The Neve 1073 is very high up in that list of vintage gear names that conjure up quality, heritage and, well, expensive price tags. It’s a mic preamp and EQ that was first developed as part of a custom-built Neve recording console more than 50 years ago, but quickly gained a reputation by word of mouth, so became a product in its own right. What the 1073 does to a recording or mix is – as is often the case with iconic pieces of equipment like this – scatter some magic dust on it. Yes, these classic studio legends often have that ‘it just makes everything sound good’ reputation, but at least we can be a bit more specific with the 1073. It adds some
