The Rupert Neve Designs Shelford 5025 & 5254 Bundle is a professional-grade combination of the 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Preamp, offering two channels of class-A preamplification with custom transformers and the Silk harmonic enhancement circuit, and the 5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor, providing powerful, vintage-inspired compression with modern refinements like parallel processing, advanced timing controls, and side-chain capabilities.

5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre

The 5025 Dual Shelford Mic Pre is a dual-channel microphone preamplifier that draws from the iconic 1073, 1064, and 2254 models, yet advances them with modern refinements. Designed to provide the finest preamplification available, it combines a custom step-up transformer on the input, delivering the first 15 dB of gain, and class-A circuitry to produce a mid-forward, harmonically rich sound. This step-up transformer interacts with the connected microphone to deliver subtle harmonic enhancements in the low frequencies and a smooth, sweet high-end. The 5025 offers an ultra-wide frequency response, remaining flat from below 10Hz to above 60kHz, ensuring exceptional performance at all gain levels with minimal noise.

The preamp also features the Silk & Texture circuit, allowing engineers to fine-tune the harmonic content in the output stage. Silk Red accentuates the high mids and highs, ideal for adding sparkle to vocals and instruments, while Silk Blue enhances low-end harmonics, perfect for bass-heavy instruments. Custom output transformers support Main and -6dB outputs, enabling full transformer saturation without clipping downstream equipment.

5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor

The 5254 Dual Diode Bridge Compressor offers the weighty, harmonically rich compression that made Rupert Neve’s designs legendary, but with modern enhancements. Built around diode bridge technology, the 5254 delivers warm, thick tonality while maintaining a low noise floor, making it suitable for both mixing and mastering applications. It introduces full-wave side-chain detection, improving dynamic response and expanding threshold and ratio controls. The unified Timing control offers six selectable settings, from Fast to Auto, with a Fast mode doubling the number of timing options, allowing for precise control over transient material.

Parallel compression capabilities, managed through a Blend control, enable subtle injections of compression without losing the dynamic integrity of the original signal. Comprehensive control over ratio, threshold, gain, side-chain high-pass filter, and linking channels makes the 5254 versatile for a wide range of applications, from light compression to more aggressive, character-rich processing.

Versatile Sonic Control

This bundle delivers unmatched versatility, combining the warmth and richness of vintage designs with cutting-edge features, making it essential for professional engineers and studios. The 5025 preamp offers unparalleled clarity and harmonic flexibility. At the same time, the 5254 compressor provides dynamic control with its extensive range of settings, ensuring professional-quality recordings across a wide range of instruments and vocal styles.