On February 12th, 2021, we lost a legend. An iconic engineer, designer, and innovator in the music industry. Rupert Neve passed away at 94, leaving behind some of the greatest designs and audio equipment the world has ever seen. The sound of Rupert Neve’s designs have shaped music as we know it today.
The Neve Sound
With more than 80 years of design under his belt, Rupert Neve’s story spans the world. He grew up in Argentina before World War II. He spent his time building, repairing, and selling radios to his friends. Later, he converted an old Dodge Ambulance into a mobile recording and public address control room, using it to record choirs, operatic societies, music festivals, and other public events.
By the 1950s, Rupert was gaining experience in audio design and manufacturing with multiple companies. In his spare time, he developed his own small bookcase unit, and found a potential client. Neve’s first company, CQ Audio, was born and while the company didn’t last long, Rupert carried the design, production, and marketing knowledge along with him. In the early 60s, he designed a mixing console for Desmond Leslie and the transaction inspired him and his wife, Evelyn Neve, to begin their company, the Rupert Neve Company.
The Rupert Neve Company first designed and built innovative consoles for Leo Pollini of Recorded Sound in London. Pollini found the consoles “robust and very reliable”, characteristics still attributed to Neve’s consoles today. By the 70’s, the Neve Company was taking orders and building custom consoles for studios all over the world. The Neve Console became an instrument itself in studios around the world bringing with it a thicker, warmer, and fuller sound that musicians sought and are still seeking today.
The catalogue of artists who have recorded with a Neve Console over the decades is staggering; names that have gone on to become icons in the eyes of the music industry include: Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, among countless others.
The Neve Legacy In Studio A
The legacy of Neve’s designs lives on today. Musicians from every corner of the world strive to record on a Neve Console or use Neve gear. The culmination of decades of knowledge and experience went into his final design, the 5088 Console, and we are lucky enough to house one in our Studio A. The 5088 is Neve’s first mixing design in over 30 years, incorporating and improving upon many of the same concepts that made his original designs idolized. The modular design of this console allows us to continuously adapt to the ever changing demands of music today. Processing modules like EQ, microphone preamps, and dynamic processors can be added or removed to meet the new trends. You can read more about our 5088 Shelford Console here.
Written by Kyle Dean