Description

The Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 Mobile Mic Pre/DI/Comp is a portable, high-quality preamp that offers simultaneous mic/DI operation with blend and variable phase controls, Silk effect, and a single-knob compressor

Portable high-quality mic preamps are generally a single channel mic preamp with an instrument input that lets you use one or the other. The Portico 5017 Mobile Mic Pre/DI/Comp not only gives you the industry leading sound of Rupert Neve, but also lets you use the mic preamp and the DI simultaneously. The Portico 5017, along with Neve’s famous silk effect, features a blend control for the mic and DI, along with a vari-phase control that enables you to align the phase of a miked amp with a simultaneous DI signal—a procedure commonly used on bass and electric guitar. An innovative departure from the ordinary in the annals of studio and mobile recording or live performance, the 5017 Mobile DPC also adds single-knob compression to its powerful features, in a go-anywhere design.

Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 in one take:

• Dual channel use
• Mic and DI blend control
• Two transformer coupled outputs
• Separate line outputs for the DI/Blend and Mic signals
• Silk enhances sound quality in the style of vintage modules
• Signal presence and clipping indicators on DI and mic, also compressor activation
• Internal jumpers can change compressor from mic to DI/blend channel and compressor time constant from standard to fast
• Mic gain from 0dB to 66dB
• DI Gain from 0dB to 30dB
• Balanced or unbalanced Hi-Z input for instruments
• High-pass filter at 80Hz
• Phantom power
• Phase invert
• Steel chassis provides total magnetic screening and mechanical stability

INSIDE THE BOX—Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 Mobile Mic Pre/DI/Comp 

Simultaneous use of Mic and DI inputs

The 5017 offers what is, in essence, two studio-quality Neve channels for the price of one that singer-guitarists, a duo, or a bassist can take anywhere. You can use the DPC for a vocal mic pre and compressor, as well as a separate DI preamplifier via the blend control (blend off).) An internal jumper can be selected to apply the compressor to the mic pre signal. When engaged, Silk mode would effect both vocal and guitar tracks, and the HPF control would effect only the mic path.

Single-channel blended use

As a single-channel device for instruments, the 5017 can be used to phase-align, combine, and compress direct and amplified signals. To achieve this, use the DI for the instrument’s direct signal, and the mic preamp for the speaker cabinet. The blend control mixes direct and amplified signals to achieve the desired tonal blend between the two sources, while the variphase is used to adjust phase-cancellation between the two signals. To compress the blended signal, the internal compressor jumper must be set to the blend path (this is the default setting). This technique could also be used to create a single, mixed output of guitar and vocals.

Vari-Phase control for blended use

In addition to its standard polarity-reverse switch, the 5017 has a “variphase” control to adjust the phase incrementally. This control is useful when two signals combined from the same source arrive at different times. For example, the combination of close-miked drums and overheads more often than not, arrive out of phase, which results in the hollow sound of phase cancellation. By using the variable phase adjust, the direct signal can be phase rotated until the signals are naturally aligned.

This technique is also extremely useful when combined with the internal blend control on instruments. Since there’s always a delay between direct and miked signals, a bassist using both can blend the two into a single output, using the variphase to reach an optimal alignment. By adjusting the phase in the 5017, the musician or engineer can find the absolute best mic position without regard to the phase relation to the direct signal.

The compressor

 Using a new light-dependent resister (LDR) design, the 5017’s opto-coupler compressor has been simplified to a single threshold control with auto make up gain. When signals exceed the threshold level, gain is reduced at a controlled 2:1 ratio. An internal jumper can be set to change attack and release times to standard or fast. To set the compressor, simply dial the threshold control down until the desired amount of compression is achieved. An LED light indicates when the compressor is active.

OUTSIDE THE BOX—Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 Mobile Mic Pre/DI/Comp

Housed in a rugged steel chassis with the Portico power-blue industrial coating, the front panel of the 5017 from left to right has two 1/4″ jacks for DI and thru; instrument gain knob from 0 to 30dB; DI signal indicator; Vari-Phase select with rotary phase-sweep knob; Inst/Mic blend control; compressor select button and threshold control; Silk button; compressor active indicator; mic signal indicator, Mic select button; detented mic gain knob (6dB steps); high-pass filter button; and phase reverse button. On the rear panel are XLR mic input and line output, 1/4″ mic output, ground lift, phantom power button, and 12VDC power supply receptacle.

The Rupert Neve Designs 5017’s innovative feature set and legendary Neve sonic signature make it an indispensable tool for studio recording, live recording and stage performances. For more information, call or chat online with your Westlake Pro Sales Consultant today.

Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 Specifications

Frequency Response:

Main Output, no load

• –0.2 dB @ 10Hz
• –3 dB @ 160kHz

Noise:

Measured at Main Output, unweighted, 22Hz-22kHz, terminated 150 Ohms

• With gain at unity better than –100dBu
• With gain at 66dB better than –62dBu
• Equivalent Input Noise better than –128dBu
• Noise Factor 1.5dB

 Maximum Output Level:

• Maximum output from 20Hz to 40kHz is +23 dBu

Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise:

• @ 1kHz, +20 dBu output: Main Output: Better than 0.001%
• @ 20Hz, +20 dBu output: Main Output: Better than 0.002%
• Silk Engaged: Better than 0.2% Second harmonic

Crosstalk:

• Measured channel-to-channel: Better than –90 dB @ 15kHz.

Phantom Power:

• +48 Volts DC +/- 1%

Dimensions (d x w x h):

• 7-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ x 2″ (high)