SPL Machine Head — A Mix Product of the Week

New York, NY (February 21, 2025)—When SPL decided to create a plug-in version of its vaunted but discontinued tape emulation processor, Machine Head, one of its advantages was that the internal processing of the hardware was digital. As a result, the company was able to port its source code into the plug-in, making it an extremely close replication, sonically, of the original.

“We brought the core team of the Machine Head developers back together,” says SPL, “to make it possible to transfer the original code into an SPL plugin. One hundred percent original code for 100 percent original sound.”

The original Machine Head unit, whose tape-emulation capabilities made it a powerful tool for mixing and mastering, was created in 1996 and remained in production until approximately 2008. Since then, it’s become highly sought after and quite expensive on the used market. The red, 1U rackmount processor utilized algorithms created in collaboration with SoundArt and developed using a Lyrec TR-533, a 2-inch, 24-track analog tape machine as a reference.

SPL could have simply made the plug-in replicate the hardware processor but decided to add additional digital features that take advantage of today’s faster DSP. As a result, the Machine Head plug-in offers two operation modes.

Hit Factory Studios Debut First Plug-In: HitVerb

The first, Original, strictly replicates the sound quality and controls of the hardware unit. The second, Ultimate, provides a more precise tape machine emulation and includes another parameter, Low-Frequency Adjust, allowing the user to “calibrate” the processing through over- or under-compensation. The control knobs offer ten times the resolution of those in Original mode.

The rest of the features are available in both modes. They include knobs for Input Gain, Drive (called “Drive Level” in Ultimate mode), High Frequency adjust and Output Gain. The High Tape Speed button switches the emulated tape machine response from 15 ips tape speed to 30 ips, subtly changing the sound quality.

Four Preset buttons allow you to save and compare settings. For input, output, and drive levels, ladder-style meters with ten levels each are included, making it easy to see the effects of your settings. An information panel provides numerical readouts of key parameter settings and status.

SPL Machine Head is available singly ($69) and as part of selected Plugin Alliance bundles. Get more info from Plugin Alliance.