Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 DI/Pre/Comp Mobile Channel with Variphase

The Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017 DI/Pre/Comp Mobile Channel with Variphase Control is designed for studio recording, live recording, and live performance applications. This portable combination preamplifier and direct box is encased in a rugged chassis and features two-channel operation, variphase control, silk control, single-knob compression, and the ability to blend both microphone and instrument channels.

The front panel of the chassis features a 1/4" instrument input as well as a 1/4" Thru for connecting to an instrument amplifier. The instrument gain knob allows you to control the DI signal level from 0 to 30 dB and the microphone gain knob provides up to 66 dB of gain in 6 dB increments. A rear panel phantom power switch enables use with condenser microphones and a high pass filter button reduces signals below 80 Hz by 12 dB/octave to remove building rumble and other environmental noise. A phase invert button reverses the polarity of the microphone input.

The compressor features an adjustable threshold between -20 and +10 with a fixed ratio of 1:2 and an adjustable time attack and release time constant from standard to fast via an internal jumper. A second internal jumper allows the compressor to be assigned to the DI chain.

The variphase button and phase sweep knob allow you to incrementally adjust the phase angle of the two sources for aligning sources such as overhead and drum mics or the direct and amplified signals from a bass guitar and bass cabinet. The middle blend button allows you to mix the DI and Mic signals together, while the silk button adds nostalgic warmth and presence to both outputs.

The back of the unit features an XLR-3F mic input, a 1/4" mic output, a XLR-3F line ouptut, a +48V phantom power switch, a ground lift switch, and a 12 VDC power button.

Dual-Channel Use

Used as a 2-channel device, a lead singer and guitar player can take the studio quality of the channel wherever they go, using the DPC for a Vocal mic pre and compressor, as well as a separate DI preamplifier. To achieve this, the blend control should be selected as fully DI (blend off), and an internal jumper can be selected to apply the compressor to the mic pre signal. When engaged, Silk mode would affect both vocal and guitar tracks, and the HPF control would affect only the mic path.

Two-Channel Operation

Using two transformer coupled outputs, offers separate line outputs for the DI/Blend and mic signals

Blend Control

Using the blend control allows the vocal microphone preamplifier with compressor (via an internal jumper) and the direct box preamplifier signals to be blended together

Blended Use

Allows you to phase align, combine, and compress direct and amplified signals together while using the blend control to achieve the desired tonal balance and the variphase control to minimize or extenuate phase cancellations between the two signals

The Compressor

Using technology from a light dependent resister design, the opto-coupler compressor features a single threshold control with auto make up gain, a fixed 2:1 compression ratio, and the option to change the time constant from standard to fast via an internal jumper

Vari-Phase

Allows you to adjust the phase incrementally, which is useful any time two signals derived from the same source are combined such as for aligning overhead and drum mics or the direct and amplifier outputs of a bass guitar and cabinet

Silk Button

Reduces negative feedback and adjust the frequency spectrum to adjust the character of the sound in the direction of vintage modules

Mic Gain

Provides gain control from 0 to 66 dB to restore the apparent program level

DI Gain

Provides DI gain control from 0 to 30 dB

DI Input

Accepts balanced or unbalanced Hi-z input for instruments

High Pass Filters

Attenuates signals below 80 Hz by 12 dB/octave for getting rid of building rumble and other environmental noise

Phantom Power

Provides 48V phantom power to microphones

Phase Invert

Reverses the polarity of the microphone input

Threshold

Reduces gain at a controlled 2:1 ratio with attack and release time constants set to standard or fast depending on the internal jumper setting

Indicators

Denote signal presence and clipping on both DI and mic signals as well as compressor activation

Internal Jumpers

Allows you to change the compressor from the mic channel to the di/blend channel and change the time constant from standard to fast