"You know, for many, many years, on a lot of The Band records, I did much of the engineering. It's something that I've been connected to for a long time," Robbie Robertson tells us from behind the desk of his 16-channel Neve 8014 console. As you can hear in our video, he's taken the board on a decades-long journey: through solo albums, soundtracks for Martin Scorsese and other filmmakers, and projects with his peers. Now, he's selling this historic console on Reverb.
The sale comes to us through Techno Empire, a premiere Los Angeles music store that has recently brought T Bone Burnett's Bushnell API console and gear collections from Brian Wilson, The Black Eyed Peas, Wendy & Lisa, and more to Reverb.
In the video above, Robertson recounts the history of his Neve.
After years spent working on various boards and in various studios, Robertson figured it was time to outfit his own room with a worthy console. Enter: this beautiful, 16-channel Neve 8014 that Robertson calls "a museum piece."
The first time he recorded through it, Robertson knew it was the one. "I realized it has a character, it has a sound, it has a warmth. I fell in love with this board, and I said personally to the board, I'm gonna take you on a journey, pal, you're not gonna believe. And I have."
Over the years, Robertson has used the Neve for dozens of records and projects, including:
- His self-titled solo debut, Robbie Robertson
- Storyville, with Aaron Neville, Neil Young, The Meters, and others
- How to Become Clairvoyant, with Eric Clapton, Tom Morello, Robert Randolph, and more
- Music for the Native Americans with The Red Road Ensemble
- The film score for The Color of Money, with Gil Evans, Willie Dixon, and Clapton
- Soundtracks for Martin Scorsese's Casino, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and more
- Soundtracks for Any Given Sunday, Ladder 49, and Phenomenon
- The Band's Live at the Academy expanded release
Robertson has updated and upgraded various pieces (like the patchbay) for more modern usability and to keep the console in tip-top shape, but he says it retains all of the features and warmth that he fell in love with so many years ago. Now, he's hoping to pass it along to an engineer and musician that'll spearhead its next chapter.
"My dream would be that this console ends up in the hands of somebody that can totally feel the history of a piece of equipment like this and what it's been witness to and what it's complemented," Robertson says. "I've taken this on a journey that nobody could even imagine. The music that's gone through this board is just a phenomenon. I hope this ends up with somebody who completely appreciates the incredible journey that this board has been on. It is historic."
Find Robbie Robertson's Neve 8014 console on Reverb now.