Rupert Neve Designs 5057 Orbit 16 x 2 Summing Mixer
Firmly rooted in six decades of console design experience, the 5057 Orbit gives your mixes the legendary tonality, power, and wide-open soundstage that only Rupert Neve’s class-A analog summing can provide. Coupled with Rupert’s famous custom audio transformers and Silk Red & Blue circuitry for variable harmonic saturation, the Orbit launches sterile in-the-box mixes to new heights of tone, depth and clarity – without compromising the recallable convenience and repeatability of your DAW-based workflow.
When you push a mix buss and output transformers towards saturation, the non-linear, musical harmonics that occur are what truly glue a recording together and bring it to life.
Rather than using an external summing solution that offers little more than an ultra-clean representation of the in-the-box experience, the Orbit provides the extraordinary richness, harmonic complexity and depth that only a Rupert Neve console can bring to your mixes.
The Orbit utilizes a highly custom output transformer configuration originally developed for the acclaimed Shelford Channel, which provides both a Main Output and a -6dB Output – the latter of which enables you to fully drive the Orbit to achieve more transformer harmonics without clipping the next device in the chain. This unique transformer drive is a hallmark of the sound of Rupert Neve throughout the years – and the sound of countless classic hit records.
Classic Sounds on Demand
Every mix demands its own treatment. In addition to the choice of outputs, the continuously variable Texture control with Silk Red and Silk Blue modes gives you complete control over the harmonic density and tonality of your mix – or lets you keep it utterly pristine and uncoloured.
The Silk Red mode accentuates transformer saturation in the high and high-mid frequencies to amplify the vibrant midrange harmonics associated with Rupert’s vintage equipment, while Silk Blue accentuates saturation of the lows and low-mids to add thickness and weight to any source – especially useful for “thin-sounding” mixes. Unlike EQ, these Silk & Texture controls saturate the output transformers, and add highly musical harmonics to the source material according to the amount of Texture applied.
Drive the mix buss hard, choose your Silk flavour, and crank the Texture knob for a rich, saturated, vintage vibe – or disengage Silk entirely for clear, wide-open sonic beauty. The choice is yours.
Build your Dream
While the Orbit is an extremely effective tool on its own, multiple units can be combined through the Buss Link for a higher channel count. The 5057 Orbit can also be used as a building block in an expandable summing system utilizing the 5059 Satellite for flexible summing & routing, and the 5060 Centerpiece for additional mixing and monitoring features.
These units create the core of a world-class analog modular console system rivalling any traditional large-scale studio setup.
Channel Separation and Accuracy
With precisely fixed channel levels and accurate mix buss attenuation via high-quality stepped switching, the Orbit’s purist signal path has vanishingly low crosstalk, and channels matched to within +/-0.1dB. This provides your mixes with the widest and most accurate stereo image, the greatest depth, and the most direct signal path, allowing you to hear every single detail of your mixes.
DAW Based Recall without Compromise
Frequent recalls can be a challenge for modern mix engineers. The Orbit’s elegant simplicity and fixed level accuracy provides rapid, repeatable DAW-based recall from mix to mix, while adding the rich, unrivalled sound quality of Mr. Neve’s class-A transformer-coupled mix buss.
CONTROLS
MONO
Push-button switches that allow the user to MONO sum the first eight input channels, in pairs. Each channel is unity gain from input to output.
SILK
Illuminated push-button switch that toggles between the transformer saturation modes: OFF, RED, BLUE.
TEXTURE
31-detent potentiometer that controls the amount of transformer saturation when SILK is engaged.
SIGNAL LEDS
LEDs that illuminate GREEN to indicate signal is present (-20dBu) and subsequently illuminate RED (+24dBu) when the signal is 2dB below clip point.
TRIM
12-position rotary switch that controls the attenuation level of the Main Output and -6dB Output within a tolerance of +/- 0.1dB.
POWER
Power status indication LED.
FEATURES
- 16 Channel +/- 21V Class-A mix buss for massive headroom
- Silk Red & Blue modes with Texture control to precisely dial in the desired amount of classic tone
- Dual-tap output transformers create rich harmonic character without clipping the next device in the chain
- Mono switches enable you to precisely centre any mono mix elements like vocals, kick, snare and bass
- Exceptional linearity and accuracy, better than +/-0.1dB per channel
- Ultra-low crosstalk for wide open stereo imaging and sonic depth
- Expandable for higher channel count via buss link to other 5057 units
- Repeatable, rapid DAW-based recall while adding the rich, unrivalled sound quality of Rupert Neve Designs
- Robust and compact 1U chassis design with DB25 inputs and XLR outputs
- Combine with other Rupert Neve Designs summing products to create a world-class modular mix system