Ideal for tracking, mixing, and mastering applications, the SPL Venos is a rackmounted stereo bus tube compressor with stepped controls and detented pots for easy recall. Thanks to useful controls like adjustable tube bias, three selectable rectifier circuits (germanium, silicon, and LED), and several selectable input modes, you can coax almost any compression tone out of the Venos.
Input modes include Linear, which filters out low-frequency content from influencing compression, Modern, which uses a bandpass filter to avoid low- and high-frequency content, and Vintage, which uses a famous filter curve developed by Wolfgang Neumann. The unit also includes Focus and Punch hypercompression modes and an Ext SC mode for triggering compression via external side-chain signals. Passive AirBass and Tape EQ modes can be selected for further sonic refinement. All I/O is over gold-plated XLR 3-pin connectors with electronic balancing. Lastly, a ground switch is provided for isolating signals from grounding loop-induced hum. With aluminum knobs, an aluminum front panel, and a steel chassis, this compressor is built to last. The SPL Venos is manufactured in Germany using through-hole circuit techniques, like all SPL products.
- Input: increasing the input level results in more intense compression.
- Threshold: threshold determines the level beyond which the compressor starts with processing. The compressor begins to compress the signal once the set threshold value has been exceeded.
- Bias: the bias of a tube is the voltage present on the tube‘s grid. The higher the voltage, the less signal makes it from the cathode to the anode of the tube, which means the compression is stronger.
- Attack: attack determines the response time of the compressor. The Attack time can be adjusted in six steps, from Fast to Slow.
- Release: the counterpart of the Attack is Release. The Release parameter determines how fast the compressor eases processing the signal. Similarly to the Attack time, the Release time can also be set in six steps from Fast to Slow.
- Rectifier: the tube stage in the Venos is controlled by a rectifier circuit. Venos offers three different diode control characteristics, generated by germanium, silicon, and LED diodes. The rectifier circuits influence the attack and release times.
- Output: this allows the audio level to be increased again after compression or the output level to be adjusted to subsequent devices.
- Linear: if Linear mode is selected, only one capacitor is integrated in the signal path to filter out frequencies below 20 Hz. Consequently, the compressor does not respond to these low-frequency signals.
- Modern: the second mode—Modern—integrates an analog bandpass filter into the signal path. According to the filter, the compressor does not respond to low and particularly high frequencies in the signal. This type of side-chain filter is often used in modern music mixes.
- Vintage: the third mode—Vintage—integrates an analog filter into the signal path with a filter curve empirically created by developer Wolfgang Neumann.
- Focus: in Focus mode, Venos grips much tighter and focuses on the midrange, but still makes the signal big and lively.
- Punch: in Punch mode, Venos gives the music a punch like you've never heard before from a variable-bias tube compressor. However, the signal does not become unpleasant, but simply shines with power.
This signal can be fed back into the Venos via the return input. Venos now responds to the signal processed by the external equalizer. It is also possible to feed a signal from another source into the return input, it does not necessarily have to be the signal from Venos. This means that a completely independent signal can also influence the compression in Venos.
The 120V technology achieves exceptional technical specifications and sonic benefits. Technically, in terms of dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, and headroom. Sonically, in terms of richness of detail and an absolutely relaxed listening experience.