BAE 1028 Rackmount Microphone Preamp & EQ

At 10 pounds and built around the Neve 1073’s fabled preamp, this rackmount brute delivers surgical EQ with unapologetic analog weight.

Overview

The BAE 1028 Rackmount Microphone Preamp & EQ is a heavy 19-inch box. BAE Audio built it in the Neve-inspired lineage, taking its circuitry directly from the 1073 and its structure from the 1084. The preamp section is identical to the 1073's, with the same creamy, harmonically rich gain stage that has defined thousands of vocal and instrument recordings. BAE then expanded the EQ and gave engineers finer control, especially in the midrange, where the 1028 offers eleven selectable center frequencies. That is overkill, and in a recording chain overkill is often what's needed.

Owners report it excels where the original 1073 might struggle—situations demanding precision without sacrificing color. The midrange isn’t just adjustable; it’s malleable. Whether carving space for a muddy acoustic guitar or lifting a lead vocal without harshness, the 1028’s peaking band, ranging from 160Hz to 10kHz, gives engineers a scalpel where others offer a butter knife. The high and low shelving bands stay true to classic design, with high-frequency options stretching to 24kHz—beyond the range of human hearing, but whose presence is felt in the airy openness of cymbals and strings. The low end, with choices at 35Hz and 220Hz, handles both sub-bass weight and upper-bass punch, making it adaptable across sources.

The filtering is what separates the 1028 from a simple clone. The high-pass filter switches at 45Hz, 70Hz, 160Hz, and 360Hz, with an 18dB per octave slope. It is aggressive enough to eliminate rumble without phase smearing. The low-pass filter, selectable between 6kHz and 18kHz, is a rarity in this class. It is useful where high-frequency roll-off is needed, such as taming sibilance in a live vocal or softening an overly bright drum overhead. The EQ and phase buttons are straightforward but essential. The 180° phase inversion is a lifesaver on multi-mic setups, and the EQ can be bypassed instantly for A/B comparison.

Specifications

Manufacturer	BAE Audio
Product type	rackmount microphone preamp and equalizer
Frequency Response	10Hz to -3dB at 55kHz
Equalizer	3 Band
High Frequency	+/-16dB fixed frequency shelving at 10kHz, 12kHz, 16kHz, 20kHz and 24kHz
Low Frequency	+/-16dB shelving with selectable frequencies of 35Hz, 60Hz, 110Hz & 220Hz
Mid Range	+/-18dB peaking with switchable selectable centre frequencies of 160Hz, 270Hz, 360Hz, 510Hz, 700Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 4.8kHz, 7.2kHz, 8.2kHz, 10kHz
High Pass Filter	18dB per octave slope, switchable between 45Hz, 70Hz, 160Hz & 360Hz
Low Pass Filter	18dB per octave slope, switchable between 6kHz, 8kHz, 10kHz, 14kHz, & 18kHz
EQ Button	Switches the equaliser on or off
Phase Button	180°
Mic Input Impedance	≈1200/300 ohms
Line Input Impedance	10k ohms
DI Input Impedance	≈150k ohms
Output Impedance	65 ohms
Common Mode Rejection Ratio	100dB min @ 60Hz
Maximum Output Level	+27.4 dBu @ 600Ω
Gain	0 to 80 dB
Equivalent Input Noise	-110 dBu; Unweighted 300kHz Bandwidth
Power Requirements	115/230 VAC, 28W
Width	19"
Weight	10 lbs / 4.54 kg
Dimensions	Rackmount: 19" W x 1.75" H x 9" D

Key Features

Hand-Wired Carnhill Transformers

The core of the 1028 is its transformers, authentic Carnhill (St. Ives) units, hand-wired into the circuit. Carnhill transformers are descendants of the original Marinair units used in vintage Neve consoles. They are responsible for the warm saturation, the slight compression on transients, and the three-dimensional depth of the "Neve sound." In the 1028 they are not simulated or substituted. The signal path stays clean at low gain and breaks up in a musical way when driven. The hand-wiring ensures consistency and durability, though it also makes each unit a labor-intensive build, which shows in the original pricing structure.

1073-Identical Preamp Circuit

The 1028 uses the exact same mic/line preamp as the BAE 1073. The 1073's preamp is arguably the most emulated circuit in recording history, known for adding presence and body without harshness. On vocals, bass, or acoustic instruments, it gives a "larger than life" quality, a subtle lift in the upper mids that helps sources cut through a dense mix. BAE cloned the circuit rather than approximating it, so the 1028 delivers the same foundational tone. That makes it a reliable upgrade path for engineers already invested in the 1073 sound.

Expanded Midrange EQ with Eleven Frequencies

The 1073's midrange offers four or five frequency points. The 1028 has eleven. Selecting 700Hz, 8.2kHz, or 10kHz as a mid band center frequency allows for extremely targeted adjustments. A vocalist with a nasal resonance at 800Hz can be tamed with a narrow cut at 700Hz, while a snare lacking snap can be enhanced at 4.8kHz. The ±18dB range gives ample cut or boost, and the peaking filter's Q appears to be consistent across frequencies, avoiding the uneven response some clones suffer from.

BA283 Amplifier Card

The unit relies on the BA283 amplifier card, a discrete Class A design that drives the signal path. According to GroupDIY discussions, swapping this card for a vintage Neve equivalent can lead to operational issues, specifically popping in the input attenuator when changing gain settings. That suggests tight integration between the BA283 and the rest of the circuit, and it is a warning to modders: the 1028 is optimized as a complete system. The card contributes to the unit's low noise floor and high common mode rejection, which helps maintain signal integrity in electrically noisy environments.

High and Low Pass Filters with 18dB/Octave Slope

Having both high and low pass filters with an 18dB per octave slope is unusual in a 1073-style unit. The high-pass options of 45Hz, 70Hz, 160Hz, and 360Hz make it easy to eliminate stage rumble, HVAC noise, or proximity effect without affecting the core tonality. The low-pass filter, with settings up to 18kHz, is even more distinctive. It lets engineers gently roll off extreme highs on sources that might otherwise sound brittle, such as vintage ribbon mics on bright cymbals or older vocal recordings being remastered. The steep slope gives effective attenuation without introducing phase anomalies in the critical midrange.

Historical Context

The BAE 1028 is explicitly based on the Neve 1084, a module that itself combined the 1073's preamp with additional filtering. BAE's version is described as a "painstakingly accurate recreation." The 1028 does differ from the 1084 by omitting the low pass filter found in the original. According to Vintage King's blog, the 1028 is functionally identical to the BAE 1023, but with the low pass filter removed. That makes for a slightly confusing product lineup. The 1028 offers more EQ flexibility than the 1073, but less filtering than the 1084-inspired 1023.