Rupert Neve Designs Releases Its First Plug-Ins

RND jumps into digital with plug-in editions of its Master Buss Processor, 551 Inductor EQ, and 542 Tape Emulator.

Wimberley, TX (September 17, 2026)—Rupert Neve Designs has long been revered in both studio and live sound circles for its audio hardware; now it’s bringing three of those products into the digital realm, releasing its Portico II Master Buss Processor, 551 Inductor EQ and 542 Tape Emulator as plug-ins.

While RND has collaborated with other companies to create software based on its hardware in the past, the move marks the first time the company has released plug-ins under its own name. The three plug-ins were developed in collaboration with longtime audio plug-in developer McDSP. The new emulations are intended to be faithful recreations, but they also include a few new features not available in their real-world counterparts.

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The Portico II Master Buss Processor plug-in aims to recreate the original unit’s precision dynamic range and stereo field control. Meanwhile, the 551 Inductor EQ—the only 500-Series equalizer actually designed by Rupert Neve himself—features 3 bands of EQ inspired by many of his previous designs over the years. Lastly, the 542 Tape Emulator incorporates RND’s unque tape saturation circuit, a soft-clipper to tame harsh sources, and the company’s Silk Red & Blue harmonic saturation.

The plug-ins are compatible with Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, Nuendo, FL Studio, Ableton Live, LUNA, Reaper, Sonar, Studio One, and other DAWs that support AAX, AU, and/or VST3 plug-in formats, and run natively on Intel and Apple silicon processors.