Andrew Chapman Creative Digs Into the RND 535: Clean Intentions, Dirty Results

Let’s kick things off with a reality check. Everyone bangs on about Neve gear oozing character and vibe, but Andrew Chapman Creative sets the record straight: Rupert Neve wasn’t out to build a magic box of saturation. He wanted accuracy, neutrality, and – brace yourself – a clean sound. The legendary 1073 and 2254 weren’t designed to make your mixes sound like they’ve been dipped in honey; they were utilitarian tools for broadcast, built to keep speech smooth and levels sane.

Of course, rock engineers couldn’t leave well enough alone. They cranked the knobs, pushed the circuits, and discovered that the 2254 could punch, thicken, and add those tasty harmonics we now chase. The 535 Diode Bridge Compressor is a direct descendant of that lineage, but don’t get it twisted: its roots are in control, not chaos. Chapman’s no-nonsense delivery cuts through the hype, reminding us that the so-called “Neve sound” is as much happy accident as it is design.

Chapman doesn’t just talk theory – he throws the 535 at real-world sources. On bass guitar, the thing absolutely blooms: big, rich, and forward, it makes the low end step out of the speakers. If you’re after fat, gritty bass, this compressor is a sonic street weapon.

But it’s not all roses. On vocals, Chapman finds it fine but not first-choice – he’d reach for an 1176 or LA-2A style for most singing duties. Snare? The 535 gives you more of a “smock” than a smack, rounding off the top end. Drum bus? It’s got weight, but sometimes you want more air and sparkle. The verdict: killer on bass, situational elsewhere. If you want to hear the nuances, you’ll need to check the video (and maybe grab the WAV files), because YouTube compression just doesn’t do it justice.

So, if the 535 sounds so good, why isn’t it a permanent fixture in Chapman’s setup? First up: the knobs. Some are stiff, especially the ratio and attack/release controls. For Chapman, who values mixing by ear and has dexterity challenges, that’s a deal-breaker – it interrupts the flow and makes tweaking less intuitive.

Then there’s the attack and release design. You can’t set them independently, which means sometimes you nail the attack but the release lags, or vice versa. For a box that costs just shy of a grand, these quirks matter. Chapman’s honest: it’s a killer bass DI compressor, but for vocals, snare, or drum bus, it’s hit or miss. The search for the perfect 500-series comp continues, and he’s not afraid to say it.