Rupert Neve Designs RMP-D8 User manual

Operations Manual
Serial Number:
RMP-D8
8 Channel DanteTM Microphone Preamp

1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with a dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other.
A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with
the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution
when moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
15. This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no
object filled with liquids, such as vases or beer glasses, shall be placed
on the apparatus.
16. Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
17. This apparatus has been designed with Class-I construction and must
be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing
connection (the third grounding prong).
18. This apparatus has been equipped with a rocker-style AC mains power
switch. This switch is located on the rear panel and should remain
readily accessible to the user.
19. The MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect
device, so the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.
20. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o and
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this device not expressly
approved by Rupert Neve Designs LLC, could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment under FCC rules.
21. This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is
applicable) limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as
set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
ATTENTION — Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits
radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils
numériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le
réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des
communications du Canada.
22. Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause permanent hearing
loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced
hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to
sufficiently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified
the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.
According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits
could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially
dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended
that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high
sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment
is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the
ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent
permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth
here:
Important Safety Instructions
CAUTION AVIS
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE.
AUCUN ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER.
CONFIER L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE
A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated "dangerous
voltage" within the product's enclosure, that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral
est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à l'intérieur du coffret de
"voltage dangereux" non isolé d'ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque
d'éléctrocution.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est employé
pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions importantes pour le
fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le livret d'instruction
accompagnant l'appareil. WARNING — To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not
expose this apparatus to rain or moisture.
Duration,
per day in
hours
Sound Level
dBA, Slow
Response
Typical Example
8 90 Duo in small club
6 92
4 95 Subway Train
3 97
2 100 Typical music via head phones
1.5 102
1 105 Siren at 10 m distance
0.5 110
0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a rock concert
PORTABLE CART
WARNING

Table of Contents
Introduction
Block Diagram
Front Panel
Rear Panel
RMP-D8 Features
Network Connectivity
OLED Display
Dante Controller
Gain Compensation
Application Remote Control
Yamaha ID
USB Firmware Update
Specications
Limited Warranty
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
10
11
16
17
18
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RMP-D8 Block Diagram
Rupert Neve Designs RMP-D8 DanteTM Microphone Preamp
Thank you for purchasing the Rupert Neve Designs RMP-D8. We hope you enjoy using this product as much as we
have enjoyed designing and building it. The RMP-D8 represents the culmination of several years of analog and digital
development, successfully merging custom-designed Rupert Neve Class-A analog circuitry, high-quality 24-bit Analog
to Digital conversion and DanteTM network audio connectivity. This unit takes advantage of transformer coupling in the
analog path to give the RMP-D8 its unique sonic prole. The combination of these performance characteristics allows
the Rupert Neve Designs RMP-D8 to nd itself equally comfortable in both live venue and studio applications.
PHANTOM
+48V
GAIN CTRL
+
-14dB
-3dB
PAD
+
+
-
-
HPF
+
DIT
BROOKLYN II
NETWORK
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SWITCH
MIC-
MIC+
DAEADC
POLARITY
1 of 8 CHANNELS
2
3
MIC/LINE INPUT
2
3
AES OUTPUTS
ETHERNET
1

RMP-D8 Front Panel
2
PAD
LINE
RESET
CONFIG
87654321
+48V
POLARITY
HPF ADJUST
LOCK PSU
O/L
-3 -6 -9
-12 -18 -30 -60
O/L -3 -6 -9 -12 -18 -30 -60
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
A
B
NETWORK
POWER
44.1 KHz
48 kHz
88.2 kHz
96 kHz
176.4 kHz
192 kHz
Pull-Up
Pull-Down
+48 HPF -10
P+
+36dB
Channel 1
GC
LOCK
Power Power On/O Button
Power Supply Status Indicates PSU-A and PSU-B power status
Polarity Inverts phase of the selected channel
High Pass Filter Engages an 80 Hz 12dB/Octave high pass lter on the selected channel
Network
Indicates active Primary
and Secondary Dante
network connections
Sample Rate Indicates current sample rate and pull-up/pull-down status
+48V Toggles +48V Phantom Power for selected channel
Bargraph LED Meters 8 Segment Quasi-PPM meter that indicates digital full-scale audio level for channels 1 - 8
Channel Select 1 - 8 Buttons allow user to individually select channels 1 - 8
+48
OLED display indicator for
+48V Phantom status
HPF
OLED display indicator for
HPF in/out status
-10
OLED display indicator for PAD in/out status
PAD Toggles -10dB PAD on selected channel
P+
OLED display indicator
for polarity
0˚(P+) or 180˚(P-)
CONFIG Selects between dierent conguration and menu screens
Channel Select OLED display indicator for selected channel
Channel Gain OLED display indicator for Mic Gain on selected channel
RESET Resets and disengages all front panel settings on all channels
Line Toggles Line input mode: - Limits gain to +30dB - Disables Phantom Power - Engages -10dB PAD
ADJUST Rotary encoder that adjusts channel gain and scrolls through OLED selections
GC OLED display indicator for Gain Compensation
LOCK Indicates front panel lockout status

RMP-D8 Rear Panel
8
POWER
100-240 VAC
50/60Hz
150 Watts
CAUTION
Risk of Electric Shock
Disconnect from outlet
before removing cover
Rupert Neve Designs, LLC
Model RMP-D8
MADE IN USA
1234
1-23-45-67-8
567
Firmware Update MICROPHONE INPUTS
AES DIGITAL OUTPUTS
PRIMARY
PSU - A
PSU - B NETWORK
SECONDARY
PSU-A
IEC Input for AC Mains Power for PSU-A
PSU-B IEC Input for AC Mains Power for Redudant PSU-B
Primary Network
RJ45 jack for Primary Dante Network Connection
Firmware Update
USB A jack for Firmware Updates
Secondary Network RJ45 jack for Redundant Secondary Dante Network
AES Digital Outputs 1 - 8
Balanced AES Digital Outputs for channels 1 - 8
Microphone Inputs 1 - 8 Balanced XLR combo jack analog inputs that can accept microphone
or line level signals up to +25.5dBu
3
Note: IEC power cords provided are latching type.

4
RMP-D8 Front Panel Features
Eight Segment LED Channel Metering
The RMP-D8 is equipped with 8-segment Bargraph LED meters for each input channel (1 through 8). These meters are
scaled to represent a Quasi-Peak Programme (PPM) metering ballistic for optimal resolution. The front panel metering
indicates the post ADC level in digital full-scale level from -60dBFS to 0dBFS.
LINE
Engaging LINE MODE on the RMP-D8 automatically selects the following features:
• PAD is engaged by default (-10dB)
• Phantom Power (+48VDC) is disabled to prevent potential fault conditions
• Individual channel gain is restricted to a maximum of +30dB to prevent potential input overload
RESET
If the RESET button is pressed on the RMP-D8 front panel, the user will be prompted with the following message on
the front panel OLED display:
Rotate the ADJUST encoder wheel one detent clock-wise until the OLED screen prompts“YES.”
Press the RESET button again to accept the changes. The RMP-D8 will fully reset to its default state (all features disen-
gaged and channel gain settings reset to 0dB).
Front Panel Lockout
The RMP-D8 allows the user to lockout the front panel by executing a simple front panel button combination:
PRESS IN and HOLD down the ADJUST rotary encoder (STEP 1). While holding the ADJUST encoder down, press the
RESET button once (STEP 2). The LOCK icon will appear on the bottom middle of the OLED display indicating successful
front panel lockout. To disengage front panel lockout at any time, repeat steps 1 and 2.
LOCK
NO
SELECT:
RESET ALL?
YES
SELECT:
RESET ALL?
ADJUST
P+
+36dB
Channel 1
LOCK

RMP-D8 Network Connectivity
The RMP-D8 has a Primary Dante Network Port as well as a redundant Secondary Dante Network Port. The Primary
Port provides the main Dante Network connectivity, as well as connection to Dante Controller running on your PC or
MAC.
Note: A Gigabit Ethernet switch should be used to make all Dante network connections. See Audinate’s Gigabit Ethernet
switch recommendations available on their website.
The RMP-D8 Secondary Dante Network Port is available for Redundant network applications, acting as a failsafe if the
Primary Network fails. All Secondary Dante Network connections must be made through a separate Gigabit Ethernet
switch.
5

RMP-D8 OLED Display
The RMP-D8 utilizes a front panel OLED display screen for multiple menu functions. The default operational screen will
show the current status of the selected channel, including: Channel Gain, +48V Phantom status (+48), PAD status (-10),
Polarity status (P+), HPF status (HPF), Front Panel Lockout (LOCK), and Gain Compensation status (GC).
In addition to front panel status indication for a selected channel, the OLED display also shows conguration menus,
which can be accessed by repeatedly pressing the CONFIG front panel button directly underneath the OLED display
screen.
Pressing the CONFIG button once will bring up the SYSTEM info screen:
Pressing the CONFIG button a second time will bring up the Primary Network IP and MAC Address screen:
Pressing the CONFIG button a third time will bring up the Secondary Network IP and MAC Address screen:
System
FW: v00.01.14
PS A: +24.46V
PS B: +24.85V
TEMP: +33.5°C
6
+48 HPF -10
P+
+36dB
Channel 1
GC
LOCK
Primary
169.254.
142.151
Primary
00:1D:C1:
10:D5:B6
Sec.
172.31.
142.152
Sec.
00:1D:C1:
10:D5:B7

Pressing the CONFIG button a fourth time will bring up the Dante Software/Firmware info screen:
Pressing the CONFIG button a fth time will bring up the Yamaha ID edit screen (see Yamaha ID section - page 16):
Pressing the CONFIG button a sixth time will bring up the Dante ID info screen:
Pressing the CONFIG button a seventh time will bring you back to the standard operational status screen.
Dante ID
Device Name:
RND-RMP-D8-10
D5B6
Dante
SW: v 3.10.2
Build: 2
FW: v 4.0.2
Build: 2
Yamaha ID:
OFF
EDIT?
NO
7

RMP-D8 and Dante Controller
In order to congure sample rate, bit depth, and Dante network audio routing, you will need to run Dante Controller
on your PC or MAC computer. The RMP-D8 will identify in Dante Controller with the same Dante ID as seen on the
OLED display in the Dante ID conguration menu.
In order to change the RMP-D8 sample rate, bit depth, and pull-up/pull-down settings, double click on the RMP-D8
Device name in Dante Controller’s routing tab to open the Dante Controller Device View Window.
8

Within the Device View Window, click on the Device Cong Tab:
Within the Device Cong Window, the user can adjust sample rate, bit depth, pull-up/pull-down and latency settings:
9

RMP-D8 Gain Compensation
The RMP-D8 has an available Gain Compensation (GC) mode that can be engaged on a channel by channel basis.
RMP-D8 channels 1 through 8 are successively mirrored to RMP-D8 Dante Transmit channels 9 through 16 in Dante Con-
troller. These mirrored outputs appear in Dante Controller on channels 9-16 identied as‘RMP-D8 Channel 1 GC Output’
through ‘RMP-D8 Channel 8 GC Output’ and are output at an audio level which is pre-set to be 6dB below the set gain
on each channel. This -6dB oset provides additional digital signal headroom to avoid clipping the gain compensated
outputs. These mirrored channels can then be utilized as gain compensated outputs on a channel by channel basis by
activating GC, once the desired nominal gain for each channel is set:
RMP-D8 Channel 1 Dante Transmit Channel 9, (RMP-D8 Channel 1 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 2 Dante Transmit Channel 10, (RMP-D8 Channel 2 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 3 Dante Transmit Channel 11, (RMP-D8 Channel 3 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 4 Dante Transmit Channel 12, (RMP-D8 Channel 4 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 5 Dante Transmit Channel 13, (RMP-D8 Channel 5 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 6 Dante Transmit Channel 14, (RMP-D8 Channel 6 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 7 Dante Transmit Channel 15, (RMP-D8 Channel 7 GC Output)
RMP-D8 Channel 8 Dante Transmit Channel 16, (RMP-D8 Channel 8 GC Output)
Setup:
Before entering gain compensation mode, adjust each channel’s gain to the desired nominal gain level for the given
input signal. Enter gain compensation mode by PRESSING and HOLDING the channel select button on the desired
channel or by toggling the function on the remote user interface. Once gain compensation is engaged, the correspond-
ing mirrored Dante Transmit channel will maintain a consistent level, compensated within a range of +/- 12dB of the
primary channel being adjusted.
Gain Compensation
Channel 1 Engaged
10
P+
+36dB
Channel 1
GC

Application:
This feature becomes useful in the event that the FOH engineer needs to make a gain adjustment to a specic RMP-D8
channel (Channels 1-8), but does not want to aect the mirrored transmit channels going to the monitor engineer
(Transmit Channels 9-16).
Example:
If Channel 1 is set to +36dB Gain before entering gain compensation mode, Channel 9’s signal level will be 6dB below
Channel 1.
Once Gain Compensation is engaged on Channel 1, Channel 9’s level will maintain its gain setting as long as:
• The adjustment range does not exceed the +/-12dB Gain Compensation limits
• The required digital headroom is available to prevent clipping
In this example, the mirrored GC channel will remain at a +30dB gain level as long as the FOH engineer doesn’t adjust
the gain range beyond +/- 12dB of +36dB: the value that was set when GC mode was initially engaged.
Note: If the FOH engineer were to increase Channel 1’s gain beyond +/- 12dB, Channel 9’s gain compensated output
would subsequently follow in 1dB increments.
Gain compensated outputs cannot exceed the limits of the 0 - 60 dB gain range available on the RMP-D8.
RMP-D8 Application Remote Control
The RMP-D8 has an available software application that can be used to remotely control the RMP-D8 feature set over the
network.
11

Initial Connection
Once the application is open, click on the DISCOVER button. This button will scan for all available RMP-D8 units that
are currently active on the network. The ServerIP drop down menu will list all succesfully discovered RMP-D8 units by
their IP address.
Once the correct RMP-D8 is selected from the drop-down ServerIP menu, click the TCP CONNECT
button.
A successful connection will be indicated by a“Connect Successful” message in the run-time dialog window.
To conrm which RMP-D8 is currently connected, the user can click on the IDENTIFY button. This will prompt the
RMP-D8 to ash all eight channel select buttons repeatedly on the RMP-D8 front panel, until the IDENTIFY button is
deselected.
After verifying successful connection, the user should click on the RECALL button to recall the current status of all the
features on the selected RMP-D8.
12

13
After pressing the RECALL button, the GUI will update all current features engaged and settings on all eight channels.
Connecting to Additional RMP-D8 Units
To connect to a dierent RMP-D8, click on the TCP CONNECT button a second time to disconnect.
Connected Disconnected
Once disconnected, navigate to the ServerIP dropdown menu, select the IP address of another RMP-D8 and click the
TCP CONNECT button once again to connect to the newly selected RMP-D8.
Once the TCP CONNECT button is illuminated and a “Connect Successful” message has been received, click on the
RECALL button to recall the current status of the connected RMP-D8.

14
Basic Application Operation
Clicking once on any channel’s gain knob will make that channel’s gain knob active (highlighted). Clicking repeatedly
on the channel gain knob will increment the channel gain by +1dB for each click. The user can also click in the box
directly below the channel gain knob and type in the desired value for quick and precise gain adjustments.
The rest of the channel features are explained in other sections of the manual. For reference, the various features that
can be engaged in the application are graphically shown below.
+48V -10dB PAD 80Hz HPF Polarity Gain Compensation Line Mode
(Page 2) (Page 2) (Page 2) (Page 2) (Page 11) (Page 4)
Note: When Line Mode is engaged in the application, the available Channel Gain range indicated is limited to
+30dB and the PAD is automatically engaged.

15
Application Front Panel Lockout
In addition to the RMP-D8 front panel button combination for Front Panel Lockout (see page 5), the user can also
remotely lock the Front Panel within the application:

Changing the RMP-D8 Yamaha ID
Using the OLED display, navigate to the Yamaha ID edit menu screen by pressing the CONFIG button ve times.
The RMP-D8 will prompt the user to EDIT the Yamaha ID. The default Yamaha ID is set to “OFF” and the EDIT prompt
defaults to “NO.” To EDIT the Yamaha ID number, rotate the ADJUST wheel one detent clock-wise until the EDIT prompt
says“YES.” Press the CONFIG button to accept the change.
The RMP-D8 will then prompt the user to assign the Yamaha ID number. Rotate the ADJUST wheel to change the Ya-
maha ID number (in this example it was changed to ID 1). Press the CONFIG button to accept the Yamaha ID change.
The RMP-D8 will then prompt the user to conrm the SAVE of the new Yamaha ID. Press the CONFIG button to save
the Yamaha ID EDIT. The RMP-D8 will then show the new Yamaha ID prex on the Dante ID menu screen. Press the
CONFIG button once more to return to the main operational screen.
Yamaha ID:
OFF
EDIT?
NO
YES
Yamaha ID:
OFF
EDIT?
EDIT
Yamaha ID
OFF
Press CFG to SAVE
EDIT
Yamaha ID
1
Press CFG to SAVE
YES
Save Edit?
Press CFG to COMMIT
Dante ID
Device Name:
Y001-RND-RMP-
D8-10D5B6
16
ADJUST

RMP-D8 USB Firmware Update
Field Update Procedure:
1. Power ON the RMP-D8 and press the CONFIG button once to take note of the current rmware (FW) version on the
SYSTEM screen.
2. After conrming the current FW version, power the RMP-D8 OFF.
3. Plug a USB ash drive with the most recent “image.hex” le into the FIRMWARE UPDATE USB A port on the RMP-D8
rear panel.
4. PRESS and HOLD Channel 1 and Channel 8 “Channel Select” buttons (STEP 1). While holding Channel 1 and 8
channel select buttons, power on the RMP-D8 (STEP 2).
5. The RMP-D8 button LEDs will start to ash. At this point, release the Channel 1 and Channel 8 channel select
buttons. The LEDs will stop ashing once the new application code has nished loading. The RMP-D8 will subse-
quently boot up in standard operating mode.
6. When the RMP-D8 has nished it’s standard boot sequence, turn the RMP-D8 OFF and remove the USB Flash Drive
from the FIRMWARE UPDATE USB port.
7. Power the RMP-D8 ON again.
8. When the RMP-D8 has nished its boot sequence, press the CONFIG button once to verify that the new rmware
version has been successfully updated.
17