GearCast Video - Rupert Neve Designs 551 Inductor EQ 500 Series Equalizer Review

The Rupert Neve Designs 551Definition:
Surround sound with 5 speakers plus 1 subwoofer. See subwoofer. InductorDefinition:
A coil of wire that stores energy in a magnetic field when current flows through it, and also impedes current on-rush and AC signals. EQ is the only equalizer for the 500 Series actually designed by Rupert Neve. Featuring 3 bands of EQ inspired by Mr. Neve's most prized vintage designs, along with custom-wound inductors, transformers and class-A gain blocks, the 551 brings the thick, powerful lows and sweet highs of Rupert’s classics to the 500-Series format for the very first time.

The 3-band, custom-tapped inductor EQ on the 551 was inspired by RND's favorite portions of Rupert's vintage EQ designs. The low frequencyDefinition:
A value, expressed in Hertz, that indicates how many cycles of a periodic signal occur in one second. band is designed to produce a creamy, resonant bass response – however, unlike the vintage modules that inspired it, the LF band on the 551 can be used as either a shelf or a peak filter, adding punch, dimension, and control to your low end. The 551’s inductor midrange band is ideal for sweeteningDefinition:
Post-production that involves fine-tuning a recording. Also means adding instrumentation, such as strings. vocals and instruments while bringing them forward in a mix, and its proportional "Q" response makes it well-suited for minimizing problematic frequencies. The high frequency band is a hybrid vintage / modern design, blending inductor circuitry with capacitor-based topologies to achieve vintage tones with enhanced control. The High Pass filter is a 12dB/octave design with a fixed 80Hz frequency, and can be used in tandem with the low frequency EQ to add low-end presenceDefinition:
An EQ effect that boosts audio, typically between 2 kHz to 7 kHz, to add clarity and articulation. without clouding the source material.

As Rupert originally intended with his most prized classic designs, each EQ section uses low-feedback, class-A discrete electronics to prevent low-level artifactsDefinition:
Errors in digital conversion, recording, processing or transmission of audio and visual information caused by compression, quantization, jitter and/or packet loss. and harshness from detracting from the tonal shaping. However, this new circuit is a decidedly modern design with updated techniques and components that were simply not available 35 years ago, and should not be considered a "clone".

Both the high and low band can be switched from shelf to peak curves and offer 15 dBDefinition:
1. A deciBel is a logarithmic ratio between two quantities, and is a nonlinear measurement that mimics human perception. 2. A unit expressing sound levels relative to a nominal level just audible by the average human ear, and equal to 1/10th of a Bel. of boost or cut. The high band can be switched from 8 kHzDefinition:
kHz (Kilohertz): 1,000 Hertz, or one thousand cycles per second. to 16 kHz, and the low band can be selected at 35 HzDefinition:
See Hertz., 60 Hz, 100 Hz or 220Definition:
Stereo Sound with 2 speakers and no subwoofer. See subwoofer. Hz. The inductor based Mid Band offers 6 center frequencies; 200Definition:
Stereo Sound with 2 speakers and no subwoofer. See subwoofer. Hz, 350 Hz, 700 Hz, 1.5 kHz, 3 kHz and 6 kHz. The Mid Band also has a "Mid Hi Q" switch to narrow the bandwidthDefinition:
A range of frequencies that a device can generate, reproduce, or process. This usually implies little or no alteration within the range. of the filter.