Rupert Neve passed away last Saturday, the 13th, at the age of 94, due to "non-Covid" pneumonia that caused heart failure.
Neve was the creator of some of the most highly regarded and important products for studio recording. He is considered a legend in audio and sound engineering. His products were and still are used today by countless bands during the recording process. The company Rupert Neve Designs states:
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rupert Neve, whose name is synonymous with high-quality recording equipment worldwide. He remained cheerful until the end, enjoying his life in Wimberley, Texas, where he and his wife Evelyn lived for 27 years. At 94 years old, Rupert remained engaged and passionate about his work, spending most of his days on electronic audio projects and mentoring our team of engineers on various design and development projects."
Neve's work received special attention in the documentary Sound City , made by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters in 2013, with many of the musicians who recorded there marveling at the sound of Neve's mixing console, as can be seen in this excerpt:
Dave Grohl also explained to the renowned program 60 Minutes the importance of the equipment created by Rupert Neve:
Born in England in 1926, Neve volunteered for the British Army in World War II. After the war ended, he worked in various electronics companies and workshops before creating his own brand, Neve Electronics , in 1961.
In 1964 he created the design for what became the first commercially successful transistor-based mixing console. It was commissioned by Phillips Studios in London. Rupert Neve's invention would eventually replace the vacuum tube circuit designs that had been used until then.
Its heyday came in the 70s, with consoles that were crucial to the texture of classic rock sound. Perhaps the Neve 8028 , which resided at Sound City in LA, is the most famous.
Neve 1073 preamplifier , used to shape the sound of the microphones used in recording and still considered one of the best units of its kind, being the subject of constant cloning and emulation.
In 1997, Rupert Neve was awarded the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in Technical Performance .
Several rock celebrities, such as Joe Perry , as well as industry brands like Guitar Center and studios Electric Lady and Capitol Studios, have already expressed their sadness at the loss.
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