Rupert Neve 5211 2-Channel Mic Preamp

The Rupert Neve 5211 2-Channel Mic Preamp delivers a versatile, flattering, and uncompromising front end for any signal path. It offers two channels of the classic tone you know and love, 72dB of gain, sweepable high-pass filters for precise control, and the power of Mr. Rupert Neve’s dual-tap transformers with variable Silk saturation.

One of the key features of the 5211 is the Silk / Texture control. The Silk circuit was initially developed for the original Portico series mic preamplifiers, and was only a single switch – on or off – that added a specified amount of musical, pleasing harmonic saturation to the unit’s output stage. Taking this concept one step further, the Texture knob is designed to adjust the actual amount of harmonic content from the source material. By reducing negative feedback across the output transformer and adjusting this feedback’s frequency response, the Silk / Texture circuit provides the sweet, musical saturation found in Rupert’s legendary vintage designs – but with complete & precise control over the amount of classic tone you want. And when the level is driven to the edge of its headroom, the Silk effect is multiplied.

Complementing the Silk circuit is the custom-designed output transformer from the renowned Shelford Channel, which uses Rupert Neve Designs’ unique dual-tap output topology. This offers both full-headroom (+26dBu) and -6dB outputs, allowing the engineer to drive the unit fully into classic transformer saturation without clipping converters and other devices later in the chain. Unlike the Shelford Channel, which uses a mic input transformer for a more vintage topology, the 5211’s input is fully transformerless, maximizing signal clarity direct from the microphone. Combined with the more extreme saturation from both variable Silk and the custom output transformer’s lower-headroom tap, the 5211 is capable of producing tones ranging from thick & warm to breathtakingly delicate & clear. It’s the best of old and new alike.