Transport buttons
Each DAW profile has transport pre-assigned within to the first 5 soft keys along the top in User Bank 1. These can be assigned to other soft keys by the user. Transport buttons are also accessed on the cursor keys with press and hold of the channel encoder in later versions of 360
UF8 is not an audio interface
UF8 is a HUI and MCU controller and does not have a built in sound card or audio interface.
The SSL Nucleus 2 is both a controller and four channel Dante audio interface.
Plugin control
Any plug-in in the DAW can be controlled across the V-Pots (or faders with MCU DAWs). You may also control plug-ins that support mouse scroll, using the channel encoder while in focus mode.
SSL360 enabled plugins can also be controlled via a UF8 Plug-In Mixer layer which includes dynamic metering.
Using UF8 with other DAW controllers
UF8 may be used alongside other DAW controllers (e.g. Nucleus) to add more faders. ipMIDI and SSL V-MIDI are separate protocols and can run in parallel.
Pro Tools supports a maximum of four HUI controllers for a 32 fader control surface. MCU may allow for up to six controllers.
Please note SSL Nucleus is managed via it's own Remote app and ipMIDI, not SSL 360°.
Keyboard Setup Assistant (macOS only)
When connecting UF8 before installing 360°, the user can’t press (and hold) the 360° key (which identifies the keyboard).
One of the special features of UF8 is its ability to trigger keyboard command sequences of DAW shortcuts. These are assigned using the SSL 360° app.
When connecting UF8, macOS will present a 'Keyboard Setup Assistant' window because macOS wants you to identify which region (Europe, America or Japan) this, as yet unidentified, keyboard is from. If you connected UF8 before installing SSL 360° the setup assistant will need to be closed because SSL 360° needs to be installed in order to continue the setup process.
To make the Keyboard Setup Assistant appear after SSL 360° is installed, do the following:
- Open macOS System Preferences > Go to 'Keyboard' > Click 'Change Keyboard Type' (please note, the UF8 must be connected via a USB cable) and click 'Continue'.
- When presented with 'Identifying Your Keyboard' and the message to 'Press the key immediately to the right of the Shift Key' comes up, press and hold the 360° key on UF8 for 3 seconds until the key lights orange.
- This will move through to the final steps where your appropriate region can be chosen.
Turning off UF8
The UF8 does not have a power switch. Unplugging the power supply, or using an external power strip with a switch, are two ways to turn off UF8. Both of these methods are perfectly fine.
USB hubs
Wherever possible, it is best to connect directly to USB on your computer.
If you must connect via a hub, choose one with sufficient specifications that will provide reliable performance; not all USB hubs are created equally.
We recommend the use of a powered USB 2.0 hub; ie a hub that has an external DC power supply and USB 2.0 ports for your devices.
Please note that you will still need to use a USB cable of suitable length (less than 5 meters long) with a powered USB hub.
SSL do not make specific recommendations on USB hubs and cables, but anecdotally one user has had success with the VAVA USB-C hub.
USB 2.0 specifies a maximum length of 5 meters (16 feet). Beyond that length you must use a powered hub or powered extender.
Please note that USB 2.0 always uses the Type-A rectangular connector. If you are unsure of your USB version, please see this guide.
Please also see Thunderbolt with SSL USB audio interfaces and OS and USB interface compatibility.