Neve Melbourne 1974

I saw one racked curioulsy at Primal Gear .. Don't know ...
The real name of this console is "Melbourn", no e after the n unlike the city in Australia. The reference being -5302 -
It can be equipped with various modules; 3114/33114-3115/33115-33122 (mod bbc)
A send effect, starting a headset (so two departures effect "" mix "")
2 return lines DS12 and more strips, with volume, pan, all mixed with the master-cool, 2 slices extra lines without eq)
modules installed on my 3114 model are the first discrete electronic milling.
80 db gain microphone, line 20 db
30 dB before clipping .....
my apogee converters output some white noise before the melbourne begins to break in distortion ...

UTILIZATION

Very simple,
I turned 6 inserts into direct outs
I installed the 48 volts in 10 of 12 strips,
Designed in 1973 this console was designed to operate with either tube microphones, or dynamics, or four line inputs on +4 db balanced, I installed a 48v power supply from chandler to plug modern FET mics.
I have changed the game monitoring to benefit from three types of listening
3114 modules are class modules AB eq with semi parametric 3-band, lo: 33/56/100/180/300 hrtz
med: 270/390/560/820/12OO/1800/2700/3900/5600/8200 hertz
hi: 3.3/4.7/5.6/8/10/15 k.hertz (memory ... ..)
plus two high pass filters (33,47,80,150,270 hrtz) and low pass (18,12,8,2,, 5.6,, 3.9 k Hz) to 18 db / oct
the tape medium is very large ... the eq is + / - 20 db to 18db and lo and hi for the band medium
corrections are very powerful and are extremely effective in producing and typing sound, with extraordinary musicality, but target a specific frequency to correct it "cold" will require a more suitable tool
... Happiness can paste into prod + / -20 db is a free sound that it makes the slightest headache ... can transform, change the tone without ever degrading ... a dream, dream, dream

SOUNDS

The neve Melbourne (like all neve pre purchase by Siemens) is really not what one would call a transparent console. The electronic is 100% discrete, transformer input / output Marinair, St Ives ....
The preamp is similar to that of 1081 ...
The low pass filter is killer, filtering is thick and very warm sounding
The sound is very distinctive, with the big neve creamy signature, but is more dynamic than the 1073 series modules (and 66.84 ..)
these modules are particularly sought for electronic music ...
my drumboxes and synths come into unbalanced microphone input through DI boxes, and then this is just great .....!!!!
phase is well respected, the stereo depth is surprisingly very detailed
this console acts like you are healing cheap and "plastic" style plugs and other workstation sounds in need of transformers ...
I think it can "cure" this high medium rotten plastic sounds these synths sometimes display ...

Now as far as minuses, (Hum..) I sometimes feel like going out through a good ssl compression is needed for some applications, the sound of the neve is FAT, it can on occasion be too much ... well, .. this is a problem for the rich ... it is possible to make things sound thinner with plugins, that's easier than the other way around.
The overall sound of this console is very rich and bold.
F.A.T.

OVERALL OPINION

I have owned this console for 4 years, which is both little and much
the funny thing about my job is that I moved from a Mackie 1604 to the Melbourne .... the difference is like night, and day. You play your tracks in the Neve and then .... you know ... demystify a lot of things, it really helped me to figure out the difference between the production, the sound itself ...
This console is one of those tools that help you progress, beyond the brand or the hype ...