We are very excited about the in-depth review of the new SPL Venos Stereo Bus Compressor in Studio Magazin (edition 4/26). Fritz Fey takes a close and highly detailed look at the device – from its technical concept to real-world studio application. A highly recommended read.
“The newest member of the mastering family is the Venos bus compressor, which truly lives up to its big brother ‘Iron’ without trying to compete with it, but instead meaningfully expanding SPL’s mastering portfolio.”
“At first glance, the Venos is clearly recognizable as a classic stereo bus compressor, but conceptually it goes far beyond what is typically associated with this category of gear.”
“Pure Elegance!”
Technology:
“The heart of the Venos concept is a variable-bias tube circuit.”
“With the Venos, this historical principle is not only adopted, but further expanded.”
“A key design feature of the Venos is the integration of SPL’s proprietary 120V technology.”
Measurements:
“Overall, SPL’s Venos is a very controlled-working compressor with excellent technical specifications, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.”
“The noise spectrum is almost perfect.”
In Practice:
“The Venos achieves a practically level-independent, smooth transition into gain reduction.”
“It presents itself in a rather ‘graceful’ way, with soft contours – like a refined instrument that intervenes in dynamics with great care, yet delivers exceptional beauty and natural transparency.”
“The result is not simply a variation of time constants, but a noticeable change in the entire compression behavior – from softly integrating (germanium), to controlled and stable (silicon), to distinctly dynamic and assertive (LED).”
“I would rather argue that the Venos, with its highly versatile, semi-automatic control behavior, covers an extremely wide range that reveals itself particularly in the finer details of gain control.”
Sound:
“If you push the Venos too far, you hear a very elegant tube compressor with an extraordinary smoothness in its gain control – especially with the germanium rectifier – characterized by soft curves and a musical breathing quality.”
“In practice, this results in a noticeably more pronounced, at times almost accentuated compression, where transients are treated with greater definition and the signal gains overall more punch.”
“The result is a rather gentle, continuous form of dynamic processing with a high sensitivity for detail.”
Conclusion:
“With the Venos, designer Wolfgang Neumann has succeeded in creating a modern interpretation of a tube compressor, whose program dependency and smooth gain transition enable a very elegant form of compression that adapts to the material and therefore always remains musical.”
“In my ranking, the Venos takes one of the top positions.”
“I would even call it a very worthy successor to the tube compressor tradition.”
“A truly impressive achievement!”
