“I’ve owned or used many nice bus compressors and I don’t feel that I’m exaggerating by saying the SPL Venos is one of the best available.”
In Sound on Sound magazine you’ll find a review of our new stereo bus compressor SPL Venos. The complete review is available on Sound on Sound’s website for free and in the current edition (3/26) of the magazine.
Here on our blog we’ve summarized some of the key points for you.
Design & Build:
“The overall aesthetic is appealing, and puts me in mind of those chunky-yet-elegant steam locomotives of days gone by.”
“As we’ve come to expect of SPL, the massive front panel is accompanied by a very sturdy case, and all the controls offer a solid tactile response – neither too loose nor too stiff.”
In Practice & Sound:
“The Venos instantly vivifies any bus signal a little, even when the gain-reduction meter needle remains unmoved.”
“Thanks to this behaviour, all audio passed through the Venos sounds more ‘contoured’, or more ‘hi-res’ if you like – but never seeming artificial.”
“Starting in Linear mode, with the Silicon rectifier and very moderate gain reduction of one or two decibels, this compressor reveals how thoughtful and empathetic it is.”
“The SPL Venos masters this task perfectly and, seeming even more cautious than most vari-mus, it’s exactly what you need when you’re compressing the more complex signals that are usually routed to stereo busses.”
“Despite being able to compress quite heavily, though, even in Punch mode the Venos responds organically to the signal, without it ever feeling like there’s any artificial resistance.”
“The different modes are way more than a gimmick – they’re an integral part of the Venos concept, and are what make it so supremely versatile.”
“The Venos is the perfect bus compressor for drums, vocals, guitar stems and – of course – your main stereo bus.”
Conclusion:
“SPL have refined and expanded upon the classic variable-mu approach to compression in this great-sounding new bus compressor, which offers a range of tonal and compression options.”
“If you’re thinking of stepping up your mixing game with the addition of a high-end bus compressor, then the SPL Venos is well worth your attention.”
Find more information about Venos on the product page.
