The Space Station SST-282, sold by Ursa Major, was one of the first digital reverbs to appear (in the late seventies), alongside the now legendary EMT 250 and Quad Eight CPR-16. Because the Space Station was considerably cheaper, the processor was a great success, as it provided quality effects at an affordable cost.
It was a large, heavy processor (three rack units), said to be “capable of producing most of the echoes and reverbs normally used in the studio, and some not so normal ones.”
At the heart of the 282, a (now rudimentary) digital processor accessed RAM to offer a variety of reverb and delay effects, with a bandwidth of 7 kHz and eleven-bit fixed-point processing.
Years after it was discontinued (and had therefore become a coveted treasure in secondhand shops), the 282 saw its creator, Christopher Moore, take advantage of more modern processors to create a reissue: the SST-206.
This new effects unit is housed entirely in what at first glance looks like the remote controller, a small board little bigger than the palm of your hand (12.7x16.5x1.5 cm).
Don't be fooled, however. The new SST-206 has all the power of the original model, along with notable improvements and a few more surprises...
The controls
In the manufacturer's words, the initial idea was to remake the original model in a more convenient and manageable format, but “I couldn't resist including some improvements and new programs.”
Taking advantage of the modern Motorola DSP-56311 chip, the new 206 offers the original's two programs (SST Echo and SST Reverb), along with a new reverb program called Room. For this last program, Christopher Moore used “every available cycle on the chip” to create “the best reverb I can make with current hardware.”
In addition, from software revision 3.0 onward, the new Space Station also includes SST Echo + and SST Reverb + (Plus) modes, similar to the originals but with a frequency response extending up to 22 kHz and 24-bit processing.
The active program is selected using one of the 12 rotary pots available, and three red LEDs show the selected operating mode (the Plus programs are indicated by the respective LED blinking).
The Input Level knob sets the level of the input signal before it hits the algorithms, so changing it doesn't affect the dry/wet ratio at the output.
The input signal is monitored by a four-LED peak meter, indicating levels of 0 dB (overload, in red), -6 dB (orange), -15 dB and –30 dB (both in green).
This meter takes spot samples of the signal level and holds them for about 100 ms. The meter also checks the signal level throughout all the DSP's calculation stages to ensure that, if the red LED hasn't lit up, there has been no internal overload.
So much for the operation common to all programs; the remaining parameters vary depending on the selected mode.
SST Echo and SST Reverb
In these two modes, the input signal is duplicated, and an untouched copy is sent to the output via Dry Level. The other copy is summed to mono and fed into the processor.
From this mono signal, four different stereo signals are generated, which are available at the processor output under the name Audition Taps. The delay introduced in each is different and increases with the output number (1&2, 3&4, 5&6 and 7&8).
The time of these delays, and therefore the overall sound of the effect, is selected using the different Delay Patterns, grouped into families: Room, Comb, Delay Clusters and Repeats.
Each of these patterns gives the unit a characteristic sound, which is then fine-tuned using different level combinations of the four Audition Taps and the original signal from the Dry Level pot.
To extend the capabilities of the Space Station, part of the signal can be fed back to the input. This is done with the Decay Time control, which lets you create anything from subtle reverb effects to long echoes or short resonances.
Depending on whether Echo or Reverb has been selected, the feedback creates one or several new versions of the original signal, specially designed to expand the unit's possibilities.
This feedback signal can be equalized in the lows and highs (Lf Decay and Hf Decay) to adjust the unit's response and thus recreate different spaces with more or less absorption in different parts of the spectrum.
The new “SST Echo +” and “SST Reverb +” modes extend the processor's frequency response, feature 24-bit (PCM) processing, and offer some extra parameters, such as the ability to change the level of the early reflections in SST Reverb + mode.
Room
When you enter Room reverb mode, the SST-206's operation and controls change considerably, and the output signal is built from the sum of the original signal, early reflections and a reverb component.
The Dry Level pot still sends a copy of the original signal to the output, but the signal entering the processor is stereo instead of mono.
From it, the early reflections are generated, whose predelay, time spacing (length) and level can be adjusted with their respective pots.
The reverb component itself can also be adjusted in several ways: the Size control governs the apparent size of the room, and both the predelay and the reverb level have their own controls.
In this mode, Decay Time and its EQ are still available, but the way they interact internally with the other parameters differs from the SST modes.
In action
Input and output are via AES/EBU, on separate XLR connectors (male and female). Accepted sample rates are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, although in SST Echo and Reverb modes you can work at rates up to 96 kHz, at the cost of proportionally reducing the maximum delay time, since it is tied to the sample rate.
Installing the unit is therefore really simple, since you only need to connect it to free AES/EBU input and output connectors. However, the first steps with the SST-206 are not as quick as with other effects units, because this processor's versatility requires a good understanding of its inner workings to get the most out of it.
In each operating mode, the Space Station's controls affect different parameters, and until you know the various options well, you don't feel fully in control of the unit.
Another particular feature of this processor is that it has no factory presets, and user-created settings can't be stored as presets either. Every time you want to use the processor, the effect must be built from the ground up.
Although this may seem like a disadvantage at first, the truth is that once you've grasped its inner workings, reaching the desired effect is intuitive and quick, and the creative process itself is satisfying and lets you get custom results for each application.
In this respect, the two SST modes faithfully recreate the sound of the original programs (if anything, more cleanly), providing the classic delay/reverb effects that made the 282 famous, especially on vocals and guitars.
The new SST Plus modes offer more bandwidth and, as a result, a more modern sound that broadens the range of applications in which the 206 can be used.
As for the new Room program, it is a dense, rich reverb with a warm, realistic sound that, like the other programs on the new Space Station, will delight those who love that “vintage” sound.
Conclusions
Without a doubt, the goals pursued in creating the SST-206 have been more than met. The sound of the original programs is available in a small unit that is much simpler and more convenient to use, and the new programs extend the capabilities of the original version.
The processor's sound is exceptional, with that warmth and grain associated with some “vintage” gear. For that very reason, however, it is a classic effects unit, in the sense that it doesn't provide “crazy” delay or reverb effects.
If you're looking for a modern processor with lots of presets to use quickly on a wide variety of different sources, the new SST-206 isn't the best fit, and neither would the original model be.
However, for those looking for a reverb and delay unit with a classic sound, the kind you have to tweak carefully until everything falls into place, the sound of the new Space Station won't disappoint. Truly, the SST-206: the reissue of a classic.
General Technical Specifications
Input/Output:AES/EBU (44.1/48 kHz, 16 and 24 bits)
Connectors:XLR
DSP:Motorola DSP56311 at 141 MHz
Cable length:4 meters
Size:12.7 x 16.5 x 1.5 cm
SST program specifications
Frequency Response:20-7k Hz (20-22 kHz in Plus modes)
Dynamic range:80 dB (24-bit quality in Plus modes)
Delay Settings:16 patterns of 8 taps
THD:0.2% Max, at 1 kHz
Low EQ:0/-10 dB Shelving at 20 Hz
High EQ:0/-10 dB Shelving at 7 kHz
Room program specifications
Frequency response:10-22k Hz
Dynamic Range:>120dB with 24-bit sources
Decay Time:From 0.2 to over 100 seconds
Pre Delay:5 to 171 ms
ER Delay:0 to 171 ms
ER Length:10 to 171 ms
Low EQ:0/-7dB Shelving at 600 Hz
High EQ:0/-7dB Shelving at 2 kHz
