Burnley, England (November 24, 2025)—Neve’s 88RS analog console has been the company’s flagship desk for years—a pricey desk—found in studios such as Abbey Road, AIR Studios, and The Village—that nonetheless proves the rule that you get what you pay for. Key among its calling cards are its dynamics, bringing ‘the Neve sound’ to everything that passes through it. Now the company has fit those dynamics into a 500 Series module, the new 88R LBC, making them available to those for whom an 88RS is not an option.
The 88R LBC centers around the 88RS VCA compressor circuit intended to provide accuracy, transparency, and punch for tracking, mixing, and mastering. Features include Auto Make-Up Gain, which automatically adjusts output levels as threshold and ratio settings change to maintain consistent gain structure.
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Using the same technology from the 88RS console’s VCA bus linking system, multiple 88R LBC units can be linked together to form true compression groups within a compatible 500-series chassis. Each unit retains its own independent controls while sharing a common sidechain, enabling cohesive group compression with per-channel refinement.
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A selectable sidechain filter (Off / 80 Hz / 125 Hz / 300 Hz) offers control over low-frequency response and compressor sensitivity. Providing more than +27 dBu of headroom, greater than 114 dB dynamic range and low distortion (reportedly less than 0.008 percent), the 88R LBC is optimized for a VPR Alliance chassis anddraws less than 100mA RMS.
Currently shipping, the unit runs £795.
