Anytime you want to inject punch and presence into close-miked drums, mold vocals and acoustic guitars with classic Neve EQ curves, or add warmth, sheen and bite to electric guitars, the AMS Neve 8803 is the right tool for the job. Each of this equalizer’s two channels includes four bands of tone sculpting, consisting of semi-parametric high and low bands and two fully parametric midbands. The high bands range from 1.5kHz to 18kHz, while the low bands range from 33Hz to 440Hz. The high and low bands all feature selectable shelving/bell filter types and switchable Q. The high midbands range from 0.8kHz to 9kHz, while the low midbands range from 120Hz to 2kHz. All midbands include a 0.3 to 7 continuously variable Q. Each channel also includes a highpass filter that ranges from 30Hz to 300Hz and a lowpass filter that ranges from 3kHz to 15kHz, with all filters boasting a 12dB per octave slope. Whether you need a surgeon’s scalpel or a blunt instrument, the 8803 is up to the task.
Specifications:
- Packs 2 channels of Neve console-style sound shaping into a 1U rackmount unit
- Gleaned from the EQ circuit in Neve’s classic 8108 and flagship 88RS consoles
- 1 semi-parametric high band, 1 semi-parametric low band, 2 fully parametric midbands, 1 highpass filter, and 1 lowpass filter on each channel
- High bands range from 1.5–18kHz with selectable shelving/bell filter types and switchable Q
- Low bands range from 33–440Hz with selectable shelving/bell filter types and switchable Q
- High midbands range from 0.8k–9kHz with a 0.3–7 continuously variable Q
- Low midbands range from 120–2kHz with a 0.3–7 continuously variable Q
- Highpass filters range from 30–300Hz with a 12dB/octave slope
- Lowpass filters that range from 3–15kHz with a 12dB/octave slope
- Each channel includes a ±20dB input trim that accommodates sources referenced to +4dBu or to -10dBV
- Independent bypass switch on each channel (Note: this switch does not bypass the highpass/lowpass filters)
- Signal and Clip LEDs indicate when a signal reaches -30dBu or >25dBu, respectively
- Combination input jacks accept both XLR and 1/4-inch connectors, balanced or unbalanced, at either +4dBu or -10dBV reference levels
- Parallel XLR and 1/4-inch outputs integrate effortlessly with most balanced and unbalanced gear
- USB port allows for recall of your settings via control software on your Mac or PC