Rupert Neve Designs 542 Tape Emulator

The 542 delivers a wide variety of elusive analog tones by incorporating a carefully crafted tape emulation circuit, complete with a soft-clipper that can tame the harshest sources, our unique Silk circuit with variable Texture control, and a Blend control to finalize exacting amounts of saturation.

RND's analogue 'tape effect' emulation circuit drives a custom interstage transformer that mimics a "record head", which is coupled to a 'replay' amplifier with the appropriate EQ curve applied.  Harmonic saturation increases as more gain is applied to the "record head", and a soft clip circuit engages at higher levels, gently taming peak transients.  The sound can be further modified with selectable 15/30 IPS modes and a pre/post-tape emulation blend control.

The Silk circuitry provides additional control over harmonic density and tonality. The Silk Red mode accentuates transformer saturation in the high and high-mid frequencies to heighten the frequency range 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. Unlike traditional EQ, these Silk & Texture controls saturate the custom output transformer of the 542, adding rich, musical harmonics according to the amount of Texture applied.

Drive the 542 hard, choose your Silk flavor, and crank the Texture knob for a rich, saturated, vintage vibe - or disengage Silk entirely for a more purist, hi-fi tape effect.