Back in Black
The beloved SPL Crescendo returns with a slick cosmetic facelift and a new name! This SPL Crescendo 8 Microphone Preamp features a different housing, a new black front panel, and an “8” added to its name. Aside from these changes, everything else is the same as the revered SPL Crescendo. You get the same 120V technology and high-voltage SUPRA op-amps, which gives the Crescendo 8 a dynamic range that is practically impossible to distort. The SPL Crescendo 8 is also invisible on your signal; it amplifies whatever you need without imparting any noticeable “color” of its own, thanks to a meager THD value. Speaking of amplifying, the Crescendo 8 is capable of such high levels that it features a -10dB VU switch, so you can still monitor high-level outputs. Simply put, the SPL Crescendo 8 will make your mics sing like never before with unprecedented clarity, just like its predecessor.
Related Videos: Crescendo 8 Microphone Preamp
Meet the new boss …
The SPL Crescendo 8 has a black anodized 4mm-thick aluminum front panel with aluminum milled pots. It also features a new powder coated, high-quality steel housing. Finally, SPL has attached an “8” to the end of its name. Aside from these purely cosmetic changes, nothing has been added or removed. The same transparency, dynamic range, and unmatched power of 120V Technology that made Sweetwater mixing and mastering engineers fall in love with the original are still present.
Powerful 120V Technology
The idea behind SPL’s incredible 120V Technology is simple: you need the best possible power running throughout your electrical components for the best possible audio. The SPL Crescendo 8 runs at an extremely high DC voltage of 120 volts (+/- 60 volts). Since this voltage would quickly fry typical components and operational amplifiers, SPL developed their own proprietary 120V SUPRA op-amps to handle this high voltage. It’s worth noting that 120V has nothing to do with the power from your mains. The SPL Crescendo 8’s internal toroidal transformers and rectifiers convert the AC voltage from your mains into the device’s required operating voltage. This facet allows every component inside the SPL Crescendo 8 to perform consistently in their ideal operating ranges, and the shielded toroidal transformer power supply plus precisely matched transistors ensure no problems arise from interference or thermal issues. The result is an incredibly natural sound with improved dynamic range, headroom, and extremely low THD values.
SPL Audio: supercharged audio products
Formed in Germany in 1983, SPL Audio has been at the forefront of the pro audio industry since its inception. After developing proprietary 120V Technology in the ’90s, SPL decided to make this groundbreaking invention the heart of all its high-end products, and this incredibly powerful yet transparent sound has earned many devotees at Sweetwater and beyond. Other revelatory inventions SPL has become known for include level-independent envelope processing and using phase cancellation in auto-dynamic de-essers for reducing sibilance.
SPL Audio Crescendo 8 Microphone Preamplifier Features:
- New black powder coated high-quality steel housing
- New black anodized aluminum front panel with solid aluminum milled knobs
- Same incredibly high +/- 60V (120V) operational DC voltage powers your signal like nothing you’ve ever heard before
- Same proprietary SPL 120V SUPRA Operational Amplifiers that can handle such high voltage levels
- Enhanced headroom, signal-to-noise ratios, dynamic range, and THD values give you a very natural listening experience
- Built-in parallel outputs on all 8 mic preamps as both XLR line and DB-25 jacks
- Shielded toroidal transformer power supply and precisely matched transistor pairs reject thermal and common-mode interference issues
- VU-10 switch adjusts the VU meter’s level by -10dB so you can still view high output levels
- +48V, Polarity, and Pad controls, with an analog potentiometer for preamp gain ranging from +18 - +70dB
