Yes, confusion reigns.
When is a Neve not a Neve, or rather, where does the true pedigree lie?
Experienced engineers are of one mind that irrespective of anything else, the current Neve ‘classic’ outboard sounds different from in-spec 1960’s and 1970’s originals. Now, this is not to say that the originals necessarily sound better although…prices for the real deal continue to escalate and time after time we’re asked for vintage modules rather than reissues. Indeed, ever since the rights to the originals expired (and word has it that they weren’t bought by Siemens in 1983 when they acquired Rupert’s company) a number of third parties have been making their own variations on 1073, 1084 and 1272 designs. These clones don’t claim to be Neve (although we’ve seen forgeries in our time) but have identical circuitry using identical parts to the originals. How? Well, quite simply, the circuitry carries no copyright and is effectively in the public domain.
Even in my distant days of rooting through cupboards back in the late 1980’s, Brent Averill and others were making Nevey modules to fit into existing short loaded desks. Indeed, it could be argued that Brent Averill have a longer uninterrupted history of making modules than Neve (although it’s not an argument that I would propagate…)
So which modules sounds better? Old? New? Borrowed? (Battleship) Blue? This is for you, dear reader, to decide. What we can do is to provide the opportunity.
Here at Funky Junk we have racks of original, recapped and refurbished 1970 Neve 31102’s (1084’s to all intents and purposes) taken from a vintage 8068 console. These can be compared directly to modern Neve 1084’s or 1073’s and to Brent Averill 1073’s and 1084’s. Try it blindfold and see which you prefer, irrespective of price. To be honest, we’re just as curious at the outcome as you might be. One thing is for sure, though – life (and audio, come to that) is anything but predictable.
