Apollo
Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ
Get the classic '70s Neve preamp sound, with top‑of‑the‑line EQ.
- Get the world’s only authentic plug-in emulation of the classic Neve 1084 channel amplifier and EQ
- Harness extended EQ options on vocals, drums, synths, guitars, and more
- Texture and EQ your mix with classic Neve tone, including all 10 clipping points from the vintage '70s‑era hardware
- Inject "air" or notch out offending frequencies with EQ curves beyond the 1073
- Get the full character of the original hardware’s class-A, dual-stage mic preamp with Unison™ technology
Get the Classic '70s Neve Preamp Sound, with Top‑of‑the‑Line EQ
What They Say
Darrell Thorp
Beck, Radiohead, Foo Fighters
Joe Chiccarelli
Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey
Ross Hogarth
Van Halen, Ziggy Marley, Motley Crue
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ is worth it if you want the class-A Neve preamp sound with more EQ options than the 1073 gives you. At $199, it puts you inside a module that only existed in a handful of rare Neve 80 Series consoles, which makes the hardware version out of reach for almost everyone. It earns its keep on vocals, acoustic guitars, drum overheads, strings, and synths, where the extra high band choices do the most work.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ is the only authentic, fully endorsed plug-in emulation of the Neve 1084 channel amplifier, modeled from a vintage "golden unit" pulled from an original Neve 80 Series console. We modeled the input transformer, the dual-stage class-A "Red Knob" preamp, the active EQ and its filter interactions, the post-fader output amplifier, and the output transformer, including all ten places in the circuit where it can clip. The character comes from modeled circuit behavior rather than filter curves shaped to sound roughly similar.
Unison technology lets the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ physically reconfigure the mic preamp on your Apollo interface to match the impedance, gain structure, and circuit behavior of the original 1084 module. When you load the plug-in into the Unison insert in UAD Console or LUNA, your Apollo front end responds the way the hardware would, including how the tone shifts as you push the gain. Your microphone is interacting with a modeled Neve input stage, not a clean signal with an emulation dropped in after the fact.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ uses the same class-A mic and line preamp as the Neve 1073, then extends the EQ with three switchable high band frequencies, a narrow or wide Q setting, and more filter options. The 1073 is the darker, more familiar voice heard on decades of records. The 1084 keeps that weight and punch but hands you more top end choices, which is why it lands so well on overheads, acoustic guitars, strings, and vocals.
Buy the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ on its own at $199 if the extended EQ is what you are after, or go with the Neve Complete Bundle if you want the wider Neve toolkit in one purchase. The bundle adds titles like the Neve 1073, 1081, 31102, 88RS Channel Strip, and the Neve diode-bridge compressors alongside the 1084.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ is modeled end to end from vintage hardware, starting with the input transformer and physical impedance switching, then the dual-transistor preamp with its asymmetric and dynamic clipping behavior, the active EQ's filter interactions and internal amp clipping, the passive low cut filter, and the output stage. Ten separate points in that circuit can clip, and that is where much of the character lives. Push the gain and the plug-in colors the sound the way the module does, rather than simply getting louder.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ gives you the original module's fixed frequency points and musical curve shapes instead of neutral, fully parametric bands. Three selectable high band filters add shimmer and air to vocals, acoustic guitars, drums, and synths, while the low band tightens a kick, pushes guitars forward, or beefs up a synth bass. The Hi Q setting lets you work more surgically, and the selectable high and low cut filters clean up sibilance, hiss, and rumble.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ runs on the DSP inside your Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator, so it uses no CPU from your computer. That leaves your processor free for virtual instruments, sample libraries, and the rest of your session. It also means you can monitor and record through the plug-in in realtime with near-zero latency, regardless of your buffer setting.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ requires an Apollo audio interface or a UAD Accelerator such as a UAD-2 Satellite or PCIe card. Apollo owners can load it in a Unison insert and track through it, and any UAD hardware owner can use it as a mixing tool on recorded tracks.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ runs on both macOS and Windows, including Macs with Apple Silicon. Because the processing happens on your UAD hardware rather than your computer, the plug-in behaves the same way on either platform. Check our system requirements page for the current supported OS versions.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ works in all major DAWs, and in LUNA on both Mac and Windows. On an Apollo, you can also run it in the UAD Console app outside your DAW entirely, which is how most people use it while tracking. Once a take is recorded, the same plug-in is available as an insert on any channel in your session.
Yes, the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ can be used in realtime on an Apollo interface with near-zero latency, and you can print that sound straight to your recording. Loading it in a Unison insert sets the Apollo preamp to behave like the 1084 hardware before your signal is ever converted. You can commit to the tone on the way in, or monitor through it and record clean if you would rather decide later.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ shines on vocals, acoustic guitars, drum overheads, strings, and synths, where its extra high band options add air and sheen without turning brittle. Lean on the low band and push the preamp and it adds heft to electric guitars, piano, and bass. It works just as well on a mix as it does on the way in, so you can reach for it whether you are tracking or already deep into a session.
Yes. UAD DSP plug-ins are still the only way to track through models like the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ in realtime with near-zero latency, with the processing handled by your interface instead of your CPU. That matters most while recording, when monitoring latency and CPU load are the difference between catching a performance and losing it. Committing to a great front end on the way in also means fewer decisions to unpick at mix time.
UAD DSP plug-ins like the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ run on the processing hardware inside an Apollo interface or UAD Accelerator, while UAD native plug-ins run on your computer's CPU with no UA hardware required. Only DSP versions on Apollo can be loaded into a Unison insert and monitored in realtime while tracking, since Unison depends on Apollo's analog input stage. The Neve 1084 is a DSP title, so an Apollo or UAD Accelerator is what brings it to life.
Yes, the Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ is fully endorsed and licensed by AMS Neve, built under a partnership between the two companies that goes back more than fifteen years. UA modeled it from actual 1084 hardware, including the original P&G output attenuating fader, rather than working from spec sheets or tuning by ear. Buying through Universal Audio or an authorized dealer is the only way to get the licensed version, and a fully functional 14-day demo lets you hear it in your own sessions first.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ pairs the class-A Neve preamp with the 1084's extended EQ and Unison integration, while the Neve 1081 Classic Console EQ is an EQ-only plug-in with four bands and more frequency choices per band. Reach for the 1084 when you want preamp character and EQ together, especially while tracking through an Apollo. Reach for the 1081 when you want finer frequency control on something already recorded, or when you want Neve EQ on a bus.
The Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ is a strong choice for vocals because its three high band frequency options let you add air and presence without the harshness that comes from boosting a neutral EQ. Track through it on an Apollo with Unison and the class-A preamp brings weight and sheen before the signal is converted. Most engineers put a compressor after it in the chain and let the 1084 handle character and tone shaping on its own.