SPL announced three new products for 2007, which all products will be presented at the Frankfurt Musikmesse, later this month.
SPL‘s new, proprietary RackPack system allows for free configuration of a 3U high analog rack fully loaded with the company‘s analog specialties such as Transient Designer, SPL De-Esser or DynaMaxx compressor. All these modules come with updated features against their single product siblings. Two new preamp modules cover two categories: The Prefrence Mic-Pre is a straightforward, transformerless IC preamp, the Premium Mic-Pre module offers a triple stage solid state design with Lundahl input transformer and discrete transistor circuitry. Whether eight-channel preamp, effects rack or individual channel strips, according to the manufacturer the price of SPL‘s analog technology has never been that favourable per channel.
The first available modules will be the two new preamps, starting in May 2007. Further modules will follow later in 2007, tube modules are scheduled for 2008.
In a cooperative developmental effort with the guitar amp specialty firm of Tonehunter, SPL will present a new 2U, 19-inch format guitar speaker and microphone stand-in called Transducer. The Transducer is connected and operated exactly like any guitar speaker box so that a guitar amp‘s distortion can also be integrated into the sound design.
SPL emphasizes the Transducer’s authentic sound qualities and real time response for the guitar player that are missing in digital simulations due to latencies in processing. SPL’s head, Hermann Gier, notes, “Anyone who, in a hotel in the middle of the night, wishes to record with the sound of a fully torqued tube amp no longer has to feign anymore…the Transducer really rocks. Ralf Reichen’s Tonehunter design team has done a tremendous job.“
SPL‘s new Atmos system is a complete, system independent surround miking system including the ASM5 microphone based upon VM1 capsules from Brauner. Ten years of experience in surround miking technology with the predecessor, covering the complete range of studio and live applications from classical orchestras through rock concerts to Formula 1 races, stimulated the development of the new Atmos system. The new Atmos Controller incorporates the five channel, remotely controllable preamplifier section, a LFE channel composer with level control and a headphone monitor.
The Controller‘s concept now focuses on the basic miking features and can be complemented with further modules to meet individual demands, such as a remote control to adjust the ASM5 pattern characteristics. According to SPL this reduces costs dramatically for a pure, high definition miking setup. Availability is expected for June 2007