Neve EQ: Which plugin nails it?

[Scotty]

I assume all of the informed experts weighing in own or have worked extensively with Neve EQ and are deeply familiar with their sound, and have personally compared all of the various software models against their own units...

Do you have a suggestion based on that experience? I only have a Golden Age Clone to compare it and most of the UA emulations so I haven't chimed in but I am interested in hearing from those in the know (not me in this case). The best I can determine is that once you dial in a curve most of us mere mortals would be hard pressed to spot the manufacturer.

[jochicago]

I assume all of the informed experts weighing in own or have worked extensively with Neve EQ and are deeply familiar with their sound, and have personally compared all of the various software models against their own units...

The 1073 from 1970 is not a unit that can stand to rigorous testing of tolerances. If you get your hands on 10 units you are going to hear 10 different things, different eq curves, distortion, etc.

So the worst thing you could do is listen to a fool that has 1 old unit from 1970, compares it to the plugins and says "doesn't sound like my unit". Anyone that would expect them to sound identical doesn't know what they are doing.

If you compare all these plugins: Waves 73, UAD, Lindell 80, Black Rooster VPRE 73, etc, they are all going to sound different, because they were modeled after different units. Lindell 80 goes the extra length with the channel emulation thing to give you multiple channels that all sound a bit different if you want to play with that. When Scheps tuned the Waves 73 he was listening to his 10 units, and designing an idealized version with all the elements he liked about them, so the Waves 73 is not even an emulation of one unit, but the combined spirit of everything Scheps likes about the 1073s in general.

I could rent an hour of studio space locally here in Chicago at a studio that has a Neve. I can sit there with all these plugins and make a "snake oil" video that says none of these plugins sound exactly like the first channel of the hardware console I'm sitting at. What could possibly be gained from that ridiculous exercise?

Try the plugins. Hear them in action, see how they feel and sound to you. We can also talk about the ones we like to help each other make decisions. Comparing them to specific hardware units doesn't contribute to that conversation - the plugin designers already compared them plenty and did their best, your amateur comparison at home is not going to be better or more involved than what the plugin designers already went through to try to capture the essence of the unit.

[Muziksculp]

RND Portico 5033 EQ

https://new.steinberg.net/rnd-portico/

[v1o]

Have the RND plugins ever been on sale?

[GRUMP]

The Portico 5033 is a contemporary Model (of a separate EQ) and possibly the only existing Emulation?

The Models inside Acustica Audio Gold (on Sale atm) are probably a Better Representation of what People understand as "Neve (Console) EQ".
• 8066 EQ: Neve 1066
• 8112 EQ: Neve 33122
• 3081 EQ: Neve 1081
• 8093 EQ: EMI-Neve 1093 (shelf filters only, Neve 1081 with Marinair transformers)
• 8193 EQ: EMI-Neve 1093 (Bell/peak mode, Neve 1081 with Marinair transformers)
• 8077 EQ: Rare Neve 1077. Mid frequency bands are duplicated.
• 3102 EQ: Neve 31102 (from a 8068 console equalizer module. Characteristics: a 1073 with added frequencies in the high band and an added mid range high Q .)
• H073 EQ: Homebrew 1073 clone
• 8115 EQ: Ultra rare Neve 3115.

Acustica Navy (on Sale atm) supplements a contemporary Neve 2081 and a Vintage 1081 Console EQ.

I´d recommend Gold to get a Feeling for the Differences and as valid Example for Cross-Manufacturer Comparisons.

Me personally - I like 3102 most, the new 8115 too and also frequently use the 8122. But I really don´t know which of them nails the Label, they are simply too different - as well as I don´t believe that Differences between Manufacturers result (mainly) from Different Hardware Models as said above. They are simply too different. Not just a few seem to be based on pure Frequency Curves while others have a really heavy Impact on the perceived Audio Quality.

[Vortifex]

Edited

[scalawag]

https://sonimus.com/products/burnley73

[bmanic]

Test this one and support Tunca on Patreon if you end up using it.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/britchannel-34306171

[Obsolete462444]

VOS NastyCS if you can run Windows 32bit VSTs.

[dionenoid]

There are so many Neve-type effect plugins out there. I'm confused and overwhelmed. I wonder, which affordable option is closest to the hardware model?

I'd like to find one that doesn't require any special hardware or dongle/iLok type devices.

Thanks!

There are also many different Neve hardware models, which all sound and behave different. And to make it even more difficult there's also different Neve brands (classic Neve, AMS Neve, Rupert Neve) and hardware clones.

I'd recommend trying Acustica Audio Gold4, as it contains a lot of different Neve eq models. That way you can compare what type you like. It doesn't hurt that it's widely accepted as the best emulation of all these models anyway

[risome]

I assume all of the informed experts weighing in own or have worked extensively with Neve EQ and are deeply familiar with their sound, and have personally compared all of the various software models against their own units...

Exactly..most probably not

[eytanmich123]

There are so many Neve-type effect plugins out there. I'm confused and overwhelmed. I wonder, which affordable option is closest to the hardware model?

I'd like to find one that doesn't require any special hardware or dongle/iLok type devices.

Thanks!

There are also many different Neve hardware models, which all sound and behave different. And to make it even more difficult there's also different Neve brands (classic Neve, AMS Neve, Rupert Neve) and hardware clones.

Q: "which affordable option is closest to the hardware model ?"

The TRUE answer is : none. or all. and if I was to elaborate :

A: There are also many different Neve hardware models, which all sound and behave different.
And to make it even more difficult there's also different Neve brands.
and hardware clones of the original hardware.
and software emulations of the hardware clones of the original hardware.

The best one is the one you have NOW, the one you use NOW, and the one you know - NOW.

Shees... these topics reminds me a scene from "Impossible Mission - fallout" :

Spend 24 hours we don't have
to pull a confession we can't trust
from a man we haven't positively identified? No.

Do you want to spend "24 hours" (read: TONS of time) to pull a validation you can't trust (you don't know how the original Neve sounds... how would you know if the emulation sounds the same ?) from people you haven't positively identified? (because the ONLY person who can truly say one processor sounds the same to the other - is YOU. I can bring my 7yo nephew and tell him to write a reply saying that he downloaded a Neve emulation called "Reeve" that can "sound with flying colors - like Superman" and that he used it in a 1975 production. would you be able to know ? )

[tommyzai]

I used Neve hardware in the past, but it's no longer fresh in my ears or mind. However, the sonic qualities those boxes yield are legendary . . . and it's my hope to find the best plugin that captures its essence.

[Raksha]

I used Neve hardware in the past, but it's no longer fresh in my ears or mind. However, the sonic qualities those boxes yield are legendary . . . and it's my hope to find the best plugin that captures its essence.

I have never used Neve hardware. But I have the bx console N (Neve vxs), the bx Lindell 80 (Neve 8028) and the Sonimus Burnley (1073). I tried mixing the same song with the two bx emus, and the mix done with the Lindell 80 was clearly better. It was more open, and had more "personality". The somimus sounds good to, and similar to the Lindell, but the latter is a tad better to my ears, and more flexible. But the first plugin in any chain when I mix is the Sonimus Britson. It is inspired by the neve 8014. It dosent have eq except hi and lowpass, but it adds some very nice and gentle saturation, and is great for gain staging.

[Unaspected]

I've used a Neve VR, Genesys and 2254/R. Out of those, the 2254/R has made most impact on me as a great vocal comp for metal vocals. Would love to own one some day. Though I did find that I could get close to the unit in the box using a combination of stock compression and subtle multiband distortion applied only to the upper mid frequencies.

So it was a no-brainer when I saw that Lindell had made a 2254/E on sale at PA for just £4. Of course, I never used the original unit so I can't say how close it is. It sounds good though - with upsampling to x16. I like to use it mostly for adding motion; just tickling the signal - and when levelling. My one complaint would be the lack of online and offline upsampling options. I dislike having to manually switch up each time I bounce audio and there is a bug that can cause a huge spike or crash if switching whilst audio is playing.

I picked up the Brainworx VXS for the workflow. It's alright. Haven't used it for a while. I found the low end a little blobby. Though I understand that the VXS and VR should sound nothing like the 8028, especially because it lacks the 1073 preamps. And, indeed - whilst I had expectations, I wasn't all that impressed with the VR console when I recorded through it.

I would love to get my hands on an 8028 though: So I picked up the Lindell 80s series recently. I've only used it on a drum mix so far but I was impressed by the quick results. Its easy to brighten up the high end whilst adding punch to the low. The additions to the compressor also make establishing depth in a mix easy to achieve. Though I wasn't crazy about the preamp distortion, it does have sweet spots that depend on the signal. Having never used a 1073 I don't know how accurate the overdriven sound is in this emulation. The gate/expander is surprisingly nice with x16 upsampling engaged though I don't use gates that much. There is a similar bug in this plugin as with the upsampling found in Lindell's 2254/E.

Of course, I didn't expect any of these to sound exactly like hardware but I love the workflow and restrictions of channel strips. I would say that the Lindell 80 Series is good enough and I am most happy with that purchase. I paid about £23 for it, which I think was a great deal. If I were to choose one descriptor, it would be "tidy".

NoiseAsh's "Need 31102" seems to do a similar thing to the low end that Lindell's 80 Series does - probably partially due to transformer emulation combined with how the EQ operates. I've yet to try the 80 Series with True Iron in 1166 mode in front though I don't know if that would be too much. Too much might also be too good, of course.

Also would love to check out SKnote plugins but I can't find demos on the website.

If Cytomic or Audiority ever model any Neve gear, I'd probably buy that without needing to try.