Music Gear
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RSQ
The RSQ ECHO-E500 Portable Karaoke System with NEO E-500 wraps up versatility and power into one smokin' all-inclusive package. With 200W, integrated speakers, a DVD/VCD/CD+G player with a NEO E-500 player for enhanced NEO disks, plus aux inputs for instruments like guitar and keyboards, all your entertainment options are covered. Also features 4 mic inputs, 13-step key control, and digital echo. It's all housed in a sturdy standmountable wood cabinet clad in vinyl. Remote included.
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RTOM
Moongel Dampening Gels allow you to effectively control unwanted overtones. Designed to be versatile tone modifiers, these self-adhesive gels stick to the surface of drums, cymbals, and most percussion instruments. The possibilities are endless. By simply moving the damper pad around the surface, you can eliminate any unwanted resonance and obtain the exact sound the situation demands. The damper pad is washable and will retain its stickiness for years of service and can be used over and over again. Moongel Damper Pads are made from a soft non-toxic gel, and come in a 4-pack plastic canister.
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RTOM
The RTOM Moongel Gel Workout Pad is great for anyone looking to improve their chops. The Workout Pad allows no free rebounds. Playing fast rudiments on the Workout Pad will increase your speed and endurance on the drum set.
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Ruby Tubes
Allows you to use EL84s in place of 6L6GC, 5881, EL34, and 6V6GT power tubes in real Class A operation. Supply voltage is auto adjusted by the Tone Bone so that no rebiasing is needed. Overall power output is reduced so that saturation of the output stage occurs much earlier. Its saturation distortion has great sustain, fat tone, and optimized dynamic response. Comes complete with a pair of selected Tesla EL84 triode tubes and 2 Play Tube adapters.
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Ruby Tubes
A premium tube that produces more power, more tone, and higher fidelity with an extended dynamic range. All Ruby output tubes are labeled on the base with the exact matching measurements for plate current and transconductance. By matching these parameters, optimal performance and long life are ensured. Comes with a 6-month replacement warranty.
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Ruby Tubes
A premium tube that produces more power, more tone, and higher fidelity with an extended dynamic range. All Ruby output tubes are labeled on the base with the exact matching measurements for plate current and transconductance. By matching these parameters, optimal performance and long life are ensured. Comes with a 6-month replacement warranty.
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Ruff Rider
Accessible keychain design with a raised string surface gives real guitar feel.
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Horizontal Joining Kit is designed to conveniently mount two Portico Series modules in a single (1U) rack space. Includes a joining block, rear connector panel and the required screws.
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Portico 5012 is a dual channel mic pre featuring Neve s custom input and output transformer designs. In addition to individually selectable phase, mute, phantom power and a fully sweepable high pass filter, the 5012 incorporates a Silk circuit which yields the rich warmth and presence of the renowned classic designs.Microphone input The microphone input is balanced but not floating, being a variant of an instrumentation amplifer using a Transformer-Like-Amplifier (T.L.A.) configuration with a toroidal Common Mode Rejection Low Pass Filter that excludes frequencies above 150 kHz. The T.L.A. is followed by an actual input transformer permitting a full +25 dBu input signal to be handled at unity gain without an input pad over the whole audio spectrum. This combines the advantages of both an Electronically Balanced and true transformer input. When the Phantom voltage is switched off, this input serves as a very high quality line input with an impedance of 10,000 ohms.Low noise, low distortion operation Much care was given in designing the 5012 to produce as little noise and non-harmonic distortion as possible. Carefully implemented signal paths and Class A operation are a large part of the 5012 s sweet, whisper quiet performance. For more information, go to Mr. Rupert Neve s Design NotesWhy transformers? A complete discussion on transformers is out of place at this point but a technical discussion will be posted at a later date. Here it is helpful to review some of the essentials where it will be seen that a design needs to be viewed as a whole, not simply from the point of view of a single component.The fine subtleties of circuit design relating to sonic performance are gradually becoming more clearly understood. For example, research has shown conclusively that frequencies above 20 kHz affect the way in which humans perceive sound quality. But, long before scientific evidence emerged a substantial body of musicians and engineers knew that equipment with apparently the same technical measurements could sound very different.Incredibly small amounts of musically dissonant odd harmonics have a disastrous effect on the sound quality. Extraneous noise or interference that finds its way into a signal path seriously impairs performance of the whole chain.Many control rooms make use of outboard gear that is not well protected from external signals. Poor grounding of such equipment can be a serious problem. Electronically balanced circuits much used in modern equipment, can give very good measurements on the test bench but they do not provide adequate rejection of the stray fields found in every working environment.Input and output circuits must be freed from ground dependence so that only the wanted signal enters and leaves the processing path. Transformers are the ideal solution. The sweet and silky sound of my classic old favorite consoles was achieved with big transistors and large high quality transformers. Rupert Neve Designs Portico modules achie
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Portico 5014 Stereo Field Editor introduces an innovative application of well-known techniques that redefines the boundaries and limitations of traditional 2-channel stereo recording and playback. Operating entirely in the analogue domain, the Portico 5014 uses discrete component circuits, comprising a variable sum and difference network with level and phase controls, together with other key features, to affect stereo sources.Intended for recording, mixing and mastering applications, the Portico 5014 differentiates between near field (direct) and far field (ambient) sources and allows the manipulation of the relationship between mono panned images and stereo ambience through the use of width, depth and phase controls. Source material may be further manipulated by inserting external EQ or dynamics processing into the difference channel or by engaging the simple onboard mid-band EQ.Designed with the same half-rack dimensions as the rest of the Portico range, available in horizontal or vertical formats, and utilizing Mr. Rupert Neve's custom transformer designs, the 5014 is a unique addition to the modern engineer's palette that brings dimension and life to any recording.Controls:Width When the width circuit is engaged, the stereo signal is split into a sum and difference network, allowing the width, depth, insert and EQ controls to be used. The width control enables the user to increase or decrease the width of a stereo image (wide/mono) and adjust the amount of ambience inherent in the recording. As the width control is rotated toward wide, the amount of difference material is boosted, thus altering the signal that the depth, insert and EQ affect. Conversely, the stereo field is contracted when rotated to mono, and, if the left and right channels are highly coherent (i.e. both channels include closely similar material that is in phase), this mono content is enhanced. If the phase of one of the input channels is then reversed the mono content may be virtually eliminated. Because the amount of effect the width control has is entirely dependent on the amount of stereo information in the original source material and the interplay between the 5014's other controls, listening and experimentation are essential for the best results.Depth The depth control of the 5014 adjusts the spatial positioning of elements in the sound stage. A solo instrument or vocal can be placed up front in a mix and supporting instruments can be pushed back, for example. In many cases, a center-panned vocalist can be placed forward in a mix or virtually eliminated without adversely affecting the music bed. Used in conjunction, the depth and width controls effectively alter the perceived room ambience and dimension.Difference Channel Insert The difference channel insert and EQ offer new opportunities to manipulate stereo signals. In mastering use, lead vocals can be brought up or down in a mix, excessively sibilant overheads can be controlled, and mixes formerly co
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Rupert Neve Designs
With independent transformer-coupled mic preamp and compressor-limiter sections identical to those found in the 5012 and 5043 modules, the fully analogue Portico 5015 combines the outstanding sound quality expected from a Rupert Neve design with the total flexibility required by modern recording studios. Available in both Vertical and horizontal configurations, when used with the 5033 five band EQ it is possible to create a Portico channel strip with preamplification, dynamics processing and equalization. As an additional routing option, the mic pre output may be routed directly to the compressor section without patching by pressing the To Compressor switch.Microphone Preamplifier The microphone input is balanced but not floating, being a variant of an instrumentation amplifer using a Transformer-Like-Amplifier (T.L.A.) configuration with a toroidal Common Mode Rejection Low Pass Filter that excludes frequencies above 150 kHz. The T.L.A. is followed by an actual input transformer designed by Mr. Neve that permits a full +25 dBu input signal to be handled at unity gain without an input pad over the whole audio spectrum. This innovative solution combines the advantages of both an Electronically Balanced and true transformer input.In addition to the 72 dB of gain, the 5015 mic pre includes individually selectable phase, mute, phantom power, a swept high pass filter from 20-250 Hz, and the Silk circuit which yields the rich warmth and presence of the renowned classic designs.The Compressor Section The 5015 s compressor has fully variable threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain with two selectable VCA modes that provide for exceptional control of any source material. 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, 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 or not! 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
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Portico 5016 is a half rack, 1U module that embodies a Microphone Preamplifier and a DI, which can be used separately or together to provide an innovative and powerful approach to the recording of musical instruments. Both channels of the 5016 are transformer coupled which greatly assists with the avoidance of hum loops and ensures the classic musical sweetness for which Portico modules are well-known and the DI includes a powerful new Phase-Rotate control that allows the Direct Input to be manually phase aligned in relation to the microphone signal!The 5016 may be racked in the control room or placed out on the studio floor. It includes a full-featured, transformer coupled microphone preamplifier identical to the 5012 with Silk, a swept High Pass Filter from 20-250Hz, 48V Phantom, Phase Reverse and a total of 72 dB of Gain. The independent DI channel provides selectable Instrument or Line level inputs, with up to 35dB of gain for the instrument input.Direct Input Amplifier The DI channel accepts either Instrument or Line level signals via a balanced TRS jack on the front faceplate. When Instrument level is selected, the input impedance is 3 Megohms and the gain range is +20dB to +40dB. When the Line Input is selected the input impedance is 10K, and the gain range is from 10dB to +10dB, better suited for keyboards or instruments with on-board electronics. This input can also be used to monitor playback when comparing phase adjustments.The use of transformers greatly reduces grounding issues when using unbalanced equipment, however a ground lift switch is available on the front panel if ground loops cannot otherwise be avoided. A thru output is also provided on the front faceplate enabling a buffered and unbalanced unity gain signal to be sent to an external amplifier.Phase Adjust Acoustically derived signals from a microphone can never be exactly phase-coherent when combining signals from a stringed instrument pickup or an electronic keyboard. When the loudspeaker of a guitar amplifier is used with a microphone, further phase inconsistencies arise.It is also commonplace to use both a direct signal and at least one microphone signal to capture the best essence of the instrument in addition to the desired level of ambience.The 5016 Variable Phase feature allows phase to be rotated over a very wide range. When combined with the Phase Reverse switch on the Microphone channel, very powerful control over musical instrument recording is available.Microphone Amplifier Section The microphone input is identical with the Portico 5012. It uses a balanced but not floating, transformer configuration. The microphone is presented with a very high input impedance that is protected with a Toroidal Common Mode Rejection Low Pass Filter to exclude frequencies above 150 kHz. The Microphone preamplifier thus uniquely permits a full +25 dBu input signal to be handled at unity gain without an input pad over the whole audio spectrum. The advantages of both an "
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Portico 5032 is a single channel Mic Pre/EQ having an independent transformer coupled Line level input for the EQ section. It includes a full-featured Mic Pre identical to the 5012 with the addition of a flexible 3 band Equalizer in the Mr. Rupert Neve tradition. The 5032 is equipped with high and low frequency shelving curves and a Parametric Mid Band covering 80Hz-8kHz in two ranges.The Rupert Neve Designs 5032 module is a half rack width, 1.75 (1U) module in the now well-known Portico style. The 5032 is ideal for both tracking and mixing applications with selectable mic or line inputs. Both paths have full access to the EQ, phase, silk and mute making it the ideal choice for either standalone operation, or forming the core of a larger mixing system. As with the entire Portico range, the construction is a heavy and robust steel shell that provides total magnetic screening and exceptional mechanical stability. The front panel is machined from a solid 1/8-inch aluminum plate with a steel sub panel behind it.Alternative front panel layouts are available providing a choice of vertical or horizontal mounting. When the horizontal front panel is chosen, a single 5032 can sit firmly on a bench or desktop on its detachable rubber feet. Two 5032s can be joined with the optional Horizontal Joining Kit (Model # 5221-RM) and mounted across a standard 19 rack. When the vertical option is chosen, up to Eight 5032s can be mounted in the optional Vertical Frame. This leaves a 3 wide space that can be used to house a Power Supply or monitor unit. The Vertical Frame assembly is designed for rack mounting and includes basic rear cable management. Blank panels are available to fill any unused spaces when the full complement of eight modules is not fitted into the optional Vertical Frame.The Portico 5032 module comprises a single microphone pre-amplifier identical with those found in the Portico 5012, and a new 3-band Equalizer. The output stage is identical with that of the Portico 5012, using single-sided circuitry, driving a carefully configured output transformer that can deliver a full + 25dBu from the balanced and ground-free secondary winding.THE EQUALIZER The subtleties of audio circuit design as relating to sonic performance are becoming more clearly understood by designers and professional users. For example, it is evident that frequencies above 20 kHz and incredibly small distortion and non-harmonic artifacts, affect the way that humans perceive sound. Specifications and measurements do not fully disclose these sonic qualities that are important to sound engineers and musicians. There is no substitute for hours of patient listening and experimental bench work that results in the sweet and silky sound of my classic designs.LOW SHELF and HIGH SHELF The Portico 5032 Equalizer makes use of both a High Frequency and Low Frequency shelving characteristic that provide steeply rising or falling curve shapes. Such curves, when used aggressively, enable second
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Rupert Neve Designs
The Portico 5033 Five Band EQ and high performance line driver is a new equalizer with the performance, features and musicality expected from Rupert Neve, the designer.The 5033 features Mr. Rupert Neve's custom input and output transformer designs, five bands of EQ based on his traditional curves, 12dB input level adjustment, five filter bypasses and comes available in either horizontal or vertical formats.At the input and output of the 5033 lie custom designed Rupert Neve transformers, which are much of the heart of the sound of Mr Rupert Neve's classics. The EQ section can be completely bypassed and the unit can be used as a very high quality line driver utilizing these transformers, which can help to add sonic "sweetness" to a source.Low Frequency and High Frequency Shelving Filters For opposite ends of the audio spectrum there are two separate shelving filters, which are both engaged or disengaged using the same LED pushbutton. Each shelving filter allows for a boost or cut of up to 12 db, providing steeply rising or falling curve shapes. When these curves are boosted or cut aggressively, they enable the second and even third harmonic to be varied in relation to their fundamental, allowing the natural sound of a musical instrument to be varied. When used less aggressively, one can attenuate bands of frequencies above or below the "turnover" point to their desired levels. These sections each provide EQ curves that approximate to 6 dB/ and give a true "Flat" response when this section is engaged but not boosted or attenuated.Low Frequency (LF) Shelving Filter Continuously variable from 30Hz to 300 Hz, allowing for a wide range of applications, from filtering out low rumbles caused by air conditioning units to taming an instrument with too much low end or even adding a little bit of "oomph" to a thin mix, proving to be an indispensable asset in the signal chain.High Frequency (HF) Shelving Filter continuously variable from 2.5 kHz to 25 kHz, giving this section of the EQ a valuable range of operation. Whether you want to really bring out the presence and breath of your vocals or simply add some "air" to your overall mix, the HF shelving filter will give you that bit of sparkle you're looking for.Mid Range Parametric Filters To cover the crucial mid-range, the 5033 comes with three bands of parametric EQ, each separately engaged and having a true "flat" response when each section is engaged but not boosted or attenuated. Each section is capable of boosting or attenuating up to 12 dB, and includes a variable "Q" control. "Q" controls range from "Q" = 0.6 to "Q" = 3, allowing you to vary the bandwidth of the attenuation or boost, whether a broad range of frequencies to gently give a sonic section a slight boost or dip or using the filter with a very narrow range of frequencies, acting almost as an audio "chisel"
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Rupert Neve Designs
The 5042, winner of the 2006 TEC award for signal processing hardware, provides a remarkable simulation of true tape sound through the inclusion of genuine tape drive circuitry. When the Tape circuit is not engaged, the 5042 may be used as a full, transformer-coupled, high-performance line amplifier that includes a Gain range of + and - 12 dB. The Portico 5042 Two Channel "True Tape" Emulation and Line Driver unit's emulation circuit provides the nostalgic rounding and compression usually only achieved by the use of tape. This typically offsets the harshness often found in digital recordings. The Portico 5042 incorporates an actual tape drive circuit that feeds a tiny magnetic "head" which, in turn, is coupled to a correctly equalized, replay amplifier. The only thing missing is the tape itself! The Portico 5042 consists of two identical Line Driving amplifiers having transformer balanced inputs and outputs. The sonic quality of these amplifiers is such that, by providing galvanic isolation, simple single-sided circuit topology and freedom from grounding problems they are capable of enhancing the sonic quality of many signal sources, especially those of digital origin. The sonic "signature" is one of extreme purity and the image is consistent with that of Rupert Neve's original designs of 35-40 years ago.The Portico 5042 host line amplifier has a much higher output level capability than the "tape" circuit embodied within it. The gain of the Record and Replay amplifiers has been adjusted so that with the TRIM control set to 0 dBu, and the ENGAGE TAPE button out, an incoming signal of 0 dBu, will cause the first meter LED to illuminate.Now, with the ENGAGE TAPE button pressed and the SATURATION control at MIN, the same first meter LED will continue to light regardless of whether the meter button is set to INPUT LEVEL or TAPE LEVEL. This is the minimum recommended record level. When the SATURATION control is rotated to MAX, this is the maximum recommended record level.An input signal level that is appreciably below 0 dBu (the 0 dB LED on the meter not lighting at all), for example, if you are feeding the Portico 5042 from a consumer Hi-Fi source, the tape effect still works but you might have to make up gain elsewhere in your system. Of course this would tend to bring up noise, just as it would on a real tape recorder.If the incoming signal is low, (for example from a consumer Hi-Fi source), it is recommended that you rotate the TRIM control clockwise to bring the incoming signal level up to the point where the first, or LINE UP LED is just illuminated. However, with the meter switched to TAPE LEVEL, when you rotate the SATURATION control clockwise the TAPE LEVEL meter progressively illuminates. At MAX, with an incoming 0 dBu signal, the Tape circuit is running just below clipping point.MAIN OUTPUTS The main output signals come from the output transformer secondary which is balanced and ground free. A
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Rupert Neve Designs
The 5043 Compressor/Limiter Duo is a new and powerful approach to dynamic processing! This new addition to the Portico range is designed with both tracking and mixing applications in mind.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, for example, as a stereo pair, 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.Buss or Line Input Selection Any number of Portico modules that are equipped with the TO BUSS button may be sent to the BUSS 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, 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 or not! 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 bet
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Sabian
This is a 10" B20 high-end bronze gong, made in the Chinese tradition with a high-quality gong sound. Stand size is 20" x 17" made of pine and stained with a wheat color. Mallet is included.
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