Rupert Neve Design 542 Tape Emulator w Variable Silk and Soft Clip Lim

Rupert Neve Designs 542 – 500 Series Tape Simulator As a follow up to the Portico 5042, the 542 delivers a remarkable simulation of true tape sound through the inclusion of genuine tape drive circuitry while also incorporating a number of new methods for adding analogue color to individual tracks and mixes. The Portico 542’s “True Tape” emulation circuit provides the nostalgic rounding and compression usually only achieved by the use of tape, and can offset the harshness often found in digital recordings. Unlike digital emulations, the “True Tape” drive circuit works by feeding a tiny magnetic “record head”, whichin turn is coupled to a correctly equalized, replay amplifier. As the voltage rises on the “record head”, saturation increases, and a soft clip circuit engages at higher levels to round off peak transients. The sound of the tape circuit can be further modified with selectable 15 / 30 IPS modes and a pre/post-tape blend control. In addition to the tape circuit, the 542 also has the variable Silk & Texture circuitry found in the Portico II series of modules, which allows the engineer to fine-tune the harmonic ratio and tonality on the output transformer. Please see here for full specifications and a more in depth description of the 511 preamp: