Rupert Neve Designs - RNDI - DI Box inside photos

[Whoops]

As a future for reference for someone that might want to repair this unit here are some inside photos:

ALL SMD unfortunately...



INPUT STAGE



OUTPUT



TRANSFORMER

 

[ruffrecords]

Simple three transistor amplifier. Could be a modern version of the BA238 output stage?

Cheers

Ian

 

[mrclunk]

Looks nice. Although i would worry about the pcb mount transformer with the amount of abuse di’s get?

 

[Whoops]

Looks nice. Although i would worry about the pcb mount transformer with the amount of abuse di’s get?

It has 12 pins, 6om each side

 

[Ricardus]

A few years ago I was looking for reviews of this unit, and it's amazing how much magic people assign to it because it says Neve on it. It basically ALWAYS won any shootouts, which were never done double blind.

 

[Whoops]

A few years ago I was looking for reviews of this unit, and it's amazing how much magic people assign to it because it says Neve on it. It basically ALWAYS won any shootouts, which were never done double blind.

maybe because it sounds pretty good…

 

[Ricardus]

maybe because it sounds pretty good…

It probably does, but it's not magic.

 

[Ricardus]

I actually have used one. I was running sound for a friend and he had one for his guitar. Next time he played I used my Bo Hansen with Lundahl 1538XL and he wanted to trade for it. I'm sure they both sounded very nice.

 

[Whoops]

It probably does, but it's not magic.

for sure,
I personally don’t like SMD stuff, so now that I know it’s all SMD I will not buy one for myself.
It’s not a feeling based on technical arguments, it’s a psychological thing when I see SMD I think it sounds bad and when I see Discreet with standard sized components I think it’s sounds good.
Psychological factors impact a lot on how you perceive the sound of gear, as the brand in the front panel also…

I will also prefer to finish my Bo Hansén DI boxes

 

[IBarfoot]

Been using the Bo Hanson for quite a while but with a Carnhill transformer fitted, 9045 I think the number is. Pretty much my favourite active DI. Would be interesting to A/B the two though.

 

[FIX]

With a pair of tweezers, I find that repairing SMD is faster and easier than thru-hole. Even building prototypes, it's faster, all solder from the top, no leads to cut...

 

[ruffrecords]

With a pair of tweezers, I find that repairing SMD is faster and easier than thru-hole. Even building prototypes, it's faster, all solder from the top, no leads to cut...

Yeah, but whan you pass 70 years of age and your eyesight is blurry and dim and you can no longer hold your hands steady it is not quite so easy.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Whoops]

Well, I’m 40 and fortunately still have amazing eyesight but find working with SMD just horrible, it might be faster than through hole but I consider it, for DIY porpuses more difficult.

As for repair work and troubleshooting SMD are horrendous and most of the time rendered unrepairable while with through hole components troubleshooting and repair is must easier.

we have quite a big cemetery of SMD guitar pedals in our workshop, piece of junk really

 

[Ricardus]

I find that repairing SMD is faster and easier than thru-hole.

HERESY.

Can security remove this man from the premises please?

 

[Bo Deadly]

I actually like SMD myself. In general, if executed correctly, SMD makes for smaller, cleaner, more efficient and more precise builds. My current technique is to use through hole for resistors and caps handling signal and SMD for everything else. But there's really no good reason not to just go full SMD at this point. But it doesn't matter what your preference is anymore because unless you're exclusively doing clones, replicas and tube amps, SMD is the only path moving forward. Many through hole ICs and transistors are being discontinued all the time and are now only available as SMD. If you need a small chip inductor for filtering RF from signal lines, SMD is the only practical option. For repair, I suppose it could be easier if you have a hot-air station but I don't so I wouldn't know for sure.

 

[okgb]

Two transistors and a diode

 

[Whoops]

SMD sucks!!!

 

[musgrave]

With a pair of tweezers, I find that repairing SMD is faster and easier than thru-hole. Even building prototypes, it's faster, all solder from the top, no leads to cut...

no damb leads all over the house!

 

[JohnRoberts]

It is academic whether we like SMD technology it is like the tide coming in, and it doesn't care what we think.

I do not find it easier to prototype but I am both old school, and chronologically old. My last major design project (RESOTUNE) involved multiple new ICs that were only available in SMD packages. Trust me, I tried but failed to breadboard a SMD class D amp IC using through hole technology. I ended up going straight to a production prototype PCB.

JR

 

[Ricardus]

It is academic whether we like SMD technology it is like the tide coming in, and it doesn't care what we think.

I don't use it for the same reason I won't use self cashouts.

If Skynet is coming, I'm certainly not going to help it end my demise. Seems like a no-brainer to me.