I can only reply to the Chandler LTD. 1073... I have not heard it yet (thanks UPS for losing the loaner)but upon inspection of its guts at namm I found the sight of actual neve amp blocks a very welcome thing indeed. While I know that that alone does a 1073 make...it's a big step in the right direction. Compared to other versions of this type of thing that I have heard, I'm looking forward to running this through its paces. I'll post after I've spent some time comparing it to the original neves that I use.

Bob

Ahh Neves.... a subject dear and close to my heart.

I can say i have not heard any of these myself but i have used a 1073's in a (8024)console that has 24 of them and boy they really are the Bomb. They are THE desert island pre/eq for me. Have you ever considered the SHEP SN-8 modules from shep.

Being from Australia we dont get that much gear out here. I have a pair of Shep Sn-8's coming and have used them when I was last in the UK. They are the closest thing to 'God's ' own modules. They are handmade, have St Ives Xformers and sound great!. Also run by a bunch of Ex Neve crew, who really know what they are on about.

They also have bonus 4th band of HF EQ. Instead of having a 12K shelf et they have 4 slectable frequncies with -+ 15db 4K, 8K, 10K & 15K ..bonus are very welcome IMHO.

chek them out they are well worth it!

Hope it Helps

Peace Wiggy

I am currently saving for some preamp upgrades, and am considering the Neve option (or rather, the Neve clone option).

I have always wondered what is considered the closest to a 1073 - so far I have received positive feedback on the Vintech stuff... but this is the first time I have seen mention of "SHEP" sn-8 modules. Are these an 8 channel rack? What are the ballpark prices for these units? Is there any info on the net (I will search around)? Wiggy, I too am in Australia, what is the availabilty of these babies?

Just a side note: I am currently deciding which one of the following four channel units to get: API 3124, Earthworks, or a Neve copy. The purpose is mainly for drums, but also doubling as a guitar / vocal preamp in overdubs... any thought on what direction to move toward? Thanks for any tips...

Re: the Chandler LTD-1...

So what the heck is this thing? One of the composers I work with has one in his studio. It looks like a 1073 but there are more EQ points!

Anyone know if these are newly built 1073 "copies", or actual repackaged original parts a la Averill?

Originally posted by Adam B - Smokin & Jokin:
Just a side note: I am currently deciding which one of the following four channel units to get: API 3124, Earthworks, or a Neve copy. The purpose is mainly for drums, but also doubling as a guitar / vocal preamp in overdubs... any thought on what direction to move toward? Thanks for any tips...

I'd say either Neve or API. I couldn't see myself using the Earthworks on anything other then overheads.

Links to the Shep stuff, please... theres the place in Australia that has clones rather cheap, but they require some type of power conversion. The price is phenomenal. I'll see if I can find the link again.

"I am currently deciding which one of the following four channel units to get: API 3124, Earthworks, or a Neve copy. The purpose is mainly for drums, but also doubling as a guitar / vocal preamp in overdubs... any thought on what direction to move toward? "

I would say 4 MINIMUM!

Kick & snare
OH pair..

That API does that great and itis awsome for multi mic gtr and bass. Once you have the pre's you can continue with desk eq (run into the insert returns)

Start with that......

When the 1073's come along (gulp!) put them on Kick & snare duties then the API gets free'd up for 2 x toms (or room mic's) as well as OH!

:w:

I have a Chandler LTD-1. It's absolutely great. DI on the front, fader output control, several more EQ points. I also have two of his Neve-alike 2254's. AMAZING.
Good luck.
Benjy
http://www.chandlerlimited.com/

Hmm that EMI compressor copy looks interesting!

:)

Benjy, thanks for the link!

I'm still not clear on whether the LTD-1 is an actual repackaged 1073 module (a la Brent Averill), or a newly built unit with new parts but based on a 1073-style design (like Vintech, Phoenix Audio etc). The Chandler website makes it sound like they make both flavors (i.e., the "LTD-1" which seems to be repackaged original Neve parts, and the "1073ex" which uses "modern manufacturing techniques to make a much more affordable unit").

At any rate, I notice the Chandler stuff is substantially less expensive than the similar pieces from Brent Averill... might be worth looking into, if it's any good.

Benjy, have you had the chance to compare the LTD-1 to the other Neve copies/reissues out there? How does it stack up in terms of build quality, and oh yeah, SOUND?

Here is the link for Shep.

http://www.shep.co.uk

They are the closest thing to the real thing..bar none. The good thing is that they are a frag cheaper and most importantly they have new switches and capacitors and have not been in a smoking 'rock pig' studio and are suffering lung cancer. Also they use the EXACT SAME Circuit and ST Ives transformers. The type and loading the line/mic transformers is a BIG part of the 'Neve' sound that everyone including myself gets a big woody over :D :D :D

In regards to the 'Australian' Neves are you referrring to this site?

http://www.jlmaudio.com

Joe or Hosef as he's known locally is a dude who hgas been around the block with this sort of stuff and makes a fine rippoff thats sounds awesome for the money. Dont let volatages confuse or scare you.. get a 'competant' tech to rewire or buy an off the shelf step down/up transformer from local electronics store. He has put in a great deal of time and effort into perfecting his units to original 1073'2, 1272's etc etc etc. I know for a fact that 'Portishead' the band use his compressor a lot and fell in love with them when they toured Australia. I think they had 4 in the FOH rack when they last toured.

JULES and anyone else.

IMHO and flame away if you wish.....

The API's are more prefferable for kick and Snr. I have used both a 3124 and lunchbox with 4 512b fro drums. My regular task for these is if one or the other is to have a mic (AKG D112 or Sennheiser 421) in the shell or poking into the hole in the front and a Neumann FET 47 about a foot or so infront of the kick to capture the kick. I then have a Sm57 on SNR top and a Neumann KM-84 taped ontot he top of the 57....watch that pahse mind you!..... and then run all these mics through API's. I am lucky (spoilt) enough to work in a studio that has an Neve 8024 so everything else for srums goes through 1073's :D :D

I then bus the mult the kick mics and the SNR mics
so have the original mics plus a summed pair of the two. So here is what i end up with
kick inner (d112)
kick outer (Fet 47)
Bus kick (FET and d112)
Snr Top1 (sm-57)
Snr Top2 (KM-84)
Bus Snr (KM-84 &sm-57)

This works well if you have the tracks to spare. I find it gives me heaps of control over the sounds and alows me to mix and blend a sound to suit the song.

IMHO API's have afar more pronounced mid range and bottom end punch and response. I feel that the HF response is somewhat attenutated in response to Neves which generally have more even response over the spectrum. But having said that i will never say no to API in the roles of overheads..its jsut if i have the option with others etc. The API HF attenuation thing makes the transients a bit smoother and works really well with digital rig especially 'Alishad'

API's also ROCK on electric gtrs, BASS bottom end like never before on mics==> especially FET 47 on bass amps and are also a fine conteder for Vocals which maybe lacking the midrange and general rock pig duties.....truly the 'American Neve' as i have seen a few others quote.

BTW i am not hired/paid by API..... its just about time they get some of the sunshine that neves get and rightly deserve.

Peace Wiggy :tu: :w:

The reason that Brent's 1073 are so expensive, is that they are the real Neve 1073's, he just racks them and puts a couple of diddies on them(DI jack, Phantomn power, line input and power supply for two units). Everyone else's are just copies, some are cooler than others. None to my ears sound like the real thing, but they are usable in their own right. They all lack that certain something, "Neve magic" as they call it.

Won't the Shep stuff fit into original consoles too? I heard that somewhere...

If you're doing a list of "must-have" preamps and EQ for rock you can't leave out Trident A-Range or the Daking modules. While the preamp on the Dakings is probably the weakest part the EQ more then makes up for it. I've gotten tons of compliments on a snare sound that consists of a 57 into a Daking and maybe a 160VU. I also use them on guitars a lot, sometimes vocals and inside kick if I'm doing the two mic thing.

"Benjy, have you had the chance to compare the LTD-1 to the other Neve copies/reissues out there? How does it stack up in terms of build quality, and oh yeah, SOUND?"
___________________________________________
No I have not. Build quality is excellent. Quite honestly: whenever I'm in a studio with several of *anything* old (Neve modules, Pultecs, LA-2's, etc.) I end up patching thru all of them and picking the one that 'seems' to sound best...at that moment...for what I'm doing. It's important (for your sanity, if nothing else) to realize this. I have put up three U47's in a row and they sound *SO* different unto each other. The Chandler mic pre/eq sounds great. Really great. The compressors are absoultely amazing.
Benjy