Neve Portico 5032 User Manual

Rev. A Copyright 2005

INTRODUCTION

1

Thank you for your purchase of the Portico™ 5032 Microphone Pre-amplifier and Equalizer
module. Everyone at Rupert Neve Designs hope you enjoy using this tool as much as we have
enjoyed designing and building it. Please take note of the following list of safety concerns and
power requirements before the use of this or any Portico™ Series product.

Safety

It’s usual to provide a list of “do’s and don’ts” under this heading but mostly these amount to
common sense issues. However here are some reminders:

The PorticoTM 5032 dissipates about 8 watts, which means that it will get warm in use. The heat
generated is radiated through the case work and by convection through the ventilation holes.
Therefore the holes should not be covered or blocked. Portico™ modules may be stacked
horizontally on a desktop or mounted vertically in a rack without heat problems. The anti-slip feet
may be removed while used in a rack, but should be retained for desktop use. To avoid overheating,
Portico™ modules should not be stacked immediately above or adjacent to other equipment that
gets hot. Also bear in mind that other equipment may radiate strong hum fields which could spoil
the performance of your Portico module.

Don’t operate your Portico™ module in or around water! Electronic equipment and liquids are not
good friends. If any liquid is spilled, such as soda, coffee, alcoholic or other drink, the sugars and
acids will have a very detrimental effect. Sugar crystals act like little rectifiers and can produce
noise (crackles, etc.). SWITCH OFF IMMEDIATELY because once current starts to flow the
mixture hardens, can get very hot (burnt toffee!) and cause permanent and costly damage. If it gets
wet and you suspect that good clean water may have gotten in, immediately unplug the unit, and
remove it from the source of water. Please contact support as soon as possible at
[e-mail] for resolution.

Don’t be tempted to operate a PorticoTM with the cover removed. The cover provides magnetic
screening from hum and R.F. stray fields.

Power Requirements

Each Portico™ 5032 module has two built-in DC to DC converters that provide +/– 17.5 VDC for
the amplifiers and + 48 VDC for microphone Phantom Power. The input is protected from reverse
polarity. The connector center pin must be positive. The converters will work from virtually any
DC supply from 9 to 18 volts that is reasonably “clean”. Avoid using a Power Outlet on the same
circuit as air conditioning or other equipment that regularly switches on and off. Unplug the
Portico™ power unit(s) during a thunder storm or if it will be unused for a long period.

When using a 12-volt battery, choose one that has enough capacity to power your PorticoTM 5032 ­or your complete assembly of Portico™ modules – for the expected duration of your session. For
example, a 48 ampere-hour battery will power 8 Portico™ 5032 modules for 9 hours.

*See power requirement on specifications page.

Rev. A Copyright 2005

FEATURE LIST

+48V

Phantom Power

For appropriate microphones

Warning! Mute output prior to

engaging/disengaging

Phantom power

Phase Invert

Swings phase

180 degrees

Mute

Main Output Mute

(Meter/Buss stay active)

To Buss

Sends signal

To Buss output

High Pass Filter

Fully variable from

20Hz to 250Hz

Mic Gain

Precision gain switch

(0 to +66dB in 6dB steps)

Level Meter

-30 dBu to +22 dBu

Referenced to the output

5032 Mic Pre / Equalizer - Front Panel

5032 Mic Pre / Equalizer - Back Panel

DC input jack

2.1 x 5.5 x 9.5mm
Center Positive

SILK

Reduces negative feedback and

adjusts the frequency spectrum

to provide a very sweet

and musical performance.

Power Switch

Disconnects supply

from internal power converters

Portico

TM

Bussing System

Connect as many units together as you'd

like to create your own mixes using

optional bussing modules

Top and bottom rows are normalled

together to allow for an IN / OUT / THRU

configuration

Output

Transformer coupled

Fully balanced and floating

1 = GND 2 = HOT 3 = COLD

Microphone Input

TLA Fully Balanced Input

1 = GND 2 = HOT 3 = COLD

Input Select

Selects signal

source

Low Shelving EQ

160Hz Rolloff

+/-15dB

Line Input

Fully Balanced Input

1 = GND 2 = HOT 3 = COLD

EQ IN

Engages Equalizer

into signal path

PEAK EQ

Fully parametric

Equalizer, with adjustable

"Q", Gain, and frequencies

from 80Hz to 8kHz

High Shelving EQ

Selectable Rolloff

+/-15dB

8kHz/16kHz

Selectable shelf

frequency

MUTE

MIC GAIN

54

48

30

24

18

0dB

66

60

42

12

6

36

HPF

TO

BUSS

EQ IN x10

LOW

PEAK EQ

LINE

RUPERT

NEVE

DESIGNS

The

Portico

Series

EQ

MIC PRE

5032

+48V

Hz

20 250

100

+6-6

TRIM

-2 +2

SILK

-30 22-18 -12 4 16-6 10

16kHz

8kHz

Hz

80 800

Q

+15-15

dB

+15-15

dB

+15-15

dB

HIGH

SHELF SHELF

00 0

160Hz

INPUT

SELECT

2

5032 MIC PRE/EQUALIZER

3

The Rupert Neve Designs Portico™ 5032

MICROPHONE PRE-AMPLIFIER AND EQUALIZER MODULE

The Rupert Neve Designs 5032
module is a half rack width, 1.75”
(1U) module in the now well-known
Portico™ style. The 5032 is ideal for
both tracking and mixing applications
with selectable mic or line inputs.

Both paths have full access to the EQ, phase, silk and mute making it the ideal choice for either
standalone operation, or forming the core of a larger mixing system. As with the entire Portico™
range, the construction is a heavy and robust steel shell that provides total magnetic screening and
exceptional mechanical stability. The front panel is machined from a solid .20 inch

aluminum plate

with a steel sub panel behind it.

Alternative front panel layouts are available providing a choice of vertical or horizontal mounting.
When the horizontal front panel is chosen, a single 5032 can sit firmly on a bench or desktop on its
detachable rubber feet. Two 5032s can be joined with the optional Horizontal Joining Kit, model
number 5221-RM, and mounted across a standard 19” rack.

When the vertical option is chosen, up to eight 5032s can be mounted in the optional vertical frame,
model number 5285-RM. This leaves a 3” wide space that can be used to house a power supply or
other future modules. The vertical frame assembly is designed for rack mounting and includes basic
rear cable management. Blank panels are available to fill any unused spaces when the full
complement of eight modules is not fitted into the vertical frame.

MICROPHONE INPUT

The microphone input is balanced but not floating, being a variant of an instrumentation amplifier.
My well-proven “Transformer-Like-Amplifier” (T.L.A.) configuration is used, which includes an
accurate toroidal Common Mode Low Pass Filter that rejects Common Mode signals and excludes
frequencies above 150 kHz. (There are high powered broadcast transmitters at and above this
frequency in several Continents and, even if you can’t hear them, any vestigial intermodulation
products must be excluded!)

The Common Mode Coil effectively takes the place of a traditional input transformer at high
frequencies and is able to handle low frequencies over a wide range of levels with virtually no
additional distortion.

The T.L.A. is followed by an actual input transformer. This imparts galvanic signal isolation and
the sweetness for which good transformers are known. The transformer works at an approximately
constant level with more predictable performance.

When the Mic Gain switch and Trim controls are set to Unity (0 dB) the Portico™ 5032
microphone pre-amplifier can handle a balanced input signal of more than +20 dBu without an
input attenuator pad! This is a unique feature that enables this input to double as an additional line
input.

MUTE

MIC GAIN

54

48

30

24

18

0dB

66

60

42

12

6

36

HPF

TO

BUSS

EQ IN x10

LOW

PEAK EQ

LINE

RUPERT

NEVE

DESIGNS

The

Portico

Series

EQ

MIC PRE

5032

+48V

Hz

20 250

100

+6-6

TRIM

-2 +2

SILK

-30 22-18-12 4 16-6 10

16kHz

8kHz

Hz

80 800

Q

+15-15

dB

+15-15

dB

+15-15

dB

HIGH

SHELF SHELF

00 0

160Hz

INPUT

SELECT