It's important to remember that Rupert Neve currently runs Rupert Neve Designs (RND) and that AMS Neve only holds the intellectual property rights to all products designed by Rupert Neve during his ownership of the Neve group. The original Neve group was sold to Siemens in 1990. Siemens then merged Neve with AMS (Advanced Music Systems) and formed AMS Neve. After the merger, Siemens closed down the Neve production facility and moved all production to AMS’s Burnley facility. Later, the company was sold by Siemens to a private conglomerate, lead by Mark Crabtree, the original founder of Advanced Music Systems (AMS). In 2005 AMS Neve was sold to the SAE Group, owner of the famous School of Audio Engineering network of schools and, in 2010, SAE sold its interests in AMS Neve back to Mark Crabtree.
The new AMS Neve 1073DPX uses the same revered Neve 1073 circuit design and genuine components, matched with modern manufacturing techniques, which the company says delivers the best of the original microphone preamplifier “with convenient extra features for an unbeatable price.”
Launched in 1970, the Neve 1073 Classic soon became the first choice mic preamp for leading producers and artists. Found on some of the most famous recordings of the past 40 years, the big, punchy sound of the 1073 complements any musical genre – from rock to rap to classical.
Designed and built in England, the modern-day 1073DPX is produced to the exact specifications of the original with matched components to ensure the sound remains true. The 1073DPX has two channels of Neve 1073 Class A design microphone preamplifiers, each with 3-band EQ (fixed HF plus two switchable bands with cut/boost capability) and high pass filter, adding warmth and depth to recordings, bringing out subtle ambience, maintaining spatial positioning, and capturing a more precise image – embodying, as many engineers and producers confirm, the essence of the genuine Neve sound.
Building on the 1073 classic module features, the 1073DPX introduces extra functionality with integrated DI input, phantom power, selectable Insert feature, level meters, selectable headphone monitoring (channel 1, channel 2 or both channels combined) and I/O connectors on each channel for easy and direct connection of microphones and instruments. The 19” rack-mount 2U unit includes an external multi-voltage PSU.
Exclusive Neve Marinair transformers are used on each input and output stage. The unit features switchable +48v Phantom Power, Hi/Lo impedance, -20dB pad and DI ground lift on the input stage, switchable Phase, and EQ in/out. Insert Send and Return features allow external equipment to be connected easily to the 1073DPX audio chain, such as mono/stereo limiter/compressors. Independent channel output level controls and 7-stage LED signal level meters for each channel, which can show mic/line/DI input-stage level, EQ-stage level or output-stage level up to +24dB, complete the new 1073DPX.
AMS Neve also announced an optional digital I/O card will be available mid-2015, which can be easily retro-fitted to existing units. Price for the new 1073DPX is $4,749.00.
www.ams-neve.com
