Rupert Neve Designs 5043 Compressor

Description

Used in a studio and well taken care of. This is somewhat of a secret weapon amongst the pro's. It's one of my favorite compressors all time. If I could only have one this would be it.
Built to handle either tracking or mixing, the Portico 5043 boasts two channels of compression/limiting which can be used independently or linked in sequence for two decidedly different compression sounds. Neve input and output transformers are onboard to give your tracks that distinctly British sound. Inject some classic flavor into your tracks by adding a Portico 5043 to your rack!
Rupert Neve Designs 5043 Compressor/Limiter Duo at a Glance:
Use Independently or Linked
Bus or Line Input Selection
How it Works
Feed Forward or Feed Back?
Ratio and Threshold
Use Independently or Linked
The Portico 5043 embodies two independent Compressor-Limiters (Channels A and B) housed within a half rack, 1U module. They can be used independently or connected in sequence to provide two separate control slopes. When used independently, linking the D.C. control circuits via a front panel push-button enables the level of each unit, "A" and "B", to be held in a constant relationship. Rear panel TRS connections are provided to link multiple 5043s. This linking may also be extended to the former AMEK CIB and DMCL units. When used in sequence, the Portico 5043 can be configured easily to provide dual slope compression and limiting.
Bus or Line Input Selection
Any number of Portico modules that are equipped with the "To Bus" button may be sent to the Bus input of the 5043 which makes it the ideal choice to form the core of a simple and cost-effective Portico mixing system. The Line input, when selected, provides a dedicated, transformer-balanced 10K impedance bridging input so that the 5043 may be inserted or included in any appropriate part of the signal chain at console line-up level.
How it Works
In order to control gain, a V.C.A. or Voltage Controlled Amplifier (or Attenuator) is used. There are many types of V.C., including the use of tubes, discrete and integrated solid state circuits, and naturally non-linear devices, with each one having its characteristic behavior that reflects sonically on the final performance, and gives it a character or signature that can be musically attractive. The Portico 5043 makes use of a very accurate, low noise, low distortion V.C.A. having, essentially, no signature of its own.
A part of the audio signal is rectified and smoothed to produce a suitable control voltage for the V.C.A. which has to respond very quickly and have low distortion. If the response is too fast, low frequency signals will themselves, be gain controlled! If the response is too slow, the signal will overshoot and the first few cycles will not get compressed. The speed and accuracy of the response, known as the "attack," and the time frame that gain remains under the initial control, known as "release" or "recovery" and plays a large part in the way a compressor sounds.
All Portico modules use input and output transformers and almost entirely discrete component amplifiers. In fact, the Line amplifiers on their own, inserted into the signal chain, are capable of enhancing the sonic quality of many signal sources, especially those of digital origin. These are some of the factors that enable the Portico 5043 to work so unobtrusively within the context of a very high quality audio chain.
Feed Forward or Feed Back?
The Portico 5043 provides a choice of feed-forward or feed-back compression modes. The FB Button allows the user to switch between the two modes. If the V.C.A. Control voltage is taken from the 5043 input, (i.e. before the V.C.A.) the V.C.A. knows right away that a gain change is required and there is almost immediate response. This is known, logically, as a "Feed-Forward" compressor.
If the V.C.A. Control voltage is taken from the 5043 output, (i.e. after the V.C.A.) it cannot act immediately on the V.C.A. because it has already been modified by settings of the V.C.A. and circuits through which it has passed. This is known as a "Feed-Back" compressor. The two compression characteristics are quite different; there is more "Overshoot" and both the attack and recovery ramps are changed, providing the user with powerful choices. Almost all of Neve's earlier designs were "Feed-Back". They were more musical and sweeter than with "Feed-Forward" designs; however the "Feed-Forward" design provides greater accuracy.
Rupert Neve Designs 5043 Compressor/Limiter Duo Features:
Gain Range: Continuously variable from -6 dB to +20 dB.
Threshold Range: Continuously variable from -36 dB to +22 dB.
Ratio Range: Continuously variable from 1.1:1 to "Limit" (40:1).
Attack Range: Continuously variable from 20mS to 75mS
Release Range: Continuously variable from 100mS to 2.5 Seconds.
FF/FB: Feed-Forward or Feed-Back VCA control.
S/C or LINK: Multiple 5043's may be daisy-chained via the rear panel jacks.
External 15V Supply included with every Portico Series module.