Rupert Neve Portico Series Mic Pre

[WilliamFF]

Hi,

I just saw this Neve Portico mic pre on harmony Central.

I tried to find some more info on Mr. Rupert Neves site, but there was nothing. I did a search on this site, and came up with null n void

I suspect some of you guys to know something more about it. Maybe some of you even have tried it on one of the audio tradeshows that has been going on lately ?

is it a completeley new design ? or based on the Neve heritage ? What will the portico series contain ? only micpres ?
What is the pricerange ?

Or any other kind of info you might have that is not covered in the sparse press blurb from HC

cheers !
w

Check back issues of ProSoundNews. They interviewed Rupert and discussed the products about 3 to 4 months ago. I threw my copy away or else I would say more.

[Lynn Fuston]

I saw a picture (actually a graphic image) of the prototype (which cosmetically looked drastically different than the picture you saw) at AES in SF 2004. They did not have a unit there to show, which I guessed to mean there was no actual unit at the time. So I don't think you'll have much luck finding anyone who has heard it yet. I don't know if there is a single unit on the streets yet.

[Lindell]

What's up with the strange rack format? Is it 9,5" ?

[Duardo]

Yeah, I think it is...I saw an ad in EQ that shows two of them connected together in a single rack space. The ad didn't have any more information than the HC writeup though.

Glad to see he's gone back to a transformer design...looking forward to hearing how it sounds.

-Duardo

From their press release:

"Two Rupert Neve Designs 5012 Duo, half-rack, 1RU, Mic Pres may be combined in an optional rack mount kit to provide four of these Mr.Neve-designed channels in a single rack space."

[TheSweetener]

http://www.rupertneve.com/portico5012specs.html

I quite suprised that there's no big interest in the preamp on this board!
Neve goes back to a transformer design and makes a 2 channel micpre for 1440.-$

At least I'm excited!

[TheSweetener]

By the way, does anyone know what the Silk feature is?

[Plush]

Originally Posted by TheSweetener

By the way, does anyone know what the Silk feature is?

Apparently "Silk" is the button to push to get the 1073 sound.
Unit has transformer in and out.
I bet it's good!
We'll see one in a few weeks.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by TheSweetener

http://www.rupertneve.com/portico5012specs.html

I quite suprised that there's no big interest in the preamp on this board!
Neve goes back to a transformer design and makes a 2 channel micpre for 1440.-$

At least I'm excited!

I was thinking the same thing. You would think with the N word being used all the time on this board and The Man himself working on a new and low cost product people would be jumping all over it. This is the only thread that I have even seen about it, strange.

So no one has hear it yet huh? When is it going to start shippping??

[w2w]

Must agree as well.We wont know till we hear it,but as mentioned,you would think people would be a lot more excited about this,looking at the big picture of what they are saying will follow,it could be something really cool.We shall see...

[Skeetch]

Looks most interesting indeed. Kind of an odd duck though. A 1400 dollar half rack space (or thereabouts) unit with two channels that appears to be powered by a wall wart (or perhaps a brick style power adapter).

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

I was thinking the same thing. You would think with the N word being used all the time on this board and The Man himself working on a new and low cost product people would be jumping all over it. This is the only thread that I have even seen about it, strange.

So no one has hear it yet huh? When is it going to start shippping??

there was a thread in New Product Alert not that long ago...


Its Half rack because there are more units to create a channel strip, etc.

- PorticoTM 5042 Duo Tape Channel
- PorticoTM 5032 Single Channel MIC PRE and EQUALIZER
- 5043- Stereo Compressor with Image control
- 5013- High Precision Single Channel Mic Pre'
- 5014- Two channel Instrument (DI) box


Sounds good the me



there is also a vertical rack unit!

[Drumsound]

I wonder why not a stereo EQ instead of a mic pre/EQ.

[Oldone]

This appears to be a modular mini console approach where you can build your own mixer and use the Quad buss as the summing channel. Very interested in the high precision preamp not yet shown. He has it all there; stereo compressor, tape simulation, master buss controller, not to mention the preamps and EQ.

This is quite a paradigm if you ask me and the prices appear to be reasonable.

[Kenny Gioia]

Rupert Neve has got to be the worst marketer in the history of Pro Audio.

Everyone and there mother is using units that are either made from his parts or stolen from his design.

He makes no money on this.

The guy is the Mercedes of the Pro Audio world but is treated like the Renault Le Car.

Than he hooks up with Amek and starts making some real mid to mid-hi level stuff.

Destroying his credibility completely. Why be excited about his new stuff?

I'm not.

His ads should read:

HE'S BACK. THE REAL DEAL.

MAKING THE REAL STUFF AGAIN. FORGET THE CLONES.

FORGET IMPROVEMENTS.

THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

ACCEPT NO IMITATIONS.

BUY IT OR YOUR COMPETITION WILL.

[thethrillfactor]

[QUOTE=Produceher]
The guy is the Mercedes of the Pro Audio world but is treated like the Renault Le Car.

QUOTE]

This maybe because even though the name is his, there were so many others that were involved in the actual sound that its the sum of the parts that's really the so called "Neve sound".

You take those individual parts away and what you have is the "transformerless" Amek Design or the Summit MPE digital control analog series.

Event though useful in there own right, they lack that certain "magic".

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Produceher

Rupert Neve has got to be the worst marketer in the history of Pro Audio.

Everyone and there mother is using units that are either made from his parts or stolen from his design.

He makes no money on this.

The guy is the Mercedes of the Pro Audio world but is treated like the Renault Le Car.

Maybe you should ask him if he feels this way. As a musician there is nothing I enjoy more than watching someone enjoy my music, or even better... play it on there instrument... Rupert Neve may feel the same way about his designs. They are popular, so popular that everyone wants a peice of it in one way or another...

The world isn't all about Money, He has such a talent that he could probably walk into any audio design firm on the planet and get a job. That in itself to me, would mean more than any amount of money ever could.

I also find the notion that if a "neve designed" preamp or peice of audio gear doesn't sound like a 1081/1073 its a bad product very amusing. I enjoy my 9098 DMP and Purepath channel strip very much... sure it doesn't sound like a 1073, but then again... its not spose too.

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

Maybe you should ask him if he feels this way. As a musician there is nothing I enjoy more than watching someone enjoy my music, or even better... play it on there instrument... Rupert Neve may feel the same way about his designs. They are popular, so popular that everyone wants a peice of it in one way or another...

The world isn't all about Money, He has such a talent that he could probably walk into any audio design firm on the planet and get a job. That in itself to me, would mean more than any amount of money ever could.

I also find the notion that if a "neve designed" preamp or peice of audio gear doesn't sound like a 1081/1073 its a bad product very amusing. I enjoy my 9098 DMP and Purepath channel strip very much... sure it doesn't sound like a 1073, but then again... its not spose too.

All I said was that he was horrible at marketing himself. Good thing? Bad thing? That is up to him.

Something tells me that he does want to make money or he'd probably just give away his ideas for free. I assume that's what you do.

I never said that his new products are undesirable because they don't sound like 1081's. API, Telefunken, Trident, Daking and Chandler don't either. But they are great in there own right. Amek to me, and many others, is not that desirable of a piece. YMMV

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Skeetch

Looks most interesting indeed. Kind of an odd duck though. A 1400 dollar half rack space (or thereabouts) unit with two channels that appears to be powered by a wall wart (or perhaps a brick style power adapter).

Wall warts are a good way for a small company (read: RND) to avoid having to get UL or EC approval for their power supply. They can simply purchase PS units that have already passed.

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Produceher

Something tells me that he does want to make money or he'd probably just give away his ideas for free. I assume that's what you do.

I never said that his new products are undesirable because they don't sound like 1081's. API, Telefunken, Trident, Daking and Chandler don't either. But they are great in there own right. Amek to me, and many others, is not that desirable of a piece. YMMV

You'd have to make a living somehow right? Why give away great designs for free when you can live off there earnings? yet why be so anal about protecting them if you are comfortable where you are in the world financially? He's just started his own company right? he can't be doing that bad for himself... and he can sit back with pride as many people do clone his work to get that highly acclaimed sonic signature...


Amek to me, and many others, is a desirable peice. YMMV.

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

yet why be so anal about protecting them if you are comfortable where you are in the world financially? He's just started his own company right? he can't be doing that bad for himself...

Because although he may have a "decent" amount of money. It is nothing compared to what he deserves. And his family and his grandchildren who all get to live modestly while rich producers use their grandfather's products.

Most humans who have a legacy like Rupert Neve, benefit from it.

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

and he can sit back with pride as many people do clone his work to get that highly acclaimed sonic signature...

This may be the most absurd thing I've ever seen typed out.

As you know, me and my artist friends have a friday night hullabaloo where we all get together and applaud our work appearing on peer to peer software. Oh what a proud group are we!!!!!

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Produceher

Because although he may have a "decent" amount of money. It is nothing compared to what he deserves. And his family and his grandchildren who all get to live modestly while rich producers use their grandfather's products.

Most humans who have a legacy like Rupert Neve, benefit from it.




This may be the most absurd thing I've ever seen typed out.

As you know, me and my artist friends have a friday night hullabaloo where we all get together and applaud our work appearing on peer to peer software. Oh what a proud group are we!!!!!

there are two types of people in this world,

People that do things for financial gain

and people that do it for personal fulfillment.

Just because you only see the $$ signs doesn't mean the rest of the world does.

[preben]

Do you sit back with pride when someone copies the CD's that you've worked hard to make and are trying to make a living from making..?

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

there are two types of people in this world,

People that do things for financial gain

and people that do it for personal fulfillment.

Just because you only see the $$ signs doesn't mean the rest of the world does.

No. There are a few more. Those that balance the Financial Gain with Personal Fulfillment (like me) and those that pretend that money doesn't matter. (You)

It's not just about making money here. It's about what's right.

It's one thing to "allow" people to enjoy the fruits of your labor for free.

It's quite another when other people are doing it without your permission and making money off of it.

I'd much rather see someone steal my music (CD Copying) than find out that a record label put out my music and was selling it without my permission and without me getting my cut.

If Rupert Neve is just happy that people use his designs without financial gain, why doesn't he allow the clone companies to put his name on their units. That would make me proud. How 'bout you.

[oudplayer]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

there are two types of people in this world,

People that do things for financial gain

and people that do it for personal fulfillment.

Just because you only see the $$ signs doesn't mean the rest of the world does.

You some sort of trust fund baby that doesn't need to work for a living?

Hey, I'm all for personal fulfilment. But ya gotta pay the bills somehow... and sure as hell noone else is doin' it for me...

[not_so_new]

And there goes the thread about the new Neve pres....




LOL

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

And there goes the thread about the new Neve pres....




LOL

Ooops.

I'll have to try them I guess.

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Produceher

No. There are a few more. Those that balance the Financial Gain with Personal Fulfillment (like me) and those that pretend that money doesn't matter. (You)

It's not just about making money here. It's about what's right.

It's one thing to "allow" people to enjoy the fruits of your labor for free.

It's quite another when other people are doing it without your permission and making money off of it.

I'd much rather see someone steal my music (CD Copying) than find out that a record label put out my music and was selling it without my permission and without me getting my cut.

If Rupert Neve is just happy that people use his designs without financial gain, why doesn't he allow the clone companies to put his name on their units. That would make me proud. How 'bout you.

Instead of looking at it as stealing, how about a Cover band playing one of your songs? It's your music, you worked hard to write it, but the cover band has also worked hard to learn there instrument and the song and get as much enjoyment out of it as you... they are also hired to play that music.


There is absolutely nothing wrong with making money, but there is no point being a capitalist **** about it either. (eg. Metallica + Napster).


If SCA, Vintech, Averill, etc, etc, etc weren't allowed to do it, do you think they would be doing it?

Why hasn't Mr. Neve stamped his foot at his name being used on countless competition websites?


No one pays my bills other than me...

[Duardo]

If Rupert Neve is just happy that people use his designs without financial gain, why doesn't he allow the clone companies to put his name on their units.

Because he doesn't even own his name any more...he sold the Neve company years ago.

I'm sure that he could easily make a killing by building a preamp that sounds like his old "desirable" ones do. He knows that's what people want. But he doesn't think they sound as good as his newer designs. So he keeps working to "improve" his designs. There's a fairly clear progression from his Neve preamps to his Focusrite preamps to his Amek preamps from "colored" to "clean" (to grossly oversimplify). Remember that when he designed the 1073 and everything he was going for the cleanest sound he could get. The color is a function of the limitations of the technology at the time.

Having said that I'm very interested in the Portico since he's put a transformer in there (unlike the Amek stuff)...a proverbial step "backwards" perhaps?

-Duardo