Rupert Neve Portico II - Channel - Manual (Page 12)

12
POST COMP
Pushing this button changes the order of where the EQ and Compressor are in the circuit. Normally
the EQ is followed by the Compressor so that the Compressor responds to significant tonal changes
caused by the EQ. This is generally advisable but has a down-side when making large changes to the EQ,
one will also probably need to adjust compression thresholds to maintain consistent amounts of gain
reduction. So pushing the button puts the compressor first and the EQ follows after. Here the down-side
is that significant EQ now has more effect of changing record levels and metering and the compressor is
less useful at maintaining a consistent metering or audible level. Bottom line – different engineers have
different preferences and it is your choice. Perhaps the choice is best left on a case by case basis armed
with the knowledge that as you switch you may need to adjust the compressor threshold slightly and
maybe tweak the HMF if the compressor seems to be affecting transient peaks.
EQ SECTION
LF -15 / +15 (Boost /Cut knob)
Adjusts the amount of Low Frequency audio. One can cut or boost by up to 15 dB at frequencies
selected by the knob above it. “Flat” is indicated as “0” (straight up).
LF IN
Engages the LF electronics and allows one to adjust the lows.
PEAK
Selects a symmetrical bell-shaped EQ curve with an approximate “Q” of 2.5. With the button de-se-
lected, the EQ is a special Accelerated Slope shelf curve pioneered by Rupert in the 1064, 1073 (etc)
modules and has certainly stood the test of time.
HZ
Selects the center frequency of the bell in peak mode and the 3 dB down point in the shelf mode. The
four rotary switch selectable frequencies are 35Hz, 60 Hz, 100 Hz and 220 Hz.
LMF
LMF -15 / +15 (Boost /Cut knob)
Adjusts the amount of Low Mid Frequency audio. One can cut or boost by up to 15 dB at frequencies
selected by the knob above it. “Flat” is indicated as “0” (straight up).
Q (the left one)
Adjusts the width of the LMF curve. Fully counter-clockwise “ .7” indicates a wide “Q” that can affect
a few octaves and clockwise “5” indicates a narrow “Q” that should only affect a small range of
frequencies. “2” or straight up is a moderate setting useful for typical EQ tasks. Wider Q’s are often used
for broad strokes and safer tone shaping while narrow Q’s are most often used for surgically removing
troublesome resonances or notes that stick out as too loud.
HZ (LMF)
Infinitely adjustable center frequency for the Low Mid section. It spans between 70 Hz and 1400 Hz
with a straight up center at approximately 500Hz. Sometimes for cutting an offending frequency it is
useful to narrow the “Q”, then boost appreciably and “tune” the frequency control to exaggerate the
unpleasantness, then cut to an appropriate depth and trim the “Q” so that one doesn’t accidentally
remove too much.