5060 Centerpiece

From the pioneer of recording consoles comes the 5060 Centerpiece: the Class-A analog heart of your 21st-century studio. Sized for your desktop, the 5060 delivers the tonality and center section features of Rupert’s flagship 5088 console at your fingertips, cementing outboard together with serious custom transformers, flexible monitoring, DAW transport controls, and the raw power of a Rupert Neve-designed 24×2 mix-buss.

Define Your Workflow

With a modular, hybrid analog/digital mix system built around the 5060, you can outfit your studio with exactly what you need – and nothing that you don’t. Utilizing modern DAW control technologies, the 5060 seamlessly integrates stem outputs from the DAW with the rest of your control room, sums the final mix, and provides 2-track outputs, source selection, and up to three speaker feed outputs from the monitor section.

Used in conjunction with Rupert Neve Designs’ other summing products and outboard equipment, the 5060 Centerpiece forms the core of a scalable analog system. In this arrangement, additional summing mixers provide expandable channel counts and aux routing capabilities, Portico and Shelford modules provide preamplification, EQ, and dynamics, and the Centerpiece unites it all. The 5060 brings your dreams of a seamless hybrid workflow to reality.

Define Your Tone

With custom transformers, a class-A mix buss and variable Silk, the 5060 can provide a wide range of tonal flavors. Drive the mix buss hard and crank the Texture knob for a rich, saturated, vintage vibe – or disengage Silk entirely for clear, wide-open sonic beauty.

The Silk circuit reduces the negative feedback on the output transformer, adding harmonic content as the Texture is increased. Silk Red mode accentuates the saturation in the high-mids and highs, while Silk Blue features more saturation in the lows and low mids.

With Silk engaged, the 5060’s distortion characteristics and harmonic content are very reminiscent of many of Rupert’s class-A vintage designs – but here, these characteristics are fully variable. These controls add an unparalleled range of tonal options to the 5060, and should be explored creatively with a variety of different sources for best effect. Additionally, by using Rupert Neve Designs’ other summing products to feed the 5060, you can further control the tone by using different Silk & Texture settings on each individual stereo output, and by creating parallel processing on the stems using the insert sends into processors, and then into stereo inputs 9-24.

The New Analogue Standard

While digital technologies come and go, the modular, class-A analog designs Rupert created decades ago have been proven to stand the test of time. Instead of merely cloning these “classics”, Rupert’s team of engineers have crafted new designs – built on the same key principles – that take sonic performance, flexibility, and ergonomics to new heights.

These designs embody the high voltage, class-A, discrete and transformer-coupled architectures found in the 5088 console, which represent a culmination of Rupert’s vast analog circuitry knowledge. With the 5060 Centerpiece, the primary aim is to deliver the extraordinary quality of the 5088 in a compact, modular framework. With an abundance of interconnectivity, exceptional fidelity, and the tonal versatility of Silk, the 5060 is the ideal core of the sound-conscious modern studio.

Optional Rack Ears

With the optional rack ear kit, the 5060 can be rack-mounted in a standard 19” rack. In this configuration the 5060’s wooden sides are replaced with rack ears, and it will take up 8 slots. With the wooden sides removed, the 5060 can also be fit into a rack-mount slide-out tray.

New Class-A Topologies

The new +/- 24V class-A topologies in the 5060 are the key to a more detailed, sweeter and spacious mix buss. With zero crossover distortion and unmatched purity, the 5060 delivers the sound of the 5088 to your desktop. To get more dynamic harmonic content out of the mix buss, you can push the levels on the input channels into the mix buss to find the “sweet spot”.

Custom Transformers

Beyond providing ground-loop free interfacing, Rupert’s custom transformers in the 5060 are responsible for its larger than life sound. To accentuate the classic tone from the output transformers, you can use the Silk / Texture controls to dial in the desired amount of “color” depending on what each mix needs.

Stereo Input Channels 1-8

A professional grade 100mm fader determines the level of stereo input channels 1-8, with up to +10dB of additional line gain. Channels 1-8 can be either stereo or center-panned mono, and have both mute switches and inserts. The insert send of channels 1-2, and 3-4 has optional talkback assignment for use when feeding channels 1-8 through the 5060 to multichannel cue systems. The insert sends on channels 1-8 may also be used as a pre-fader send to a multi-track recorder.

Stereo Inputs Channels 9-24

Eight active stereo inputs with rotary faders for stem and aux inputs.

Stereo Buss Master

A 100mm stereo fader provides level control for the master stereo buss, outputting to both the stereo buss monitor signal and the stereo master output. For adding compression and EQ to the mix buss, there is also a transformer-coupled insert engaged by the Insert switch.

Texture & Silk Red / Blue

Every mix demands its own treatment. Continuously variable Texture controls with Silk Red and Silk Blue modes allow the engineer to fine-tune the harmonic ratio and tonality of the 5060’s outputs – or to leave each mix pristine and uncolored. The Silk Red mode accentuates the transformer saturation in the highs and high-mid frequencies to add a “sparkle” to the mix, while Silk Blue accentuates the saturation of the lows and low-mid frequencies to add thickness and density – especially useful for dry, somewhat anemic mixes. Unlike EQ, these Silk & Texture controls saturate the output transformers, and add musical harmonics to the source material according to the amount of Texture applied. 

Drive the mix buss hard and crank the Texture knob for a rich, saturated, vintage vibe – or disengage Silk entirely for clear, wide-open sonic beauty.

Talkback

The included talkback mic is activated by depressing the Talkback switch. The Talkback has level control, a direct out, and assignment to insert sends 1-2 & 3-4. When the talkback switch is depressed, the speaker output levels are lowered according to the setting of the Dim control. A talkback remote may also be plugged into the ¼” talkback remote input on the back of the 5060.

Transport Controls

Standard transport functions in DAWs including play, stop, record, fast-forward, rewind, loop, shuttle / jog and marker drop are controlled through MIDI or USB interconnection.

Monitor Source Selection

Selects the monitor source from between the stereo buss and three external monitor inputs.

Monitor Select

Selects which speaker output is active. By holding the Mon 3 button, the Mon 3 outs will “latch” on, allowing both Mon 1 & 2 for use with subwoofers or speakers in the cutting room.

Headphone Amplifier

A class-A reference-grade headphone amplifier with headphone level control. The headphone signal follows the selection of the monitor select.

Monitor Level

A precision 21-step attenuator provides highly accurate left/right stereo tracking, perfect repeatability, and determines the level of the monitor output.

Meters

VU meters display the RMS signal level of the selected monitor source, and the peak indicator illuminates red when the peak threshold has been exceeded.

Dim

Engaged when either the Dim or Talkback switch is depressed, Dim reduces the monitor volume between -6dB and -30dB.

Connections

Mix Inputs 1-24: 2 x DB-25
Mix Channel Inserts Send/Return1-8: 1 x DB-25
Mix Send to External Monitor: 
Monitor Outputs (Mon 3 latching): 6 x XLR
Talkback Output: 1 x TRS
Talkback Remote: 1 x TS
Stereo Mix Insert/Return L-R: 4 x TRS
Stereo Mix Output:2 x XLR
Midi In / Out: 2 x Midi
Computer Connection: USB
Power:3-Pin IEC

Dimensions

18.5″ wide x 12.5″ deep x 5.75″ high in the back (3.5″ in the front)

Stereo Outputs 
(unless otherwise specified, frequency is 1 kHz)

Channels 1-8 Max input level 
Fader at 0: 25.4 dBu
Fader at +10: 15.2 dBu
Channels 9-24 Max input level 
trim at 0: 25.4 dBu

Max Output level

Any combination of inputs: 25.4 dBu

THD+N

Channels 1-8, fader at unity, THD+N BW <10 Hz – 80k Hz
+20 dBu, 20 Hz: 0.023%
+20 dBu, 2 kHz: 0.0022%
+20 dBu, 20 kHz: 0.016%

Channels 9-24, trim at unity, THD+N BW <10 Hz – 80k Hz>
+20 dBu, 20 Hz: 0.023%
+20 dBu, 2 kHz: 0.0032%
+20 dBu, 20 kHz: 0.017%

Noise

BW 22 Hz – 22 kHz 
Channels 1-24: Better than -90 dBV 
Channels 9-24: Better than -100 dBV

X-talk

+ 10 dbu, 10 kH, L/R: -49 dB

Channel to channel 
CMRR at 1K input to channel 1, 0 dBu fader at unity: -70 dBu

Frequency Response

10 Hz to 120 kHz: +/- 0.25 dB
185 kHz: -3 dB

IMD

+4 dBu, CCIF/DFD: 0.0008%

Silk (Texture control at maximum)

Noise
+20 dBu in, 20 Hz: Better than 5%
+20 dBu in, 200 Hz: Better than 0.2%
Frequency Response
0 dBu in, 20 kHz – 2.3 dBu

Distortion
+20 dBu in, 20 Hz –Better than 5%
+20 dBu in, 200 Hz – Better than 0.15%
Frequency Response
0 dBu in, 30 Hz: -1 dBu

Peak LED’s:

Trigger Threshold: +22 dBu

Monitor Outputs

Max Output level 1 kHz: +25 dBu
THD+N
+20 dBu, 20 Hz: 0.023%
+20 dBu, 2 kHz: 0.0032%
+20 dBu, 20 kHz: 0.017%
Noise
1-24: Better than -90 dBV
9-24: Better than -100 dBV

Headphone Out

Max output level: Better than +20 dBu, unloaded
THD+N
2 kHz into 68 ohms, 16 dBu output: Better than 0.02% 
Noise (22 Hz – 22 kHz): Better than -85 dBV
Minimum Load: 16 ohms recommended (8 absolute min)

Manual