Description
The RNDI’s signature sound is the product of new custom Rupert Neve-designed transformers and class-A biased, discrete FET amplifiers.
The carefully orchestrated union of these two elements is key to the RNDI’s unique response, delivering a powerful and vibrant direct sound capable of reproducing the full harmonic depth of basses, guitars, acoustic instruments, and professional line level sources. With portable, powerful, larger-than-life tone for your instrument and amplifier signals, the RNDI is truly the first standalone DI worthy of the Rupert Neve name.
FEATURES
- Groundbreaking Direct Tone - When class-A, discrete amplifiers meet Rupert’s custom transformers, good things happen to your tone. The RNDI is imbued with the unique components and design knowledge that makes it worthy of the Rupert Neve name
- Huge Headroom - The high input headroom of +21.5dBU is capable of handling professional, line level sources without a pad – and in speaker mode, the RNDI can handle the full output of a 1000-watt power amplifier (92 Vrms or 266Vp-p).
- Rugged Solid-Steel Frame - The rugged steel chassis features an industrial-grade powder coating, and is built to withstand the severe stresses of life on the road
- Takes All Kinds - The RNDI has immensely consistent performance across a wide variety of sources due to its 2M Ohm discrete FET input and high headroom. You can confidently use the RNDI with basses, guitars, acoustic instruments, keyboards, and even professional line level devices. In instrument mode, you can even connect a professional line level interface output to “Re-Preamp” a previously recorded source
- Drive Longer Lines - The low impedance transformer coupled output – below 50 ohms – is capable of driving long lines with unrivaled high frequency performance
- 1/4” THRU Output - In instrument mode the THRU output can feed the amplifier input for reinforcement. In speaker mode, the THRU is used to feed the amplified signal to the speaker
- Best in Class Phase Coherence - Phase coherence is excellent at all frequencies, which keeps the sound well-balanced and natural, and is especially vital when blending the direct signal with a microphone capture of the same source
- Ground Lift - A ground lift switch is provided on the back to help fix any problematic grounding.
- Phantom Powered - The RNDI is powered by standard 48V phantom power. Power is indicated by a blue LED on the front panel
Game-Changing Headroom
In instrument mode, the RNDI’s high input headroom of +21.5dBU is capable of handling not only instruments, but professional, line level sources like interfaces, CD players and drum machines without a pad. This allows the RNDI to serve as a way to “Re-Preamp” any previously recorded track using your interface and a desired pre-amp. To do this, simply connect a channel output of the interface to the input of the RNDI and connect the RNDI’s output to the preamp and engage 48V. By “Re-Preamping” you can apply the tone of another preamp to the source and more accurately automate or control the drive level on the preamp.
In speaker mode, the RNDI can handle the screaming output of a 1000-watt power amplifier (92 Vrms or 266Vp-p) to capture the full tone of the instrument, preamplifier, EQ, inserts, and the amplifier’s output stages before it hits the speakers. This technique allows the engineer to avoid any bleed in a live environment and any unwanted tone added by the speaker cabinet or microphone. When used with modern speaker emulation plug-ins, this technique allows the engineer to take advantage of both the flexibility of digital modeling and the superior non-linear response of an actual analogue amplifier.
Speaker and Instrument Mode User Notes
In a speaker feed configuration, the DI is used post-power amplifier to capture the tone of the preamp and power amp. Be sure to switch the RNDI input level to speaker and connect the amplifier and speaker BEFORE turning the amplifier on.
Note: with tube power amps, THE SPEAKER MUST BE CONNECTED to the THRU connection to provide a load for the amplifier. Please read your amplifier’s manual to discern its range of acceptable loads. Solid state amps can generally be run without a speaker connected, although you should always consult your amplifier’s manual to be sure. The RNDI can handle the full amplified output of a 1000W amp, so you can confidently drive the output stages of any amp less than 1000W to get your desired tone.
In an instrument configuration, the DI converts the impedance of the instrument signal, balances the signal (if unbalanced), provides a buffered output stage to send to a separate mic preamp, and optionally sends the THRU connection to the amp input. To get the best performance out of your RNDI, we recommend you use the best available cables and mic preamps, and output the maximum level from your instrument. The instrument connects to the IN jack, and if you want to feed an amplifier, connect the THRU output to your amplifier’s input. The output of the RNDI in both instrument and speaker mode feeds a separate preamp for final gain.
TECHNICAL SPECS
- Noise:
- Measured Output, un-weighted, 22Hz-22kHz, source impedance 150 Ohms to 10K Ohms
- Better than -110dBV
- Input Impedance
- Instrument Setting: 2.2 Meg Ohm
- Speaker Setting: 200k Ohm
- Output Impedance - Less than 40 Ohms
- Frequency Response
- +/- 0.25dB from 25Hz – 44kHz
- +/- 1dB from 12.5Hz – 63kHz
- -3dBu @ 92kHz
- Maximum Input Level - Instrument = +21dBu Typical Speaker = +41.5dBu, 92 Vrms (266Vp-p)
- Maximum Output Level - +11.5dBu output at maximum input level
- Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise
- @ 1kHz, +20dBu input level: 0.25% Typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
- @ 1kHz, -20dBu input level : 0.015% Typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
- @ 20Hz, -20dBu input level : 0.75% Typical (2nd and 3rd harmonic)
- Power Requirements - Phantom power, 4.5mA @ +48VDC
- Weight - 1.5lbs
- Dimensions - 6.25” long x 4”wide x 1.5” high