SPL’s Crescendo Duo, the dual-channel microphone preamplifier with 120V technology, embodies the precise sound that German Rundfunk-Technik is famous for. With an internal operating voltage of 120 volts, this allows the Crescendo microphone preamplifiers to break completely new ground which results in microphone preamps that sound detail-rich, vivid, and equally honest.

With the  Crescendo Duo’s new V2 revision, the mic pre receives a facelift in the new design of the SPL Studio series. But besides the black faceplate the housing has also got an update to the next level. Since Crescendo duo V1 is already pushing the envelope, the only technical change in V2 is different steps of amplification on the big “Mic Gain” switch, where there now is a large choice of medium amplification values.

Spot The Difference

• Crescendo duo v2 comes with a new faceplate design in black
• Crescendo duo v2 comes with a different and improved housing
• Crescendo duo v2 comes with more steps of values for medium amplification on the big “Mic Gain” switch

SPL Crescendo Duo V2 is available now.

In 1998, the SPL Transient Designer created a new breed of dynamic processors. Level-independent processing of attack and sustain of audio signals has revolutionised music production in a significant way. The newest generation of the Transient Designer 4 features the same processing qualities as its predecessor, but comes in a new design and has an even better feel due to the solid aluminium knobs. The Transient Designer 4 Mk2 offers four Transient Designer channels in one 19-inch device.

Transient Designing

SPL Transient Designer – the revolution in dynamics processing. With the Transient Designer it is possible to manipulate the envelopes of audio signals level-independently, with no threshold. Accelerate or slow down transients, lengthen or shorten sustain times with just two controls, attack and sustain. All time constants are automated in a musical way and optimise themselves adaptively according to the characteristics of the input signal.

Features:

• Attack. Attack can be used to increase or attenuate the transient phase of a signal by up to 15 dB. A positive attack value increases the amplitude of the transient response. Negative attack values lead to an attenuation.
• Sustain. Sustain can be used to increase or attenuate the sustain phase of a signal by up to 24 dB. Positive sustain values extend the sustain. Negative Sustain values shorten the sustain.
• On. The On switch activates the respective Transient Designer channel. This allows you to quickly switch between processed and unprocessed signal. To minimise switching noises, switching is performed directly after the balanced inputs and outputs. This relay hard bypass circuitry also provides immediate redirection of inputs to outputs in the event of a power fault on the primary or secondary side of the power supply, or if the device is powered off.
• Signal LED. The Sig LED (Sig) indicates whether an audio signal is present at the input which has a level higher than -20 dB.
• Link. Channels 1 & 2 as well as 3 & 4 can be linked for processing stereo signals. The respective left channel becomes the master.
• The Differential Envelope Technology. Differential Envelope Technology (DET) enables, through differential envelopes, level-independent processing of dynamic signal characteristics. Only two controls are needed to control the transient response. The envelope trackers align the working processes with the natural signal characteristics. This ensures optimum results for every moment.
• Inputs & Outputs. The four channels of the Transient Designer are equipped with Neutrik XLR sockets with gold-plated contacts. The signal transmission is electronically balanced at a nominal level of +6 dB.
• Looks Great, Feels Great, Lasts A Lifetime. The Transient Designer 4 Mk2 has a 4 mm thick, black anodised aluminium front panel and aluminium knobs milled from solid. The housing is made of high-quality steel and is powder-coated in elegant black.
• Sounds Good. With all SPL devices we develop not only according to plan, but also by ear. Many important components are installed on the circuit boards using through-hole technology. This way we can ensure that we can use the best sounding components.

SPL is no stranger to stereo enhancement or harmonic excitement processing, so it makes good sense that it should release a standalone 500 series model that takes on both these roles. With just three continuously variable controls and a couple of switches on the double-width faceplate the BiG is sparsely populated by the standards of this format. Make no mistake though, the sound that this unit delivers is certainly not shy, nor is it a one-trick pony. The BiG also sports what may well be the single largest rotary knob in the entire 500 series universe. 

IT TAKES THREE TO TANGO 

SPL is reluctant — both in the printed manual and across the internet — to provide technical details of what is going on with the processing used in the BIG. You really need to embrace its somewhat wilful parameter names and secret-audio-sauces and just start tweaking. When you do, the SPL BiG proves itself to be a deceptively complex and useful tool.

The ‘Range’ knob is effectively something between a high pass filter and a standard frequency control, and the ‘Stage’ knob determines how much the effect is pushed to the front or back of the mix. They are designed to be used in tandem and each affects the other. The ‘Bigness’ control then boosts the overall effect of these by a little or a lot relative to the dry signal. 

Users of SPL’s older sibling, the Stereo Vitalizer, will be familiar with some of this topology although the BiG does things a little differently, both in terms of operation and sonics. Strapped across a mix bus the effect is most certainly ‘big’ and bold. Starting with ‘Range’ set counter-clockwise near the maximum ‘High’ setting and ‘Stage’ set clockwise to about three o’clock it’s immediately obvious when you turn up the ‘Bigness’ control even just a little — say, 1 or 2 on the dial — that something quite significant is happening to the stereo imaging. It only gets more dramatic from there. 

Once ‘Bigness’ gets pushed above halfway there’s noticeable harmonic excitement in the upper frequencies, the stereo image gets wider and louder at the sides, and stereo effects such as reverbs and time-based modulations become more audible. It’s a bit like listening to your mix through one set of speakers while someone takes a feed of your mix, applies some stereophonic excitement to it, sets up another pair of speakers outside yours and slowly turns them up.

LARGER THAN LIFE 

Moving the ‘Stage’ control clockwise towards the ‘Open’ end and pushing ‘Bigness’ up towards 10 leads to some pretty nasty distortion artefacts, but also allows you to really hear what parts of the audio are being affected the most. Turning the ‘Range’ control clockwise moves the emphasis of the effect down into the midrange and the effect becomes more full-bodied. Here you can hear the weight of a piano, the guts of an electric guitar tone, or vocal really push through in a widescreen stereo way. It’s really quite a dramatic recasting of the presentation of the mix even at lower settings, so a fair bit of caution needs to be exercised when using this unit in a mix bus context. 

I often found myself flicking my mix into mono to check what was being added to the sides of the mix. When the overall volume of the mix in mono started getting dwarfed by the stereo version I knew I’d gone too far. Toggling the ‘Bypass’ switch regularly is also a good idea. A more subtle version of these effects is available when you move the ‘Stage’ control counter-clockwise towards the ‘Back’ setting. This damps down the reverbs and other mix effects and tightens up the sound making a less dramatic impact on the overall mix. The upper frequencies are de-emphasised here and more natural widening effects are available.

I’ve always been a fan of SPL gear. The German company consistently releases well-engineered, musically-pleasing equipment and can boast an enviable track record of innovation and reliability. I’ve got one of its Stereo Vitalizers (a wicked piece of kit and dangerous in the wrong hands) permanently installed on a parallel mix bus on my console and over the years have enjoyed many a tweak of its Transient Designer. I’d been looking at monitor controllers for a little while, so the arrival of the MTC Mk2 Monitor and Talkback Controller for review came at the perfect time and I was quick to put it through its paces during a busy few weeks of sessions.

TOP OF THE TABLE

The MTC Mk2 builds on the success of its popular predecessor with the addition of useful functions along with some slight tweaks to the control layout and a quite dramatic colour change. The desktop format is maintained and the unit is quite imposing with its sleek matte black finish and generous 272mm x 275mm footprint. Unlike remote controlled rack units that are designed to be tucked away out of sight, the MTC Mk2 wants to be front and centre, and requires a decent patch of desk space. Being aimed more towards the professional end of the market, the SPL is a good-looking piece of kit that repays proper integration into your setup.

Apart from the two headphone outputs on the front panel, all other I/O is tucked away at the rear of the unit, so a tidy workspace look is easy to achieve. Much like the earlier model, the MTC Mk2 features a smartly-raked front panel that gives the user optimised ergonomics and clear visual information thanks to strong white legending and a raft of push button switches along the top with indicators that illuminate when the various functions are engaged.

Centre stage is a lovely large rotary controller for master volume control with a smooth velvety feel. Smaller, softly-stepped rotary controls either side of this dial-in talkback level, headphone matrix crossfeed, producer and artist headphone volumes.

Along the top of the unit there’s a comprehensive range of switches including all input and monitor selectors plus dedicated polarity, L/R swap, mono, dim and independent mute switches for both speakers and headphones.

On the left-hand side is a built-in microphone plus backlit talkback switch that is routed to the ‘Artist’ headphone output.

Another backlit switch on the right-hand side routes the audio from Input C directly to the ‘Artist’ headphone mix thus providing a discrete monitoring path for the all-important talent.

The switches and controls have a very reassuring pro feel to them and the build quality is outstanding.

SPL’s BiG expands the series 500 product portfolio with a double-slot module for stereo stage processing. BiG enlarges the stereo image in a new manner and opens up new creative ways of sound shaping. 

Intuitive with just three controls:

• Range Control selects the frequency range to be processed
• Stage Control moves the frequency range backwards and forwards on the stereo stage
• BIGNESS Control adjusts the intensity of the processing

Another highlight is the BASS function, which users may already know from the SPL IRON Mastering Compressor. This bass boost is created by a passive filter, which is implemented in a similar circuit to the AirBass function of the IRON. BiG was also developed not only according to plan, but also by ear. All components are installed on the circuit boards using through-hole technology, so that the best-sounding components can be used. 

As with all SPL devices, BiG is manufactured in the company’s own production facility in Niederkrüchten on the Lower Rhine, Germany.