Rupert Neve Designs 511 Mic Pre with Sweepable HPF, Variable Silk

500 Series Mic Pre with Texture

With a big, bold preamp and the flexibility of variable Silk/Texture, Rupert Neve designed the 511 to combine classic sonics with 500-series value. Incorporating the 517’s powerful preamp, the 5012’s universally useful sweepable high pass filter, and the transformer-saturating power of a variable silk circuit derived from our flagship Portico II Channel, the 511 is a Rupert Neve-designed micpre for the masses.

Input Section

Input signals may be derived from Mic or Line sources (make sure 48V is off for line sources!). The input has a 10K Ω non-reactive input resistance that handles a full 22dBu signal without the need for a pad. The pre-amp is a TLA non-reactive design that precludes the loading of microphones with limited driving capability.

A primary gain control provides 66dB of gain in 6dB increments for easy recall, with a +/- 6dB trim for fine adjustment. For condenser microphones and powered DIs, there is +48V phantom power. A transient-optimized HPF continuously covering the range from 20-250Hz is included to tame rumble and proximity effect.

Low Noise, Low Distortion Operation

Much care was given in designing the 511 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 511’s sweet, whisper quiet performance. 

SPECIFICATIONS

NOISE
Measured at Main Output, un-weighted, 22 Hz - 22 kHz, source impedance 150 Ohm balanced. Noise specifications may vary depending on which 500 series chassis is being used, and / or interference from stray magnetic fields.
Unity Gain: Better than -103 dBV
Gain @ +66 dB: Better than -60 dBV
Equivalent Input Noise: -125 dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE
Main output, no load.
+/- 0.1 dBu from 10 Hz to 31.5 kHz
-2.6 dB @ 120 kHz

MAXIMUM OUTPUT LEVEL
+23 dBu

TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION AND NOISE, NO SILK
@ 1 kHz, +20 dBu output level, no load: Better than 0.0025%
@ 20 Hz, +20 dBu output level, no load: 0.025% Typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)

TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION AND NOISE WITH SILK ENGAGED
@ 100 Hz, +20 dBu input level, no load.
TEXTURE @ min: 0.015%, mostly 3rd harmonic typical
TEXTURE @ max: 2%, mostly 2rd harmonic typical

GAIN
Unity up to +66 dB in 6 dB steps.
Trim continuously adjustable from -6 dB to +6 dB.

PHANTOM POWER
Supplied by the 500 series rack power supply. Switch selectable on faceplate.

HIGH PASS FILTER
Continuously variable swept frequency from 20 Hz to 250 Hz.
Slope: 12 dB/Octave

POWER REQUIREMENTS
@ +/-16VDC, 100mA