Recording - January 2021 - 53

32dB Gain
63dB Gain
Noise (A-Weighted)................. -94 dBu.............................................. -67.5 dBu
THD/N....................................... 0.002%...................................................0.001%
EIN............................................ 40 Ohm -126.4 dBu......... 150 Ohm -131.2 dBu
The gain knob has twelve fixed
steps, ranging from +18dB to +70dB
(in jumps of 2dB to 7dB at a time). The
knob itself has some weight to it and
feels very solid. An additional output
gain control for each preamp ranges
from -10dB to +10dB for more precise
output level control. The mic gain combined with the output control can total
up to +80dB of gain.

Conclusion

SPL Crescendo duo is impressive
from a build, sound, and design
perspective. The 120v rails make it
unique and provide amplification unlike anything else in your rack. The
only critique I have pertains to price-
the quality of this high standard does

not come cheap. At $2,499, it's about
$1,250 per channel; less bang for the
buck than the eight-channel Crescendo, which retails at $5,999-$750
per channel. Things to ponder... That
being said, if you need pristine sound
in an elegantly over-built preamp, the
Crescendo duo will provide a rich,
transparent, and lifelike performance
with every nuance and detail that the
source provides.
Price: $2499
More from: spl.audio

Specs

The specs are impressive. The listed
frequency response is 20 Hz-100
kHz (32dB gain-3dB). The documentation also provides noise-related figures
at two different gain levels depicted in
the table.

Sound Observations

The Crescendo duo sounds clear
and very rich, with plenty of depth and
weight to the signal. I find that sometimes clean preamps can sound a bit
sterile and two-dimensional-not the
case here. Sources translate with incredible lifelike clarity and precision. I often
found that sources required much less
work to sit in a mix. This kind of clarity
and transparency is especially well-suited for jazz and classical genres, as it
can capture the dynamics of a performance with extreme accuracy.
Depth and realistic dynamic range
are among the most significant takeaways, not to mention the amount of
clean gain and headroom on tap. This
is a mic pre that doesn't really need a
pad switch, but SPL provided one nonetheless. My go-to clean mic preamp is
typically Grace Design, and the SPL
Crescendo duo seems to live in a similar place tonally. Both preamps offer
transparency, low-noise, and ample
headroom. The low mids are full and
accurate, and the top end is open and
uncolored. My favorite applications
have been voice, acoustic guitar, and
grand piano-each captured with as
much detail and realism as is heard in
the room itself.

RECORDING January 2021

" A decade of use
and still everyone's
favorite mic to use. "
-Jason Rubal

Veteran Engineer

COPPERPHONE

™

The ultimate blend mic for
adding personality to vocals,
drums, guitars and more!

ALSO FROM PLACID AUDIO

RESONATOR
SERIES™

CARBONPHONE™
& TONE BOX

COPPERPHONE
MINI™

CARBONPHONE
RU-80™

For more information or to hear sound samples visit:

placidaudio.com

http://www.placidaudio.com

Recording - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2021