The 5088 Custom LEGO® Building Set, 4th Edition: “The First 5088”
“The first time I actually heard music played through a 5088, I just…relaxed. A wave of satisfaction swept over me – I didn't have to measure, I just listened and thought, ‘Boy, I think we've actually achieved it.’ There is something about the 5088 which I have not been able to get from any other piece of equipment.”
– RUPERT NEVE
The 5088 is the culmination of Rupert Neve’s vast analog circuitry knowledge, and the only console built today with the same dedication to sound quality found in his most legendary vintage designs…and now it’s a custom LEGO® building set (again).
Left to right: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Editions.
Five years ago, we created a special edition 5088 Custom LEGO® Building set. We only made 150 of them, and they sold out in just a few hours.
Then in 2022, we produced a 2nd Edition with a penthouse section, upgraded nearfield monitors, and a tape machine. We made 300 of those, and they sold out in less than 10 minutes.
In 2023 we released a 3rd Edition with a producer desk, computer + keyboard, even more high-end monitors, and a few other easter eggs. 300 were made, and again sold out almost instantly.
Now, after a multi-year hiatus, we’ve created a 4th Edition in honor of what would have been Rupert Neve’s 100th birthday: “The First 5088”.
This is essentially how the 5088 looked when Rupert heard it for the first time, complete with some of the original vertical Portico modules: the 5015 Mic Pre / Compressor, 5033 5-Band Equalizer, and 5042 Tape Emulator. It also includes Rupert’s test equipment, his monitors, and his chair.
Though we’ve since released the Shelford Series penthouse modules, changed the console’s color, and made a few engineering changes that make the console even more reliable and easier to maintain, the 5088 itself hasn’t changed much in the last 19 years. It was designed to last, and it has.
And most importantly, the custom transformers and custom discrete class-A-biased op-amps inside are still the same: and you can see those if you pull out the group modules in this set.
In total, the set is made up of 337 original Lego® elements – including 67 custom-printed parts – and a booklet with very thorough assembly instructions. It was made in Berlin, Germany, it costs $199 USD (€175 EUR ex VAT), and it will be sold exclusively on our webstore for USA customers, and exclusively at numode.net for European customers.
Why only 300 sets, and why so expensive? Because they’re designed, created, and packaged by one guy (this guy) in Germany, and they were not mass-produced by the actual LEGO® company.
These 300 limited edition sets will go on sale at precisely 12pm EDT, Friday August 7th. Mark your calendars – they may go fast.
We had so much fun designing this set – and if you’re one of the lucky 300 people to grab one for yourself, we know you’ll love building it.
And in the meantime…
CHECK OUT NUMODE FOR MORE SETS LIKE THIS:
ATTENTION! Choking hazard!
Contains very small parts. Not suitable for children under the age of 3 years!
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