Rupert Neve is so venerated in the world of audio gear that his name rings out two times over: Say the name “Neve,” and you immediately conjure the mojo of vintage 1970s sound in all its glory; say “Rupert Neve Designs,” and you summon an image of striking modernity—of the most transparent, yet versatile tones in today’s hardware marketplace. With new offerings in the Rupert Neve Designs family, this titan of the pro audio industry is bridging the gap between his vintage flair and his modern adaptability.
First on the docket is the Rupert Neve Designs 5254 Dual-Diode Bridge Compressor, a unit that gives you the classic tones of Neve’s famous, original diode-bridge designs with modern upgrades to suit a variety of modern mixing applications. The 5254 exudes a crunchy yet creamy sound that packs a punch on drums, guitars and, if used well, sometimes the entire mix. However, this model improves the power supply and signal path of the original designs, taking the circuit into the modern age.
Neve took great care to improve the performance of this characterful compressor compared to previous models. The noise floor is lower, the time constants are more flexible, and the sidechain detection has been tweaked for a better dynamic response. Moreover, a blend circuit has been added, making this device perfect for parallel compression.
The Rupert Neve news doesn’t stop at this new compressor. The company is releasing a new unit sure to improve the lives of tracking, mixing, and mastering engineers: the Portico II Master Buss Converter, or MBC for short. This unit provides the ultimate in signal paths for your studio’s stereo front end. It’s able to act in dual mono or stereo modes at specs up to 192 kHz/24-bit.
Now, that isn’t so unusual, but the attention paid to the signal path absolutely is: you have your choice of a transparent Class-A transformer-less path or one touched by Rupert Neve’s custom output transformers. The Class-A path won’t sound thin and trifling like your conventional prosumer interface; no, this path has been engineered to bring a euphonic sound to bear, one that complements any source material with a deeply dimensional audio capture. The output transformer path, on the other hand, brings the vibe—harking back to the days of vintage Neve, albeit with more control: Add a touch of Neve’s proprietary silk processing, and you can add just the right amount of harmonic distortion to the signal.
As if that weren’t enough, the MBC provides a limiter with compound active release functionality. This limiter can save you from horrid clipping while you track instruments, or it can enable you to capture loud masters without damaging the integrity of the mix. You can also change how the limiter behaves thanks to a sweepable high-pass filter for the sidechain detector.
Last but not least, a new skin on an old classic: Of all the gear Rupert Neve Designs has brought forth into the audio space, perhaps none is quite so versatile, quite so multi-functional, and quite so beastly as the Portico II Master Buss Processor, now offered with a black faceplate. The MBP handles compression, parallel compression, harmonic saturation, limiting, and stereo enhancement with aplomb; it is possible to achieve tones larger than life, transparently glued, widened to the gills, thickened to just the right degree, or anywhere in between. Wherever the sweet spot is for the mix or master, this unit can help you get there.
Indeed, it takes a lot for a relatively modern piece of hardware to become as universally embraced as the MBP has become. The company has recognized this and honors its customers with this popularly requested cosmetic update.
These items are now available at B&H. Come to our SuperStore to check one out today, or visit us online.
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