The Portico 5012 from Rupert Neve Designs is a 2-channel microphone preamp that sports Neve's custom input and output transformer designs for a sound that's strikingly similar to that of classic Neve consoles. Each channel of the Portico 5012 is equipped with individually selectable phase, mute, phantom power, and a fully sweepable highpass filter, along with a "Silk" circuit, which enhances the sound, adding warmth and presence.
- Balanced mic input for premium sound
- Low-noise, low-distortion operation
- Why Transformers?
- Add some "Silk" to your sound
Balanced mic input for premium sound
The microphone input is balanced but not floating, being a variant of an instrumentation amplifier using a "Transformer-Like-Amplifier" (T.L.A.) configuration with a toroidal Common Mode Rejection Low Pass Filter that excludes frequencies above 150kHz. The T.L.A. is followed by an actual input transformer permitting a full +25 dBu input signal to be handled at unity gain without an input pad over the whole audio spectrum. This combines the advantages of both an "Electronically Balanced" and true transformer input. When the phantom power is disengaged, this input serves as a very high quality line input with an impedance of 10,000 ohms
Low Noise, Low Distortion Operation
Much care was given in designing the 5012 to produce as little noise and non-harmonic distortion as possible. Carefully implemented signal paths and Class A operation are a large part of the 5012's sweet, whisper quiet performance. After all, your most critical recordings deserve the very best, don't they?
Why Transformers?
Input and output circuits must be freed from ground dependence so that only the "wanted" signal enters and leaves the processing path. Transformers are the ideal solution. The sweet and silky sound of Neve's classic consoles was achieved with big transistors and large high-quality transformers. Rupert Neve Designs Portico modules achieve similar quality today without the bulk or the cost.
In order that the Portico modules can work together in a proprietary console-style configuration without producing hum, R.F. interference, or other interactions, the connecting interfaces, grounding, levels and impedances must receive careful attention. Each Portico module is a complete integral signal processor that delivers its specified performance independently. This is one of the reasons Rupert Neve Designs uses transformers.
Add some "Silk" to your sound
What does "Silk" mean? Suffice to say, that it gives a subtle option to enhance sound quality in the direction of vintage modules. The Silk button reduces negative feedback and adjusts the frequency spectrum to provide a very sweet and musical performance.
Features:
- Input: Balanced, using "Transformer-Like-Amplifier" (T.L.A.) with toroidal Common Mode Rejection Low Pass Filter
- Input Impedance: 10,000 Ohms + or - 20%
- High Pass Filter: Swept Frequency continuously variable from 20Hz to 250Hz.
- Slope: 12dB/Octave.
- Gain: Switched Gain from Unity to +66dB in 6dB steps.
- "Trim": Continuously adjustable potentiometer from -6dB to +6dB with reference to setting on the Gain Switch.
- Maximum Output Level:
- Balanced and Floating Transformer Output from 20Hz to 40kHz: +25 dBu. (Clips at just over +26 dBu)
- Mute: Mutes Main Output only. (i.e. Monitor remains "Live")
- External 15V Supply included with every Portico Series module.