Rupert Neve 511 500 Series Mic Preamp

The Rupert Neve 511 Mic Preamplifier delivers legendary Neve tone in a compact 500 Series format, offering studio-grade mic preamplification, a swept high-pass filter, and Rupert Neve’s signature Silk saturation with precise Texture control. Designed for engineers and producers seeking the warmth and harmonic richness of vintage Neve preamps, the 511 provides versatile, musical sound for recording any source.

Key Features

• 12-Way Precision Gain – Switchable in 6 dB increments from 0 to 66 dB, allowing fine control over signal levels.
  
• Continuous Level Trim – +/-6 dB variable control for precise gain adjustment.
  
• +48V Phantom Power – Engage phantom power for studio condenser microphones.
  
• LED Output Meter – 8-segment bar-graph displays output level pre-Silk for accurate monitoring.
  
• Polarity Inversion – Push-button phase invert with illuminated indicator.
  
• Variable High-Pass Filter – Continuously adjustable from 20–250Hz to remove unwanted low-frequency content.
  
• Silk Red Saturation – Engage Rupert Neve’s signature Silk circuit to enhance harmonic content and add musical warmth.
  
• Texture Control – Adjust the amount of harmonic saturation from subtle to pronounced, providing precise tonal shaping and dynamic character.
  

Legendary Neve Tone in 500 Series Format

The 511 builds on Rupert Neve’s classic Portico series preamps, delivering bold, musical gain and transformer-driven saturation in a compact 500 Series module. The Silk/Texture feature allows you to dial in vintage harmonic richness with fine-grained control, making it ideal for vocals, instruments, and any source that demands warmth and clarity.

Noise

• Measured at Main Output, unweighted, 22 Hz – 22 kHz, source impedance 150 Ω balanced
  
• Unity Gain: better than -103 dBV
  
• Gain @ +66 dB: better than -60 dBV
  
• Equivalent Input Noise (EIN): -125 dB
  
• Noise can vary depending on installed 500-series modules and stray magnetic fields
  

Frequency Response (Main Output, No Load)

• ±0.1 dBu from 10 Hz – 31.5 kHz
  
• -2.6 dB @ 120 kHz
  

Max Output Level

• +23 dBu
  

THD and Noise

• No Silk Mode:
• @ 1 kHz, +20 dBu output, no load: < 0.0025%
  
• @ 20 Hz, +20 dBu output, no load: 0.025% typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
  
• Silk Engaged (@ 100 Hz, +20 dBu input, no load):
• Texture Min: 0.015%, mostly 3rd harmonic
  
• Texture Max: 2%, mostly 2nd harmonic
  

Gain

• Unity to +66 dB in 6 dB steps
  
• Trim continuously adjustable: -6 dB to +6 dB
  

Phantom Power

• Supplied by 500-series rack power supply
  
• Switch selectable on front panel
  

High Pass Filter

• Continuously variable from 20 Hz – 250 Hz
  
• Slope: 12 dB/octave
  

Power Requirements

• ±16 VDC, 100 mA