The story
History
Company formation
Rupert Neve formed Neve Electronics in 1961. The company specialised in producing professional audio equipment and mixing consoles. The products used high-quality components and utilized Class-A circuit designs. In 1964 the company moved to Cambridgeshire. That year Neve Electronics built one of the first transistor-based mixing consoles for Philips Studios in London. The company moved to a purpose-built factory in Melbourn, near Cambridge where in 1968 they designed the 2254 compressor limiter for ABC Weekend TV in the UK. It was also in 1968 that Neve Electronics began to distribute their products in North America. Vanguard Records, of New York City, was the first American recording studio to take possession of the Neve console in October, 1968.
1970s
In 1970, Rupert Neve designed the 1073 module for the new A88 mixing console; this console was designed for Wessex Studios. During the seventies Neve Electronics produced a whole series of mixing consoles for both broadcast and recording studios. In 1973, the 8048 console was produced; this included the newer 1081 microphone/line preamplifier and equaliser. In the same year Rupert Neve sold Neve Electronics to the Bonochord Group. He continued working alongside Neve Electronics until 1975 when he left altogether.
In 1977, Neve Electronics began using digital technology with the introduction of their Necam system. Necam stood for Neve Computer Assisted Mixdown. The first Necam system was installed at AIR Studios in London. Necam also gained popularity in television post production facilities, including the BBC. Before the introduction of Necam, all fader mixing had to be done as live, a considerably skilled and stressful task for any dubbing mixer. Necam allowed for fader movements to be stored and recalled at a later point, allowing the dubbing mixer to build a mix in stages and focus on the creative and artistic elements of a mix, rather than on managing the technology. For those working in television post production, this was seen as a major breakthrough. In 1979, the 8108 console was produced using both analog and digital technology. The console had assignable controls and memory mixing faders.
Merger with AMS
In the 1980s, there were concerns about Neve Electronics' financial situation. This was partly due to their ambitious investment into research and development of projects such as the DSP console and the Necam system. Another product that was included in the company's research and development programme was a digitally controlled routing system; very few of these were sold. In 1985, Neve Electronics was acquired by the Siemens group; then in 1992 the Siemens group combined Neve Electronics with another newly acquired company, Advanced Music Systems to form AMS Neve which continues to produce products under both the Neve and AMS Neve brands.
Timeline
1961: Company based at Harlow.
1964: Moved to the Priesthaus in Little Shelford.
1966: The Neve Group of Companies formed 1 December 1966 to take over business run privately by Rupert Neve.
1966: Consoles made for the TV Centre, Madrid.
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1969: First broadcast consoles for ABC Weekend TV and Granada TV.
1969: First consoles to the USA: Sound Studios, Van Nuys, CA and Vanguard studios in New York. First 16 track consoles.
1970: First console to AIR Studios, first desk for BBC TV Lime Grove Studios, a standard 8008 24/8 costing £15,000.
1970: Rupert Neve Incorporated (USA) formed April 1970.
1970: Rupert Neve Canada formed (sales company) 10 September 1970
1973: Neve group of companies purchased by Bononchord (later named ESE Energy Services and Equipment) with Robin Rigby as Chairman.
1975: Rupert Neve leaves the company under contract to not produce a similar product for ten years (i.e. Focusrite 1985).
1977: 8058 and 8068 Mark 1, 5312, 5315
1978: Rupert Neve and Company Ltd becomes Neve Electronics International on April 1, 1978.
1978: Neve digital design department formed.
1985: Neve taken over by Siemens AG (Austria) end 1985.
1992: Company is amalgamated with AMS in Burnley with remaining staff either moving to Burnley or the London Sales Office. Company now called AMS Neve.
2005: AMS Neve acquired by SAE Institute.
2010: SAE sells its interests in AMS Neve back to Mark Crabtree.
From Wikipedia’s article on Neve Electronics, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3