| Content | Whether you’re tracking, mixing, or just listening to music, your headphone amplifier is as important to the final sound quality as your headphones – yet the world is full of headphone amps with compromised sonics, headroom, and power. To address these shortcomings, Rupert and his team at Rupert Neve Designs developed the RNHP.
Based on the headphone output circuit in the 5060 Centerpiece Desktop Mixer, the RNHP is a dedicated 24V reference-quality headphone amplifier with +4dBu balanced line, unbalanced RCA and 3.5mm (1/8”) inputs – each specifically calibrated for optimum level and impedance – and housed in a rugged, VESA-mountable steel chassis.
Dedicated vs Integrated Amplifiers
For much equipment, the headphone output is an afterthought. Most products with integrated headphone amps have large feature sets, small footprints, and relatively low price points. This leads to compromised power and audio quality of the headphone amplifier itself, which can lead to a number of issues in real world usage such as low headroom, unreliable performance, and a lack of focus.
The RNHP was made to accomplish one simple purpose: making any headphones sound their best. As a dedicated design, the RNHP is tailored to deliver extremely high quality, powerful amplification, with precise calibration for any source input. This exceptional level of quality can be the difference that inspires an artist to give their best performance, lets an engineer make better choices in mic and placement, gives a mix engineer reliable translation of EQ and dynamics adjustments, or lets a music listener appreciate the full depth and detail of a recording.
MAXIMUM INPUT LEVELS
- “A” XLR I/P: +22.8 dBu @ 1 kHz
- “B” RCA I/P: +14.7 dBu @ 1 kHz,
- “C” 3.5mm I/P: +3.3 dBu @ 1 kHz
OUTPUT POWER
- As measured with typical headphones, Z=44 Ohm: 3.617 VAC RMS @ 1 kHz = 300mW RMS.
- 16 Ohm typical Load: 1.933 VAC RMS @ 1 kHz = 230mW RMS
- 150 Ohm typical Load: 5.108 VAC RMS @ 1 kHz = 175mW RMS
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
.08 Ohm @ 1 kHz, 16-150 Ohm load, 0 dBu input
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
+/- .2 dB from 10 Hz to 120 kHz
NOISE
- Measured with typical headphones, Z = 44 Ohm, BW 22 Hz - 22 kHz.
- “A” XLR Input: -101.9 dBV,
- “B” RCA Input: -100.9 dBV
- “C” 3.5mm Input: -88.8 dBV
DIMENSIONS
6.5” wide x 4.6” deep and 1.9” tall
POWER SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS
24VDC @ 0.25Amp (6 watt) minimum. Use with supplied power adapter, as this has been carefully selected for best output power and noise performance. May be used with a properly configured 24V battery as well. | The product that started it all for Empirical Labs. Born of founder Dave Derr’s love of classic compressors like the 1176, LA-2A and Gain Brain (among others), the Distressor incorporates his favorite sonic characteristics of these, along with other unique and interesting features that have made it a staple for audio engineers all over the world. With over 28,000 units in the field, it’s safe to say that the Distressor is one of the best selling high end compressors of all time… if not THE best selling. A prominent recording engineer recently wagered that there probably was not a top 40 record made in the last five years that didn’t have at least one Distressor on it.
Besides providing a wide range of control and a unique feature set, the Distressor offers a warm, vintage sound by using a custom designed gain control circuit. This “warmth” or “vintage sound” has become a major issue in the last few decades, as the super clear and linear digital technology does next to nothing to soften “harsh” sounds, nor emphasize the bass frequencies in music sources. Conversely, older analog tape, vinyl records and tube equipment could not be prevented from coloring the sound, often to the frustration of recording engineers. However, many people now realize that this coloring can be extremely pleasant and musical. Digital technology is often referred to as “cold” and “brittle” among other terms (although we prefer “unforgiving”).
Unique Compression Curves
All eight of the Distressor’s curves are unique and distinctive, from the 1:1 mode that simply warms up signal with low order harmonics without intentional compression, to the “Nuke” setting – a brick wall limiting curve that shines on live drum room mics. Each curve has its own personality and several actually use different circuitry, and are effectively different compressors. Most exceptional is the 10:1 “Opto” ratio which uses separate detector circuitry to emulate the oldest (and valued) “light controlled” devices, such as the LA-2A.
Distortion (Color) Modes
Another large part of the Distressor’s personality and power derive from three modes that color the signal, even without compression. These extended audio modes were designed to allow emulation of some very old and expensive vintage compressors & limiters, and let the Distressor deliver a classic “knee” sound all its own by providing user programmable, warm harmonic distortion. In addition to the basic distortion mode, Distort 2 emphasizes tube-like 2nd order harmonics, while in Distort 3 setting the distortion becomes dominated by 3rd harmonics more closely resembling tape. Two HP filters – one in the audio path, one in the detector path – are also available to help with low frequencies that can cause pumping and breathing.
Go Stereo
For many Distressor owners, one is never enough – in fact, one extremely successful engineer has twelve of them! For those who want (at least) a stereo pair, ELI offers the EL8-S, a pair of Distressors that are matched at the factory, and come with the cables you need to lock them together.
- Frequency Response – 2 Hz to 160 kHz in clean audio mode (+0, -3 dB). Response is shaped in distortion modes (Dist 2, Dist 3).
- Dynamic Range – 110 dB from max. output to min. output in 1:1 mode. Greater than 100 dB signal to noise in distort 3 mode.
- Distortion – ranges between .02% and 20% depending on distortion mode and release times set on front panel.
- I/O – DC Coupled input and outputs.
- Time Constants – Attack range 50uS – 50mS. Release range .05 sec to 3.5 seconds, normal modes and up to 20 seconds in 10:1 opto mode. Time constants are dependent on ratio.
- Power Consumption – 15 Watts Max.
- Metal Chassis – single height 1.75″ high, 10″ deep, 19″ wide.
- Shipping info – 24.2 lbs Stereo pair. Stereo Pair box dimensions 22.5″ x 18.5″ x 6 1/4.
| Radial X-Amp Active Reamper
- Active Reamp® with two outputs
- 100% discrete class-A signal path
- Transformer isolated to eliminate noise
- Variable 'set & forget' level control
The Radial X-Amp is an active Reamper™ that allows the engineer to play a pre-recorded track back through guitar amplifiers and pedals. This opens the door to explore new musical sounds and spur on the creative process so that your recording stands out.
Using the X-Amp is easy: start by recording a dry track using a high quality direct box like the Radial J48. Send the new track from your recorder via the X-Amp to your guitar amps, effect pedals or combinations thereof. Once the basic track has been recorded, replacing or adding tracks can be done well after the session player has gone home. This eliminates tiresome repetition and assures a fresh vibrant performance on the final recording. Furthermore, by driving two amps at the same time, new sounds and textures can be created while allowing you to make artistic decisions as the recording progresses.
Following the critically acclaimed Radial JD7 Injector, the X-Amp employs a unique class-A circuit design that has been optimized for use with guitars. Features include balanced line level input with LED peak indicator and level control, class-A circuit topology for optimal reach and frequency response, a transformer isolated output to eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops, a 180º polarity reverse switch to bring both amps into phase, and a dual ground lift switch for noise-free operation.
As with all Radial products, the X-Amp is built like a tank to provide years of trouble-free performance. An internal I-beam skeleton provides maximum protection against external stress which could cause solder points to fail. This is supplemented with an innovative bookend design that creates a protective zone around the switches, potentiometer and connectors. A full bottom no-slip pad performs double duty by keeping the X-Amp from sliding around when placed on a vibrating amplifier while also providing electrical and mechanical isolation. Reamping works equally well on bass, keyboards, drums and voice. Once you start Reamping, you will never record any other way.
The Radial X-Amp… the active Reamp® for professional recording engineers. | FEATURES
- 12-way precision rotary switch controls gain from 0 to 66 dB in 6 dB steps
- Continuously variable +/-6 dB level control
- Silk circuit, reduces negative feedback, adding harmonic content as needed
- Red Silk accentuates the saturation in the mid and high frequencies
- Same presence and sweetness found in standard Portico Series modules
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Number of Channels |
Single |
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Inputs |
1x XLR, balanced |
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Output |
1x XLR, transformer-balanced |
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Maximum Output Level |
+23dBu |
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Meter |
8 segment LED meter |
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Power Requirements |
Power Requirements @ +/-16VDC 100mA |
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Dimensions |
Not specified by manufacturer |
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Box Dimensions (LxWxH) |
10.2 x 7.8 x 2" |
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The Cranborne Audio 500R8 is, essentially, a studio in a rack. It’s an 8-slot high-current 500 Series chassis, a 28-in/30-out USB interface, an analog summing mixer, a zero-latency artist mixer, and a monitor controller — everything you need to build your dream hybrid analog/digital studio. The 500R8 is fitted with high-performance AD-DA conversion, reference-grade headphone amplifiers, a reference-quality master clock, and more. In fact, there’s very little you can’t do with the Cranborne Audio 500R8. Configure it to suit your preferred analog flavoring for any source. Pack it with vintage-style 500 Series preamps for recording drums; clean, pristine preamps for vocals; and EQ, compression, and saturation modules when it’s time for mixdown.
USB audio interface
Connect the 500R8 directly to your Mac or PC via USB and utilize the 500R8’s onboard 28-in/30-out USB audio interface for recording and playback directly to and from your digital audio workstation of choice.
Discrete summing mixer
Give your mix the crowning touch of analog character by sending submixes and stems back through your 500 Series modules, into the 500R8’s discrete analog summing mixer, and back into your DAW.
Monitor controller
Use the 500R8’s onboard high-headroom monitor controller to switch between two sets of speakers, toggle mono sum, mute, dim, and talkback facilities while monitoring the peak level of your mix on the high-resolution 28-segment LED meter.
 Shown with optional 500 Series modules
Audiophile headphone amps and zero-latency artist mixer
Drive any headphones with 500R8’s two reference-grade headphone amplifiers — they have enough power to drive low-impedance ’phones with gobs of headroom and a linear frequency response to below 1Hz! Use the 500R8’s two aux buses to create pristine analog cue mixes that you can blend with DAW playback and send to the talent with zero latency.
World-class conversion and clocking
For the musician who wants to get down to business, it may be hard to get excited about conversion and clocking. But engineers at Sweetwater get to check out the best of them — and we’re amped about these converters. They’re touted as best-in-class and flaunt truly impressive specs such as under .5 picoseconds of jitter. But none of that really matters when you hear the fullness of your stereo image bloom with jaw-dropping sonic clarity.
Connect the 500R8 to your macOS or Windows computer and capture every nuance of your sources with reference-grade AD/DA conversion and world-class internal clocking. Effortlessly pass audio between analog and digital worlds without the digital artifacts that color, cloud, and degrade your recordings. The only coloration you will hear is intentional — your microphone placements, mixing decisions, and the 500 Series modules you’ve chosen to use. And with word clock I/O, you can even share the 500R8’s world-class clocking with the rest of your digital gear.
Ample I/O and configurable front end
The 500R8 has generous I/O to integrate with all of your analog and digital hardware, so you can mix and match your 500 Series modules and find the best combinations during recording and mixing to help create your own signature analog sound. You can even integrate your 19" rack units via the 500R8 s dedicated per-slot TRS insert jacks.
C.A.S.T. away
Spec’d with Cranborne’s innovative C.A.S.T. system, the 500R8 does away with excess cable spaghetti, delivering a cost-effective, low-maintenance, plug-and-play solution by transmitting four channels of balanced analog audio over shielded Cat 5 Ethernet cable directly to the destination of your choice.
Handy source select
Re-patch your 500R8 at a flick of a switch. Dedicated source select switches for each 500 Series slot adjusts signal routing to send analog, C.A.S.T., or USB sources through each of your modules. Unused 500 Series slots? Bypass them using the 500R8’s dedicated slot-bypass switch.
 Shown with optional modules and Cranborne 500ADAT
Expandable, in the studio or on the road
When you’re ready for additional 500 Series connectivity, connect your 500R8 with Cranborne Audio’s 500ADAT via ADAT for 16 channels of 500 Series modules. Housed in a 19" 4U rack-mountable rugged steel frame, the 500R8 makes an ideal 500 Series chassis for mobile recording setups. Packed with cool, useful features, the Cranborne Audio 500R8 is one of the more innovative pieces of pro audio gear we’ve seen at Sweetwater. Trust us — you will be impressed.
Cranborne Audio 500R8 8-slot 500 Series Chassis and USB Audio Interface Features:
- 28-in/30-out USB interface, summing mixer, artist mixer, and monitor controller
- Low-latency USB 2.0 interface:
- Compatible with macOS and Windows computers
- ADAT I/O (16x16 channels @ 44.1/48kHz, 8x8 channels @ 88.2/96kHz)
- S/PDIF I/O; 5-pin MIDI I/O
- High-performance A/D conversion:
- Dynamic range: 121dB A-weighted dynamic range, 20Hz–20kHz
- Frequency response: 2.2Hz to >80kHz (-1dB)
- THD+N: <0.00032% (-110dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz–40kHz (1kHz, A-weighted)
- Max input level: +24dBu
- High-performance D/A conversion:
- Dynamic range: 121dB A-weighted, 20Hz–20kHz
- Frequency response: <1Hz to >61kHz (-1dB)
- THD+N: <0.0003% (-110.5dB) @ -4dBFS, 20Hz–40kHz (1kHz, A-weighted)
- Max Output Level: +24dBu
- Reference-quality internal master clock:
- Sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192kHz; <0.5ps jitter
- Dedicated word clock I/O via BNC
- External sync options using word clock BNC, S/PDIF, or ADAT
- Monitor controller with talkback:
- Speaker A/B switching, mono check, dim, mute, and 28-segment peak meter
- Dedicated talkback input with phantom power, push-to-talk activation, and automatic routing to all headphone and C.A.S.T. facilities
- Easy-access illuminated front panel controls for all monitor controller functions
- Analog summing mixer:
- 8x2 analog summing mixer with +26.5dBu of headroom and dedicated ADC
- Balanced 1/4" jack outputs
- C.A.S.T. link port for increasing Summing Mixer to 16x2 using Cranborne Audio 500ADAT
- Zero-latency Artist Mixer:
- Analog Artist Mixer with per-channel physical level/pan controls and DAW return blend controls
- 2 high-power headphone outputs with independent blend and level controls
- Reference-grade headphone amplifier:
- THD+N: <0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ 20dBu, 1kHz A-weighted, 300 ohm load
- Output wattage (1kHz): 250mW x 2 @ 600 ohms, 650mW x 2 @ 220 ohms, 1.21W x 2 @ 100 ohms, 500mW x 2 @ 32 ohms
- Frequency Response: <1Hz to >70kHz (1dB)
- High-current 8-slot 500 Series rack:
- Per-slot current: 250mA , 2A total for all slots
- XLR inputs, XLR line outputs, and TRS Inserts (pre-ADC) per 500 Series slot
- Module source switching options to send Analog, USB or external C.A.S.T. signals through 500 Series modules
- Per-slot module bypass switches allowing 500R8 to be used without 500 Series modules installed
- C.A.S.T. compatible:
- C.A.S.T. ports per channel for routing analog I/O using passive or active C.A.S.T. breakout boxes via standard Cat 5 cable
- External power supply:
- 24V, 5A external locking power supply for improved analog audio performance and heat dissipation
- Designed and engineered in the UK:
- Each 500R8 is extensively tested by a team of dedicated engineers to ensure reliability and consistency.
| Proven reverberation classic for the future
With the VSR 3.2, we happily rely on the proven old mechanical way to create reverberation. Rightly, because the used reverberation spring by AccuBell (formerly Accutronics) creates that magic 60's reverb which is slightly metallic and dense at the same time.
Just like it predecessors, VSR 3.2 has a straight-forward and honest approach: signal in - spring reverb - vintage sound out.
VSR 3.2 is equipped with an equalizer that is exactly adapted to the springs' frequency response. In addition, there are controls to mix the dry and effect signal as well as controls for the input and output level. This way, VSR 3.2 simply exactly does what it was designed to do.
Designed for every situation
Although using a large spring (type 9), VSR 3.2 fits in a 19" housing with one rack unit – minimal space requirements. Thanks to its extremely solid chassis, VSR 3.2 is a reliable vintage-effect that cannot only be used in a controlled studio environment. On the contrary, it also serves fine when being used in straining live situations.
VSR 3.2 grants your sound an elegant touch of "good old times". Its simplicity makes it an unbelievable versatile companion.
Inputs
- 1/4"-jack input front
- unbalanced
- max. input sensitivity: –40 dBu
- impedance: 1 MΩ
- 1/4"-jack input rear (1)
- unbalanced
- max. input sensitivity: 0 dBu
- impedance: 100 kΩ
- 1/4"-jack input rear (2)
- unbalanced
- max. input sensitivity: –20 dBu
- impedance: 10 kΩ
Outputs
- 1/4"-jack output (1)
- unbalanced
- max. output level: 0 dBu
- 1/4"-jack output (2)
- unbalanced
- max. output level: - 20 dBu
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
- direct: > 80 dBu
- effect: > 70 dBu
THD + Noise
Miscellaneous
- power supply: external DC-adapter with 12 V/1000 mA
- dimensions: 19“, 1 HE, ca. 190 mm deep
- weight: 2.5 kg
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