The latest addition to Apogee’s Clearmountain plug-in range has arrived, delivering an authentic recreation of the Neve 8068 console at The Power Station in New York. Aptly named Clearmountain’s 8068, the company say that the new arrival “brings the harmonics, warmth and unparalleled sonic character of Bob’s personal console into the hands of producers, engineers, and musicians worldwide.”
In order to create the new plug-in, Apogee modelled every circuit and component of Bob Clearmountain’s modified Neve 8068, the exact console that was used to mix records by the likes of Kool & the Gang, Sister Sledge and Chic. The preamp section offers a choice of Line and Mic modes, with the former offering some subtle colouration, and the latter facilitating more aggressive-sounding distortion. A three-band EQ section follows, delivering a wide bandwidth by default, with a more precise, narrower option provided by a Hi Q switch; both high- and low-pass filters are present, too. Finally, the plug-in’s Output section houses both a level fader and gain trim, along with an Auto button that engages an automatic level compensation feature.
Key Features
Here’s what Apogee have to say about Clearmountain’s 8068
- The Full Channel Strip: Experience the harmonics, frequency response and musicality of the Neve 8068, including its transformative fader module.
- Rich, Musical EQ: With more EQ points than the classic 1073, the 8068 EQ is inherently wide and musical — perfect for shaping drums, vocals and strings. a high-Q mode offers additional precision when needed.
- Mic & Line Modes: Choose your level of flavour with two modes of operation — opt for a harmonically rich Line mode or add crunch and saturation with Mic mode.
- Authentic Console Workflow: The fader’s impact on frequency response and harmonics has been fully modelled, creating the immersive feel of mixing on a physical console.
- Auto Gain for Mic Mode: Ensures consistent levels, even when pushing the saturation for added texture.
Compatibility
Clearmountain’s 8068 is supported on PCs running Windows 11, and Macs running macOS 13.7.5 and above. VST, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Clearmountain’s 8068 is available now, priced at $99.
