NEVE ELEMENTS / 88R DYNAMICS
Give every performance
its place in the mix.
Eight channels of Neve 88R analogue compression, limiting, gating and expansion, with software control that follows your session.
CONSOLE DYNAMICS. CONTROL ACROSS THE SESSION.
88R Dynamics. In your element.
The Neve Elements 88R Dynamics brings the VCA dynamics architecture of the 88R console into a standalone eight-channel processor. Compression, limiting, gating and expansion are available in a compact 2U rack unit, with genuine analogue circuitry controlled from your DAW or the Elements application.
Hold a vocal in place, manage a bass performance, shape the movement of a drum track or control what happens between phrases. Eight channels let you make those decisions across the session, with the recall and automation needed to keep pace as the production evolves.
THE ANALOGUE ENGINE
From gentle control to a firmer grip.
The compressor’s ratio extends from 1:1 through to infinity:1 limiting, with a threshold range of −20 dB to +10 dB. That gives you room to choose how assertively the processor responds, from light level management to much firmer peak control.
Release is adjustable from 0.1 to 4 seconds. The normal attack is programme controlled over 3–30 ms; Fast Attack selects 3 ms for 20 dB of gain reduction. Manual post-compressor make-up gain provides up to 16 dB, while Auto Make-Up offers an alternative when you want the hardware to handle that adjustment.
KNOW YOUR CONTROLS
Choose your next move.
Choose the amount of dynamic control, from gentle compression to limiting.
Set the compressor release to suit the performance and the movement you want.
Set the gate/expander threshold, then choose the response that suits the source.
The gate’s fast setting reaches 40 dB of range in 100 microseconds; the slow setting is 1.5 ms.
EIGHT CHANNELS, ONE CREATIVE WORKFLOW
Control the space between the notes.
The gate/expander section gives you a second way to shape a performance. Its range runs from 0 dB to infinity, with release adjustable from 0.1 to 4 seconds. Switch between gating and expansion to decide how much of the sound below threshold you want to retain.
Use the controls to explore tighter drum tails, a more controlled pause between phrases or a gentler reduction of low-level spill. Sidechain key input connectivity adds another route to controlling the dynamics response. With compression and gating available across eight channels, a single rack unit becomes a substantial part of the studio’s everyday processing.
HARDWARE SOUND. SESSION RECALL.
Keep the sound.
Keep the settings.
The Element Control Plugin puts control of the analogue hardware inside the DAW. Settings are recalled with the session, and automation lets the processing follow the music. AAX, AU and VST3 formats support integration with a wide range of DAW environments, while the standalone Neve Elements application offers control on Windows and macOS.
That matters when a mix returns for another revision, or when several projects share the same rack. You can return to the processor settings associated with the session and continue working from there. The sound is produced by the physical Neve circuitry; the plug-in is the control surface for that hardware.
Explore a change. Find your way back.
Stored snapshots and a 64-step undo system give you useful ways to revisit a decision. Capture a starting point, try a different direction and recover an earlier configuration when it serves the track better. Single, multiple and grouped control views keep the relevant channels accessible, and processors of the same type can be grouped as the system grows.
BUILT TO JOIN YOUR STUDIO
Your rack. Your routing.
Elements is a standalone system that works with existing analogue consoles, audio interfaces and patch bays. Connect the analogue signal path through the D-sub audio I/O and use Ethernet for control communication. You can build it into an established outboard setup without making a console purchase part of the plan.
Every unit includes an intelligent insert matrix with insert send and return connections. Digital control of insert positioning gives you flexibility over where connected outboard sits in the signal path, helping the Elements processor become part of a wider analogue chain.
For a DAW-based setup, plan the analogue outputs and inputs needed on your audio interface, together with suitable D-sub cabling and the control connection. Ethernet carries the control communication; audio enters and leaves through the analogue connections.
START WITH EIGHT. BUILD FROM THERE.
A system that can grow
with your studio.
Start with the processing you need today. Add more channels of the same type as demand grows, or combine Elements 88R EQ, 88R Dynamics and 1084 EQ units to bring different tonal and dynamic tools into the same system. Each processor occupies 2U of a standard 19-inch rack.
If an 8424E becomes part of the studio later, Elements offers a route to integration and control from the console surface. Until then, the standalone plug-in and application workflow lets you use the hardware in your existing setup. The unit measures 483 mm wide, 89 mm high and 361 mm deep, making rack planning straightforward.
BEFORE YOU BUILD YOUR SYSTEM
A few useful details.
Do I need a Neve 8424E console?
No. Elements is designed to work independently with an appropriate audio interface, analogue console or patch bay. Integration with the 8424E is an additional option.
Is this a software emulation?
No. This is an eight-channel analogue hardware processor. The Element Control Plugin and Elements application control the real circuitry and provide the digital workflow.
Does Ethernet carry the audio?
Ethernet is used for control communication. The audio signal connects through the unit’s analogue D-sub I/O; a suitable analogue signal path is required.
NEVE ELEMENTS / 88R DYNAMICS
Make it part of your sound.
Authentic Neve circuitry. Eight analogue channels. A workflow that brings your hardware into the session.
Speak to SX Pro about building an Elements system around your studio, your existing outboard and the way you like to work.