SPL Channel One Recording Channel

Channel One presents a Swiss army knife of tools to help prime any vocal, instrument, digital or analogue audio source for mixing. Each Channel One features a tube/solid-state preamp, DeEsser, compressor limiter, EQ and even a personal headphone monitoring section providing an independent mix for artists.

Three-Fold Input Options

The Channel one preamp section features three individual inputs optimised for a wide range of sources. The balanced microphone input is armed with 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, phase reverse and an on-board subsonic filter, whilst the line input has a precise balancing stage for low-impedance sources. Finally the high-impedance, low-noise instrument input is situated directly on the front panel for ease of access by recording or control room musicians.

Multiple Processing Stages

A wealth of options are made available with Channel One to assist recording engineers and producers in cleaning up a source ready for mixing.

The DeEsser section subtly removes offending sibilants by processing only S-type frequencies. This ensures incorrect information is not removed from the frequency array and vocal tonality remains intact. SPL's DeEsser section features an auto-threshold feature which actively compensates for source volume variation, accommodating the signal for vocalists with perhaps less than perfect technique.

Channel One’s dynamic processing section features a noise gate which operates intelligently without removing reverb tails, and a compressor/limiter based on SPL’s proprietary Double-VCA-Drive® circuitry. The compressor offers amazing noise and distortion characteristics via a truly musical timbre.

Finally the Channel One EQ is optimised for voices, acoustic and electronic instruments. In addition to the low, mid-high and air-band filters, the EQ also features a field-effect distortion stage for subtly distorting signals and adding additional character to sources.