The audio world was saddened on Feb. 12, 2021, as Rupert Neve passed away at the age of 94. His name will live on, not only for the vintage (and revered) consoles and modules he designed, but his legacy had a substantial impact on live sound as well.
During World War II, while serving in the British Royal Signals, he provided P.A. for notables such as the royal family and Winston Churchill. In the 1960’s, he built custom consoles and founded the Neve company. One of his most lauded designs was the 1073 preamp/EQ module, which has long been a popular choice as a “money channel” input on tours. That circuit has often been copied, yet none truly capture the magic of the originals. Part of the answer came at AES 1993, when I hosted a three-hour chat event with Rupert, where he spoke in detail about how the transformer designs shaped his legendary sounds.
Rupert founded Focusrite in 1985, and some of his ISA-Series of designs (originally created for George Martin’s Air Studios) remain in production today. In 2005, he began Rupert Neve Designs, to create outboard and console products. Gear for live users include the 5045 Primary Source Enhancer (to reduce feedback without undesirable artifacts) and the RMP-D8 8-channel remote preamp with Dante. Rupert also collaborated with Yamaha to include his processing into its Rivage, CL, and QL console lines.
We are saddened by the loss of this legend, but thankful for a man who left a legacy that will long affect the sounds of productions in the future. Rest well, old friend.
