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Tag Archives: Rupert Neve

The Epic Effort to Save a Rare Focusrite Studio Console

Arizona's The Focusrite Room now sports one of only 4 remaining Focusrite Studio Consoles ever built.
Arizona’s The Focusrite Room now sports activities a Focusrite Studio Console – one in all solely 4 remaining.

Los Angeles, CA (March 22, 2023)—Only 10 Focusrite Studio Consoles had been ever constructed and solely 4 are identified to nonetheless exist; now one has been restored and put in in Arizona.

The original dedication plate on Number Five.
The authentic dedication plate on Number Five.

The uncommon desk, serial quantity 5, was put in in The Focusrite Room, a novel 1,500-square-foot management room, a part of a 6,000-square-foot recording complicated within the Phoenix space. The console was initially positioned at BOP Studios in South Africa, itself a pioneering world-music enterprise.

“Bringing Number Five again was a life-changing occasion,” says The Focusrite Room and Platinum Underground studio proprietor and longtime Focusrite aficionado, John Aquilino, referring to the nickname the desk has acquired. “When I used to be a teen, as a substitute of a poster of Farrah Fawcett on my wall, I had an image of a Focusrite Studio Console, so you would say I’m a fairly large fan of the model and its expertise. Now, this console is prepared for the following chapter in its life.”

BOP Studios started with the perfect of intentions: to be a world-class music-production facility in one of many world’s most distant but creatively fertile places. Political and financial issues—the nation was beneath the oppressive thumb of apartheid when BOP opened in 1991—posed vital challenges to protecting the ability viable, and it has been closed for a lot of the final 20-plus years.

number five focusriteBOP was supposed as a vacation spot the place African and Western artists and musicians may intersect and collaborate, with state-of-the-art expertise, acoustical design (the studio’s architect was the legendary late Tom Hidley) and resort-level lodging. The Focusrite Studio Console was a centerpiece in BOP’s flagship Studio 1, the place it operated alongside consoles from Neve (Studio 2) and SSL (Studio 3); all three had been the most important of their variety ever put in on the time. Visiting artists included Laura Branigan, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba and the Soweto String Quartet. Disney’s The Lion King soundtrack was additionally recorded and produced on the studio.

The Focusrite Studio Console was remarkably intact when Aquilino found it. He organized a group together with his accomplice within the studio, Ken Hirsch of Orphan Audio, in addition to steerage from Phil Dudderidge, chairman of Focusrite Audio Engineering, who had acquired Focusrite from founder Rupert Neve in 1989. The group went to BOP Studios in September 2019, the place they bought and disassembled the console over the course of 10 days, then shipped it again to Platinum Underground, the place Aquilino had already designed, with Hanson Hsu of Delta H Design, a brand new studio room to be constructed round it.

Platinum Underground, which opened in 2016, was designed by the late Vincent Van Haaff and is constructed 30 ft beneath floor. The new Focusrite Room is above and to the facet of that.

Not surprisingly in any case that point, the relocated console wanted some refurbishing, which included a whole recapping and new switches, in addition to the alternative of 4,600 LEDs. The restoration course of was initially began by Joel Gette of Thermal Relief Design in Las Vegas earlier than the desk was moved to its new web site within the Phoenix suburb of Mesa for its full and full restoration and recommissioning by Ken Hirsch and his group at Orphan Audio.

Number fiveOnce contained in the studio, further HVAC, with a customized plenum and silent-running followers, needed to be put in to maintain the console at a continuing 72 to 74 levels F. The console’s authentic pair of seven-foot-tall energy racks have been changed with simply three ft of contemporary, high-efficiency provides designed by Hirsch. The historic GML automation is changed with the Tangerine Automation Interface for GML Automation from THD Labs, which integrates instantly with the console faders on a fader-by-fader, bucket-by-bucket foundation, with all of that management data despatched over a USB bus to the pc.

“The automation is now seamless and clear between the {hardware} of the desk and the person’s DAW,” Aquilino explains. “Any person can come into the studio, hearth up a session, load up this plug-in and simply go, and never have to fret about figuring out some archaic, proprietary software program.”

The Focusrite Studio Console got here again to life late final 12 months and did a sequence of native productions, with Aquilino, an completed engineer for artists together with Metal Allegiance, Sacred Reich and Soulfly, on the board.

Aquilino says that the studio can also be within the means of implementing Dante connectivity between each the brand new Focusrite Room and The Platinum Underground’s present SSL management room, massive monitoring room and isolation cubicles. Aquilino has additionally chosen the S5H speaker from ADAM Audio, a part of the Focusrite household, for the mains in The Focusrite Room.

The Best Headphones | Buyers Guide Summer 2022

Welcome to the Best Headphones and Gear section of the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2022. The Guide is more than “We heartily endorse this [fill in the blank].” This collection represents our enthusiasm. Every […]

Rupert Neve Designs Launches 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer

Rupert Neve Designs 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer
Rupert Neve Designs 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer

Wimberley, TX (March 1, 2021)—Rupert Neve Designs has unveiled the 5057 Orbit 16 x 2 Summing Mixer, based around a summing architecture inspired by the company’s flagship 5088 mixing console.

The summing mixer uses the company’s Silk Red and Blue circuitry to provide control over the amount of harmonic content and tone of the mix, helping shape its sound character. Silk Red accentuates transformer saturation in the high and high-mid frequencies to amplify midrange harmonics, while Silk Blue enhances saturation of the lows and low-mids to add thickness and weight.

The Orbit is designed for integration with a DAW-based workflow, providing 16 inputs via DB25 connectors, the first eight of which can be center-panned via front panel switches. Both sets of XLR outputs utilize Rupert Neve Designs’ own custom transformers. In addition to the Main outputs, the -6 dB outputs are also simultaneously available, allowing the user to drive the Orbit’s mix buss harder into saturation without clipping the next device in the signal path.

Rupert Neve, Pro Audio Legend, Dead at 94

The Orbit offers fixed channel levels and mix buss attenuation via stepped switching, aiming to provide low crosstalk, and channels matched to within +/- 0.1dB.

To expand the channel count, multiple units can be combined via the Link I/O on the rear panel. The 5057 Orbit can also be used as part of a larger summing system utilizing the 5059 Satellite for flexible summing and routing, and the 5060 Centerpiece for additional mixing and monitoring features.

The 5057 Orbit is available with an MSRP of $1,999 USD.

Rupert Neve Designs • http://rupertneve.com

Rupert Neve, Pro Audio Legend, Dead at 94

Rupert Neve
Rupert Neve

Wimberley, TX (February 13, 2021)—Legendary pro-audio equipment designer Rupert Neve died February 12, 2021 due to non COVID-related pneumonia and heart failure. Neve’s passing brought to an end a career of more than 70 years that saw him create some of pro audio’s most revered, imitated and sought-after equipment, created for all corners of the industry, from recording to radio to live sound and more. As much an entrepreneur as he was an inventor, Neve’s legacy includes a slew of companies bearing his name, and it is no exaggeration to say equipment based on his designs will be used in studios around the world for decades to come. He was 94.

Born July 31, 1926 in Newton Abbot, England, Rupert Neve grew up in in Buenos Aires, Argentina; showing an interest in audio early on, he began designing audio amplifiers and radio receivers at 13, soon repairing and selling radios as a business before volunteering at age 17 to join the Royal Signals during World War II, providing communications support to the British Army. Following the war, he settled back in England, where he built a mobile recording studio used to cut operas, speeches, choirs and more on to lacquer discs. Concurrently, he also provided sound reinforcement systems for events involving Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill.

Neve worked for a variety of companies in the 1950s before eventually striking out on his own to found CQ Audio, which produced Hi-Fi speaker systems. This attracted the attention of composer Desmond Leslie, who commissioned Neve to build a mixing console for him in the early 1960s; the console is still in residence in Castle Leslie, Ireland.

The Leslie console led to Neve founding the first of multiple audio companies that would bear his name, Neve Electronics, in 1961, initially operating out of his home before moving into proper facilities later in the Sixties. As the use of transistors gained popularity, Neve developed a transistor-based console for London’s Phillips Recording Studio in 1964, and continued to create new desks, most notably the Neve 80 and 50 series, which are revered for their microphone preamp, equalizer and processing modules, such as the widely cloned and emulated 1073 and 1081. Neve also developed the first moving fader system, NECAM (NEve Computer Assisted Mixdown); after seeing a pre-release demo on a Neve 16/4 console, Beatles producer George Martin’s first words were “How soon can I have one?” and Martin’s AIR Studios in London soon became the first NECAM-enabled facility.

Neve sold the company in the mid-1970s and left to form ARN Consultants, the result of a 10-year non-compete clause in the sales contract. ARN in turn teamed up with Amek Systems, a collaboration that led to Neve developing the Amek 9098 console, as well as outboard gear and his Transformer-Like Amplifier (TLA) design, which featured in numerous Amek desks.

Rupert Neve signing an RND 5088 mixing console, installed in Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley, TX, in 2013.
Rupert Neve signing an RND 5088 mixing console, installed in Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley, TX, in 2013.

In 1985, ARN founded Focusrite Ltd., primarily producing outboard gear such as dynamic processors and EQs, as well as another large-format console, of which only eight were made before the company was liquidated in 1989; the company’s assets were purchased by a new company, Focusrite Audio Engineering (today Focusrite PLC), with which Neve was not involved. Concurrently, but likewise unrelated directly to Neve himself, the original Neve Electronics was sold to Siemens in 1985, which in turn merged with UK company Advanced Music Systems, resulting in pro-audio manufacturer AMS-Neve, which continues to this day.

Neve and his wife, Evelyn, moved to Wimberley, Texas in late 1994, and in 1997, he became only the third person to receive a Technical Grammy Award. The Neves became U.S. citizens in 2002 and founded Rupert Neve Designs in 2005, which today produces a variety of products, including its 5088 analog mixing console and a range of rackmount and desktop equipment for processing, summing and more. Even so, Neve continued to also create products for other companies, including preamps and pickups for Taylor Guitars, microphones for sE Electronics, plug-ins for Yamaha’s live sound consoles, and more.

Over the course of his career, Rupert Neve was awarded 16 TEC Awards for his Rupert Neve Designs products, and in 2006, received an Audio Engineering Society Fellowship Award. He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Evelyn; five children, Mary, David, John, Stephen, and Ann; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Chario Constellation Cygnus Loudspeakers | REVIEW

Hi-Fi reviewers like reviewing products that sound good to them. I’m no exception. If I can’t hear a component before actually getting it, I’m always a bit leery. So it was a welcome and pleasant surprise when I fired up a pair of Chario Constellation Cygnus speakers (website) in my listening room. After the hit parade of excellent loudspeakers I’ve recently had the pleasure of reviewing, it was a relief to find out that the relatively unknown (in the US) and modestly priced Cygnus ($3,700/pair) is no exception. Ciao mio adorabile amico The Cygnus is a mid-level offering in Chario’s entry-level Constellation line of speakers. The gente at Chario have been using fine Italian craftsmanship to make a LOT of different speaker models, and they’ve been doing so since 1975. There are four separate lines including Academy S, Aviator, Constellation II, and a limited edition Belong series. Within the Constellation line alone there are four different models named Lynx, Delphinus, Cygnus, and Pegasus. Must be some frequent espresso breaks happening at the Chario factory to get all those speakers ready to ship. Words and Photos by Dave McNair The Chario Constellation Cygnus is a three-way comprised of a 1.5” soft […]

Louisiana Phil Streams Through Rupert Neve Preamps

Mischa Kachkachishvili used a remote setup of 32 channels of Rupert Neve Designs’ class-A RMP-D8 preamplifiers to record the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mischa Kachkachishvili used a remote setup of 32 channels of Rupert Neve Designs’ class-A RMP-D8 preamplifiers to record the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

New Orleans, LA (November 13, 2020)—Mischa Kachkachishvili, owner of Esplanade Studios, opted to use a remote setup of 32 channels of Rupert Neve Designs’ class-A RMP-D8 Dante-connected microphone preamplifiers when tasked with recording the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s virtual season during the coronavirus pandemic.

Given the performance restrictions of 2020, the current season of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is being presented virtually this year and is available to stream on demand. For the first week of sessions, Kachkachishvili initially assembled a massive rig consisting of 24 channels of Rupert Neve Designs Shelford 5052 microphone preamplifiers, which normally occupy slots in his studio’s 48-channel RND 5088 console, coupled with an Apogee Symphony mk1.

“The gain, sound and EQ of the 5052 is fantastic, but it’s a [hassle] to take modules from the console, rack and install them in remote cases. Plus, all the downtime of doing that and extra cabling — I was losing an entire work day just doing that. The week after, I switched to the RMP-D8s,” he says.

Rupert Neve Designs Debuts 5254 Compressor, Updates Portico II

“At first, I was a little skeptical,” he reports, “but the system is super stable, and I’m so happy with the flexibility of the RMP-D8s, and the sound difference is almost negligible between my two setups. Even better, I’m enjoying the extra clarity that the RMP-D8 converters are adding to my recordings. There’s extra air — not brightness — that the RMP-D8 converters have delivered.”

Microphones used for the sessions include four Neumann M150s for room back and front, Neumann KM84s, KM86s, U87s, and Schoeps CMC-6-Us with various capsules. The RMP-D8s are controlled by a Focusrite RedNet HD32R and clocked by an Apogee Big Ben at 96 kHz.

“The system is very stable and allows me to record eight or more hours straight to a 12-core Mac Pro via HDX card. It sounds big and open, with plenty of low end and smooth, ‘analog’ highs, and very quiet. Ideal for classical music and film scoring. I love the sound.”

Rupert Neve Designs • www.rupertneve.com

Rupert Neve Designs Debuts 5254 Compressor, Updates Portico II

Rupert Neve Designs’s new 5254 Compressor and updated Portico II
Rupert Neve Designs’s new 5254 Compressor (top) and updated Portico II

Wimberley, TX (October 20, 2020)—Rupert Neve Designs has unveiled its new 5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor and an updated version of its Portico II: Master Buss Processor.

The 5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor contains two channels of diode bridge compression, based on the dynamics circuit in the company’s Shelford Channel. Aiming to reproduce the sound of Rupert Neve’s 1970 diode bridge compressors while providing more flexible controls, the new units include advanced timing control, fully stepped controls throughout, higher voltage power rails, internal parallel processing and more.

Yamaha Rivage Desks Get Rupert Neve RMP-D8 Control

A unified Timing control offers six selectable settings for different applications, with a Fast button to increase the speed of both attack and release times for each setting, effectively doubling the number of time constants from six to 12. Reportedly faster Timing settings will induce more harmonic content, while slower settings will result in more transparent compression.

The Dual Diode Bridge Compressor can be operated in either dual mono or stereo linked configurations, with two VU meters displaying either gain reduction or output level. It also includes Rupert Neve Designs’ custom audio transformers and Class-A line amplifiers, 31-position detented controls, full-wave side-chain detection, a sweepable side-chain high-pass filter and external side-chain insert, and an internal universal power supply that works worldwide on 90-240 VAC.

Meanwhile, the company’s long-running Portico II Master Buss Processor is now available with new black cosmetics.

The Dual Diode Bridge Compressor will ship later this month, running $3,599 US, as will the Portico II, running $3,995 US.

Rupert Neve Designs • www.rupertneve.com

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