Neve 1073LB 500 Series Microphone Preamp

Dropped on the studio world in 1960, Neve's 1073 Audio Preamplifier immediately made its bones on the recording studio scene. Renowned for it's ability to capture, complement and create a uniquely great sound no matter the source, the 1073 has been the go-to recording preamp of leading artists and producers from hit recordings too numerous to mention. If you think of any famous recordings of the past 60 years, chances are more than good that the artists' voices or instruments first saw tape through a Neve 1073...

....and now it is available in the 500 series format.

The Neve 1073LB 500 Series Microphone Preamp is manufactured in Great Britain to the exacting specs of original 1073 passive tube equalizer. Featuring painstakingly recreated original spec hand-wound input and output transformers, matched components, as well as specially recreated tantalum coupling caps, the 1073LB bathes your ears in vintage Neve glory. With a build quality of which the British Admiralty would approve, the 1073LB's massive input level switch contacts are gold-plated to withstand decades of marathon tracking sessions.

As magical as owning a rare piece of vintage kit can appear, the lack of modern conveniences can ultimately detract from the recording experience. That's why the boffins at Neve gave the 1073LB switchable microphone input impedance, signal presence LED and intelligent protected switching on the front combi-XLR input connector so you don't accidentally fry a line-level device with 48V. The 1073LB features three polar patterns (cardiod, omnidirectional, and bi-directional), switchable from the external PSU included with purchase.

The new Fine Trim control lets you squeeze the maximum level of sparkling clean signals or crank the gain for some Revolution distortion. The 1073LB's smart Audio Processing Input design and Lunchbox Insert architecture allows you to create a classic Neve 1073 channel strip when used with a Neve 1073LB Series EQ. With its four Unison-enabled preamps, six line outs, and optical ADAT/SPDIF input — plus dedicated monitor remote controls and a built-in Talkback mic — the 1073LB gives you the I/O you need for professional tracks and mixes.

And all this sonic potential installs in an empty slot of your compatible 500 series rack, ready to inject your microphone or line level signals into that legendary universe of Neve sound.

Note: The Neve 1073LB will not work with the A-Designs 500HR 2-slot rack or the Empirical Labs EL500 2-slot rack.

Click here to learn more about the history of the Neve 1073 Preamplifier.