AMS Neve Introduces 1073OPX 8-Channel Microphone Preamplifier and Recording Interface

May 6 2020, 00:35
To mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary Neve 1073 classic microphone preamp, AMS Neve announced the 1073OPX, a brand new Octal Microphone/Line/Instrument Preamplifier that is designed to meet the needs of the modern studio environment. Originally the preamp was used in all channels of the Neve A88 console at Wessex Sound Studios in London. Installed in 1970, the Neve 1073 is one the most admired microphone preamplifier circuits, and also one of the most emulated. Now, AMS Neve created an 8-channel version with optional integration features.
 

AMS Neve is the other British manufacturer that holds the rights to Rupert Neve's famous audio designs, having resulted from the merger of AMS (Advanced Music Systems) with Neve Electronics, after the companies were acquired by Siemens. As it always happens with British companies, they became again a privately owned business after a management buy-out in 1994. Until today, all AMS Neve products are designed and built in-house at the original AMS headquarters in Burnley, England. Meanwhile, Rupert Neve created again its own company under the name Rupert Neve Designs (RND).

The new AMS Neve 1073OPX, takes the 1970s classic and updates it for today’s workflow combining eight legendary 1073 remote-controlled preamps with Marinair transformers into a 2U rack unit. Front and rear connectors give comprehensive connectivity to any Studio/Live/Broadcast environment, while modern remote-control software gives two-way control with Total Recall of all settings. Input sources benefit from the transformer-coupled input stage and can be connected directly to the front-mounted Mic/Line/DI input for recording in the studio control-room.  
 
The analogue and digital monitor signal path of the 1073OPX allows it to be used as a complete standalone I/O interface or as a live room remote preamp with a full, latency-free monitoring cue mix signal path. The optional digital I/O card comes with AMS Neve’s mastering-grade converters with up to 24-bit/192kHz A/D conversion over USB connection. This ensures that the unit can be used as a Primary Audio Interface to any connected DAW-enabled computer, as well as Primary and Secondary Dante connectivity for Audio-over-IP applications. 

What makes the classic 1073 circuit so desirable is its unique tonal quality and its ability to deliver warmth, low-mid punch and subtle harmonic distortion, giving studios of all sizes the most prestigious front-end for their recordings.

"We’ve always kept an eye on the changing workflows and technology in the recording studio environment and, overwhelmingly, everyone wants the ultimate quality," says AMS Neve’s Distribution Manager David Walton. "But ultimate quality and ease of integration can be difficult - and expensive! A rack here, a console there, sometimes it isn't easy to just plug something in and record. So we considered how we could we get the ultimate quality connected into a studio environment of any size with incredible value. At that point, the concept of the 1073 OPX was born. 8-channels of legendary mic preamp with remote control of all settings, with analogue and digital connection into the modern studio. The 1073 OPX takes the legendary Neve sound to the next evolutionary level."

The AMS Neve 1073 OPX is shipping now and carries a retail price of $3,695. The price for the optional Digital I/O card is $995. As an introductory offer, AMS Neve is selling the 1073 OPX and Digital I/O card together at a special bundle price of $4,295.
www.ams-neve.com
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