NAMM 2025: Now any desktop musician can treat themselves to the sound of the Neve 88R VCA compressor. The new 88C delivers its iconic sound quality, versatile control and legendary character, with Neve claiming that its latest creation is perfect for mixing, tracking, and mastering in any studio, whatever the size.
The new 88C is a two-channel, dual dynamics package boasting Neve’s famous VCA compressor know-how in a new, compact and portable desktop unit. With two independent compressor channels it's ready for mono or dual-channel compression with stereo linking, allowing both channels to function as a cohesive pair while still leaving you with independent control over each.
Neve’s VCA compressors were first introduced in the early 1970s as part of its 50 Series consoles.
Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) compressors are highly regarded for the clarity and cleanliness of their sound and their ability to work fast and tight, offering the kind of extreme compression that became (and still very much still is) part of the modern ‘produced’ studio sound.
Able to tame and shape even the most extreme vagaries of signal, VCA compressors are the go-to for countless engineers worldwide, day in day out, and the units within Neve consoles are among the most highly regarded.
Neve’s VCA compressors - prominent features of their VR and 88R series' - offer greater precision, flexibility and wider use cases when compared to the classic, gentle compression more familiar with its Neve Diode Bridge design. Thus, over the decades, Neve’s VCA designs have become the main event on their consoles.
Now that sound is set free via the new 88C desktop unit, incorporating two complete VCA compressors derived from the 88R console’s channel strip.
The 88C is powered via USB 3.0+ through a USB-C connector. Alternatively, it can be driven from any USB 3.0-compatible power adapter.
Using the same leatherette casing as on Neve's 88M two-channel mic preamp, the 88C becomes the 88M’s perfect partner with a maximum +18dB threshold and built-in limiting capabilities for precise transient control. It packs an impressive -50dB of gain reduction.
There are variable ratio settings, extending to full signal limiting, and that famous, ultra-fast attack of the 88R compressor circuit, making it ideal as a ‘brick-wall limiter’ and perfect for mastering applications.
Adaptive attack design – lifted from the 88RS channel strip compressor – delivers what Neve is calling a “seamlessly organic response to input transients, balancing musicality with uncompromising precision”. The triple time constant technology in the auto-release circuit, meanwhile, enables ‘set-and-forget’ operation, with the unit effortlessly smoothing transients across a wide range of instruments or complete mixes.
Further icing comes via high-pass frequency sidechaining, providing precise control with selectable filters at 80Hz, 125Hz, and 300Hz. Low-end signals remain uncompressed, enabling the 88C to zoom in and compress only what you need.
And a True Bypass design, selectable on a per-channel basis, directly connects the inputs and outputs for an unaltered, transparent signal path, giving seamless A/B signal referencing.
Find out more on the Neve website. The 88C costs £1,195/£1,075.
