Born from a legendary sonic lineage, Newton channel strip ($1999) offers instant access to the classic sound and musical tone-shaping abilities that define Rupert Neve Designs.
Named after Rupert Neve's birthplace in Newton Abbot, England, the Newton channel strip combines elements of many of his most beloved designs—from vintage to modern and everything in between.
Whether you're working in a project studio, large-scale commercial facility, or live sound environment, Newton is a versatile channel strip that's sure to bring any sound source to life. Let’s take a closer look at what the Newton channel strip has to offer.
At the heart of the Newton Channel Strip lies a fully Class-A mic preamp, meticulously designed to deliver the signature Rupert Neve sound. With 72dB of gain, including 6dB of fine trim control, the Newton excels at capturing the essence of any source, whether it be a delicate vocal or a powerful instrument. Its versatility extends to line-level signals as well, making it a valuable tool for high-end mixing applications.
Newton's input stage features a variable high-pass filter, allowing you to eliminate unwanted noise and low-frequency build-up with precision. Whether you're recording in a controlled environment or tackling challenging live recordings, Newton's input stage delivers tight, clean, and detailed sound.
Designed for speed and flexibility, the EQ section of the Newton Channel Strip is quick and easy to use thanks to its intuitive controls. With precise 31-detent potentiometers, the low and high-frequency shelf bands offer up to 12dB of gain boost or cut. This level of control enables you to dial in subtle or extreme settings to shape your sound precisely.
The parametric mid-band of the Newton EQ section boasts a wide range of frequencies, switchable from 220Hz to 7kHz, accompanied by a 31-detent potentiometer. This flexibility allows you to tame low-mid muddiness, enhance mid-frequency presence, or remove harshness from the upper midrange. With a carefully chosen fixed Q setting, the Newton ensures a balance of musicality and precision, providing you with brush-stroke equalization without compromising neighboring frequencies.
As with every section of the Newton Channel Strip, the EQ section includes an independent bypass button, allowing you to double-check settings and fine-tune your sound.
The Newton Channel Strip features the latest iteration of Rupert Neve Designs' renowned VCA compressor. With its ultra-smooth operation and +20dB of make-up gain, this compressor effortlessly maintains the integrity of your audio while providing the control you need for any level of compression required. Additionally, the "pre EQ/post EQ" push button lets you position the compressor either before or after the EQ section, expanding your creative possibilities.
Best of all, Newton incorporates RND’s beloved variable Silk circuit. With the variable Texture knob, you have complete control over the amount of harmonic density you desire. Engaging Silk Red mode accentuates harmonics in the highs and upper mid frequencies, adding sparkle and dimension to your tracks. On the other hand, Silk Blue mode emphasizes harmonics in the lows and low mids, providing a warm and rounded character.
To ensure pristine audio quality, the Newton Channel Strip boasts a custom transformer output stage. Its balanced MAIN standard line-level output delivers a robust and clear signal. Additionally, there's a separate -6dBu XLR output that compensates for high levels of input and Silk harmonic saturation. This feature allows you to drive the Newton to achieve more transformer harmonics without clipping the subsequent devices in your signal chain. Both outputs are active and can be used simultaneously, providing maximum flexibility in your workflow.
Enough talk, let’s hear how this thing sounds! We recently put the RND Newton to the test while recording a song at the Vintage King Nashville Showroom. Learn more in our First Listen video, hosted by Lisa Lafountaine, and engineered by Anthony Vaticalos, with performances by Lazarus Rios (vocals), Kevin Shuck (guitar), Anthony Vaticalos (bass), and Tucker Wilson (drums).
The primary distinction lies in their respective sonic characteristics. The Shelford Channel preamp incorporates a custom transformer from Rupert Neve Designs at the input stage, offering a distinct 'vintage' tonal quality upon recording. On the other hand, the Newton Channel preamp opts for a transformer-less design, enabling it to deliver a slightly more contemporary and pristine sound, reminiscent of our renowned 5211 Mic Pre, which has received numerous accolades.
However, it's essential to note that the Newton Channel preamp is by no means incapable of achieving a vintage sound. Remember, the Rupert Neve mic preamp's tonal character primarily arises from saturating the output stage. In the Newton Channel preamp, you can achieve remarkable control over this saturation effect through the Silk circuit, allowing you to fine-tune it to your desired vintage flavor.
The Newton Channel EQ incorporates more contemporary circuitry, providing a comprehensive parametric mid-range, as well as swept high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) shelves. These circuits not only offer enhanced accuracy but also transparency when compared to the vintage-style inductor EQ found in the Shelford Channel.
If you’re interested in purchasing the Rupert Neve Designs Newton or have any questions about other RND products, contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.
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