AMS-Neve

The Neve 1073 is a channel strip that is found as a module in a Neve console. I believe that they can be found in a few different consoles, but I've used them in a 8068 console. The console mostly has 31102 modules, but there are four 1073 modules in it for whatever reason as well. There isn't much of a difference between the modules that I can tell, but some have claimed to hear a difference between them. Perhaps I'll need to do a proper shoot out of my own someday. These are analog modules and the types of connections it has will depend on the casing that they're in. UTILIZATION The make up of the Neve 1073 isn't too much different than other Neve modules, so if you know the basic formula you should be able to catch on quickly here. Even if you just have a basic knowledge of channel strips or their individual parts in a preamp and a EQ, this should feel pretty simple to you. The 1073's have a gain knob for setting your microphone's level coming into the pre, and also have a four band EQ, with the middle two being dual tiered knobs to control both frequency and gain. I don't believe you'd be able to find a manual for an original 1073 module. SOUND QUALITY In terms of sound, it really doesn't get any better than a Neve 1073. You might be able to find comparable channel strips, but I don't think you'll hear anyone saying that they think something is better than a 1073. To me, the Neve sound is the best when it comes to preamplification, and there's a reason that the 1073 is such a popular module. It's easy to use and simply has a killer sound quality all the way around. Both the preamp and the EQ are hands down some of the best I've heard... OVERALL OPINION You'll find incarnations of Neve 1073's all over the place, as there are many many clones built nowadays, but finding an original is somewhat hard. If you could find one to purchase, it would definitely cost a good amount of money plus you'd have to get a casing and power supply for it if you were going to use it outside of a console. Luckily for me, the studio that I work at has a console with four of these 1073 modules in them, and they sound awesome!

The Neve 33609 is a dual channel compressor and limiter. I'm not sure what type of connections it has because the one I have used is already racked within a rack space. It will take up two rack spaces and is an all analog unit. UTILIZATION The make up of the Neve 33609 is pretty easy to follow and those who have experience with compressors won't have much trouble understanding what everything does. Each channel of the 33609 has sections for a compressor and for a limiter. The limiter section has parameters for threshold and recovery as well as switches for bypassing the limiter and for choosing either a fast or a slow attack. The compressor section has parameters for threshold, recovery, gain, and ratio and a switch for bypassing it. You can use the unit as either a dual mono or stereo compressor and it is also good to know that each channel has metering for gain reduction. I've never seen the manual for the Neve 33609 so I can't say how helpful it would be or not. SOUND QUALITY The sounds that are possible with the Neve 33609 are absolutely top notch. This will add a new dimension to your sound as far as compressor/limiters go. It is suitable for all sorts of applications including vocals, guitars, and drums. While these are the applications I have used it for, it will work on pretty much anything that you'd like to compress or limit because it offers a wide array of parameters to change your tone. I can't say enough about how good this compressor/limiter sounds as it is one of the best overall compressors that I have used. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Neve 33609 for a few years and it is really a great piece of gear. Pretty much any Neve compressor will sound good, but the Neve 33609 is a special compressor/limiter that stands on its own. While expensive, it is a classic compressor made by one of the best makers of hardware audio gear. If you are looking for a pair of compressor/limiters that have a big tone, you can't go wrong with the Neve 33609.

(Originally written by rroland/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Stereo or dual-mono Neve compressor. Note that several models are available: 33609, 33609J and JD. All of them are solid-state. 2U rack housing. Heavy analog unit. The switches are wonderful, even the clacking sounds they make are a delight... UTILIZATION Very simple for anyone who has already used a compressor. Good user's manual. SOUND QUALITY The best from the best! It doesn't matter if its a voice, a bass, a kick or a snare, everything sounds right with this compressor. You can push it as far as you like before it breaks. I don't like the limiter that much, it isn't effective enough. It can help you rescue a recording but it'll be too much if you want to add a little punch to the whole mix. Otherwise it's an outstanding piece of gear. Expensive but it's worth every penny. I own several high-end compressors and this Neve is on the same level as a Manley Vari-Mu but with a totally different character. OVERALL OPINION High-quality unit. Very good, very expensive. It makes sense. It's a real delight for vocals connected to a Tubetech preamp.

The Neve 2254s are classic compressor/limiters that were first made in the late 1960's and have now been recreated in rack mountable form. Neve themselves has started to make a stereo compressor that comes in a single space rack mountable casing. These compressors are made up of all analog components, and depending on which you buy it could have any number of connections. The 2254 that I used was an older one and was already in place in the studio, so I didn't have a need to check out the connections that it had. The newer 2254s only differ in it's casing and in the fact that they call it the 2254-R. UTILIZATION I didn't find that using the Neve 2254 to be any bit hard at all. I had had a lot of experience using compressors even when I first used these a number of years ago, so I was able to catch on pretty quickly. However, it does have more parameters than you would find on most compressors, including knobs for ratio, limit level, limit and compress recovery (gain make up), and switches for choosing between using this as either a compressor or limiter and for setting your attack. It also has some metering options and a unique looking meter. I don't know where you would find a manual for the original 2254, so I've never seen one and haven't felt like I needed to anyway. SOUND QUALITY The Neve 2254s are definitely some of the thickest and heavy sounding compressor/limiters that I've used, which for me is a good thing. I can't say that they are better for one application over another, but in general are great for thickening up your tone. They do offer a good amount of control as well, so shaping them to different situations doesn't prove to be too difficult. I will say that perhaps my favorite use of them is on vocals. I've used them for a few different male voices and found that it made a world of different. Again however, they can certainly be used for just about any application where you would want a thick sounding compressor. OVERALL OPINION I can't say how the new 2254-Rs stand up to the original 2254, but I would bet that they are pretty identical. No matter which way you choose to go, getting your hands on on of these will cost you a pretty penny. Since the new 2254-R's are being made by Neve, it will definitely cost you close to as much as it would an original if I am not mistaken. If you're looking for any sort of great sounding compressor/limiter, and are a professional or someone who can spend a serious amount of money on them, definitely don't make a decision until you've considered the 2254.

The AMS-Neve 8801 is a channel strip, basically taken from a Neve 88R console. Of course it's not directly taken from the console as it's a reproduction of it. It's an all analog, solid state preamplifier with a four band equalizer and also a compressor, so you've got the full works when it comes to a channel strip here. It has an XLR input in the front and I assume it has the same in the back but I've only used one that was already racked up, where it will only take up a single space in your rack casing. UTILIZATION There's definitely a good amount going on with the AMS-Neve 8801 and previous experience with Neve gear will definitely help. Once you break it all down it's really not too bad, but it wasn't the type of gear that I could just sit down and instinctively know how to use right off the bat. Dialing in your preamp level is easy enough, and it's got all of the controls you'd want with one like buttons for phantom power, phase reverse, and a -20 db pad. The compressor is definitely a bit more in depth as it's also a gate and has a wide array of controls for such processors. The EQ is more or less straight forward but still takes more than a glance to get it. The manual might be helpful for less experienced users... SOUND QUALITY The sound of the AMS-Neve 8801 is definitely what you'd expect from a bona fide Neve product. While this isn't my favorite overall channel strip from Neve, it definitely has a sound in the same vein as that you'll find with any Neve preamplifier. The preamp is my favorite part of the 8801 for sure, but having the compressor/gate and EQ in there is a huge help as well, as all of the processors sound very professional and have a good balance of warmth and a certain clean quality. This is a really awesome sound channel strip overall and in my opinion can only be beat with something a bit older from Neve (in terms of the preamp at least). OVERALL OPINION The AMS-Neve 8801 is definitely worth looking into for anyone interested in an all in one channel strip with that classic Neve tone. It's perfect for home studio owners looking to get the best of all worlds with a top flight preamp, compressor and EQ all in the same spot. The price is certainly a lot, which is really the only bad part, but of course you're going to have to spend some money to get good gear. Having said this, I'd check out the other Neve channel strips and preamps out there to see what's going to work best for you.