I'm jonesing for a Neve 8801.

I have always loved the sound of the Neve 88R desk (its my lottery win fantasy to buy one)

I just watched a documentary with Dave Gilmour showing his Neve 88R on his house boat studio - amazing place!

I get huge use out of my UAD 88RS channel strips and use them all over my mixes.
I'm going going to get an Octo satellite and upgrade to the new MK2 version of this amazing plugin.

Anyway - as I'm now hybrid in as much as I mix ITB with mix bus hardware and analogue outboard for tracking I thought buying a Neve 8801 channel strip and using the plugin for mixing would give me a poor mans 88 desk.

So is their any love out there for this channel strip, I love the comp and EQ on the plugin so I imagine the strip is amazing!

Any happy users ?

I’ve been curious about this also.

I’ve heard some YouTube clips which piqued my initial interest and thought it sounded great. They pop up from time to to in the £1500-2000 range which all things considered isn’t too much of a bad deal.

I read a few older posts and people seemed to love it when it came out - I just wondered now the honeymoon period is well and truly over if it's still getting any GS love?

I noticed Neve also do the 8816 summing unit - would this complete my poor man's Neve 88R desk?

I've used both and the channel strip on it's own sounds good, but does not sound like the console to me, If you're going to buy the 8801 because you like the sound and operation of the unit go ahead, but it will not sound like or take the place of an 88R....there is a lot more going on in a big console that will not happen in one or a few channel strips or plugins, only an 88R sounds and operate like an 88R.

Thanks for the feedback.

Of course you're right, those desks cost £170K+ for a reason, but for my little home project studio I'm hoping a 8801 and 8816 will get me a little bit of the modern AMS Neve flavour.

you should get it. I've wanted one badly for years jus never pulled the trigger. I have an amek cib and thats a lot like it so I just never did, seems even though its a tremendous piece it just never caught on like some other flavor of the month pieces around here. I almost got one recently a guitar center had one used for About two years it started at 2300.00 but eventually sold for 1500.00 I was hoping it went down more and I was going to grab it but somebody else got it (dang the luck).

I wonder why it never caught on?

I have a Millenia STT-1 and BAE 1073 Pre/EQ that I'm currently using and I think the 8801 falls between these extremes of clean and coloured.

I really became alerted to the 88R sound after using the UAD 88RS channel strip plugin, the compressor and EQ on that little plugin are actually really excellent so I imagine the actual hardware strip is going to be out of this world.

I'm thinking I'll track backing vocals, guitars, acoustic guitar, percussion with the 8801 and possibly lead vocals too as an alternative to the 1073.

Just a little of the 88R compression and EQ adds a lovely silvery sound to the audio.

Sometimes i get the feeling when people realize that when it has the neve name it has to sound like a 1073...and when it doesnt...its strange ...people jump ship....im sure u wil love it....ive heard the desk and its lovely...i think the 8801 is a beast..ill eventually get one

I absolutely LOVE my 8801. I mainly use it for tracking vocals, mostly rap, r&b.... It is clean, but for my particular voice, paired with an akg c214.. it is a match made in heaven. For ME. I'm not sure how that combo works on everyone else. I needed a bright mic, but not a setup that made my voice sound too "heavy" and "boomy" which I run into problems with on some other mics. This channel strip helps me get everything just the way I like it. Obviously a treated room is just as important.

I really like the 8803 EQ, which I understand is the EQ in the channel strip. Doc Mixwell liked the 8803, but not so much the 8801, so not sure what that means. I think the Pre is from the 88R which Al Schmitt said he likes in a Neve video and helped advise on. Can't imagine it's bad, but never used one. It does have a recall feature, like the 8803, which is very helpful.

I love both my 8801 channel and 8803 eq. Neve recall sucks on Windows therefore I would like both of these units to remember their settings after power off... Anyone knows how to do it?

Tom

ok guys my findings so far on modern computer...
I am running a Macbook Pro with Win 10 Pro on Bootcamp.
I have 4 NEVE units, 2x 8801 and 2x 8803.
If using the same USB-hub for all devices the Total recall software will crash as soon as you connect the same model of an already connected model (two 8801s for example).
So you need to use two separate USB-hubs with 8801 + 8803 on one USB-hub and 8801 (B) + 8803 (B) on the other.
I use the very expensive Apple Thunderbolt to USB+HDMI+USB-C charge for this. The USB-hubs are very cheap but both are powered which it says they should be in the Total Recall manual.
I havent worked that many hours with this setup yet but I have found a bug, that when using all NEVEs my second 8801 will glitch in the Total Recall software saying it is reset/fine but I know I have turned a knob.
The other 3 seems to be ok.
So I have to save a store for 3 units then store the 8801 (B) settings separately.

However, no crash so far when using two USB-hubs.
So, the Total Recall software is VERY picky regarding USB-connections/hubs.
I am also using a separate computer for the Total Recall software...with no other USB-devices connected.

It is absolutely worth the hassle if you need total recall and recently discovered that you have been fooling yourself BIG TIME when saying that plugins sound as good as hardware EQ and dynamics... as I have said for the last 20 years...
What a difference. It is absolutely shocking that hot shot producers mix with plugins. It is night and day.
Regarding analog summing, I am not totally convinced. it is a matter of "coloring" more than summing.

i have an 8803 Neve hardware unit, and i could never get the recall software to work ever.

im on Mac pro 12 core, and 10.13 something.

the EQ sounds good, but i find the buttons too small for comfort.

i will have to swap it out for something else one day.

Buddha

I have 4 8801/ADC units, using Windows 7 pro 64 bit and Windows 10pro 64bit, neither machine seems able store recall.
Wonder if Neve would be interested in open sourcing the existing recall software frame for user development?
I don't think Neve have ever released an update for it, like ever..so if it is ever going to be anything more than an flashy icon on my task bar, pretty sure it would need to be rescripted by someone other than the creator. It doesn't crash or act buggy, it just does not store when shutting either machine down

Thanks for the thread reminding me I need to prioritise getting an 8803.
Stay safe and well all, have a happy new year

Very good idea. Perhaps someone could handle this better than Neve.

Happy New Year !!

The 8801 is a great sounding channel strip. I do agree with lights are little bright on it, but it's a wonderful combination of pre, compressor and a smooth EQ. AMS Neve needs several email from folks who need them to update the software to work with the latest Windows and Mac platform.

I am following this. I saw that Sweetwater recently added the 8801 and I am VERY interested in this channel strip for Rap/Hip-Hop vocals, and the ability to just insert my favorite compressor.

I emailed them years back when I had committed to owning multiple 8801's and they never replied re the recall software.
When I loaded 2 8801's with ADC cards, they replied almost instantly, which tells me any conversation about the recall software was of no interest to them.
Perhaps if the 8801 was more fashionable it's recall software would attract more interest from the builder. It's a very pricey unit and from most of the feedback I find online, it gets knocked back on just that. I would never ever give my up, even though I have gone from 6 channels down to 4, and where I realistically can only justify owning 2.
I store settings in Notepad if I think I'll need to be to pull them up again, where that gets messy is typically the file name game. It can be difficult for me to keep straight, particularly if I'm in a hurry.
All that said, the type of work I once possibly had available to me is all but dried up and my hanging on to so many channels of a high dollar asset is a questionable decision, and probably one of those gear decisions I emotionalise beyond reason.

I don't know how many 8801's are in the field versus how many are available for sale as new, I rarely ever see anyone else with them. Whereas many folks rave about their UAD 88 strip, I think the 8801 is heads and shoulders above that great plugin. Whether they are even close to the desk' sound, only a handful of people could objectively even make that case. I think they sound awesome, as does the plugin by UAD.
Stay safe and well all

In Cubase, there is a note section for each channel. I typically use that for EQ or compression settings of hardware I use on a session with the exception of my SSL X Rack that saves your settings.

Though the UAD 88RS is an excellent channel strip, I agree with you if you like that plug in, you will be even happier with the 8801 channel strip.

I typically use that section in DAW's that have the feature to leave snide unnecessary remarks about stuff my co-collaborator does or undoes.

Your use of the notes section is a much better idea!

Stay safe man

Could you share why you have both - I was under the impression the eq on the 8803 is the same as in the 8801?

It's a perennial issue with established pro audio analog guys like Neve and SSL
brilliant at hardware - too often flaky short term support for software compared to companies like RME.

Just ask SSL Nulceus 1, Duende DSP and Sigma users !!

What is the advantage to having both the 8801 and the 8803? On paper it looks to me like the 8803 is inside the 8801. Thank.

I am mixing out of the box. I need many eqs and dynamics. But dont try this at home. It will be too expensive.

Ok thanks, just making sure I wasn't missing something on the 8803.

Matrix 2 user here and I'm quite happy with the software end of the Matrix...not ideal...but highly usable and quite reliable for the most part.

That said, I am seriously looking to pick up a pair of the 8801's in lieu of the RND Shelford Channels precisely because of the recall features. There haven't been any updates to increase reliability?

New total recall software for modern operativ systems!
Seems to detect my 5 units just fine on macOS Mojave!
Product downloads.
https://www.ams-neve.com/8801-channel-strip-33-p.asp

Hi guys!

I made an security update for Mojave that broke the Total Recall App. No racks found.
I then updated to Catalina, still No racks found.
Have you seen this issue before?
I am using a heavy duty powered USB hub directly connected to my iMac Pro. It worked flawlessly before.

A couple of reboots later, it now works again

Hiya!

Just wondered if anyone could share their thoughts on the compressor in the 8801? Thanks in advance!