DYNAMIC TAPE MICROPHONE Meet the RNR1, the world's first microphone from Mr. Rupert Neve.


With custom transformers and discrete man-made circuitry that has been behind the recording industry as we know it Rupert Neve, the RNR1 is capable of hearing more than any other tape on the planet.

Ribbon microphones have been around for a long time, and have always been particularly prized for the exceptionally 'natural' sound they deliver. Not too up front, never shiny or wheezing, the ribbons capture mid-range detail with pleasant intimacy, and usually sit easily in a mix.


A downside to its smooth nature used to be the physical fragility of your transducer, but that challenge was long ago met with stronger, more reliable materials. The other downside to ribbon microphones is the high-frequency roll-off or abrupt drop inherent in their design, and which had never been addressed with technical solutions until Rupert Neve, the father of the recording console, decided to manufacture a microphone.


THE TRANSFORMERS



Nobody knows audio transformers better than Rupert Neve, and ribbon microphones require more attention than anyone else. This is because the transformer that couples the tape to the output needs to perform a fairly large impedance conversion.

With the RNR1, two custom transformers designed by Rupert Neve form the buffer between the tape and the outside world. The circuits between those transformers help maintain the ultra-wide frequency response, compensating for the tape's natural predisposition to lower it, thereby preserving high-frequency content.



TAPE

During the development of RNR1, he spent a full year working on the development of a tape element that would provide the extended response that Mr. Neve demanded.

After experimenting with the tape materials available in all corners of the world, the design team landed on the 2.5 µm aluminum tape used in the RNR1, achieving the perfect balance of flexibility and stiffness necessary for the exceptional performance of this microphone.