545
500 Series Primary Source Enhancer
OVERVIEW / MEDIA / FEATURES / REVIEWS / SPECS & RESOURCES
The world’s most natural feedback reduction.
Based around the circuitry in the acclaimed Portico 5045 – which has benefited countless tours, arenas, houses of worship and broadcast stages worldwide – the 545 is exceptionally useful at reducing feedback without negatively impacting the sonic integrity of the source.
“Without the Primary Source Enhancer, I wouldn’t be able to do my job.”
The 545 effectively increases the level of a live microphone signal by up to 20dB before feedback occurs. It’s as simple as that.
100% 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. The 545 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, thus reducing the system’s tendency to feed back.
Importantly, the 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 market.
Simple, Intuitive Controls
With a minimal control set, the 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.
The 545 is an absolutely indispensable addition to any setup where feedback or reverberation are problematic, and it (and the 5045, its 2-channel brother) are used every night on the biggest stages all across the world.
"...the one piece of hardware I can’t do a show without."
Primary Source Enhancer users include:
Justin Timberlake
Madonna
My Morning Jacket
Ray Lamontagne
Miranda Lambert
Ozzy Osbourne
Evanescence
Dierks Bentley
Maren Morris
John Legend
Halsey
Death Cab for Cutie
Beyoncé
Jay-Z
Justin Bieber
Linkin Park
Katy Perry
Ariana Grande
Kanye West
Keb’ Mo’
Post Malone
Paramore
Maroon 5
CHVRCHES
NFL
NBA
MLB
NHL
MSNBC
ABC
NBC
FOX
TBS
CBS
CNN
The Olympics
and many more.
POWER STATUS LED
LED indicates power status.
PROCESS ENGAGE
Illuminated push-button that engages the Primary Source Enhancer’s effect.
PROCESS 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.
REVIEWS
“Without the 5045, I wouldn’t be able to do my job.”
Andy Meyer, FOH
Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Shinedown
“The 5045 is the one piece of hardware I can’t do a show without. It lets me EQ the mic for how I want it in the mix instead of worrying about feedback. It’s especially game-changing when the vocalist is out in front of the mains.”
Vince Casamatta, FOH
Maroon 5, Halsey
“Seriously, if you’re not using this or its bigger sibling [the 5045] you’re stressing yourself out for no reason.”
Jonathan Kreinik, Producer / FOH Engineer
Chet Faker
“The 5045 is a life-saver, especially when there isn’t time to fully dial in a mic at sound check. Not only does it clean up our headset mics considerably, it also gives me confidence that when I bring up a mic in the house, the signal is going to be clear with lots of headroom to work with. I find myself EQing a lot less when I have the 5045 engaged. My speech mics sound a lot more natural when I’m not having to notch out problem frequencies all the time.”
Zach Kranz, Audio Engineer
Willow Creek Community Church
“She’s a very dynamic singer and there are times when she will be out in front of the main hang and side hang speakers – and that’s something I have to be really careful about, feedback-wise. Since we started using the 5045 I haven’t had a single frequency take off yet.”
Eddie Mapp, FOH
Paramore
“It’s great for shutting the mic down when it’s not in use, while leaving the envelope of the source sounding natural. We are using 965 capsules – they can be sensitive, so it’s great for getting more gain without building up feedback. I’ve found since using the 5045, reverbs and delays sound tighter.”
Paul Gallagher, FOH
CHVRCHES
"When we first tried out the 5045 on tour, the difference was immediate. It was the first time we were able to get softer vocal parts as loud as we wanted without a struggle. Beyond the extra 3-6dB of level, it really adds to the clarity of the voice, as the PA is no longer folding back into the microphone as much. This really helps the vocal sit in front of the mix."
"To describe the sound effect the 5045 can have on the vocal track, I would compare it to the experience of talking to someone in a cathedral versus speaking with them in a living room. The difference can be quite dramatic for the clarity of the voice."
Lars Brogaard, FOH
Rod Stewart
“The 5045 yielded a 14 to 15dB increase in level, with no feedback, glitches or choppiness.”
George Peterson, FOH Magazine
SPECIFICATIONS & DOWNLOADS
MAXIMUM INPUT AND OUTPUT LEVEL
+24 dBu
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION AND NOISE
1 kHz, +20 dBu Output Level, no load: Better than 0.001%
20 Hz, +20 dBu Output Level, no load: 0.1% typical (2nd and 3rd Harmonic)
NOISE
Un-weighted, 22 Hz - 22 kHz, 40 Ohm balanced source.
Primary Source Enhancer Bypassed: Better than -100 dBu
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
30 ft. Cable on Main Output.
30 Hz to 58 kHz: +/- 0.25 dB
18.5 Hz: -3 dB
THRESHOLD
Continuously variable from -18 dBu to +12 dBu
DEPTH
Continuously variable from 0 dB to -20 dB
TIME CONSTANTS
RMS MODE
Attack & Release, Slow (FAST push-button OUT): 100 mS
Attack & Release, Fast (FAST push-button IN): 200 mS
PEAK MODE
Attack (fixed): 20 mS
Release, Slow (FAST push-button OUT): 1 S
Release, Fast (FAST push-button IN): 200 mS
POWER CONSUMPTION
+/-16 VDC @ 80 mA
SHIPPING DIMENSIONS
7.75“ (19.7 cm) x 10” (25.4 cm) x 3” (7.62 cm)
SHIPPING WEIGHT
2 lbs, 0.9 kg
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, all of our modules are designed within the 500 Series specification and we are not aware of any instances where they have not worked as intended.
No; the 545 can only be effective if the primary / loudest source on the channel is the intended source. Do the best you can with mic placement to create more isolation in the microphone.
Yes, but it will be more effective if used on individual sources.
We utilize an electrogalvanized chassis to shield the internal circuitry from interference. With this process, it isn’t possible to “finish” the chassis metal (i.e. polishing or anodizing) so the machining marks from forming the metal will be visible. In normal operation inside a 500 series rack, this metal will never be visible.
We use standard 4-40 ¼" screws to secure our 500 series rack modules. Each of our modules and our R6 and R10 racks include these screws. Please contact our service department if you have questions or need additional screws.
The following may also be of interest:
5045 Primary Source Enhancer
5211 2-Channel Mic Pre