Rupert Neve Designs Newton Channelstrip

Was just coming here to post this.

Interestingly the Newton is transformerless (edited based on Drumsounds post below - this is transformerless input, but has a transformer in the output stage*). Still has Rupert Neve DNA. Im looking forward to hearing this.

    
    * "sound" depends on the design as a whole, but in theory using a transformer on the output stage and not both output and input statge can provide a theoretically more clean / pure / correct signal, all else being equal. 

    
    Rupert passed in 2021, so the Newton may have already been in the pipeline.  I find it interesting that through his carrer Rupert's designs became less colored (at least the design, I am not an expert in RN's designs, not have I heard them all by any stretch).

That and no ( THAT Jensen opamp pun intended) is how you build it cheaper!

Yea, that's why I have a whole mess of them.  Some Neve-ish color, but it's own thing with that almost tube-like top end I only get on my AXIS 200vu.  The EQs are great, not exactly my favorite but really great sounding gear.

Don't think he comes here

I’m sure it sounds good but is overpriced vs the 4 channels of transformer pres for 3 something k or a small mixer like the Alice or SSL for a little bit more.

At least it has a sweepable high pass vca comp (probably made from that chips) and not a diode bridge. But the compressor might be even less flexible than some diode bridge comps if it’s just a bog standard inoffensive THAT corp rms design like the THAT example build PDFs.

If this is truly all THAT chips, why not just get a Drawmer 1970 or 1972? Less than half the price per channel with more interesting compressor, expander, or filters just with Ivor Drawner’s name on it instead of Rupert Neve’s.

  Have only chatted with him once, but I see Geoff share his Neve experience and knowledge most every week in a Vintage Neve FB group, including this one.

I own and love two of Geoff’s GTQC channel strips. They are the core of my studio. I’ve kept in touch with Geoff over the time since I bought them, but my last couple of emails have gone unanswered. So I am very interested in any news.

My own Brother was my partner for 20 years and we haven’t spoken since.

I watched my dad and uncle have a strained relationship due to business. When I was starting mine I called my brother and told him why I'd never ask him to be my partner.  The only time we ever really fought was when we were in a band together. 

A friend of mine who moved to one of the Carolinas said a studio near him just bought 16 Newton Channels as their front end.

I tested one against an IAA and Shelford (before I sold it).

Firstly I tested matt@IAA 's 500 series preamp vs the Shelford, in short it was a tossup. Let me just say they don't sound a million miles aways from each other, the IAA is a bit more natural or "vintage" sounding whereas the Shelford is somewhat more on the clean & detailed side. They're both inductor EQ's and I prefer the Shelford here however the VCA on the IAA is far better than the bridge diode on the Shelford. Then you look at the price, $3K difference for something that really is just different I guess?

Now let's circle back to the Newton, yes I still preferred the VCA to the bridge diode of the Shelford however that's essentially where it ended. It's not that the Newton is a bad sounding channel, I don't think anything RND makes is anything less than excellent. However I came to the conclusion that the Newton is just too expensive for what it is, I'd rather have a rack of IAA's.