DJ/producer Marc “MK” Kinchen recently added a Neve 1073 OPX microphone preamplifier to his private production studio in Los Angeles to provide a cleaner signal path for his large collection of synthesisers and vintage keyboards.
“As soon as I heard about the 1073OPX I knew it was exactly what I needed,” he says. “It’s a great set up for my synths and fits perfectly into my studio. Before I got it, I would record instruments through a patchbay, which was noisy and I couldn’t hear the synths and keyboards as clearly as I wanted to. The OPX gives me eight lines in that are ready to go at any time. I am always bringing synths and keyboards in and out of the studio because I have so many, so having the 1073OPX makes this a lot easier and quicker.”
Originally from Detroit and a recording artist in his own right, Kinchen’s remixes have resulted in numerous number 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Since first coming onto the music scene in the early 1990s, MK has worked with artists that include Storm Queen, Nightcrawlers, Pitbull, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Anabel Englund, Ellie Goulding, Tricky and others.
In addition to its ability to deliver Neve’s classic sound, the 1073OPX has also worked well for Kinchen because it comes with an app that allows him to easily recall his settings. “I didn’t realize it came with an app until I got it,” he laughs, “but once I tried it, I was impressed because it works perfectly over Ethernet and is very fast. You can switch the levels on the computer and watch them turn on the hardware unit, plus it saves your settings for each song so I can recall the song on Logic and on the Neve software and it’s right there. I’ve never seen hardware and software work together like that before. Being able to use analogue, which I love, and integrate it with my computer is perfect. I wish every piece of gear did what the OPX does — it would save everyone a lot of time.”
Apart from the recently acquired Neve 1073OPX, Kinchen also employs a Neve 33609 stereo compressor on all his mixes, and he also has a wish list of other equipment that includes a Neve console. “Over the years I’ve started making more money, which means I have to be out on the road more,” he concludes. “I have an internal joke that I can now afford all this equipment but I’m away for weeks or months at a time, so I don’t get into the studio enough to use it. It’s both a curse and a blessing because I don’t have time. I say to myself that when I eventually stop DJ-ing I’ll have the sickest studio and then I can sit back and do my thing.”
