Neve equipment

spark240

As we know Rupert Neve passed away recently, I’ve never used any Neve equipment, though it gets great praise....anyone used, or using it....anything in particular that stands out ?...clearly it not budget kit..

Stuckfast

The classic Neve designs are the 1073 and 1084 mic preamp / EQ modules, both of which have been widely copied. They are a bit unusual from an ergonomic point of view in that the 'off' position is somewhere in the middle of the gain range. They definitely have a sound because they make it relatively easy to saturate the transformers. The Marinair transformers that were used in them are now very sought-after because they haven't been made for many years -- some say Neve copies never sound the same because they use different ones. These early modules used all-discrete circuitry.

Later Neve stuff used integrated circuits and as time went on it tended towards a cleaner sound and more features. The later modules are not so desirable now, especially the VR series which was notoriously unreliable.

If you want to get an original 1073 now you'd be looking at many thousands -- I've seen one listed at upwards of $10k which is frankly ridiculous. There are less well-known early Neve modules that are quite similar and less pricey but still not many bargains to be had!

Cirrus

In 2009 my band spent 3 days at a studio in Evesham which had (still has as far as I know) an 8014 console. That was pretty awesome, 4x 1084 channels and the rest 1066s. It made things sound good, and even though I took the tracks away to mix in my own time on my little daw rig with Fostex monitors, it had character and I had to try really hard to make the EP sound bad (I did manage, I'm very persistent) 

Other than that all my more recent experience has been plugins and clones. I'd like to make a 33609 compressor one day, I use the plugin version a lot.

Danny1969

The original pre amp sections were fantastic sounding but very  expensive to build due to the custom transformers and discreet class A design. A studio I used in the 80's had a little sidecar with about 8 in it. The frequency response on them on them is staggering, far higher than the tape they were used with but it was the warmth most people like I think. That lack of harshness transformers tend to give. In a lot of gear it's transformers that are giving the sound as much as the active circuitry including valve amps. 
A friends studio has a bunch of 1073 lunchbox clone modules, they sound fantastic on drums and bass guitar 

Stuckfast

I've used the current lunchbox 1073. It's a nice thing but you do have to be careful, especially on vocals -- it's easy to end up with something that is downright distorted.

ManWithoutSkin

I've been pretty lucky, my band recorded two albums using Neve consoles.  

Our second album was recoded in a studio in Texas, using a 8078 console, which is apparently the largest vintage Neve desk in the world. It has 80 channels of 31105 mic pre/eqs. Half of the desk came from the original west coast Motown console, which was later bought by Madonna for her studio.  We tracked all drums, bass, guitar and piano there and then came back to the UK for vocals.  It sounded great! The entire studio was incredible, they have an amazing guitar and amp collection too. The producer chose the studio because of the desk and live room to get a good drum sound.

Our third album, we recorded drums in Air studios, where the Neve console is one of three in the world , designed by Rupert Neve and George Martin. Air was chosen by the engineer and he thought it was the best studio in London for recording drums. We then moved on to a studio outside of Banbury, that had a bunch of vintage Neve outboard that we recorded guitar and bass with.

octatonic

Rupert didn't have anything to do with Neve Electronics/AMS Neve for donkey's years- like 1975 I think.

Rupert Neve Designs do interesting work but it is a bit of a departure from the 'classic Neve' thing.
I have a few RND preamps here and they are fine but not super exciting. 
The Master Bus Compressor from RND is one of the best products of the last 10 years- it is fantastic.

Vintage Neve gear is, frankly, out of my budget.
 
BAE is seen as the place to go for Neve clones that nail the original sound without having to pay vintage prices.
I see no real point in *just* buying a 1073 preamp- you really want the Preamp in combination with the EQ, especially on guitars.

mike257

I haven't had my hands on any in some time, as I do live work rather than studio these days, but when I first started as a studio assistant in my teens, we briefly had an ex-BBC Neve Series 66 console and it sounded glorious, even to my inexperienced young ears back then!   

Edm123

@ManWithoutSkin sounds great! Which band was that?

ManWithoutSkin

Edm123 said:

@ManWithoutSkin sounds great! Which band was that?

I played guitar in a band called The Blackout.  

mike257

ManWithoutSkin said:

Edm123 said:

@ManWithoutSkin sounds great! Which band was that?

I played guitar in a band called The Blackout.  

I remember you guys. I don't think we played with you, but mates of mine definitely put you on in Liverpool and we may have been drunk together in the dim and distant past when I still had hair

Nerine

Cirrus said:

In 2009 my band spent 3 days at a studio in Evesham which had (still has as far as I know) an 8014 console. That was pretty awesome, 4x 1084 channels and the rest 1066s. It made things sound good, and even though I took the tracks away to mix in my own time on my little daw rig with Fostex monitors, it had character and I had to try really hard to make the EP sound bad (I did manage, I'm very persistent) 

Other than that all my more recent experience has been plugins and clones. I'd like to make a 33609 compressor one day, I use the plugin version a lot.

Chris and Moiras place? Vale Studios?? 

I’ve used that place to produce an album before. 

Nerine

I’m fortunate to have tracked and mixed on both Neve and SSL (4K) consoles. 

I had a lot more time (a few years) on the SSL. 

They are both the real deal. Don’t let anyone try to fool you otherwise. 

Neve 1073’s, 1084’s et al are definitely all they are cracked up to be. 

For whatever reason the source just seems to be captured in a manner that I’ve not equalled with other preamps.They are exactly as all the internet rhetoric and praise would have you believe. 

Cirrus

Nerine said:

Cirrus said:

In 2009 my band spent 3 days at a studio in Evesham which had (still has as far as I know) an 8014 console. That was pretty awesome, 4x 1084 channels and the rest 1066s. It made things sound good, and even though I took the tracks away to mix in my own time on my little daw rig with Fostex monitors, it had character and I had to try really hard to make the EP sound bad (I did manage, I'm very persistent) 

Other than that all my more recent experience has been plugins and clones. I'd like to make a 33609 compressor one day, I use the plugin version a lot.

Chris and Moiras place? Vale Studios?? 

I’ve used that place to produce an album before. 

That's the one! We went there when they had just got up and running. Both lovely people, and such an incredible building too. Also, just down the road, a butchers that showed us what a pork pie should taste like.

Nerine

Cirrus said:

Nerine said:

Cirrus said:

In 2009 my band spent 3 days at a studio in Evesham which had (still has as far as I know) an 8014 console. That was pretty awesome, 4x 1084 channels and the rest 1066s. It made things sound good, and even though I took the tracks away to mix in my own time on my little daw rig with Fostex monitors, it had character and I had to try really hard to make the EP sound bad (I did manage, I'm very persistent) 

Other than that all my more recent experience has been plugins and clones. I'd like to make a 33609 compressor one day, I use the plugin version a lot.

Chris and Moiras place? Vale Studios?? 

I’ve used that place to produce an album before. 

That's the one! We went there when they had just got up and running. Both lovely people, and such an incredible building too. Also, just down the road, a butchers that showed us what a pork pie should taste like.

Yeah, it's an ace place. We had a residency there for about 8 weeks in 2013/2014. 
Moira is a killer baker too! Her brownies were awesome!

During the recording of that album I also worked alongside Martin Glover or "Youth" as he likes to be known. He came in for a couple of days a week to check up on us and see how we were doing. 
That was an eye opener. I mean the guy has worked on some massive albums/songs - he produced Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, and has worked on stuff for Embrace, The Charlatans, Marilyn Manson, Faith No More, Erasure, The Cult etc to name a few. 

He also absolutely loved string parts.... and a smoke.

To be fair I'm not sure either me, the band, him, the techs etc had a sober day there. An awful lot of booze and antics happened.

Great times. Definitely a bucket list experience. 

sniperschool

I have a rack of 8 x original 1073's and a few 1272's (1073 pre amp without EQ) and 1081's 
They raresome the best, most musical pre's I've ever owned and used
Very rich sounding and so much headroom

I also have a pair of more modern AMS Neve 1073's which I use daily to track pretty much anything and everything and they also sound great

In the past 15 years or so there have been so many clones and pre amp's inspired by them and a few are really good (and a fraction of the price)

I've also been a huge fan of the 33609 compressor and own a fair amount of original Focsurite ISA pre/sEQ's and Chanel strips which is what Rupert did after Neve (before they became a more prosumer orientated company)

Stuckfast

Anyone fancy trading a pair of Neve channels for a pair of very nice Helios channels?

sniperschool

I love Helios Pre/EQ's. Arny was such a nice guy and IMO Helios is up there with Neve in terms of creating something that stood the test of time. I have a several Type 69 Pre/EQ's. Would love a sidecar full off them