NAMM 2015: New Products From Rupert Neve

US RNDI Active Transformer Direct Interface, and the R6 Six Space 500 Series Rack      16/01/15

NAMM 2015: New Products From Rupert Neve


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New for the 2015 Winter NAMM Show, Rupert Neve Designs has announced two new products: the RNDI Active Transformer Direct Interface, and the R6 Six Space 500 Series Rack. Here's the RND press release with all the details...

The RNDI utilizes a custom Rupert Neve-designed transformer and a class-A biased discrete FET amplifier to elegantly balance an instrument signal - whether straight from a bass guitar or a screaming 1000W amp - with sonics extending beyond 100kHz, superb phase coherence, and the famous Rupert Neve tone heard across 50+ years of classic records.

The R6 is a rack made for serious sound. With more than 150% the required current and a full complement of XLR, TRS and DB-25 I/O, the R6 helps your best modules realize their fullest potential.

The RNDI: Active Transformer Direct Interface

Frustrated with a lack of performance from available DIs, Mr. Rupert Neve set out to design a
new direct interface that conveys the undiminished tone and vitality of the source instrument while balancing and isolating the original signal.

The resulting RNDI delivers on that promise with a powerful and vibrant direct sound capable of reproducing the full harmonic depth of basses, guitars, keyboards, and acoustic instruments in true Rupert Neve fashion.

"The RNDI was fine-tuned over a series of listening tests against the best of the most popular high-end DIs available," said RND's design team. "Every time we plugged back in to the RNDI, it just seemed to bring the instruments back to life. The lows felt richer, deeper and fuller, and the highs had outstanding clarity without any added harshness. Musically, the RNDI consistently stood out as the DI we wanted to play through."

The RNDI's signature sound is the product of new custom Rupert Neve-designed transformers and class-A biased, discrete FET amplifiers. The carefully orchestrated union of these two elements is key to the RNDI's unique response. Low end tonality is thick and powerful, with musical harmonics resonating from the output transformer, as well as frequency response several octaves above and below audibility. The high end is clear, present, and smooth, with a frequency response extending beyond 100 kHz.

The low impedance, transformer balanced output excels at driving long cable runs, and performance is immensely consistent regardless of the connected equipment. The high input headroom of +21.5dBU is capable of handling professional, line level sources without a pad - and in speaker mode, the RNDI can handle the full output of a 1000-watt power amplifier (92Vrms or 266Vp-p). A 1/4" THRU jack is also included to send the input signal to a separate amplifier if reinforcement is desired.

Another notable aspect of the RNDI is its unrivaled phase coherence at all frequencies. This provides excellent transient response, and keeps the sound well-balanced and natural. This is especially vital when blending the direct signal with a microphone capture of the same source.

The discrete FET amplifier in the RNDI is powered by industry-standard 48V phantom power onthe XLR connection. Superior isolation is achieved through the passive transformer design, and the discrete FET circuitry provides a uniformly high impedance above 2 megohms. A ground lift switch is provided on the back to help fix any problematic grounding. The rugged steel chassis features an industrial-grade powder coating, and is built to withstand the severe stresses of life on the road.

If you're looking for portable, powerful, larger-than-life tone for your instrument signals, the RNDI is the first standalone DI fit for the Rupert Neve name.

The R6: Six Space 500 Series Rack

With abundant power and versatile connections, the R6 delivers peace of mind for engineers who demand a higher degree of confidence in their 500 series racks. The R6 has more than double the required current for a 6-space chassis. Not only does this prevent modules from failing due to lack of power, but it means all your modules will sound as good as they possibly can. To help monitor and troubleshoot problematic modules, the R6 is equipped with LED current metering to show how much power is being used. The internal power supply itself has been carefully designed with double-shielding to avoid significant magnetic induction in any of the channel positions.

For connectivity, the R6 features 8 channels of balanced I/O options including DB-25, XLR and TRS that may be used interchangeably, in any combination. This versatility is especially handy when you are taking the R6 with you to another environment where you are unsure of the cables available, or if you need to convert DB-25, XLR or TRS connections to another format using the THRU functionality on channels 7-8.

The chassis is comprised of solid steel with bumpers to support the unit in both horizontal and vertical configurations, and features a collapsable handle for portability. All connectors and fittings are of the highest quality to ensure that the R6 will hold up to many years of use. Because the R6 is built to 500 series specifications, it will work flawlessly with any properly designed 500 series module you wish to include in it. To help accommodate modules that are slightly out of spec, the R6 has variable-position screw holes to make the installation process go smoothly with any module. If empty slots remain, there are matching blank panels available to cover any vacancies. The 500 series link function can be enabled in pairs on the R6 using the link jumpers on Channels 1-2, 3-4, or 5-6.

Pricing and Availability:
The RNDI will be available late January 2015 with a retail price of $299 USD.
The R6 will be shipping in late January 2015 with a retail price of $599 USD.

More information:

 


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