My head is going to pop. I just want one channel of vintage Neve sound for my studio. I already have the Portico ii. I can't keep up. ams, neve, bae, heritage, aurora, vintech, warm blah blah blah. I just want that colored, classic rock type sound. Do I even need the EQ section? Help me not jump out of a window deciding on which preamp. I've read probably every thread on the topic, so now, someone just tell me what to do. I don't care about price, and I'm going to buy used.

If its causing that much confusion, are you sure you need it?

This is not helpful. yes, I want one, but given it's impossible to hear them all, I"m hoping to get some input from those who have used them. But thanks for nothing.

It always helps to be nice. However there are a lot of options. I went through the same thing after selling off originals many years ago. There is an option to search out everything on this site and other areas of the internet. Neve sells new units as well. I was very happy purchasing new from Neve. It’s a loaded topic. Good luck with your journey.

shelford channel.
best of both worlds.

I already have the portico ii, and from what i read the shelford is great but not quite the 1073 flavor.

I have read and read and read. Hence my utter confusion.

Some people want to treat mic preamps like flavoured popsicles. I've never understood that. My response would be, and it's what I did myself. Get a second Portico II. I find a stereo pair to be far more useful than two different "flavours".

Just yesterday, for the first time in a while, I recorded a full 5 piece band live off the floor and ran all the instruments through the pre's on my Neve console. I'd forgotten how good it sounds when you use the same pre's on everything. The drums especially had a certain "glued together" feel.

thanks but i have the warm audio 412, stereo millenia and stereo adl.

i want something different. i want a 1073.

Want something different? Get a different mic. I've worked with 1073's, 1081's, 33105's, (vintage) Porticos as well as some of the clones (BAE etc) they're all in the same basic family of characteristics but the Portico has them beat for sound as well as versatility IMHO.

AMS Neve and Heritage sound similar to each other, but somewhat less similar to a vintage Neve. BAE seems a bit closer. None of the clones sound quite like the vintage Neves I've heard, but not all the vintage Neves sound the same. If it were me, I'd go with an AML ez1073.

Reread your post. Coloured classic rock. From your list, the Aurora would probably be closest to that coloured vintage 1073 sound. I have the AMS 1073 and they're OK, but not what I remember from working on the older vintage 80 series consoles FYI.

When I think coloured classic rock, Trident and Helios also come mind.

1073 is different? 1073 is the one trickiest pony in the whole pony show.

If you are so 1073, why not just buy a 1073 and stop asking silly questions??

I wasn't trying to be combative, or glib. Preamps make the mics louder and have some influence on the sound. They do not make or break a recording. I used the word need for a reason.

All the things you mention will work. The Aurora GTQ2 gets you stereo and sounds great and has a great EQ.

i have a wunder cm7s, 2x u87, 2x gefel um92, akg c414, gefel um70, shure sm7 2x gefell m300, 2x akg c460s etc. so, shake your head all you want. I"m not interested in being told why I don't want or need it.
I"m not sure why this is so hard.

BAE 1073 MPF

get one

Because there are so many versions, and because I"m unable to hear them all, I was hoping to find someone kind enough to share their knowledge with me, rather than just make themselves feel better by attempting to belittle me.

Why not start at the source? Buy or rent a 1073. See if you like the real one.
And then, the knowledge will be yours. You can make a decision on a real one, by listening to and using a real one.

Its always best to start at the source...

I live in Ct. There is no where to go. It sucks. I think i'll be the 1073n and start there.

Good place to start. Dont think you can go wrong there...

Sonic Circus is in Vermont. They prolly have 1073N in stock.

Hey slesh. For someone who records with the portico ii, what do you like about it? What is missing for you?

You clearly misunderstood. You're looking for substantial differences in builds or clones of Neve pre's. Specifically a 1073. Ideally, if they're any good, the clones will have one sound. They'll sound like a 1073. So just pick one or get a real vintage 1073. They're all going to be within a few percent of each other. If you want a varied sound, don't look to the pre, look to the mics. I'm not sure why this is so hard to understand.

As i tried to explain to you, I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The sound I think you're looking for is not in the standalone 1073 or clone. It's probably a result of all the other circuitry that's in an 80 series neve plus the other vintage gear, tape machines etc they were using at the time. If you're looking for that vintage rock colour that you claim to be looking for, you're looking in the wrong place.

Oh, I'm sure you're proud of your mic collection but with the exception of one dynamic mic, they're all condensers. You have no variety. So I'll say it again. You're looking in the wrong place.

vintage 1066s with round-can input transformers.........dripping with vibe

Get a BAE 1073 and stop worrying about it. Yes you want the EQ.

no dude, i just stopped listing my mics. i omitted my ribbons and my 421 and 441 and and beyers and re20s and all that jazz. I"m not lookign for someone to interpret what I need. I want a 1073 sound. I know what I want, just looking for guidance from those who have had the chance to use all the clones. The ONLY neves I've ever used were real ones. Seriously, what's your issue here?

It's great, but it's vanilla. Even with the silk, it doesn't get me as colored as I want. to be clear, it's amazing, and for acoustic guitar it's the bomb. I also love it tracking kick drum. There's NOTHING wrong with it. I'm not getting rid of it. I just want more colored like an old 1073/1081. That's it.

thank you

My issue here was to try to help save you from some expensive disappointment. Coming from a guy that already has some 1073's. There's no magic in a 1073 that you don't already have. But hey, since you're dishing out attitude, knock yourself out.

Then save up your pennies and by an original.
None of the clones sound like exactly like the real thing.

They all sound like themselves at different points on an EQ curve. The BAE is on one end and the clones without transformers on the input or output are on the other.

If they were in the 4-5k range, I would in a second. But people want 6-8 and even more per channel, and given this is just a home studio for me, I need to draw the line somewhere.