Rupert Neve Designs 545 500 Series Primary Source Enhancer

Based around the circuitry in the acclaimed Portico 5045 – which has benefited countless tours, arenas, houses of worship and broadcast stages worldwide – the Rupert Neve Designs 545 500 Series Primary Source Enhancer is a mono device for vocal or instrumental applications, and is compatible with any 500 Series rack. 

Exceptionally useful at reducing feedback without negatively impacting the sonic integrity of the source, the 545 effectively increases the level of a live microphone signal before feedback occurs by up to 20 dB. With simply laid out, easily adjustable controls, the 545’s processors are an invaluable addition to any live sound setup where feedback or reverberation are problematic.

ALL ANALOG DESIGN

The 545 shares some traits with conventional "noise gates," but operates on a different principle. One common aspect is that both reduce the gain during the absence of signal – or more specifically, both begin to attenuate when the level of a signal falls below a certain user-defined threshold. This 500 Series primary source enhancer senses when someone is speaking or singing into the mic and allows the signal to pass through, and senses when the person has stopped talking or singing and reduces the gain appropriately, reducing the system’s tendency to feed back.

Importantly, the RND 545 does not utilize filtering or digital processing to achieve its significant benefits. Built around Rupert Neve Designs’ custom input and output transformers, its all-analog circuitry provides superb control and sonic performance without compromising the integrity of the source material. This makes the 545 the most intuitive, natural-sounding and effective method of feedback reduction available on the pro audio market.

SIMPLE, INTUITIVE CONTROLS

With a minimal control set, the RND 545’s ease of use makes it ideal even for circumstances where a full-time or experienced engineer is not readily available, and allows for rapid adjustments on-the-fly even during performances.

Engage: Illuminated push-button that engages the Primary Source Enhancer’s effect.

Active: This LED indicates when the 545 is actively affecting signal – a.k.a. when the input signal has overcome the enhancement threshold. Since this LED should generally be illuminated when the desired source is present (a vocalist singing, for example) it is extremely helpful in setting up the 545 for use.

Threshold: Sets the dBu level at which the Primary Source Enhancer engages.

Depth: The DEPTH knob controls the maximum amount of effect from the 545 – or in other words, how much attenuation is applied after the input signal falls below the set THRESHOLD. By rotating the DEPTH control clockwise from 0dB towards -20dB, the 545 will attenuate the input signal more dramatically, letting the user find the perfect balance between audibility of the Primary Source Enhancement effect and feedback reduction.

Fast: The FAST control is an illuminated push-button that selects between two available time constants, tuning the 545’s response by determining how quickly the attenuation occurs in the quiet sections between words or phrases. Without this button pressed, the 545 achieves a slower attack and release that is useful as a starting point for most sources. Pressing the FAST push-button engages the faster attack and release time constant, useful on more dynamic sources or passages where faster transient detection is necessary.

Peak: Illuminated push-button that selects between RMS and Peak detection modes. When illuminated, the 545 is in PEAK mode – useful for detecting faster transient peaks, and for creative dynamic envelope shaping. When not illuminated, the 545 is in RMS mode, which utilizes a slower, more averaged response characteristic in the sidechain.