Neve Modules. . . A Little bit of Neve History (Story #6)

Reading through the rec.audio.* news group contributions upon my return from the UK, I could not help but notice that there had been a lot of discussions about Neve "hype". I'd like to put my "two cents worth" in based on experiences and revelations learnt during my long employment with the old "firm".

First, the one aspect that has been very consistent about old Neve gear is the build quality. This has always been to a very high standard and the same comment can be applied to most of the circuit designs but, as my "Amazing Neve Stories" have revealed, there were a few "flawed" designs, as with any company.

Another important point is that (Arthur) Rupert Neve did not create all of the circuit designs the company produced. From the very earliest days the company had a research and development department and, whilst I don't want to take the spotlight off Rupert's obvious accomplishments, I think a little lime light should also shine on the staff of the Research & Development departments and, indeed, all the other talented engineers who worked their socks off to produce great circuit designs for Rupert Neve and Company Limited and its successors. (One should also not forget that Rupert departed from his namesake company in 1975).

I raise this point because of recent claims I've read concerning the creator of the design for the classic 2254 Limiter Compressor. It's going to take another trip back in the time machine to clarify this point!

OK, so we have warped back to the fall of 1968 and we are standing on the lawn in front of the old Priesthaus in Little Shelford near Cambridge. It's almost two years since the Rupert Neve group of companies were formed and business is booming with turnover up 200% on the previous year. The work on the new site at Melbourn is well advanced and this will reduce the overcrowding at the Priesthaus. Consoles and modules are now being produced in the easily recognisable RAF Blue Grey (rather than the earlier Black) but Germanium transistors still rule along with octal based Gardner's and St. Ives transformers and a positive ground system. Rupert's current offering in the "dynamic processor" market is his 2252 Limiter/compressor which is of three module width with a centre square VU meter, and the 15 pin Amphenol connector and octal transformers of its sibling modules.

Around this time Neve were making inroads into the lucrative broadcast equipment market and had already sold their first "solid state" program switcher to the Independent Broadcast Authority. They were also keen to win a large order for broadcast limiters, submitting their 2252 for this role. By an ironic quirk of fate the failings of the 2252 are precisely what make them desirable to musicians thirty years later but, back then, the IBA were not impressed with the performance of the 2252, particularly its "double figure" distortion when hard pressed. . . it was rejected for not meeting their tight performance specifications!

Module design around this era involved Rupert Neve and his "R & D" department of David Rees and Elizabeth Harmer-Smith (forgive me if I've misspelt your name but you were always known to Neve staff and customers alike as "Betty"!).

David produced a new design for a broadcast limiter which was accepted by the engineers of the IBA in its "breadboard" prototype state, such was the improvement. The module was put into production as the 2253 Limiter. Aficionados of Neve equipment will recognise the first appearance of the Simpson edgewise meter on the left of the two module width unit and the B185 control element printed circuit board. Hundreds of these modules were sold and provided good service with many broadcast authorities, protecting their transmitters from destructive overloads.

It was a natural progression to add a second side chain and include a compressor section into the module which David undertook but Rupert insisted that his B183 output stage be used instead of the B186 used in the 2253. (The B186 design survived to be used in the B187 of the 1460 series of Oscillators).

Obviously, the design of any device is the result of considerable consultation and co-operation between roles including sales, design engineering, production engineering, etc., and cannot usually be attributed to one person. Nor, indeed, should one person claim all the credit where others have put in a considerable input.

For a final flag wave, let me include the name of just some of the Heads of Neve Research and Development up to around 1980. . .

Geoff Watts (who later married Betty!), Mike Grimwood , Art Schubert and (Dr.) Martin Hartley-Jones. For a huge list of all the Neve workers names you'll have to wait for my book to be finished, I will try to include everyone!

-Copyright © 2002 Geoff Tanner