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.
Rupert Neve 5211 Features
- 12-way precision rotary switch controls gain from 0 to 66 dB (in 6 dB steps)
- Continuously variable +/-6 dB level control
- 8-segment LED bar-graph meter displays output level (pre-Silk) from -30 dBu to +22 dBu
- Polarity: reverses the polarity of the input signal
- Continuously variable from 20Hz to 250 Hz, and engaged with the HPF button
- Can provide 48V phantom power to mics
- -6dB output: A secondary split off the output transformer with a lower headroom, designed to allow engineers to fully drive the output of the 5211 without clipping converters and other devices
- Red Silk circuit reduces negative feedback on output transformer, adding harmonic content
- Adjust Silk level with Texture
- 5211 2-channel mic preamp1
- Max. Input Level@ 1 kHz: +26 dBu
- Noise
- Un-weighted, 22 Hz - 22 kHz, 150Ω input termination
- Line Out (Unity Gain): -104 dBV, -101.9 dBu
- -6 dB Line Out (Unity Gain): -109 dBV, -107 dBu
- Line Out (+30 dB Gain): -98 dBV, -96 dBu
- Line Out (+66 dB Gain): -66 dBV, -64 dBu
- EIN-128dBV, -126dBu
- Frequency Response-0.2 dB at 10Hz, -2.9 dB at 120kHz
- Max. Output Level
- 1 kHz: +26.5 dBu
- 20 Hz to 30kHz +26 dBu
- THD and Noise
- Without Silk
- 1 kHz, +20 dBu O/P level, no load 0.0015%, typical
- 20 Hz, +20 dBu O/P level, no load less than 0.02%, typical
- With Silk Engaged
- TEXTURE @ min, 100 Hz, +20 dBu O/P level, no load: 0.03%, mostly 3rd harmonic
- TEXTURE @ max, 100 Hz, +20 dBu O/P level, no load: 1.5%, mostly 2nd harmonic
- Power Consumption35W (max)
- Dimensions (WxHxD)19" x 1.75" x 7.6"
