BAE Audio

The Brent Averill Neve 1073 Module is an analog piece of outboard gear that is a direct copy of a 1073 channel strip. It consists of both a microphone preamplifier and an equalizer. It has a phase reverse button as well as one for phantom power. As far as connections go, it has XLR in the back and a 1/4" TRS input in the front to use this as a DI, along with a button to choose your line selection. It is rack mountable and will take up a single space. UTILIZATION Even if you don't have experience with Neve channel strips or consoles, the Brent Averill Neve 1073 Module is pretty straight forward and easy to use. The mic pre simply has gain knob, while the EQ has three bands, as well has a high pass filter. If you know how to use a basic parametric EQ, you'll be able to use this without a problem or without the help of a manual. SOUND QUALITY In terms of sound quality, it doesn't get too much better sounding than the Brent Averill Neve 1073 Module. Since it has the same make up as the 1073, it has the same sound as well. I haven't had the chance to test out the two of them back to back, but I have used an original 1073 and I would be hard pressed to be able to find a real difference. This version of the 1073 is certainly suitable for recording anything you throw its way... OVERALL OPINION If you're looking for the Neve sound without having to get a full console, the Brent Averill Neve 1073 Module is a great replacement for getting that big sound in a single channel. It is perfect for either the home or professional studio, but I would imagine that most home studio owners would only be able to afford one, if any at all as the price isn't cheap, although it is definitely reasonable for a genuine Neve module. All in all, Brent Averill is one of the best, if not the best in the business when it comes to reproducing Neve modules, and this 1073 falls right in line...

The Brent Averill 1028 is a single channel microphone preamplifier designed for use in professional recording studios. The 1028 has the same preamp as a Neve 1073, with slightly more options as far as equalization goes, borrowing the low pass filter from the Neve 1084. The 1028 has it's own power supply with XLR connections and has a 1/4" jack in the front for going directly in. It is rack mountable and will only take up a single space in traditional casings. UTILIZATION Using the Brent Averill 1028 isn't hard, or least I haven't found it hard to use at all. It has all the features you'd expect with a preamp, with built in phantom power, a phase reverse button, and a four band equalizer. There's also a button for switching it to DI mode, while the EQ has a high band, a low pass filter and two middle bands, with the preamp having knobs for line input and a more fine output knob. You can also set the ohms to either 300 or 1200. I haven't looked at a manual, nor do I think one will be necessary for most. SOUND QUALITY It's going to be hard to beat the sound of the Brent Averill 1028, as it's a true 1073 module. If you aren't aware, the 1073 (originally by Neve) is pretty much the best microphone preamp ever made, as you might find some that are comparable or have different colors, but it's going to be hard to say that any are better. It's a nice and round sound and isn't the slickest or cleanest in the world if that's the sound you're going for. Personally, I can't get enough of the preamp on here and the EQ is also incredibly, making it easy to dial in the perfect tone. OVERALL OPINION It would be hard to go wrong with Brent Averill 1028 when it comes to single channel microphone preamps. I love BAE because they have a full line of mostly modern day Neve gear at very reasonable prices considering what you're getting. I'd highly encourage anyone looking for a preamp to add to their high end home or professional studio to check out the 1028!

The Brent Averill DMP (desktop microphone preamplifer) is essentially a Neve 1073 in a box. It’s perfect for at home recording and anywhere where you might not have a console or too many external mic preamps. The DMP has everything you need to know about right on the front panel, also with a built in power supply. It’s got XLR connections for input and output as well as ¼” connections for a direct input, and two separate direct thru-puts. It also has built in phantom power and has a handle for easy portability. It’s not rack mountable as it’s meant to sit right on your desk – hence the name! UTILIZATION There’s not much at all to using the Brent Averill DMP. It simply has a large gain knob for setting the level coming in and a separate output knob for finer adjustments. It has phase reverse and phantom power buttons as well. It couldn’t be more foolproof, so there’s no need for a manual. SOUND QUALITY This is a true Neve 1073 inside a box, so expect nothing less than the full sound you’d get with any other 1073. The DI is Jensen based and sounds incredible as well. This is really the perfect one stop shop for recording anything and everything at home. It would be nice to have in a professional studio as well, but it’s definitely best suited for home studio owners looking to get a fuller and more professional sound while using their DAW. The 1073 is arguably the best mic preamp ever made, so you really can’t go wrong here. OVERALL OPINION The Brent Averill DMP is one of the best ways to get a bona fide 1073 right on your desktop. If you’ve got a little project studio at home, this is absolutely perfect for you! I’m seriously thinking about getting one, as it only costs around $1000 US dollars for a top of the line mic preamp and direct input box in one. It’s also nice that it’s super easy to bring on the go for remote recording if needed. Give your home studio a much needed boost with the DMP!

The Brent Averill 312A comes in both a single channel and dual channel version, the latter of which I have used. It also comes in a 500 series module as well. No matter which version of the 312A you get, it will be made up of all analog components. The stereo 312A has 1/4" connections in the front and XLR jacks in the back of it. It is rack mountable, and will only take up a single space. UTILIZATION I didn't find that using the Brent Averill 312A was a hard thing to do at all. I do have a lot of experience with different mic pres, so maybe someone with less experience wouldn't find it as easy, although it is pretty simple overall. Each channel just has a knob for gain level, and buttons for phantom power, phase, and a pad. These are pretty standard controls for a mic pre, so it should definitely seem familiar. A manual is necessary to learn how to use the 312A. SOUND QUALITY I really don't have a complaint at all about the way the Brent Averill 312A sounds. It is a very punchy sounding mic pre, perfect for recording a wide variety of instruments. I've only used it for recording snare drum and electric guitar so far, but don't doubt that this sort of sound would work well with any number of different applications. It is definitely a transparent sounding mic pre, and is one that won't add its own colors to your sound at all - what you're sending to the 312A is what you're getting in return, which is certainly ideal. Compared to the other mic pres that I've from Brent Averill, this has a lot more top end and more clarity over warmth... OVERALL OPINION No matter which version of the Brent Averill 312A you decide to buy, you're going to be getting a good deal. For such a great mic pre, the price of the 312A in all forms is very reasonable. It is definitely more of a professional's mic pre, but would also be perfect for the home studio owner looking for a pair of mic pres to sit on top and to be your 'go to' pre. In fact, if you're a home studio owner without any outboard mic pres, I'd highly recommend picking up a Brent Averill 312A or something similar, as it will make your studio a whole lot better.

The Brent Averill 1272 is a dual channel microphone preamplifier designed piece for piece after the Neve 1272. The unit requires a power supply for it, which sometimes comes with it and sometimes does not. The unit has XLR inputs in the back and 1/4" inputs in front. It is rack mountable and will take up a single rack space in a traditional rack case. UTILIZATION Even if you have no or very little experience with mic preamplifiers, the Brent Averill 1272 shouldn't prove to be too hard to use. Having said this, it will mostly likely be the experienced users using the 1272 anyway, as this is a top flight piece of gear that is not to be messed around with. The 1272 simply has knobs for setting your gain levels as well as a knob for output level. It also has built in phantom power which can be engaged with a button. As you can see this is a very basic mic pre configuration and a manual should not be necessary. SOUND QUALITY Like the original 1272, the Brent Averill 1272 has one of the best sounds possible for a mic preamp in my opinion. I've never had a chance to shoot them out, but after using both this, the original 1272, and everything in between, I'd say that this does a damn good job of replicating the classic 1272 module. It is definitely the kind of pre that can be used to record anything and everything. It just has that mixture of clarity and thickness that I'm after with every recording that I do. This is one you must try and hear for yourself to believe. OVERALL OPINION Brent Averill is one of the best when it comes to recreating the classic Neve modules, and the 1272 is one of their best. You're always going to pay a decent amount of cash when it comes to Neve modules, but this one isn't overpriced or anything like that. This is made for professionals looking for sound quality regardless of price, so I'm assuming that if you're looking into the Brent Averill 1272 you understand this. Absolutely a worthwhile piece of gear to check and try out whether you can afford to buy one or not.

The Brent Averill 1064 is a Neve clone of the same name and build. I'm not totally clear on if this Brent Averill 1064 that I used was a commercial product or just fixed up and racked up by Brent Averill. I'm pretty sure though that it's a recreation of the original Neve. This is an all analog module with built in EQ as well, which is very in depth and sounds great. The module that I used was in a single rack mountable unit. UTILIZATION Regardless of your previous experience with an original 1064, you should be able to operate the Brent Averill 1064 if you have some experience using hardware equalizers. The EQ is more in depth than most but it's worth it to learn it because it can really do a lot for you. In addition to the gain knob for setting your level going in, the EQ has four bands - a high pass filter, a low frequency band, a mid-high band, and a high shelf band. It also has a phase flip. No manual will be available for this. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the Brent Averill 1064 is outstanding. It's definitely up there with the best preamp/EQ's I've ever used. I've used it for all sorts of applications, including on acoustic guitar, snare drum, bass guitar, and vocals. It sounds amazing for all of these applications because of it's depth and fullness. The EQ will help you carve the exact sound you're looking for. It doesn't get better than this. OVERALL OPINION The Brent Averill 1064 is a great choice if you're looking for a top of the line single channel preamplifier and EQ. For me it will always be Neve when it comes to consoles and preamps - I just think they have the most depth of any preamps out there. Of course having different colors is necessary for different applications, but if your rhythm tracks where you want depth and thickness in your tone, Neve is the best for me. The 1064 gives you everything you'd want in a preamp and EQ combo, check it out if you can get your hands on one and absorb it's price.