
- HF: +3 dB at 10 kHz — air shelf. Not a harsh "exciter" boost, just the top-end sheen SSL consoles are known for.
- Analog: ON — adds subtle third-harmonic warmth to the output stage.
Render that chain, bypass, A/B. You'll hear the G-series signature instantly.
Where to Use It
- Lead vocals — the HMF presence band is the G-series' party trick.
- Drum bus — 12 dB/oct shelves keep the low end tight while the HF adds cymbal sparkle.
- Parallel drum processing — run it alongside RysUpComp for classic "UK drum bus" attitude.
- Mastering chain — gentle ±1 to 2 dB moves on a 2-buss go a long way with constant-Q precision.
- Busses and submixes — sum-bus sweetening without the harshness of clinical digital EQs.
Pricing
Two ways to get Rys Up GEQ:
- Own Rys Up GEQ outright — $49.99 one-time. Permanent license for this plugin, free updates for life, up to 3 machines.
- Subscribe to RysUpSuite — from $9.99/mo (billed yearly) or $14.99/mo monthly. Access to Rys Up GEQ plus every other plugin we ship, new plugins added automatically, cancel anytime. View RysUpSuite →
Either way: AU, VST3, and AAX (AAX coming soon). Compatible with every major DAW on macOS. Windows support is on the roadmap.
Bottom Line
If you've been putting off buying a proper SSL-style channel EQ because of the $200 to $300 price tags, that problem is solved. Rys Up GEQ is $49.99 to own forever, ships today, and sounds exactly like the console your favorite records were mixed on.
Download it through the RysUpHub app, activate in one click, and you'll be tracking vocals through a G-series EQ in under 60 seconds.