Producer and songwriter Brian Alston recently updated his project studio in Northern Arizona, which he uses for his own projects and to record local bands, with a Neve 8424 small-format console.
“If you want the real Neve sound in a console, the value to cost ratio of this product is remarkable,” Alston says. “In a typical home studio environment, an 88R would be a bit much and a BCM10 would be a bit pricy, but the 8424 is a perfect balance between the two. It has the same pedigree as the consoles in Abbey Road and Capital Studios, and it is very inspiring to know that most of my musical heroes made some of their greatest albums on Neve desks or with a heavy amount of Neve gear.”
Alston, who has been making and producing music since he was a teenager, uses his studio for his own projects and to record local bands. Alongside the 8424 console, he’s also running a Neve 1073OPX Octal microphone/line/instrument preamplifier, with both components acquired from Vintage King.
“Because of time restraints on my recording I find the balance of analog and digital to be a huge blessing,” he says. “The 8424 is the centerpiece of my studio and I link it with a 1073 OPX, converter and a computer running a DAW. This gives me a mega fast and smooth way of working. The 1073OPX aids in the recording process so much, especially as I only have one room to record in. Having all of the inputs on the front makes it so easy — I plug in a mic and can get started straight away.
“I also have the OPX networked to the 8424 via Cat6 cable and can control it from the board, so it’s like having a big or vintage old school Neve desk in that regard. For someone who is pressed for time, it allows me to focus on the musician aspect more than the engineering aspect. I love both roles, but when the front end just works, I can quickly swap out a mic to change tone and continue focusing on the part I’m playing.”
Having never made such a large equipment purchase before, he relied heavily on Vintage King’s guidance: “Audio Sales Consultant Chris Karn was always there to answer my questions, offer options and solutions and make sure that the transaction went smoothly. The 8424 is minimal yet offers so much. One of the things I love most is that once you get it, you don’t have to fit it out with another $10,000 worth of EQs and comps to make it complete. It also fits a small footprint and doesn’t at all feel cramped to operate. All the knobs and buttons are very easily accessible, and your head ends up staying between the speakers.”
