Inside a 1073
The Neve 1073 modules consist of three main features: a mic preamp, a line amp and a three-band EQ section with a hi-pass filter. In original 1073s, the mic preamp and the line amp have separate, and differently designed, input transformers that are essential to the big, musical sound. A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled wire coils. Transformers introduce a certain amount of coloration to audio signals, and the saturation characteristics of a transformer are determined by various factors, including the materials used and the winding structure of the coils. Neve's transformers are revered for the sonic girth and punch they add to whatever signal runs through them. In a British console in the '70s, the balancing of inputs and outputs was done with transformers, so you ended up with a separate mic input transformer and line input transformer. The sonics of the mic input transformer would be captured to tape and then the line input transformer would add it's own magic during playback and mixing. This cumulative layering of color on every track is a big part of what makes a record tracked and mixed on a vintage Neve console sound the way it does.
Orphans
In the early 1990s, as affordable digital recording gave rise to countless project and home studios, people realized the value of taking a Neve preamp or two out of a console and racking them up for home use. Smaller companies like Brent Averill Enterprises (BAE) started to do just this, selling original Neve modules racked up with proper power supplies. They also discovered that another multi-purpose line amp module in the 80-series consoles, the acclaimed and often misunderstood 1272, could be modified to act as a mic preamp that contained nearly the same guts as a 1073 (more on the 1272 in a bit). Modules that were once members of large families were, in a word, orphaned.
Clones
It was only a matter of time before companies, like AMS Neve, BAE, Chandler Ltd. (issue #46), Shep Associates, Vintech and more, started building Neve- inspired preamps and EQs, and we quickly entered what Bob Power (owner of an amazing array of orphaned Neve modules, see issue #60) calls "the second golden age of pro audio." Transformers were still being manufactured by Carnhill (after changing its name from St Ives) or they were being copied and manufactured to vintage specs, complex EQ switches were being soldered by hand and classic circuits were studied and re-created to bring us that vintage Neve sound. When you buy a clone of the 1073, you're getting all of the features, components and build- quality of the original. And, as you might guess, clones are expensive, ranging from about $2500 on up toward $4000/channel. Serious stuff.
Imitation
Soon, a number of companies jumped on the coattails of all this Neve enthusiasm and, by changing and/or eliminating various features of the original designs, started to sell more affordable Neve imitations. One could now buy a preamp that sounded more or less like a Neve for under $1500 per channel. These are the units I'm focusing on here. One obvious way to cut cost is to eliminate the EQ section, leaving the user with a simple Neve-style mic preamp and DI. Another strategy is to eliminate the line amp's transformer and electronics path by routing line level signals through the mic input with a pad (BAE), by reverse wiring the mic input transformer (Vintech), by eliminating the line amp transformers (AMS Neve) or just skipping line inputs entirely (JC). Still another way to drastically cut costs is to use less-expensive transformers, switches, wire and capacitors. These component downgrades will impair the sound of Neve-style circuits, but have also allowed companies like Golden Age and Chameleon Labs to offer truly affordable Neve-style preamps. In turn, these affordable units have led to some very successful and commercially available modifications (ZenPro, CL). I've done my best to help you see under the hood of these units in order to make the most informed decision you can about what you're actually purchasing. Think about how you work and what you need. If you're a mixer without a console, you may want to run your mixes through a fat sounding pair of line amps in order to pick up some analog console-style mojo. If you're planning to use your preamps to manipulate individual sounds on recording or mixdown, you may want the best EQ available. If you're a keyboard or bass player, you may want a pair of great sounding DIs. If you're only going to track vocals, perhaps you just need a great mic preamp. Knowing how you'll use a Neve- style preamp will give you the best sense of how to choose from among the various offerings.
In Review
Most Neve-style preamps (remember, not exact clones) happen to fall under the $1500/channel price point, so I let the market itself draw that line in the sand. I should also note that though there are many Neve-style offerings available for the very popular 500-series format, I've excluded them because they often run on lower voltage (which can affect the headroom and sound of the preamps) and because you'd need to get a 500-series rack to power them. That's a good topic for another shoot out, but beyond the scope of what we're considering here.
As the shipping boxes showed up at my studio, I began to spend time with all the units during daily tracking and mixing, and getting to know them as part of my normal work-flow. This is the best way for me to learn how a piece of gear sounds and feels to use. However, one day I put an AKG 414 on my guitar amp, plugged in my Telecaster and played a familiar riff over and over while my assistant patched in the different preamps and hit record. (These fed my Crane Song HEDD converter into Pro Tools HD at 96 kHz/24-bit.) Because I'm so familiar with this classic guitar tracking method, it was instantly apparent what the different pres sounded like up against each other. Strengths and weaknesses I'd heard in regular, daily use were quickly confirmed, as each unit imparted its sonic character on the same signal. It didn't take long to get a grip on what each of these units could do.
The Lineup
