Recording - June 2018 - 26

Serpent
Audio
Splice MKII and
Splice-500 MKII

Blending two classic compressors
in a single powerful package
REVIEWS BY PAUL VNUK JR.
erpent Audio is based in Philadelphia, run by gear
designer Mike Pildis and specializing in audio
compressors. Serpent's initial offerings were built for
use in an API-style 500 Series enclosure. These include the
optical LA-3A inspired Chimera, the VCA-based SB4001
bus compressor, and the FET-style Splice.
The Splice was redesigned shortly after its initial run and
was soon joined by the company's first non-500 Series device, the 2U 19" rackmount Splice MKII. With both the
rack version and the new Splice-500 MKII module in hand,
it's time to examine what makes these Splices so special.

FET facts

The Splice MKII is Serpent's take on the classic UREI 1176
FET compressor designed by Bill Putnam Sr. First released in
1967 and sold through the 1970s, the current 1176LN was
revived in 2000 by Universal Audio and is still in production today.
The design has been revised over a dozen times through the
years; each version has its own unique sound and ballistics,
and seasoned engineers all have their favorites.

RECORDING June 2018

The first model from 1967 is known as the Bluestripe,
thanks to its silver enclosure with a blue paint stripe, and was
shipped in three versions: A, AB and B. All of them,
especially the ultra-rare A, are known for their volume, punch,
and aggression... and for being a tad noisy.
In 1970 engineer Brad Plunkett adjusted the circuit to lower
the unit's self-noise, and the 1176LN (Low Noise) was born.
This version began at rev C and carried on through rev G, all
with a solid black faceplate: these were the Blackface units.
The reintroduced 1176LN is, according to Universal Audio,
an amalgamation of revs C, D, and E, and is closest to the E.
The Splice MKII puts the revered Bluestripe A and the Blackface D into one box. Not only can you switch between the two,
you can also use the Bluestripe input with the Blackface output
and vice versa-splicing the two versions together. It also offers
a healthy selection of modern features like sidechain EQ, soft
bypass (1:1 ratio), and wet/dry parallel compression.

Two looks, one sound

Despite the difference in size and looks between the 2U
19" rack Splice MKII and the single-slot 500 Series module,
the two units share 90% functionality, and offer exactly the
same sound and ballistics.
The rack version has the classic layout, with a large VU
meter for level and gain reduction and a pair of large silver
input and output knobs on the left. It has variable Attack (20 to
800 microseconds) and Release (50 milliseconds to 1.1 seconds)
knobs, and while it offers all of the 1176's ratios, they are laid
out as stepped rotary switches rather than buttons.
In addition to the classic 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, and 20:1 ratio
settings of the 1176, the Splice adds a welcome 2:1 setting
which was only offered by UA in the 1176AE (Anniversary
Edition) model. There is another step below 2:1, labeled SB
(for soft bypass). This lets you drive signal through the unit's
signal path without compression, to induce classic transformer
saturation and even distortion. Rounding out the controls found
on the classic 1176, the famous all-buttons-in mode is accessed
via a toggle switch labeled Slam.
The Splice-only functions include toggle switches for external
sidechain I/O, a 600Ω loading switch for use in vintage
setups, and a stereo Link switch. The Link switch also has
the added benefit, when using a single unit, of adding an
aggressive boost to the sound.
In addition to external sidechaining, there's a stepped switch
with internal sidechain EQ options of 60, 90, 130, 200, and

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2018