AMS Neve 8424 (2020s)
This console carries the weight of Neve's 80-series design, built for the DAW user who still wants faders with some friction.
Overview
The AMS Neve 8424 is a 24-channel small format analog mixing console. It is aimed at the hybrid studio engineer who is tired of staring at screens but isn't ready for a full vintage room. It doesn't replace your DAW. It works alongside it. Tracks come in via USB, and the mix still gets the transformer-coupled warmth of Marinair iron. It is built with the same care for circuit design that defined the 80-series, just smaller and updated for today.
What makes the 8424 stand out isn’t just its lineage — it’s how it integrates. The dual-input channel strip architecture means you can switch between recording inputs and DAW returns without repatching, which sounds minor until you’re in a session and realize you’ve just saved 15 minutes of cable yoga. And while it only has two Neve 1073 preamps onboard, that’s by design: most users are tracking through interfaces anyway, so why waste real estate? The two Smart Routing DI inputs are a nod to bass and guitar players who still want that pure, Class-A Neve path straight into the box. It’s thoughtful, not bloated.
This console assumes you're already deep in the digital world, and it works with that. It adds analog summing, transformer color and tactile control. The 48-Mix mode doubles the input count by layering a second set of sources, so you can mix 48 mono tracks through 24 faders. That's practical routing for complex sessions. Two dedicated stereo reverb returns mean you don't steal channels from your main mix to bring in effects.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | AMS Neve Ltd |
| Line-level inputs | 24 |
| Onboard preamps | Two Neve 1073 preamps |
| Instrument DI channels | Two (Dual) |
| Channel faders | 24 (100-mm) |
| Mono groups | Four |
| Onboard 500 series slots | Two |
| Stereo mix bus transformers | Marinair transformers (from Neve 80-series consoles) |
| Other buses with Marinair transformers | AFL and cue buses |
| Stereo reverb returns | Two dedicated stereo reverb returns |
| Dual cue mix system with talkback | Dual cue mix system with talkback |
| Dual headphone amplifiers | Dual headphone amplifiers |
| 48-Mix mode | Allows 48 mono inputs |
| Mono and stereo aux busses | Mono and stereo aux busses |
| Four mono groups feature | 2-band shelving EQ, Inserts and Direct Outs |
| Stereo mix bus features | Stereo insert, 2-band shelving EQ and Stereo Width control |
| Insert points | Switchable insert point on each channel, group and stereo mix bus |
| On-board Snapshot feature | Saves, loads, and recalls all settings, fader and pot positions |
| Optional automation | Replaces faders with 24 motorised channel faders, four motorised group faders and one motorised stereo mix fader |
| Optional scribble strip | Across all 24 channels, groups and mix faders |
| 24 DAW returns in the input channels | 24 DAW returns in the input channels (implied by dual-input architecture and 48-mix mode) |
Key Features
Dual-Input Channel Strips: The Hybrid Heartbeat
The 8424's dual-input architecture is the core of the design. Each channel strip can toggle between two input sources, so you can switch between live recording feeds and DAW playback returns. You can record a vocal through the 1073 preamp, then flip to the DAW return to mix it in context, all without touching a patchbay.
Marinair Transformers: The Soul in the Steel
The stereo mix bus is transformer-coupled using genuine Marinair transformers, the same type found in the Neve 80-series consoles. The AFL and cue buses also run through Marinair iron. That means the monitor path and solo signals get the same subtle harmonic color and slight magnetic saturation as the main mix. When you solo a channel, it doesn't just get louder, it sounds more present.
Snapshot Recall: Analog Memory
One of the old arguments against analog consoles was the lack of recall. The 8424 answers that with an on-board snapshot system that saves and recalls every fader position, every pot setting and every switch. You can store your mix, reboot your DAW, come back, and reload the console state exactly as it was. It isn't automation in the traditional sense. It doesn't move faders on its own unless you opt for motorised faders, but it remembers everything so you don't have to scribble notes or take photos of knobs.
500-Series Integration: Expand Without Escalating
The 8424 has two onboard 500-series slots. You can load in a 2264ALB limiter/compressor or a 1073LBEQ module and have it sitting right on the console, patched internally. No breakout boxes, no rack space. That keeps the signal path short. The slots are standard 500-series, so you aren't locked into Neve modules, though most people buying a Neve console are there for the Neve sound.
Motorised Fader Option: Automation Without Apology
For real-time automation, the 8424 can be ordered with motorised faders: 24 channel, four group, and one stereo mix fader, all motorised and recallable. Add the optional scribble strips and you have a console that bridges analog summing and DAW-style automation. It isn't cheap. The motorised version runs $29,950. For mix houses or high-end project studios, it is an alternative to full digital consoles, and the signal never gets converted to digital at the summing stage.
Historical Context
The AMS Neve 8424 was designed for a world where most recording happens in-the-box, but the desire for analog color and tactile control hasn't faded. It is sized and priced to fit professional studios, project studios and educational institutions, which is a rare move for a console bearing the Neve name. It brings the sound of the 80-series into a smaller, more affordable format. It isn't a reissue or a clone. It is built on six decades of Neve's analog circuit design heritage. It isn't the first small-format Neve, but it is one of the first to build the whole console around the hybrid workflow.
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