1073's... Real deal or one of the many clones?

[trodden]

Hey all.
Besides a couple Hairball Coppers, I've yet to have a 1073 style preamp. One studio I track at has six of them and a pair of Great Rivers, which all get used every time. I don't feel I NEED one, but there has to be a reason why they're so popular and copied.

Have we finally got to the point where there isn't much difference between the actual 1073 preamp vs. the many many copies out there? Some of you have said that the WARM Audio stuff doesn't stand up to the real deal. Any others to stay away from or that are a great value, price wise? I'm not as concerned about the EQ at the moment. Although it would be a nice addition. There's Heritage Audio, BAE, Avedis, Vintech, and I'm sure a dozen others.

[Scodiddly]

So one question might be "what kind of shape are the originals in?". I wonder if it's like those old Silvertone amps, where the really desirable sound is when enough resistors have drifted in value.

[andychamp]

Very happy tracking with a bunch of 500 format Great Rivers into RND551 EQs, here.
The GR's Loading switch plus four high-quality transformers in that combo definitely take you to a very familiar sonic place.
I haven't had a chance to hear it next to a real-deal 1073, but I don't really miss that.

[digitaldrummer]

I think with anything that is truly vintage (like a real 1073 from a console) you are going to have maintenance - recapping, replacing pots, any other mechanical parts (buttons, etc.). I love vintage gear and I also hate vintage gear (if it's not working). Sometimes the clones are really good, or good enough with the fact that they work 100% of the time that it doesn't matter? Now I admit I've never used a "real" 1073, but I feel this way about vintage drums, guitars, amps, etc. too. I'd rather have the working gear so I can make music vs. make repairs.

[drumsound]

Unless you're running a studio that is catering to freelance engineers and producers, you probably don't need to have real deal vintage 1073s. As Mike mentioned, I'd rather have things that are less 'particular' on the maintenance field.

I had an Aurora GTQ2 for a few years and it was great, but I don't miss it all that much, and I never had maintenance issues with it, but now Geoff Tanner is getting on in years, and I'm not sure the company exists.

[trodden]

I'm not specifically talking "vintage" since Neve also makes current 1073 preamps.

https://www.ams-neve.com/outboard/1073-range/

Because, yeah, vintage gear is a pain in the ass for upkeep. Agreed.

[trodden]

Very happy tracking with a bunch of 500 format Great Rivers into RND551 EQs, here.
The GR's Loading switch plus four high-quality transformers in that combo definitely take you to a very familiar sonic place.
I haven't had a chance to hear it next to a real-deal 1073, but I don't really miss that.

Truly wonderful preamps. I'm still desiring a pair, either 500 series or a rack. I think this may be my answer.

[trodden]

So one question might be "what kind of shape are the originals in?". I wonder if it's like those old Silvertone amps, where the really desirable sound is when enough resistors have drifted in value.

I love those old Silvertone amps. Have you seen that new pedal that supposedly does the sound?
https://jackson.audio/products/1484

My bandmate has a 1482, the smaller combo amp. It's amazing on everything.

[digitaldrummer]

I'm not specifically talking "vintage" since Neve also makes current 1073 preamps.

except then they are still just clones right? I mean even if Rupert did work there, or helped design it, or whatever, its still likely to differ as component choices and availability changed. And Neve is AMS, AMEK, RND, etc. So many companies. I think the vintage units are really the only ones coveted.

btw, I really like the AML 5003D I have. They don't make them anymore, but AML has some other similar models that also have the big Carnhill transformers and they really do sound nice. I guess some day I really need to take the time to directly compare them to the Hairball Copper...

[trodden]

I'm not specifically talking "vintage" since Neve also makes current 1073 preamps.

except then they are still just clones right? I mean even if Rupert did work there, or helped design it, or whatever, its still likely to differ as component choices and availability changed. And Neve is AMS, AMEK, RND, etc. So many companies. I think the vintage units are really the only ones coveted.

btw, I really like the AML 5003D I have. They don't make them anymore, but AML has some other similar models that also have the big Carnhill transformers and they really do sound nice. I guess some day I really need to take the time to directly compare them to the Hairball Copper...

I guess? I figure if they're gonna slap the "Neve" branding on there, it would be pretty damn close to the "real thing"?

[trodden]

And whatever happened to the 1272 love? Those were a big deal here before the stand alone 1073 came about. Granted, weren't the 1272 just buss amps changed into a pre amp? But there was a craze for a second.

[roscoenyc]

I've got 4 vintage 1067s. They do sound really great and haven't been that much trouble but if I didn't live close to some really good techs I may have bailed on them by now.
Aside from the vintage stuff I have I'm never really looking for more vintage stuff because
of price and maintenance.

I'm always curious about new stuff and that goes for guitars and amps too. I don't need any mic preamps right now but
even though I haven't heard the Warm Neve types myself I do recommend them based on my experience with their microphones (and that killer Centavo thing)

We sold our vintage Fairchild 666 to a collector. It wasn't a very useful compressor. Kind of a one trick thing but we got so much dough for it we were able to get an Undertone UnFairchild 670 that works and sounds great and is much more of an asset to the studio plus we were able to pocket some cash.

[trodden]

We sold our vintage Fairchild 666 to a collector. It wasn't a very useful compressor. Kind of a one trick thing but we got so much dough for it we were able to get an Undertone UnFairchild 670 that works and sounds great and is much more of an asset to the studio plus we were able to pocket some cash.

Overall, I find this a very smart move. Let the museum pieces sit in some collectors "studio" while working studios make records.

[T-rex]

I think with anything that is truly vintage (like a real 1073 from a console) you are going to have maintenance - recapping, replacing pots, any other mechanical parts (buttons, etc.). I love vintage gear and I also hate vintage gear (if it's not working). Sometimes the clones are really good, or good enough with the fact that they work 100% of the time that it doesn't matter? Now I admit I've never used a "real" 1073, but I feel this way about vintage drums, guitars, amps, etc. too. I'd rather have the working gear so I can make music vs. make repairs.

I had a set of Gretsch roundbadge toms, 13 and 16. Goddamn they sounded amazing - when I could get them in tune long enough to get through a take. They weren’t totally round anymore and it was such a narrow sweet spot that I ended up selling the two Toms and
buying an entire kit.

I have zero real 1073 experience but they are such a studio staple, I have always wanted one. But I don’t think having the Neve name on it matters at all. If those ones you’ve worked on at the studio floor you every time you use them, then I would go vintage or get a new one and compare it side to side at the studio and return it if it doesn’t live up to the ideal. I think
having something that inspires you when you plug it in is way more important. But I feel you, I’d LOVE to have a rack of 1073s just to have them - because gear lust.

I did have an N72 from seventh circle and it sounded amazing on everything. It was built by a tech in Nashville and just floored me. I built one myself later and it was never as sweet but still great sounding on anything I put it on.

[T-rex]

I’d actually really like to hear the undertone pre’s and Eqs. I see that unfairchild in a lot
Of nice studios online.