Neve has introduced the 8801 Channel Strip, a combination mic preamp / equaliser / dynamics processing unit based on the Neve 88R console—widely considered among the best-sounding analogue music consoles ever developed.
Completely hand-built and hand-wired by Neve in Burnley, England, the company say that the groundbreaking 8801 Channel Strip delivers the rich ‘analogue’ signature synonymous with the Neve name—plus convenient Mac or PC-based control—in a convenient 1U rackmount design that’s ideal for desktop producers and project studios.
Frank Massam, VP of Business Development at AMS Neve, told us, “The 8801 allows desktop music makers and project studios to legitimately access the revered ‘Neve’ sound, without the expense of purchasing a console or racks full of separate processors. The combination of a genuine Neve mic amp, equalisation, dynamics and computer control in a single unit makes the 8801 exceptional value.�
The 8801’s signal path consists of an extremely high-quality Neve mic preamp, high and low pass filters, four bands of highly musical equalisation, a compressor, gate, dynamics side chain and an insert point. The order of the signal path can be easily modified as the producer requires. The filter section and/or the equalisation section can even be routed to the dynamics side chain to tailor the dynamics response of any input signal.
An optional Neve-designed analogue-to-digital converter accommodates all standard sample rates up to 192 kHz, as well as direct-to-DSD conversion. In listening tests, many engineers and producers preferred the sound of these Neve-designed converters to standalone converters costing more than the entire 8801 unit.
Neve’s proprietary Recall software (Mac- and PC-compatible) allows the 8801 to be seamlessly integrated with workstations via USB, providing instantaneous recall of all external device settings. An essential tool for creativity, Recall combines the flexibility of a computer-based system with the power and sound quality of genuine Neve design. Neve say that, quite simply, the 8801 is the most convenient way to give any serious studio the ultimate Neve analogue sound.
The 8801 Heritage
The 8801 design is derived from the flagship Neve 88RS Analogue Music Console. Released in 2001, the Neve 88RS was the first all-new Neve analogue console in almost 20 years. The 88RS quickly reinforced Neve’s legacy as the designer and manufacturer of the ultimate analogue consoles—as attested by engineers and producers at Abbey Road, The Village, Ocean Way, 20th Century Fox, Skywalker Sound, and Plus XXX. When asked about the Neve 88RS, thirteen-time Grammy Award winner Al Schmitt simply remarked, “It is the best sounding console I have ever heard.� With the 8801, the same sound is within reach of any serious project studio or DAW-based producer.
Pricing and Availability:
The Neve 8801 including ADC retails for Euro 3099 / GBP £2095 More information:

• www.ams-neve.com
  
  
  

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