In German Studio Magazin, edition 12/2022, you can find a review about our 500 Series module for stereo stage processing, the SPL BiG. Here we providet a short summary in English.
“BiG is one of those devices that can’t be created on a drawing board. It is a combination of trial and error, of experiment and spontaneous ideas straight from the mastering practice – not a purposeful invention, not a planned development, but a true creation.”
Operation:
“BiG is a double-slot module with three knobs, two switches, and a two-piece LED signal indicator. One of the switches activates the bypass, the other one adds a filter.”
“The biggest control labeled ‘Bigness’ is a pure mixing control between effect and original signal and thus serves to dose the stereo manipulation. The two remaining controls are labeled ‘Range’ and ‘Stage’ and basically work as frequency selection controls for broadband boost with preset phase, Q and gain.”
In practice:
“The results I can get with it in the stereo stage range from extreme to modest, with ‘modest’ still being a cause for wonder when you go into bypass . It’s a tremendous amount of fun.”
Conclusion:
“I have watched various user videos online and found that, regardless of the user, the settings are always made randomly at first. At the end there is then the surprise or amazement of the result.”
“I was most amazed when the mix level stayed in a ‘decent’ range and you actually thought you hadn’t effected anything of significance yet. Then, when the bypass switch is pressed and the signal seems to collapse to mono, you realize how magical this effect really is. Now that I know something like this exists, it’s really hard to go back to ‘everyday M/S’.”
“There are various theories circulating in various reviews about the way the internal signal processing is done, and maybe the developer Wolfgang Neumann will surely smile about the fact that none of them is completely true – probably not even mine. But in the end, it’s the sonic result that counts, and that’s somehow always ‘magical’.”
“BiG is a really special device that you just have to have… there’s nothing else like it on the market.”
