The patented Vitalizer circuitry from SPL (Sound Performance Labs) makes the Stereo Vitalizer Mk3-T an unsurpassed sound designer. Whether live or in the studio, audio productions sound more alive, have more details, more transparency, a higher perceived loudness and, if required, an overwhelming bass foundation.

Housed in a rugged, single-rackspace chassis, Vitalizer Mk3-T swaps the classic, golden robe of the previous model for the new, black design of the SPL Studio Series, but also adds the higher internal audio voltage of +/-18 V to elevate this third-generation SPL classic to greater sonic results.

The patented Vitalizer circuitry makes the Vitalizer Mk3-T an unsurpassed sound designer. Whether live or in the studio, audio productions sound more alive, have more details, more transparency, a higher perceived loudness and, if required, an overwhelming bass foundation. The Vitalizer Mk3-T swaps the classic, golden robe of the previous model for the new, black design of the SPL Studio Series, but also adds the higher internal audio voltage of +/-18 Volts to elevate this third-generation SPL classic to greater sonic results.

 

Vitalizing: The Five Controls of the Core of the Vitalizer

Drive

Drive controls the level going into the filter network. The level can be changed between -20 dB and +6 dB. In the center position (0 dB) the level is identical to the input level

OVL

The OVL LED indicates a potential overload of the input stages as well as internal overloads. The OVL LED lights up 3 dB before an overload. This ensures that the Vitalizer always delivers the perfect sound.

Bass Sound

The Bass Sound control can be used to adjust between two bass sound colors Soft or Tight. Moving the Bass Sound control from the center position (0) to the left makes bass sounds soft and warm, referred to as Soft. If the Bass Sound control is moved from the center position (0) to the right, this makes bass sounds dry and percussive, referred to as Tight.

Bass Comp

The Stereo Vitalizer Mk3-T features an easy-to-use and effective “one-knob” compressor that is integrated solely into the bass processing path, leaving the original bass content untouched. Attack, Release and Threshold are preset. Increasing the Bass Comp value on the one hand increases the compression ratio (Ratio) and at the same time lowers the threshold value (Threshold). The compressor works with a soft knee control characteristic to sound as unobtrusive as possible. By integrating it into the bass path, the high end remain lively and airy even at strong compression rates!

Mid-Hi Tune

The Mid-Hi Tune control is used to set the starting frequency of a broad-band shelving filter. In line with the setting of Process control, all frequencies above this value right through to the end of the audio range are processed. The control range is between 1.1 kHz (hard right) and 22 kHz (hard left). One of the Sovtek 12AX7 double triode tubes is used within the Mid-Hi Tune filter and gives the mid frequencies even more accurate transparency with a soft and silky sound pattern.

Process

The Process control determines the ratio between Bass Sound and Mid-Hi Tune to the original signal and determines the attenuation intensity of dominant mid frequencies.

LC-EQ

The LC EQ is a mid-high processing stage built around a passive coil-capacitor (LC) network. The LC-EQ creates more presence and definition in the midrange, especially for speech intelligibility and transparency. In the high frequency range, the coil convinces with extremely low noise. The frequency can be controlled between approx. 2 kHz (Low) when panned hard left stop and approx. 20 kHz (High) when panned hard right. The high frequency structure improved with the LC-EQ ensures a cleaner separation of the instrumentation and provides silky highs.

Coils are known for their pleasant sound in filter circuits. In the 60’s, coil filters were often used, later replaced by RC filters (resistor-capacitor network) due to their high pricing. Nowadays, the coil sound is desired again, especially for the mid and high frequencies, since saturating the coil produces a harmonic behavior that is pleasant for the listening sensation. This can be compared to the difference between a tube stage and a transistor stage.

Intensity

The Intensity control determines the level of the LC-EQ. As the intensity increases, the gain of the set high and mid-hi frequencies increases. At the same time, the perception time is shifted so that soft high-frequency components are not masked by loud ones. This improves speech intelligibility and clarity. The brilliance of any audio signal can be increased without sounding sharp.

Stereo Expander

The Stereo Expander increases the width of the stereo image. Working on established inter-channel phase principles, the Stereo Expander control is be used to increase the subjective soundstage width of any stereo source. A Sovtek 12AX7 double triode tube is also used in the stereo expander. In it, the right and left channels are mixed together. The tube now adds its typical tube harmonic spectrum to the stereo signal, which consists mainly of straight harmonics. In addition to widening the stereo image, the tube also produces a greater range of low frequencies, a clearer definition of reverb spacing and a softening of the high-frequency range.

The De-Masking

A key feature of the Vitalizer technology is the unmasking of superimposed sound components. The Vitalizer thereby relates the time of perception of a frequency to its amplitude. Through a minimal temporal offset of loud frequencies, quieter, previously superimposed sound components are “de-masked” and thus become audible.

The Vitalizer adapts the frequency spectrum to the curves of equal loudness, which improves the loudness perception in particular. The non-linear sensitivity of the human hearing is described already in the 1930s by the “Fletcher-Munson curves”. These “curves of equal loudness” (today defined by the standard ISO 226:2003) illustrate the equal perception of  loudness as a measure of sound pressure level, over the frequency spectrum, for which a listener perceives a constant loudness when presented with pure steady tones.

Inputs and Outputs

All inputs and outputs of the Vitalizer Mk3-T are equipped with Neutrik XLR jacks with gold-plated contacts and Neutrik TRS jacks. The XLR and TRS jacks are connected in parallel. The signal transmission is electronically balanced with a nominal level of +6 dBu. Tip: On the output side, there are two signals per output. The processed signal can therefore be sent to two different devices. In case of a double assignment of the inputs, the two input signals are mixed together.

Designed for long life, the Vitalizer Mk3-T has a 4mm thick, black anodized aluminum front panel and aluminum knobs milled from solid. The housing is made of high-quality steel and is powder-coated in elegant black.

USA pricing is $1,099. For more info, visit: https://spl.audio