Neve style pres for under $1k?? The interface Hunt is Over!

Get that song on tape! Errr... disk?
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Neve style pres for under $1k?? The interface Hunt is Over!

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2017 4:38 pm

I'm out of the loop... I want a pair of Neve 1272-style pres. I did a ton of vintage synth recording through a pair of vintage rack mounted 1272s and it was so amazing. I can't afford vintage atm but I'd like to get something decent and in the same flavor-range.

I was thinking of starting a Seventh Circle Audio rack but i'd prefer something that's only 1U in size (the SCA is 2U).
Thanks for any help!

edit: Getting some SCA pres soon. Now I need a good A/D. I do NOT want anything like an Apogee Duet.... No Break-Out cables!
Something in 19" rack format is preferred. Thanks!

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by marqueemoon » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:04 pm

I think 500 series is the way to go these days. I talked to somebody awhile ago who recommended this stuff no personal experience though.

http://www.hairballaudio.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:10 pm

thanks for that link! Cool stuff but i don't want to do 500-series. I need something in 1U to fit in my existing portable rack.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by marqueemoon » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:22 pm

There are a few 1RU 500 series racks out there, but that will eat up a lot of the budget and have you turning your head sideways.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2017 6:09 pm

re: turning my head sideways, haha. It's actually the 500-series power supplies that I'm not a huge fan of. I prefer the stand alone power supplies that give the preamps more headroom. Maybe I'm crazy..

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by øøøøøøø » Mon Sep 25, 2017 8:06 pm

I'd just do the 7th circle thing.

The 1073LB is 500 series. But we had two for awhile, and while they're "fine," it's not really the same thing. I could only speculate, but the 500 series has lower voltage on the rails, and I wonder if that's a limiting factor?

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2017 8:35 pm

øøøøøøø wrote:I'd just do the 7th circle thing.

The 1073LB is 500 series. But we had two for awhile, and while they're "fine," it's not really the same thing. I could only speculate, but the 500 series has lower voltage on the rails, and I wonder if that's a limiting factor?
yeah, I should just do that. I can live with the 2U format. They have the higher voltage on the rails. Re: the 500 series power, I don't know if it's a limiting factor... but they def sound different than the old ones with the big power supply.

I'm tempted to spend a bit more money on something like this: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/m ... 07388.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But with the SCA unit, I can add a pair of their API pres later on and have a pretty sweet 4 channel setup.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by Kent » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:22 pm

Golden Age Project.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2017 10:37 pm

Kent wrote:Golden Age Project.
ohhh. wow. hmmm

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by øøøøøøø » Wed Sep 27, 2017 8:39 am

Seventh Circle now offers a thing called a "oneshot" which is any of their preamp modules assembled and powered in a 1/4 rack box. For the N72, it's $599, which is $100 more than the Golden Age MkIII plus: https://www.seventhcircleaudio.com/products/PC01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To build in the 2U rackmount unit, the SCA stuff is $329/channel, although you have to purchase the PSU and chassis for $199. However, that power supply is an EXTREMELY well-designed power supply; not sure whether or not we can say the same about Golden Age. Maybe, maybe not, but... you do tend to get what you pay for.

2 channels in the SCA rack is $857, but you have to build them yourself, of course.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:00 pm

I think I'm going to stick with the SCA rack unit. I hate wall wart power supplies. I'll also enjoy adding two more of their API 312 pres and maybe a pair of the compressors when I can afford it.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:45 pm

OffYourFace wrote:I think I'm going to stick with the SCA rack unit. I hate wall wart power supplies. I'll also enjoy adding two more of their API 312 pres and maybe a pair of the compressors when I can afford it.
This seems like a solid plan.

Many years ago I inherited a bit of money and decided so spend some of it on a Great River MP-2NV. I figured as long as I kept playing and recording music it's something I'd appreciate having around. That's been true for sure.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by øøøøøøø » Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:47 pm

The SCA N72 is damn good sounding.

I use them all the time here at home.

We have an 8058 with 24 31102s in our B room, and 14 BAE 1084s and two BAE 1073s in our A room. It's not at all unusual for me to combine tracks recorded on my SCA preamps at home with the stuff done on the Neve and BAE pres at the studio.

They do not all sound the same. The ones in the Neve desk are the best-sounding to me. But the SCAs totally hang with the BAEs (though kind of a different animal, a little, but very much in the same family)

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by OffYourFace » Wed Sep 27, 2017 8:43 pm

That's great to hear, thank you. Once my Moog Rogue sells, I'll make the jump.

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Re: A good pair of Neve style pres for under $1k??

Post by øøøøøøø » Thu Sep 28, 2017 5:29 am

Cool. I think you'll find it an easy build.

The instructions are comprehensive and easy-to-understand. I've built 4 channels of SCA preamps (including two of the N72) and all of them worked perfectly the first time.

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