NEVE Portico - no breakthrough.

[Bob Amirian]

Hello slutz,

I've just checked Rupert Neve Designs' Portico range.

It's priced neatly, but what you get for the money is rather average.

Compressor/Limiter is nice, great Feedback feature, but cuts lows and doesn't sound as big as I expected. Even Drawmer 1969 beats it hands down. stike

Line Driver/Tape FX is the cutest of all, those blue lights, mmm.

But when Tape Saturation is at minimum it's buzzing like a fridge and when Saturation knob'a action increases the buzzing fades only a bit.

When 15ips instead of 7.5 is selected, the buzzing comes with additional harmonic artefact, very unpleasant.

On silent parts of the song it's unbearable, reminding of those old cassette recorders, not professional tape machines like Studer.

Oh. whatever, old Rupert moved to Texas, it completes the picture.

Cheerz

Bob.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Bob Amirian

Line Driver/Tape FX is the cutest of all, those blue lights, mmm.

But when Tape Saturation is at minimum it's buzzing like a fridge and when Saturation knob'a action increases the buzzing fades only a bit.

When 15ips instead of 7.5 is selected, the buzzing comes with additional harmonic artefact, very unpleasant.

On silent parts of the song it's unbearable, reminding of those old cassette recorders, not professional tape machines like Studer.

Bob.

Hi Bob.

I have a Portico tape thingy and I love it. You have to remember that this thing uses a magnetic "playback head" that is very susceptible to RF etc. When my unit was next to any power supply then it would cause all kinds of noise issues.

Try move the 4052 around a bit and try it again, it is really a great sounding unit.

[cramseur]

Funny, when I first got mine, I wondered about the subtlety (I tried it first on a drum loop ), but when I strapped it across a full mix...great! Sparkle in the highs, fullness in the mids and lows. Now I love it. Oh and it's not noisy at all.

edited to add:
I think its perfect for runnning ITB mixes out through. Kinda hard to describe what it does but you do notice it and it is definitely gooood.(kinda what Greg Wells said in the "Portico Smokes" thread).

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by cramseur

Funny, when I first got mine, I wondered about the subtlety (I tried it first on a drum loop ), but when I strapped it across a full mix...great! Sparkle in the highs, fullness in the mids and lows. Now I love it. Oh and it's not noisy at all.

thumbsup

Subtle is the word but very nice for sure.

[Ricey]

Bob, i just came over from your other thread, saw this and decided to defend this one too!

only because i have a 5043 and it is my new all-time favorite drum buss party.
other than that i tracked bass with it tonight and it was outstanding.

i think your right about the Drawmer, though. but a '69 is considerably more, like another grand?

[Bob Amirian]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Hi Bob.

I have a Portico tape thingy and I love it. You have to remember that this thing uses a magnetic "playback head" that is very susceptible to RF etc. When my unit was next to any power supply then it would cause all kinds of noise issues.

Try move the 4052 around a bit and try it again, it is really a great sounding unit.

Thanks, for this great advice! I'll try for sure, you're right, the noise indeed could be introduced by the huge computer monitor Portico Tape FX was placed by.

All the best

Bob

[Bob Amirian]

Originally Posted by Ricey

Bob, i just came over from your other thread, saw this and decided to defend this one too!

only because i have a 5043 and it is my new all-time favorite drum buss party.
other than that i tracked bass with it tonight and it was outstanding.

i think your right about the Drawmer, though. but a '69 is considerably more, like another grand?

I don't get how your bass sounds outstanding and my bass sounds thinnier than it really is. My chain was: Tobias Classic 5 bass - Sadowsky preamp - EBS BassIQ either on and bypassed - Portico 5043 comp. When recorded straight to RME interface it was huge sound, when thru 5043 - more hairy and warm but definitely lacking the lows. In my world that's wrong.

Although for vocals and mid/high stuff that's a nice unit.

Cheers

B

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Bob Amirian

Thanks, for this great advice! I'll try for sure, you're right, the noise indeed could be introduced by the huge computer monitor Portico Tape FX was placed by.

All the best

Bob

Hey Bob..

That was EXACTLY what my problem was when I first got my unit. It just happened to be that I switched out my monitor a week or so later to an LCD. The last of my noise issues with the 5042 went out the door with the old CRT monitor.

Give the 5042 another shot, it really is a nice unit.

Oh and the 5043, maybe there is something wrong with it? I know when it first came out there were a few reports around here that the attack and / or release times were way off because of a part mix up in the factory. Maybe you have a bum unit? *shrug* (or maybe you just really don't like it.. )

[GYang]

I'm not overly impressed by entire Portico range, but compressor is nice indeed ( excellent compared to many on the market) and tape emulation should be approached as effect and some time in experimenting is necessary.
I gave it second chance recently (after being unsatisfied first time) and actually I liked it very much on some guitar tracks (as effect).

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by GYang

I'm not overly impressed by entire Portico range, but compressor is nice indeed ( excellent compared to many on the market) and tape emulation should be approached as effect and some time in experimenting is necessary.
I gave it second chance recently (after being unsatisfied first time) and actually I liked it very much on some guitar tracks (as effect).

I have not tried it on mix buss yet but I hear the tape emulation is GREAT there. It is fantastic on electric guitar, takes off the edge in a very pleasing way.

[turk sanchez]

Bob said...Oh. whatever, old Rupert moved to Texas, it completes the picture.


That little town where he lives is one of the coolest little towns that I know of. It is tucked away in the hills about 45 min outside of Austin...such a charming little town with lots of water, cool little shops. lots of trees and rolling hills...it's like an oasis.

[Ricey]

Originally Posted by Bob Amirian

I don't get how your bass sounds outstanding and my bass sounds thinnier than it really is. My chain was: Tobias Classic 5 bass - Sadowsky preamp - EBS BassIQ either on and bypassed - Portico 5043 comp. When recorded straight to RME interface it was huge sound, when thru 5043 - more hairy and warm but definitely lacking the lows. In my world that's wrong.

Although for vocals and mid/high stuff that's a nice unit.

Cheers

B

hmm, well i already have my subjective opinion about 5 string basses anyway- always sounded tight to me.
my chain - old jazz bass>grace 101>5043>MIO 2882. 5043 was set to FB mode, attack @ .45, release around 200 and output way up, maybe +16dB - one of my favorite things about this unit is the sound of the OP amp.
also the material makes a difference, what style you doing?
my track was a reggae version of Come Together, and there is low end for days and extra days thumbsup

[Bob Amirian]

Originally Posted by Bob Amirian

Hello slutz,

I've just checked Rupert Neve Designs' Portico range.

It's priced neatly, but what you get for the money is rather average.

Bob.

OK then, I took it once again from the dealer and checked it once again.

Tried it HARD.

Kept checking for 5 days.

Opinion?

Check my new thread, that I'll post within a quarter!


Yeah, last but not least...

Love -

Bo(o)b

[Mike Jasper]

Originally Posted by waffle waitress

Bob said...Oh. whatever, old Rupert moved to Texas, it completes the picture.


That little town where he lives is one of the coolest little towns that I know of. It is tucked away in the hills about 45 min outside of Austin...such a charming little town with lots of water, cool little shops. lots of trees and rolling hills...it's like an oasis.

Exactly. Say what you want about the Portico line, you go too far when you knock Wimberley.

Jasper

[vk all day]

Is it possible that you are going from an unbalanced to balanced connection and that is what is causing this problem? When I tried to hook up my RNC after an API 512c I got this kind of issue where lows disappeared and I thought the rnc sucked but now I think that was the problem. Just a guess.

Vince.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by waffle waitress

Bob said...Oh. whatever, old Rupert moved to Texas, it completes the picture.


That little town where he lives is one of the coolest little towns that I know of. It is tucked away in the hills about 45 min outside of Austin...such a charming little town with lots of water, cool little shops. lots of trees and rolling hills...it's like an oasis.

Don't forget... it's the mini Bible Belt.

Nice town. Nice people.

[Mike Jasper]

Originally Posted by max cooper

Don't forget... it's the mini Bible Belt.

You mean Texas is the Bible belt in general or Wimberley? Because Wimberley always seemed very NorCal to me, whereas Waco is more of the Bible belt. Or even Round Rock, now that I think about it.

Jasper

[musicsound-2]

working here with a 5032 and 5043 - and it´s quite nice.
I often prefer this chain over my Voxbox or Earthwork for tracking.