SPL P8 8-Channel Preamp with ADAT Converter Overview SPL’s Crescendo 8 eight-channel preamp made a major impact at The business has now condensed the musical essence of their high-end multichannel preamp into the P8, a compact 8-channel preamp that provides excellent value for money. You still get SPL’s discrete transistor circuit design—no ICs here! Each of the eight channels contains a full-featured mic preamp, replete with a rotary gain control and switches for enabling phantom power, a 20 dB pad, polarity reversal, and a highpass filter. The pure-analog P8 is equipped with SPL’s eight-channel A/D converter and ADAT outputs, allowing it to be digitally linked to your audio interface. We’ve rarely seen so much capability crammed into a compact 1U 19-inch rackmount chassis. When you use the SPL P8 in your studio or live setup, you will be pleasantly surprised by its performance, adaptability, and value. We surely are. Eight pristine channels of a microphone preamplifier with professional features. Microphone Inputs With Gain Control: The P8’s eight microphone inputs include Neutrik XLR sockets with gold-plated contacts. The signal transmission is electronically balanced to a nominal level of 0 dBu. The gain control runs from 8 to 62 dB. Phantom Power: Each of the eight preamplifiers features a separate 48V phantom power switch for use with condenser mics. Pad: Each pad switch in the corresponding preamplifier section attenuates the microphone input signal by -20 dB, allowing the P8 to handle even extremely high levels; this is ideal for usage with loud percussion or brass recordings. Reverse Phase: Every preamp features a phase reversal capability that reverses the signal’s polarity by 180°. High-pass filter: Each of the eight preamp sections features a 6 dB per octave high-pass filter designed to reduce undesirable frequencies below 80 Hz. Impressive versatility. The P8’s gain control has a wide range (8 dB-62 dB), giving you plenty of options. It has adequate gain to handle low-output passive ribbon microphones, but you may reduce the gain to accept line-level inputs. Each channel of the P8 has the features you’d expect from a full-featured professional preamp. Condenser mics have 48V phantom power, and a 20 dB pad allows for appropriate gain staging. An 80 Hz, 6 dB/octave highpass filter allows you to swiftly remove any undesirable or unnecessary low-end material from your signals. A polarity reversal switch rounds off the compact, per-channel quartet of buttons. ADAT and Analog Out The P8’s eight mic inputs feature rear-panel Neutrik XLR connectors with gold-plated contacts. Signal transmission is electronically balanced at a nominal level of 0 dBu. The P8 provides eight line-level analog signals through a DB-25 connection on the back panel. This version of the P8 comes with an eight-channel A/D converter card inserted in the second output slot, allowing it to connect directly to an audio interface’s ADAT inputs. This provides you with a great deal of versatility when it comes to setting up downstream routing. You can, for example, connect the analog outs in parallel as a backup or through a separate effects chain to another recording device, eliminating the requirement for a signal splitter. High-performance A/D converter. The P8’s A/D converter module employs the well-known AKM AK5538 ADC chip, which translates analog audio with sampling rates of up to 192kHz to provide highly detailed digital output via ADAT optical (TOSlink), which is compatible with a wide range of audio interfaces. The converter’s ability to work in single, double, or quad-speed modes allows you to choose the number of output channels and sample rates. Whatever speed mode you choose, the P8 will continue to output eight analog channels via the DB-25 connection. The A/D converter has word clock I/O, a switch for terminating the clock input, and a USB service connector for firmware updates (not audio connections). Made in Germany. Each P8 is precisely created in SPL’s production facilities in Niederkrüchten, Lower Rhine, Germany, to ensure absolute quality control. Many important components are installed on circuit boards using through-hole technology to give the high-quality audio performance that your sessions need. SPL P8 ADAT Converter Features: An 8-channel mic preamplifier and A/D converter with ADAT Discrete transistor circuit design. Per-channel balanced XLR inputs Per-channel 20 dB pad, polarity reverse, 48 V phantom power, 80 Hz, 6 dB/octave HPF. 8-channel analog output using DB-25 port. Installed an 8-channel A/D converter with ADAT outputs meticulously handmade in Germany.
