Rupert Neve, whose name is synonymous with quality audio recording equipment worldwide, has died. He remained in great spirits to the end, enjoying his life in Wimberley, Texas, where he and his wife Evelyn have lived for 27 years. At 94, Rupert Neve remained engaged and passionate about his work, spending most days on a perpetual series of audio electronics projects and continuing to mentor Rupert Neve Designs’ engineering team on numerous design and development projects.
From his earliest memories, Neve had a love for music, electronics, and problem solving. These passions sparked a brilliant design career spanning over 80 years, during which he founded several historic companies, created revered analog audio equipment, and became the most trusted name in sound. He received countless accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Technical Grammy Award in 1997, Studio Sound Magazine’s Audio Person of the Century Award in 1999, an Audio Engineering Society Fellowship Award in 2006, and 16 TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) Awards with Rupert Neve Designs.
“I’ve known and worked with Rupert for nearly 30 years,” said Josh Thomas, Rupert Neve Designs’ co-founder and general manager. “When Rupert, his wife Evelyn, and I sat at his kitchen table and founded Rupert Neve Designs 16 years ago, he had two goals. The first was to set a new standard in the quality of recorded sound, drawing upon his unparalleled depth of experience to create high-end solutions for the modern recording engineer, musician, and listener alike. The second was to pass on his philosophies, techniques, and methodologies to a new generation of designers to carry his life’s work and passion into the future.
“It was always assumed that the company would outlive him on this earth, and for 16 years he poured his energies into creating a team that would become the caretakers of the theories, practices, and ideologies that truly constitute a Rupert Neve design. All of us at the company are exceedingly grateful for the years of careful instruction and mentoring with which he has blessed us, and we will continue to preserve his legacy in everything we do moving forward. The world certainly sounds better because he was here.”
While Neve’s passions for music, creativity, and insistence on exceptional quality have made an indelible mark on the fabric of the recording industry, his kindness and generosity made him a legend. Through his designs and through the music created with them, his spirit will live on eternally.
Arrangements for a celebration of his life for family and friends will be made when it is safe to do so.
