Most of the passive components are surface-mount types, which helps to create the space needed to accommodate the additional features, but all the transistors are conventionally sized. The output stage replaces one of the small signal transistors with the large, lozenge-shaped 3055 output transistor mounted on a heat sink adjacent to the output transformer.Internally, the 1073N employs a single, main printed circuit board (PCB) which carries pretty much everything. The array of black rectangles (bottom centre) are the sealed relays that provide the gain switching, and the groups of three small, black, D-shaped devices are the five transistor gain stages.
The original Carnhill output transformer (top) and the mic and line input transformers (bottom) are present, along with the large EQ inductors (right). The innards of the 1073N module are housed almost entirely on a single PCB, with most passive components being surface-mount devices. A three-pin Sleeve socket is secretively assigned for 'future expansion', but I would hazard a guess that this might be for connecting a yet-to-be-released remote fader module. In addition, four miniature toggle switches configure the DI input with a 20dB pad and ground lift, and switch the module between the console/rack and stand-alone operating modes, setting the correct output termination and external level-control options. A phantom-power slide-switch, with red LED, and a mic input-impedance toggle switch are arranged around the Combo XLR connector. Sadly, there's no cord-retention or locking mechanism, but there is a fuse-holder, a blue power LED, and an on-off rocker switch, all on the module's back panel.Īlongside the original 18-way Amphenol edge connector, which still functions as normal if the module is placed in a rack or console, Neve's designers have squeezed in a male XLR to carry the balanced output, a Combo XLR for the balanced mic and line inputs, and a quarter-inch TS socket for an unbalanced instrument input. The mains input to the 'line-lump' takes the form of a standard IEC inlet, and it accepts any supply voltage between 100V and 240V AC. The external power supply is a compact, third-party, 'line-lump', switched-mode unit, which provides 0.31A at 48VDC. Bizarrely, even when the unit is inside the sleeve, the rear toggle switches all stand proud - the sleeve provides no protection at all! Getting the unit out of and back into the sleeve is a bit of a challenge, because there are no side rails or guides, and there's an anti-vibration plate part-way down on the inside of the lid. The 1073N is identical in size and nearly as heavy as a standard 1073 console module, and it's supplied in a black-painted steel sleeve, to give it a more 'complete' and stand-alone look. On the rear of the module, you can see the Amphenol connector that enables this device to be used with original Neve 45-series consoles, in addition to being suitable for stand-alone use. The end result is a backwards-compatible 1073 module that can also be used as a stand-alone preamp/EQ. In essence, this is a reworked version which maintains the same '45-series' form factor and console connectivity, with the same front-panel controls and circuitry, but employs modern construction techniques and some surface-mount components, to improve the packaging and allow the addition of some new features and connectivity. The latest addition to the 1073 family is a variation called the 1073N. (Both were reviewed in SOS December 2011.) A partnering 500-series EQ module is available to complete the original feature set, too.
The company also market the basic preamp element of the original 1073 design in two-channel, 1U rackmount forms, as the 1073 DPA and DPD (the latter with an integral A-D converter), and as a 500-series (API Lunchbox) module, the 1073LB. (A quick Google search on the term "Neve 1073 clone” will throw up many, many results!)ĪMS Neve describe the original 1073 console module, which they still manufacture, as "the world's most desirable preamp” and, if you don't happen to own an original Neve 45-series console with some spare module slots, can supply 3U and 5U stand-alone rack frames with integral power supplies to accommodate two or eight modules, respectively. The reverence that has grown up around this combined preamp and EQ design has led to countless clones, homages, and re-imagined versions and variations, some sticking pedantically closely to the original construction and features, some simplifying the design, or adding useful new features better suited to modern stand-alone applications.
Neve 1073 plugin settings pro#
Most people with anything more than a vague awareness of pro audio will be aware of the deference afforded to the original Neve 1073 mixing-console module. Even Neve themselves make several variations on the classic 1073 theme.