RUPERT NEVE DESIGNS / THE 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre

The Rupert Neve Designs/5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre is a model equipped with two Shelford Channel mic preamps, which are a reimagined and evolved version of the technology featured in classic modules developed by Rupert Neve, such as the popular channel strips 1073, 1064, and 2254, for the modern studio.

■2-Channel Microphone Preamp 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre Product Overview [Microphone pre with transformer gain] Like Neve's designs from his Little Shelford days, the 5025 features a custom step-up transformer at the microphone input that provides an initial gain of 15 dB. This special transformer, intimately integrated with the surrounding Class A circuitry, is essential to the bold, magical midrange sound heard on so many classic records. While much of the harmonic richness is the product of the output transformer and the Class A amplifier surrounding it, the step-up input transformer provides a unique "musical" enhancement. This is primarily due to the reactive impedance characteristics of the input transformer and its interaction with the microphone connected to it, resulting in exquisite non-linear harmonic content at the low frequencies and an unparalleled sweetness at the high frequencies. The goal was not simply to recreate a classic design, but to combine the unmistakable sound of time-honored technology, wide bandwidth frequency response, consistent and excellent amplifier performance at any gain setting, and incredibly low noise operation. To achieve this, custom transformers were carefully designed and optimized, resulting in the 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre offering the purest tone and the highest level of versatility, with a flat response from below 10 Hz to over 60 kHz. Silk Circuit: The 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre's Silk and Texture circuits allow you to tweak the amount (and type) of harmonic content in the output stage. This means you can move between two extremely unique modes, ranging from crystal clear to a setting that produces approximately 10 times the sound coloration of Neve's vintage modules. For example, when Silk RED is enabled, the high and high-mid harmonic content of the source is emphasized. It adds a sparkle to the top end, making it suitable for sources such as vocals, snare, strings, piano, and other acoustic instruments. When Silk BLUE is enabled, the low and low-mid harmonic content of the source is emphasized. It provides bottom-end reinforcement and is suitable for sources such as drums, bass guitar, heavy electric guitar, male vocals, and synthesizers. [Dual Output Transformer] Complementing the Silk circuit is a custom output transformer with dual output topology, a characteristic of Rupert Neve Designs. The 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre features two outputs, main (+26 dBu) and -6 dB (+20 dBu), allowing you to drive the preamp to full power until you achieve a comfortable transformer saturation without clipping downstream converters. The main output is designed to capture a more pristine sound at high levels, avoiding coloration caused by non-linear behavior in the output stage, while the -6 dB output allows engineers to drive the 5052 to its full potential, adding dynamic tones with the inherent non-linear "coloration" without clipping most professional interfaces. ○Main features of the 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre ・GAIN - Microphone Gain 12-position precision rotary switch allows the input gain range to be set up to 66 dB in 6 dB steps. ・TRIM - Trim 31-position pot allowing ±6 dB fine adjustment of the input gain. ・48V - Phantom Power Provides 48V of power for studio condenser microphones. ・Phase - Phase Polarity Inverts the phase of the source by 180°.・HPF / HPF FREQ - High Pass Filter The "HPF" button switches the high pass filter on/off with a curve of 12 dB per octave. The cutoff frequency can be set between 20 Hz and 250 Hz using the "HPF FREQ" pot. ・SILK/TEXTURE - Pressing the "SILK" button cycles through the following modes: Red, Blue and Off. Activating Silk reduces the negative feedback of the output transformer, increasing the harmonic content and texture as you deepen the texture. Red emphasizes musical harmonics in the high-mid to high range, while Blue emphasizes those in the low-mid to low range. The "TEXTURE" knob allows Silk to vary from almost disabled to around 4-5% THD (mostly second order) depending on the driving force of the output transformer. ・VU Meter - VU Meter Displays the output level (effective value = RMS).・Dual Tap Output - Dual Tap Output There is a "MAIN OUT" for full-headroom output, and a "-6dB OUT" that produces rich harmonic content while reducing the risk of clipping in subsequent interfaces. ・Ground Lift - A ground lift switch is provided on the rear panel to eliminate problems such as noise caused by ground loops. ・Universal Power Supply It is equipped with a universal power supply that operates on voltages of 100-240VAC. Main specifications of the 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre: - Input impedance: 2.2 kΩ - Maximum input level: +24.9 dBu @ 1kHz - Maximum output level: (MAIN OUT) +26.7 dBu @ 1kHz, (-6 dB OUT) +20.7 dBu @ 1kHz - Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (±0.25 dB) 10 Hz to 62 kHz (±0.5 dB) 5 Hz (<< -3 dB) 70 kHz (-3 dB) - THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion, 10 Hz to 90 kHz): 0.0025% or less @ 1kHz, 0 dBu input 0.008% or less @ 1kHz, +20 dBu input - Noise level (@MAIN OUT, 22 Hz to 22 kHz): -102 dBu, 0 0 dB gain -94 dBu, +30 dB gain -61 dBu, +66 dB gain -127 dBu, EIN (+66 dB gain) Noise level (@?6 dB OUT, 22 Hz to 22 kHz): -107 dBu, 0 dB gain -100 dBu, +30 dB gain -67 dBu, +66 dB gain -133 dBu, EIN (+66 dB gain) Power supply: 100V to 240VAC / 45W Dimensions: 44 x 483 x 234 mm (H x W x D), 19-inch 1U rackmount size Weight: 5 kg