The Portico Range

A Series of All Analogue Building Blocks

A portico, in building terms, suggests a rather grand entrance or doorway. Its form tells you something about what to expect as you enter.

The new Rupert Neve Designs Portico modular preamplifiers and analogue audio processors constitute a range of building blocks that may be used independently or in combination to provide key elements that were traditionally included in large format Sound Control Consoles.

High quality sound control consoles can provide a powerful array of audio tools but your actual choice is limited by decisions the console designer has already made on your behalf and by the cost of providing a large number of identical modules, many of which are probably redundant to your purpose. The Portico Range presents a means of interconnecting very high quality modules that give you those precise features that you need just when and where they are wanted in the chain, without the huge redundancy of a large console.

As new modules are added you will be able to select from a wide range of innovative audio processors that can be freely interconnected. In addition, because of the balanced inputs and outputs, the flexible mounting features and the independent powering, you can include any of your favorite transformer-coupled, balanced modules in a Portico chain without fear of ground loops or level discrepancies.

Classic Circuit Design

Built on Cornerstones of Tradition

The design of Portico modules is based on all that is best and most respected by the many friends in the Industry who love the sound of genuine vintage modules.

Very high performance transformers have been developed over the years and we have returned to discrete single-sided circuits wherever possible. There is, therefore, no possibility of crossover distortion; a particularly obnoxious artifact which the professional ear can detect in extremely small quantities. This is one of the reasons for the very sweet and “silky” character of the sound.

Very small quantities of noise and interference can also intrude into an audio path if not dealt rigorously with in the basic design. Portico modules are fully encased in folded steel enclosures; they even have steel front panels behind the heavy gauge machined front mounting plates! Therefore the whole module is magnetically shielded.

The top - seen when desk-mounted - is a seamless, powder-coated, wraparound cover, giving a very attractive appearance.

Each module has its own small power supply that ensures independence from anything else in the system. An external low voltage supply of 9 to 18 volts DC is needed to feed a module. Multiple modules are then “daisy chained” and fed from a single supply. For field work, a 12 volt car battery is ideal.

Power supplies and accessories are detailed on succeeding pages or you are invited to consult Rupert Neve Designs with regard to powering a whole system. Each individual Portico module is normally sold with a power unit capable of powering two units.

QUALITY CONTROL

We take pride in the fact that all of our modules are designed and crafted in Texas. We carefully test each module to ensure it meets or exceeds the minimum specification we provide before shipping.

MECHANICAL DESIGN

Dimensions of the Portico modules are nominally half rack width (9.35" or 238mm) by 1U (1.75" or 44.5mm) high. They are normally fitted with soft rubber feet to sit on a table top or desk and may be stacked horizontally. A linking block is provided (when two modules are purchased) enabling two units to be mounted horizontally across a standard 19" rack.

VERTICAL MOUNTING

Because of the electrical flexibility of the Portico module range, we have provided for mounting modules vertically in a 19" rack which obviously saves space and allows for familiar industry style packaging.

An optional vertical rack kit is available that provides a completely new front plate for the module having vertically orientated graphics. Changing plates from horizontal to vertical format is extremely simple: the two securing screws are removed and re-used to secure the new vertical plate in place of the original.

The control knobs are designed with "D" locators as standard that allow them to be re-fitted at 90 degrees so that the new vertical graphics will read correctly. There are no alignment problems. The control knobs are a "pull-off/push-on" design. (But high quality engineering ensures no loose fits or "slop"!)

Up to eight vertical modules will fit into the rack mounting frame on guide rails, in similar style to my original Neve units. Rack height then becomes 5U (8.75"). Vertically mounted, eight Portico modules fit across the standard rack leaving a 3" (76mm) space for a master or PSU unit.