NEW - Neve console - announced today

[John Willett]

Announced by Neve this morning - the new 8424 console.

You Tube trailer is HERE

If you want to see and try it in the flesh, they have one on show/demo at The Studio Shop in London.

[Arpangel]

Announced by Neve this morning - the new 8424 console.

You Tube trailer is HERE

If you want to see and try it in the flesh, they have one on show/demo at The Studio Shop in London.

Very reasonable at £21,150, wouldn’t mind one, but may be a bit of a waste if we get any sudden downpours and my basement floods.

[tea for two]

I sometimes think they should named it Niamh
just to confuse some people as to it's pronounciation
Then have a good giggle.

[Aled Hughes]

Saw this yesterday. If we were ever to change the Amek at the studio (and we may well need to) this could be a candidate. We couldn’t go deskless due to the 24-track tape machine.

However, although ‘cheap’ for a Neve, it only has two mic pres and a couple of bus EQs.
The Trident 68 24-channel would probably make more sense for us.

[Folderol]

I'd be totally lost on something like that

[Hugh Robjohns]

It's been getting a pretty rough ride over at 'the other place' too, from people expecting to be able to track with it without having to spend a shedload more on a big rack or preamps.

I can see their point... And I've noticed a few rather unexpected product design decisions from AMS Neve recently. Interesting times....

[James Perrett]

Having had a quick look at the manual it seems that it isn't really a mixing desk but more of a sophisticated summing device coupled with a monitor controller. You are going to need a whole host of outboard gear to turn it into anything useful. I guess they are aiming it at all the people with a big collection of outboard that want a centrepiece for their studio.

I'd say that there are better alternatives for those wanting to work with a 24 track tape machine.

[Zukan]

That's pretty much how I see it James. The 500 slots are a sensible addition but there are only 2 slots and I can't determine if they can be expanded on? The manual doesn't state if they can.

I'll wait for the Sos review.......

[Hugh Robjohns]

Having had a quick look at the manual it seems that it isn't really a mixing desk but more of a sophisticated summing device coupled with a monitor controller.

I think that's a bit unfair. It ~is~ a mixing console; it has lots of inputs and faders and everything...

But it's not really a recording console in the conventional studio sense.

What it is, is a project studio centre-piece designed for very well-heeled artists who only record one or two sources at a time, but want to mixdown lots of tracks from their DAW while basking in the glory of traditional Neve winged knobs and transformer summing busses!

I'd say that there are better alternatives for those wanting to work with a 24 track tape machine.

There are certainly more appropriate consoles for traditional studio style multitrack recording, for sure. But I don't think that's the market AMS Neve are looking for here.

But for the same (ish) money you could choose from the Audient ASP8024-24 HE, API's Box-II, Trident 78, or the LoopTrotter console, and for rather less you could have the SSL XL-desk...

[tea for two]

project studio centre-piece .. record one or two sources at a time .. mixdown lots of tracks from their DAW

Yep.

[Matt Houghton]

Weird — I posted a reply here earlier and it has disappeared... Basically, I said:

Those who are moaning that you can't track through it without adding preamps and EQ are not really Neve customers, are they? A single 1073LB 500-series preamp is somewhere North of £800. Their 8-channel 1073OPX is £3.5k or thereabouts. It's not like Neve don't make consoles with preamps in already if you are prepared to meet the asking price. My guess is that they (the 'moaners') saw the price, then developed expectations that weren't met...

This strikes me as filling a similar market niche as the SSL Matrix — though with some obvious difference (eg. no fader control surface, but it does have recall; 24 conventional input channels, rather than the Matrix's 16 mono/stereo channels.) To some extent also API's The Box, even if that's a different sort of beast. Ie. it's for people with outboard, or who want to choose the character of different channels. Might it have had more 500 slots? Maybe. But plenty of people will be happier having them in a rack beside them, or would prefer 19-inch rackmount gear to 500-series. Or maybe I'm missing something?

Anyway, I'll be checking it out soon, so will report back when I've formed a proper judgment based on experience!

[MOF]

It looks great, if I had the money and space I’d be very tempted. However I have moved over to ITB with minimal outboard these days.

[Dave Rowles]

I think it makes sense for a modular approach to studio design. Imaging racking up 2/3 of the 1073OPX with multi-pin connectors. Then you can have them plugged into the desk for mixing or tracking in the studio, but disconnect and take them on location. You're not tied to the desk for tracking, but can enjoy the mixer for routing and summing when you're back in the studio.

Still far too rich for my blood, but I can see the attraction.

[Hugh Robjohns]

My guess is that they (the 'moaners') saw the price, then developed expectations that weren't met...

It's not surprising they developed (un-met) expectations. There were no overt porkies in the marketing blurb, but it all skirted cleverly around the reality and definitely created a misleading impression, IMHO, that it was a conventional console. Even the winged trim knobs at the top of the channel strip create the impression of conventional preamp gain controls -- and that is clearly intentional.

As for the marketing, there are repeated references to derivations from traditional consoles (Genesys Black and 80-Series), and statements about it providing "... everything you need to record, mix, monitor and master music quickly..." and its "...dual-input channel strip allows for seamless switching between recording and mixing inputs without additional patching..."

I doubt there was intentional misdirection, but I do think it's very understandable why there is a bit of a rumpus about it on the other forums... not that most of the complainers were ever really potential customers, of course.

I'm sure it's a great console for its intended purpose and application, though. And I like that they've stuck with the transformer summing bus system which does have a very different sonic flavour to the virtual earth format used in most of its competitors. It's pricey for what it offers in comparison to other small-format consoles, but that badge still carries a premium.

I think if I were in that kind of market, though, I'd probably still favour the Box II... but to be fair, I've not played and heard the 8424 yet.

[Matt Houghton]

I think if I were in that kind of market, though, I'd probably still favour the Box II... but to be fair, I've not played and heard the 8424 yet.

Yes, it's lovely, isn't it? Not enough input channels for many studios though. At least, not without some lateral thinking. 24 input channels would cover full-band performances a little more comfortably....

[Zukan]

That Box 2 is amazing! Now that could tempt me back into a hybrid system.

[Arpangel]

This is all another world to me, API, SSL, Neve etc, I’ve never used any of these mixers, and I don’t know what they should sound like.
I’d like to have a go with any of these desks, and I’d love to know what the API, or the SSL/Neve sound actually is.

[zenguitar]

I’d love to know what the API, or the SSL/Neve sound actually is.

It's the sound of bean counters weeping.

Andy

[Arpangel]

I’d love to know what the API, or the SSL/Neve sound actually is.

It's the sound of bean counters weeping.

Andy

Well, I’ve probably heard them on lots of my favourite records, but honestly, I still wouldn’t know.
Things are different now, and maybe the gap has been closed a lot, back when these big mixers were king, we didn’t have many alternatives on a budget to make quality recordings, but now we have. Also, things like low noise, low crosstalk, good frequency responses, these were things that you had to go to a studio for, using an expensive console etc, so as I’ve said before, a lot of things we take for granted in our home studios weren’t the norm, and also, a lot of things that were essential, maybe aren’t anymore, and they’re just a hang over from previous times.
I’d like to go "wow" if I had the chance to use a Neve etc, but would I really?

[Hugh Robjohns]

It's the sound of bean counters weeping.

[Hugh Robjohns]

...maybe the gap has been closed a lot...

The gap in technical performance between 'professional' and consumer or amateur equipment really has closed almost completely.

But regarding these three console brands, they each employ radically different circuitry approaches, and so they inherently have different sound characters -- subtle though those differences generally are.

[jaminem]

Well, I’ve probably heard them on lots of my favourite records, but honestly, I still wouldn’t know.

Its actually pretty simple if you can make sweeping generalisations

API = Fat, present, tight bottom end, strident mids pushy top end
Neve = sweet top end, round bottom, softer mids
SSL = Clean, no 'obvious' character (well not on the later stuff anyway) but when you take it out of the chain it feels like something is missing...unless its an E series, then you loose lovely saturation when pushed.

[Arpangel]

...maybe the gap has been closed a lot...

The gap in technical performance between 'professional' and consumer or amateur equipment really has closed almost completely.

But regarding these three console brands, they each employ radically different circuitry approaches, and so they inherently have different sound characters -- subtle though those differences generally are.

Yes, and I can’t comment much anymore, as I’ve not experienced them, but I assume they are still sought after otherwise they wouldn’t make new ones, and vintage ones wouldn’t change hands for huge amounts of money.
I’m generalising a bit here, and it’s also very confusing, but when CD's came in, and engineers were demanding lower noise, better EQ, there was a definite shift in "the sound of the recorded landscape" is the best way I can put it. And I can remember certain engineers saying that SSL were harsh, and too bright, and then they obviously improved digital technology as a whole and things settled down.
I always associate SSL after that as being a mixer for digital formats, with engineers cramming as much top end on as they could, in my mind Neve are always the smooth relation, from what I’ve heard.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Its actually pretty simple if you can make sweeping generalisations...

Sweeping, maybe, but very descriptive and on the nail. Nice!

[Hugh Robjohns]

I assume they are still sought after otherwise they wouldn’t make new ones

There's no end of colleges needing nice new consoles for their new studios...