The Rupert Neve 542 is a premium 500 Series tape emulator and analog color box that brings the warmth, harmonic richness, and character of classic tape machines into your modern studio setup. Combining True Tape circuitry, soft clipping, and variable Silk Red & Blue transformer saturation, the 542 provides infinite options for adding musical color, warmth, and harmonic density to individual tracks or full mixes.
Key Features
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True Tape Circuitry – 100% analog tape emulation, enhancing 3rd-order harmonics for authentic tape warmth.
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Trim & Saturation Controls – +/-12 dB input trim and saturation knob to manage the signal going into the “tape head” circuit.
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Selectable Tape Speeds –
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15 IPS: Emphasizes “head bump” around 60 Hz with high-frequency roll-off.
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30 IPS: Provides a flatter high-end response with “head bump” around 120 Hz.
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Blend Control – Mix the tape-processed signal with the dry source for subtle to pronounced effect.
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Soft Clip – Tames transients and enhances 2nd-order harmonics for smoother, more musical output.
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Silk & Texture Controls –
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Silk Red: Enhances high-mid and high-frequency harmonics for vibrant tone.
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Silk Blue: Adds saturation in the low and low-mid frequencies for thickness and weight.
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Texture Knob: Continuously adjusts harmonic density and tonal character.
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Output & Drive Meters – Dual eight-segment LED meters provide precise visual feedback for drive and output levels.
Sonic Performance
The 542’s custom interstage transformer acts as a “record head,” coupled to a correctly equalized replay amplifier, delivering authentic analog tape response. Saturation naturally increases as the signal rises, with soft clipping rounding off peaks. The combination of Silk Red/Blue and Texture controls allows engineers to dial in anything from subtle warmth to rich, saturated vintage character. Perfect for vocals, drums, bass, synths, and full mixes, the 542 adds musical depth, analog realism, and tonal flexibility that cannot be replicated by digital emulations.
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Noise:
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Measured at Main Output, un-weighted, 20 Hz – 22 kHz, input terminated 40 Ω
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Unity Gain: Better than -100 dBV
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Frequency Response:
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±0.25 dB from 5 Hz – 60 kHz
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-2 dB @ 120 kHz
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Max Output Level: 23.25 dBu
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THD and Noise:
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@ 1 kHz, +20 dBu output: Better than 0.002%
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@ 20 Hz, +20 dBu output: 0.07% typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
Tape FX Specifications
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Noise:
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Measured at Main Output, un-weighted, 20 Hz – 22 kHz, input terminated 40 Ω
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Saturation @ minimum: Better than -100 dBu
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Saturation @ maximum: Better than -100 dBu
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Frequency Response:
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15 IPS:
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Input @ 0 dBu: -3 dBu @ 28 kHz
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Saturation @ minimum: 0 dBu @ 10 Hz; +5 dBu peak @ 60 Hz
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Saturation @ maximum: -3 dBu @ 20 kHz; -3 dBu @ 12.5 Hz; +2.4 dBu peak @ 60 Hz
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30 IPS:
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Input @ 0 dBu: -3 dBu @ 120 kHz
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Saturation @ minimum: -3 dBu @ 10 Hz; +3.15 dBu peak @ 125 Hz
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Saturation @ maximum: -3 dBu @ 100 kHz; -3 dBu @ 12.5 Hz; +1.3 dBu peak @ 110 Hz
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THD and Noise:
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15 IPS:
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Input @ 0 dBu: 0.4% @ 3 kHz to 1% @ 175 Hz typical
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Saturation @ minimum: >1% below 175 Hz typical
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Saturation @ maximum: 1% @ 6 kHz typical; 0.3% @ 1 kHz to 3% @ 50 Hz typical
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30 IPS:
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Input @ 0 dBu: 1% @ 1 kHz typical
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Saturation @ minimum: 0.6% @ 400 Hz to 5% @ 20 Hz typical
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Saturation @ maximum: 1.5% @ 20 kHz to 0.4% @ 1 kHz; 0.4% @ 1 kHz to 2% @ 50 Hz typical
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Power Requirements:
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Supplied by 500-series rack: 110–125 mA @ ±16 V DC
