Channel strip recording with preamp, de-esser, compressor, and EQ - Premium
The SPL Track One Mk3 Premium is the version featuring a Lundahl input transformer of the compact recording channel strip that has earned a prominent place in broadcast and vocal recording. Building on the Track One Mk3—which combines a preamp, de-esser, compressor/limiter, and equalizer in a single rack unit—the Premium version adds the Lundahl 2161 transformer to the microphone preamp: more clean gain for low-output microphones and the classic transformer character, with rounder bass and a silkier high end. An ideal choice for singer-songwriters, announcers, podcasters, and studios that primarily record vocals.
Transformers are an alternative to electronic balancing stages and are found in many classics of audio engineering. They make low frequencies and the fundamental tone rounder and give them a bit more punch, while harmonics and the high end sound softer and more present—an effect that SPL considers particularly beneficial for vocals. For maximum transient response, electronic stages remain the better choice; the decision depends on personal preference and the application.
The 2161 transformer, designed specifically for microphone inputs, provides up to 14 dB of additional gain, depending on the microphone. The level increase occurs passively due to the transformer ratio, so it adds no noise and reduces the load on the preamp. With broadcast condenser microphones and ribbon microphones, which require a lot of gain, you get a cleaner signal with more headroom.
The Track One Mk3 Premium features two preamps: a microphone preamp with 48 V phantom power and a separate instrument preamp, both calibrated for a neutral, open, and transparent sound. The microphone input offers up to +63 dB of gain, plus the gain from the input transformer; the line input ranges from -12 to +22 dB, and the instrument input from 0 to +35 dB. The 6 dB/octave high-pass filter eliminates impact noise and vibrations below 80 Hz.
Thanks to the line input, you can insert the Track One Mk3 Premium into a DAW insert slot: send a track from the audio interface, process it with a de-esser, compressor, limiter, and EQ, and record it back. It’s an easy way to apply analog processing even to tracks that have already been recorded.
The SPL de-esser detects sibilants, inverts their phase, and adds them back to the original signal, eliminating them without affecting the rest of the spectrum. The Auto-Threshold feature maintains a consistent reduction even when the speaker or singer moves closer to or farther from the microphone, so there’s no need to adjust the settings during the take. Simply adjust the S-Reduction: even at high settings, the character and timbre of the voice remain intact. The S-DET LED indicates each sibilant detected.
The compressor is adjusted using the Compression knob, which sets the threshold between 0 and -20 dB, and the Make-Up Gain up to +20 dB, aided by the gain reduction indicator in 1.5 dB steps. Attack and release times automatically adapt to the signal: a fast response to plosive consonants like P and T, and a slower response to soft attacks and sustained notes, for musical, uncolored compression. The Limiter button transforms the section into a discrete soft limiter, useful for protecting the converter in broadcast and live applications.
With the Compressor Link function, you can link two Track One units and control both compressors with the same signal, choosing which unit acts as the master and which as the slave. The stereo image remains consistent across microphone pairs, keyboards, or stereo buses.
The EQ covers the entire spectrum with two semi-parametric bands featuring proportional Q: LMF from 30 to 700 Hz with ±14 dB, ideal for adding body to the fundamental of a vocal or reducing rumble, and MHF from 680 Hz to 15 kHz with ±12 dB. The bandwidth narrows as gain increases, allowing for precise, pronounced corrections and broader, more musical subtle adjustments. The Air filter—a bell-shaped coil-capacitor circuit centered at 19 kHz with ±10 dB—adds air and presence to vocals or softens harshness.
The Output control attenuates up to -20 dB or amplifies up to +5.5 dB to properly drive the AD converter or the next device in the chain. The PPM display shows the peak output level and helps set up the preamp; the SIG LED indicates signal presence, and the CLIP LED monitors critical points in the signal chain: after the preamp, the compressor, the EQ, and the output.
Neutrik connectors with gold-plated contacts, balanced outputs at a nominal level of +6 dBu, and an internal linear power supply with a shielded toroidal transformer: studio-grade construction in a single-rack-unit format.
SPL Track One Mk3 Premium Technical Specifications
Channels
1 (Mono)
Hardware format
Rack
€ 1.421,00 € 1.145,97 + VAT
Normally shipped in 10-15 working days
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