Rupert Neve Designs MBC Dual-path A/D Converter & Limiter Reviews
Rupert Neve Designs’ Master Bus Converter (MBC) sets a new standard for reference-grade 24-bit/192kHz A/D conversion technology. It also incorporates RND’s latest Active Compound Release Analog Limiter, which lets you drive hotter levels with fewer artifacts than plug-ins and ensure clip safety for tracking or broadcast. Indispensable for tracking, mixing, and mastering, the 2-channel Master Bus Converter incorporates proprietary Rupert Neve analog drive circuitry that lets you choose whether the converter is fed by a Class A transformer-less path for unprecedented transparency or by custom inter-stage audio transformers with variable Silk Texture for a wide range of tonal color. Equipped with precision clocking for vanishingly low jitter and phase noise, the MBC makes a perfect master clock, and, of course, can be synced to another source. With its state-of-the-art conversion and gorgeously musical limiter, Rupert Neve Designs’ MBC is an ideal choice for capturing your analog signals with unerring accuracy and stunning 3-dimensional detail.
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Highest Rated Reviews
The best of the best
I have had the MBC for about 2 years, and it has so many features and offers such great versatility in EDM, Hip Hop, Pop and all styles of music. As a music producer and engineer, this tool is simply amazing. The silk adds great color, and the converter is transparent if you need it to be. I love the Limiter, I use it in Mastering and it blows away a lot of digital plugins and Analog Limiters. Yes it may be pricey, but you pay for quality in this world.
Brings out the value of the Avalon Vt-737sp to its fullest
Having am U87ai=> Avalon Vt-737sp => Apogee Ensemble left me highly irritated at how unimpressed I was with the AD conversion built into the Ensemble.
Moving to the U87ai=> Avalon Vt-737sp => Rupert Neve MBC => Apogee Ensemble left me 100% elated. It was the missing link in the chain of bringing out the full range and clarity of my voice. The investment is well worth the price.
One of the best parts was stripping down the In-the-Box bussing of plugins that could never hold a candle to what this investment produces.
The clarity, headroom and dynamics all preserved, add in a few plugins ala FabFilter L2/C2/Volcano and then LiquidSonics Illusion Reverb and all that one is limited now by is one's own or third party person's actual vocal talents.
As one with a Mechanical Engineering B.S. with minors in EE and Computer Science the idea that plugins would fully replace hardware has always been absurd. The beauty of hardware is the sheer longevity and independence of platform they offer. Whether mixing in Logic Pro or Pro Tools the hardware waveforms produce aren't being hindered by the Audio Interface nor the DAW. What you do with all this master limited as pure as possible analog sampled down Integral of Waveform sound reproduction is up to you.
The compliment to my MBP
I received my MBC yesterday and after getting it integrated with my rig, I must say that this piece is a true game changer. Being able to use blue or red silk is a huge plus, because I can do the opposite of my MBP and utilize both. It really brings my masters to the next level. Worth the investment!!! Rupert Neve Designs has a permanent
Amazing with a catch
I've had this and the Portico 2 for about two years now and have run countless masters through this chain:
Pro tools in Burl B2 DAC out
in Neve Portico 2 out
in Neve MBC out Pro Tools
I highly recommend this combination together. The saturation and utility they provide together are incredible. If you give me a good mix, I really can polish the turd just a bit with these units but if you give me a great mix, I can make it sound like you recorded at Ocean Way or wherever great records are made inside your brain. However, if you are looking for a standalone limiter/converter, I would not recommend this unit for the price. If I didn't have the accompanying Portico Unit, Im not sure this would outperform anything else on the market for its price point. It's still a Neve and a great unit but I think a Bettermaker would serve you better if you don't have the Portico, just my two cents.
Missed opportunity
No question that Rupert Neve is one of the greatest minds in the industry and the maker of some of the best audio gear ever; however, the Master Bus Converter, which is labeled and marketed as a "tone box" has a huge oversight! On the Portico II Master Buss Processor there is an option for "blue" or "red" silk on each of the channels. On the new Master Buss Processor you can only chose one or the other for both channels! Agree that this new box is another Rupert Neve audio homerun but being able to only saturate the low or the high frequencies instead of both frequencies simultaneously as possible on the Portico II Master Buss Processor, seems like a missed opportunity and a rather "incomplete tone box"! Hopefully, this additional functionality will be added in the near future!
Not Worth the Money
the MBC was an amazing piece of gear. Cant go wrong with silk, and the limiter was awesome. If it was a 1500 cheaper i think i MIGHT have kept it. I think there are better pieces of gear however that can make a bigger difference in a production, mix and master that are half the cost. Wish i could justify the price to keep it.
