Authentic Neve 1073 Channel Strip for the Modern Studio
Coveted by top engineers and producers since its introduction in 1970, the Neve 1073 channel amplifier represents the Holy Grail of characterful microphone preamplification and the epitome of definitive “British EQ.” The 1073 mic/line input module defined the punchy, authoritative sound of the legendary Neve 80-series consoles that dominated professional recording studios in the Golden Age of Analog. Today, you can obtain this iconic sound for your studio with the AMS Neve 1073SPX Mic/Line/DI Preamp & EQ rackmount unit. Built to the exact specifications of the original with matched components to ensure sonic authenticity, and updated with modern features to meet the demands of today’s studio workflows, the 1073SPX is a powerful, flexible channel strip that gives you a rich tonal palette for making audacious statements with your music.
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Legendary, authoritative “big iron” sound
Since the 1970s, the Neve 1073 has reigned as the most sought-after mic preamp and equalizer on the planet — one reason being its inimitable sound; another its impressive versatility. With a generous 80dB of gain on tap, the 1073 handles even your lowest-output passive ribbon mics on quiet sources. While today’s 1073SPX retains all its vintage bona fides, AMS Neve remains an R&D-driven company that continually improves their classic designs to meet and exceed the performance requirements of today’s hybrid analog-digital workflows. The name Rupert Neve is synonymous with custom transformer-balanced Class A circuitry, and AMS Neve continues to innovate in that realm with their proprietary state-of-the-art Neve Marinair specification transformers, found on the input and output stages of the 1073SPX. With their “big iron” transformers, Neve consoles deliver wide, linear bandwidth while maintaining audiophile quality throughout the spectrum for rich, full-bodied sound with formidable lows, assertive midrange presence, and sweet, airy highs.
Military-grade build quality
Decked out in classic RAF blue-gray livery, the 1073SPX Preamp & EQ offers you a user experience like no other. The robust build quality of the 1073SPX — including its rotary switches, stout metalwork, and internal circuitry — is manifestly superior even to most of today’s high-end pro audio gear. And it’s a joy to use. In operation, everything feels just right, from the spoon-in-honey throw of the pots to the satisfyingly precise click of the switches. As was all pro audio gear of the era, vintage Neve equipment was built with mil-spec parts and materials — which, together with their extraordinary sonics, explains why we still see half-century-old Neve consoles in major studios worldwide. This is how they used to build professional audio equipment — and AMS Neve still does.
The 1073SPX Preamp & EQ controls at a glance:
- FRONT button: Switches the audio input to the front mic/line combo connector (DI input always overrides the Mic input, whether the FRONT switch is engaged or not)
- XLR/Jack combo input: Use the XLR input for mic sources and the 6.35mm jack input for line-level sources
- 48V button: Applies 48V phantom power to the front and rear XLR mic inputs (adjacent LED lights when phantom power is active)
- Lo Z button: The default input impedance on the microphone input is 1200Ω. Pressing the Lo Z switch reconfigures the input for 300Ω input impedance
- LIFT button: Provides ground lift for the DI input; may alleviate hum/buzz by breaking any ground loop
- -20 button: Applies 20dB of attenuation to the DI input; reconfigures input impedance from ~1MΩ to ~10kΩ when engaged
- DI I/P button: High-impedance balanced input for direct injection; microphone inputs automatically disconnected when jack is inserted
- Line/Mic level control with 80dB of gain on tap
- High Frequency: Smooth +/-16dB fixed-frequency shelving at 12kHz
- Mid Frequency: Smooth +/-18dB peaking, fixed Q, with selectable center frequencies of 0.36kHz, 0.7kHz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 4.8kHz, and 7.2kHz
- Low Frequency: Smooth +/-16dB shelving with selectable frequencies of 35Hz, 60Hz, 110Hz, and 220Hz
- Highpass Filter: 18dB/octave slope, switchable between 50Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz, and 300Hz
- Phase button: Polarity reverse (180° phase) at balanced output
- EQ button: Switches the equalizer in or out of circuit
- INS button: Switches the insert loop into the signal path
- PRE button: When engaged, repositions the post-EQ insert loop to pre-EQ
- LEVEL control: Adjusts output level; short-pressing this knob cycles the level meter take-off point through 3 points in the signal path (pre-EQ, post-EQ, post output stage), indicated by adjacent LEDs
- Take-off LEDs and Clip Indication: 1 of 3 LEDs lights green to indicate selected take-off point; LEDs light red if their respective take-off point is close to clipping
- Level Meter: 7-segment peak level meter; pressing knob allows audio level to be monitored at 1 of 3 locations (Mic/Line/DI input stage, EQ stage, or output stage) up to +24dB
- Sample Rate indicator LED: Shows the selected sample rate; options are cycled through by long-pressing the LEVEL knob and selected by releasing it
- Clock source indicator LED: Shows the selected clock source; options are cycled through by long-pressing the LEVEL knob after selecting the Sample Rate
- POWER: Switches unit on or off; adjacent LED lights when the unit is on
Neve: the legend continues
At Sweetwater, the name Neve commands reverence. Rupert Neve started designing audio equipment in the tube console era but made his mark with solid-state designs. Setting up shop in Little Shelford in the ’60s, Mr. Neve faced many obstacles in establishing his brand amid a new technological landscape. Transistors were new, expensive, and difficult to obtain in quantity in the UK. Reliable faders didn’t exist yet — a far cry from today’s world, where parts are affordable and readily available from multiple suppliers, all competing to win bids. Nevertheless, Rupert persisted. And by the early 1970s, the Neve company was humming along, taking orders and building custom transformer-balanced consoles for recording and broadcast studios the world over.
Neve 80-series consoles had a huge, punchy, and authoritative sound that defined the sound of ’70s rock. From London to New York to Los Angeles and beyond, top studios were installing Neve desks as fast as they could. By 1978, with the introduction of the majestic 8078 — the pinnacle of handwired analog “production” consoles — and NECAM automation system, Neve boards were the main component of the success formula for any recording studio with world-class aspirations. In the decades since, AMS Neve has innovated with groundbreaking products such as the VR, VX, and 88R series consoles. And today, the company continues to advance the state of the art with cutting-edge pro audio gear that sounds incredible and intelligently addresses the challenges of the digital age.
AMS Neve 1073SPX Features:
- Genuine Neve 1073 in rackmount chassis with additional features for the modern studio
- Built to the exact specifications of the original with matched components to ensure sonic authenticity
- Classic Neve transformer-balanced Class A Mic/Line preamp
- Flexible, punchy, and definitive British 3-band EQ
- Highpass filter, polarity reverse switch, EQ in/out switch
- Front-panel connections for Mic, Line, and DI inputs; switchable mic/line input connections on rear panel
- Switchable 48V phantom power, Hi/Lo impedance, 20dB pad, and DI ground lift on the input stage
- Insert send and return loop, switchable post- or pre-EQ
- 7-segment LED signal level meters for each channel, switchable to show mic/line/DI input stage, EQ stage, or output stage level
- Output level control
- Microphone Input: Gain +80dB to +20dB in 5dB steps
- Line Input: Input impedance 10k bridging, gain +20dB to -10dB in 5dB steps
- Both Line inputs are transformer balanced and earth free
- DI input: Input impedance 1mΩ (pad out), 10kΩ (pad in); Gain: +80dB to +20dB in 5dB steps
- Maximum output: >+26dBu into 600Ω, Output is transformer balanced
- Distortion: <0.07% from 50Hz–10kHz at +20dBu output (80kHz bandwidth) into 600Ω
- Frequency response: ±0.5dB, 20Hz–20kHz, -3dB at 40kHz (EQ out)
- External multi-voltage PSU
- Designed and crafted in England by AMS Neve engineers
