Having already lived a life full of innovation, no one would have blamed
Rupert Neve if he never created another piece of gear again. After all, the man known as the "Godfather of Pro Audio," had spent decades perfecting his gifts to the recording world, including consoles, mic pres, EQ, compressors and more. Yet, ever the tinkerer, Neve remained restless and desired to create something under his own name.
After finishing consulting work for Amek in 1993, Neve and his wife, Evelyn, moved to Wimberly, Texas and began work on a preamp for the popular guitar maker, Taylor Guitars. As Neve further engrained himself into his newfound home, he sought out an old friend to help him establish a brand that utilized his classic designs, as well new ideas.
“I’ve been a designer my whole life – and after my consultancy with Amek ended, I was looking for an outlet to keep creating," Neve says. "Around this time, I was talking to a former colleague, Josh Thomas, and we came to the idea that we could found a new company to design and build these new creations from my new home in Texas.”
Officially launching in 2005,
Rupert Neve Designs put themselves on the map with the release of the popular
Portico series. In the 12 years since, they've built a reputation for melding vintage designs with new innovations, a business model that has resulted in fantastic gear like the
5088 Recording Console,
5060 Centerpiece,
Shelford Channel,
RNDI and more.
We were extremely fortunate to spend time with Rupert Neve and the entire team at RND headquarters last year. Watch our short documentary, An Inside Look At Rupert Neve Designs, below to learn more about the process of how this timeless thinker and his staff continue to create gear that takes pro audio world by the storm.
