Rupert Neve Designs MBC Master Bus Converter

A Converter Born for the Master Bus

The MBC combines the best of analog and digital: a discrete Class A processing stage, a "Silk" character option inspired by studio consoles, followed by exceptional A/D conversion. Designed for mixer master buses and modern mastering chains, it allows either perfectly transparent capture or an elegant tonal signature directly at the conversion stage.

Who Is It For and What Are Its Uses?

Ideal for mixers, mastering engineers, and demanding recording engineers, the MBC excels in master bus imprinting, stem capture, high-end stereo take finalization, and transferring analog chains into the digital domain. It integrates easily into any hybrid workflow where precision, musicality, and repeatability are essential.

Key Features for a Modern Workflow

Two sonic personalities: the transformerless path offers extreme transparency and a remarkably low noise floor, while the transformer path with "Silk" provides a wide palette of textures, from subtle thickening to more present harmonics, all while preserving stereo image and dynamics.

Analog limiter before conversion: particularly musical, it allows control of peaks and optimizes the converter's input level. The result: more usable level and fewer unwanted artifacts during conversion and downstream digital processing.

Precision and consistency: wide frequency response, very low THD+N, and excellent common-mode rejection ensure faithful capture, whether for final masters or critical high-dynamic sources.

Technical specifications

Category

converter

Rack unit

1

Input impedance	9.9 kilo-ohms	Noise (BW 10 Hz - 22 kHz)	-108 dBFS (typical)
Common-mode rejection at 1 kHz	105 dB (typical)	Noise at 0 dB make-up gain (BW 10 Hz - 22 kHz)	-107 dBFS (typical)
Frequency response (20 Hz to 70 kHz)	+/- 0.025 dB (typical)	Noise at +20 dB make-up gain (BW 10 Hz - 22 kHz)	-97 dBFS (typical)
THD+N at 1 kHz at -2 dBFS (BW 10 Hz - 22 kHz)	0.0009% (typical)