The SPL Neos is a compact analogue summing and monitoring console built around SPL’s proprietary 120-volt technology, making it the first console to combine summing and monitoring at this operating voltage level. The design goal behind the SPL Neos was to merge essential analogue summing functionality, including faders and panorama controls, with a complete and practical monitoring section, all within a space-efficient format. This approach allows the SPL Neos to meet the highest expectations in both mixing and monitoring, delivering exceptional sound quality while maintaining an intuitive and hands-on workflow.
The SPL Neos was conceived for sound engineers who place artistic and musical decisions at the centre of their production process and who do not rely primarily on undo functions or preset-based workflows. Despite this philosophy, the SPL Neos integrates seamlessly into DAW-based studios, providing the unmistakable sound character, headroom, and operational feel of high-end analogue equipment while remaining fully compatible with modern digital environments.
At its core, the SPL Neos is a 24-channel analogue summing console equipped with long-throw faders and panorama controls, making it ideally suited for DAW-centric studios that prioritise audio quality. Each input channel features 100 mm ALPS faders, pan controls, mono, cut, solo, and “to monitor only” switching, along with signal indication LEDs. The master section also uses 100 mm ALPS faders and includes inserts as well as a Bend function for limiting. A comprehensive monitoring section provides volume control, tape mix return from the DAW, and dedicated mute, dim, and mono functions.
Connectivity on the SPL Neos is designed for professional studio integration. Inputs are provided via three eight-channel DB25 connectors wired to the TASCAM standard, complemented by balanced XLR connectors for slave operation, insert return, and tape return. Balanced XLR outputs are available for recording out and two monitor outputs, while additional unbalanced XLR outputs serve alternative out, insert send, and metering duties. The SPL Neos is cascadable, allowing multiple units to be linked together, and each console is hand built in Germany.
A defining feature of the SPL Neos is its unique 120-volt operating voltage. Compared with conventional analogue mixers operating at 30 to 36 volts, or even high-end designs using up to 60 volts, the SPL Neos operates at plus and minus 60 volts. This results in more than 30 dB of headroom at the input, over 122 dB of dynamic range, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 92 dB across all channels. At the heart of this design are SPL’s handmade, discrete operational amplifiers, offering 116 dB signal-to-noise ratio, 34 dB of headroom, and a dynamic range extending up to 150 dB across a frequency response reaching 200 kHz.
All components used in the SPL Neos are carefully selected and matched during pre-production. Critical switching functions are handled via sealed relays, and the internal construction features oversized signal traces, generous PCB spacing for improved channel separation, a star ground scheme, and a linear power supply. These design choices ensure exceptional technical performance while maintaining absolute signal integrity.
The SPL Neos also reflects SPL’s broader commitment to advancing analogue technology at a time when much of the industry was moving fully into the digital domain. Originally developed from research conducted shortly after the turn of the millennium, the 120-volt technology was first introduced in exclusive custom solutions for high-end mastering studios. With the SPL Neos, this next-generation analogue performance was brought into a compact console format suitable for modern production and mastering environments, ensuring that the console would never become a bottleneck, regardless of future developments in digital audio formats.
Integration with DAW systems is straightforward thanks to the DB25 TASCAM-standard connectors, allowing direct alignment with typical multi-channel audio interfaces. The SPL Neos supports a wide range of routing scenarios, from simple three-converter setups to more complex configurations using mono and stereo stems, making it highly adaptable to different studio workflows.
Features
- 24-channel analogue summing console with faders and panorama controls
- Integrated high-end monitoring section
- Proprietary 120-volt analogue technology
- 100 mm ALPS faders on input and master sections
- Comprehensive monitoring controls including tape return, mute, dim, and mono
- Cascadable design for expanded systems
- Hand built in Germany
- Compact 19-inch, 7U rackmount format