Designed by the man himself to convey the undiminished tone and vitality of the source instrument while balancing and isolating the original signal, the Rupert Neve Designs RNDI Active Transformer Direct Interface raises the bar for DIs. The product of experimentation with new transformer designs, the interface uses class-A biased discrete FET amplifiers with low-impedance, transformer-balanced outputs to deliver consistent performance over cable stretches as far as 100' with minimal loss of high-frequency information.

The unit is powered by industry-standard 48V phantom power on an XLR connection and creates a very high-impedance input of 2 MOhms to ensure consistent performance for a wide variety of instruments. The class-A design ensures that there is no crossover distortion added to the signal, which would otherwise add upper order odd harmonics which are musically dissonant. Instead the unit provides 2nd order (octave) and some 3rd order (fifth above octave) harmonics to enliven the sound. The discrete design of the system means there are no integrated circuits or digital components that can detrimentally effect the sound signature.

In instrument mode, the DI offers the user +21.5 dBU of gain, which is also capable of working with professional line-level sources like interfaces, CD players, and drum machines without a pad. This allows the unit to act as a "Re-Preamp" so you can change the tonality of a previously recorded piece of music. To do this, simply connect a channel output of the audio interface to the input of the DI and engage 48V power. 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.

When placed in speaker mode, the unit can handle the output of a 1000W power amplifier (92 Vrms or 266 Vp-p) to capture the full tone of the instrument, preamp, EQ, inserts, and the amplifier's output stages before hitting the speakers. This 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 allows the engineer to take advantage of the flexibility of digital modeling and the non-linear response of an actual analog amplifier.

Class-A Biased Discrete FET Amplifiers    Low-Impedance, Transformer-Balanced Out    "Re-Amping" of Pro Line-Level Sources    Instrument and Speaker Modes    Powered by +48V Phantom Power    Rugged Powder-Coated Steel Chassis    Minimal Loss of HF Over Long Distances    Adds 2nd and 3rd Order Harmonics    +21.5 dBU of Headroom    Handles 1000W Power Amplifier Output

Features class-A discrete components to deliver the legendary Neve tone

Provides +21.5 dBU of gain for professional line-level sources without a pad in speaker mode. This makes the unit capable of handling the full output of a 1000W power amplifier (92 Vrms or 266 Vp-p)

Features an industrial-grade powder-coated steel chassis built to withstand the stresses of life on the road

Provides consistent performance across a variety of sources due to its 2 MOhms discrete FET input and high headroom. Works well with everything from 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

Utilizes a low-impedance transformer-coupled output, below 50 ohms, to drive long cable lines while retaining high-frequency content

Uses a THRU output in Instrument mode to feed the amplifier input for sound reinforcement

Keeps the sound well-balanced and natural, especially important when blending the direct signal with a microphone capture of the same source

Uses 48V phantom power with a blue LED indicator

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. There are two versions of the DB24: a) Ground/Lift on each channel; b) Ground/Lift and Mono/Stereo. Which is this? Thanks.

A: THis does include the ground lift switches

Q: 2. Is this essentially a GoXLR without having to spend hundreds more?

A: No, not at all. The VT-4 is completely different from the TC Go XLR. The Go XLR is a broadcast mixer for use with a Windows-based computer. Its built-in effects and processing are designed to enhance the sound of a person's voice with EQ, compression, de-essing and gating for clear, broadcast-quality audio. The VT-4 is primarily a voice processor that can add subtle effects like reverb or delay to enhance the sound of a person's voice or radically change it by using heavier effects like pitch shifting, harmonizing, vocoding and other effects which can make it sound completely different. The VT-4 can make the voice sound robotic or make a male voice sound female, make a female voice sound male. The alterations can be used for recording music and creating layered vocal tracks or other applications where you want different types of effects to reshape the voice.

Q: 3. The description is ambiguous. Is this an analog to digital converter? Are the input connectors RCA or XLR?

A: Yes it is. It is also an audio interface. This is a list of the inputs and outputs:2 x combination XLR-1/4 inputs2 x 1/4 TRS line inputs, phone type1 x 5-pin DIN MIDI input1 x 5-pin DIN MIDI output2 x 1/4 TRS main outputs, phone type1 x 1/4 headphone output, phone type1 x 5-pin DIN MIDI output

Q: 4. What is the purpose of the battery power?

A: The purpose of the 9v battery is to cater to customers that may not have access to external power or phantom power.

Q: 5. Can this be connected directly to a generator?

A: Yes, the CyberPower OL6KSTF Step-Down Transformer can be connected directly to a generator.

Q: 6. What is the EIN of this unit in dBu? I can't find the specs anywhere

A: At this time, that spec is not provided by the manufacturer.

Q: 7. What would be the best way to connect a Focusrite Scarlett Solo to the Neve?

A: The Scarlett Solo features unbalanced outputs. Connection from the outputs to the Neve RNHP headphone amp would be via RCA cable. From the headphone jack of the Solo would be an alternative. In this case the 3.5mm jack would be the most closely matched connection.

Q: 8. what cables do I need to operate a direct box?

A: You will need an XLR microphone cable to connect to your mixing board and an instrument cable with 1/4 inch connectors to connect your instrument.

Q: 9. what cables are needed for direct box?

A: For most cases:(1) XLR - female to male - you would use this to connect the direct box to a sound board or some other device(1) 1/4 mono cable - you would use this cable to connect a guitar/amp/keyboard/etc. into the direct box

Q: 10. I've seen reviews say that this doesn't come with a power supply. Is that true?

A: This interface comes with a power supply.