Tributes paid to audio equipment inventor Rupert Neve, who has died aged 94 "Please understand that this man was one of a kind" Rupert Neve shows off his Lifetime Achievement Technical Grammy. CREDIT: Gary Miller/WireImage Rupert Neve, the audio equipment inventor whose mixing consoles and preamplifiers shaped the sound of recorded music in the 20th century, has died aged 94. The legendary inventor’s death was confirmed in a statement posted to his official website. His cause of death was “non-Covid pneumonia and heart failure”. “It is with great sadness that we announce that Rupert Neve, whose name is synonymous with quality audio recording equipment worldwide, has died,” the statement read. “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.”