Review of some REVERB gear (for newbies especially)

[cjacek]

I was once the guy who asked: "Which reverb is better, cheaper, budget oriented etc etc ...." ... Well, now, I'd like to help out my fellow recordists with a short review of some of the units I tried:

1. Behringer Virtualizer ----- sounds overly metallic and has a "yucky" character to it, crap

2. Alesis Microverb (original) -------- surprisingly better sounding than the virtualizer in the "character" department, less metallic but still a bit thin and hollow

3. Alto Alpha Verb ---------Don't even touch this piece of crap. Makes me sick just thinking of it.

4. Lexicon Mpx-100 ------- Thick sound, not metallic but rather "sterile" and too "modern" sounding. Don't really know why I dislike it but I just do. If you want that classic "vintage" sound then this is not for you.

5. Alesis Nanoverb -------Just a bunch of "cold", "sterile" noise ..

6. Art Fx (or somethin') -------- Crap, in the league of "laughable" gear

7. Lexicon LXP-1 ------ Made in the late 80's. STOMPS the shit out of ALL of the above units in overall sound quality and sheer pleasure to use. Thick, creamy, loads of that "vintage character" everyone seems to be after these days and in no way metallic sounding. I've had someone listen to it, without knowing what they were hearing, and they asked "Is this digital ?". LOL!! Yeah, but you wouldn't know it!

There ya have it, the Lexicon LXP-1, for MUCH less, ($150 USD total in my case) easily outperformed the above "processors". Unless you have more than a $1000 or are incredibly anal, get yourself the Lxp-1 (eBay) and stop searching all over for that "perfect", "budget" oriented reverb unit. You found it in the LXP-1. Case closed.

Btw, thanks very much to the persons whom recommended the LXP-1. (You know who you are ).

~Daniel

[rpe]

Thanks for the reviews Daniel!

rpe

[Fletcher]

FWIW, for $500- the Kurzweil "Rumor" is one of the best reverb units I have ever used in any weight class. The plate algorithms are some of the most natural sounding I have ever experienced from any "verb in the box", they murder the Lexicon stuff. The Chambers and Halls are quite nice too [though nobody does halls as well as Lexicon IMNTLBFHO].

Best of luck with it.

[Scooter B]

3. Alto Alpha Verb ---------Don't even touch this piece of crap. Makes me sick just thinking of it.

I don't have any quality experience with any of the above but the Alto Alpha Verb got a good review in TAPE OP - at least at its pricepoint....

Any other opinions on the Alto Alpha Verb?

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by Scooter B

..... the Alto Alpha Verb got a good review in TAPE OP - at least at its pricepoint....

The Alto makes the Virtualizer sound like a high end Lexicon!

Any other opinions on the Alto Alpha Verb?

Yeah, the Alpha Verb is the absolute BOTTOM! You're better off picking up a used Nanoverb for $50 on eBay. Would sound much better than the Alto.

Daniel

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

FWIW, for $500- the Kurzweil "Rumor" is one of the best reverb units I have ever used in any weight class. The plate algorithms are some of the most natural sounding I have ever experienced from any "verb in the box", they murder the Lexicon stuff. The Chambers and Halls are quite nice too [though nobody does halls as well as Lexicon IMNTLBFHO].

Best of luck with it.

The Kurzweil "Rumor" sounds interesting indeed ....

One thing though .. The latest MPX line of Lexicons (100, 200 etc ...) can't touch the much older LXP's, but I'm sure you know that already ..

The LXP's I'd say are the "secret weapon" that not too many people know about. It's a shame people opt to go for an mpx-100, or mpx-200 etc .. when they can have a much better sounding LXP-1 for usually the same amount and even less in certain situations, used of course.

Haven't tried the "Rumor" so I can't comment.

Daniel

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by rpe

Thanks for the reviews Daniel!

rpe

You're welcome!

~Daniel

[kragbax]

I ordered a Rumour, but Fed Ex is already 2 days late on their delivery - haven't been able to check it out yet.

Course, even when I do get it, it will be quite a while before I can develop any kind of real impression - I've been out of the fun for so long I'm basically a newbie again. Ahhh, but half the fun is in the (re)learning...

-Krag

[Big Kenny]

I use a Rumour and it sounds fabulous right out of the box. Depending on the rest of your chain, the converters are also very nice (not lucid, but nice)

[LemonTree]

on a budget reverb you can't go wrong with the TC M300. I'd choose that first over 1 through 6 on the list.

[kragbax]

Still awaiting my Rumour ... was first scheduled for delivery Tuesday - and here it is Friday. Gotta love Fed Ex Ground ... NOT!

Aside from that, I do have the TC M300 - and I like it. However I've been using it mostly in my live rig. Haven't even tried it in my studio. Course - I haven't tried much in my studio because it's just being finished up

-Krag

[OneArmedScissor]

How is the Kurzweil Mangler? I took it as the Rumour having mostly reverb stuff, but some of the other effects the Mangler specializes in, while the Mangler would have atleast a few of the Rumour's reverbs.

I read something about it being MIDI controllable. Does that mean you can run it through a guitar amp's effects loop, and then use a MIDI pedal board to control the effects? That would freaking rock.

I'm not a reverb freak, so I don't think I would get a whole lot of use out of all the reverb capability from a Rumour. However, if the Mangler atleast has SOME decent reverb capability, plus all the other effects and the converters that are so often mentioned, man that sounds like a sweet deal to me.

[ozraves]

Kurzweil Rumour is one of the best reverbs I've ever used as well.

Here's my review: http://www.mojopie.com/rumour.html

[mixmkr]

I still think the Alesis wedge was pretty decent after you tweak it a bit. For a $60 used unit from Ebay, I think that is the reverb steal of the century.

[tollbooth]

hey there

i'd have to agree with mixmkr about the Alesis Wedge - i have a stack of reverb plugs (including Waves Trueverb, which i really like) - but for sheer desktop control and flexibility i still go running back to my Wedge and it never gets packed away. i ususally leave it there as a 'demo' reverb and for singers to lean into while tracking, but then i often end up bouncing it during mixdon because it actually delivered the reverb or delay i actually wanted! Why did it never do as well as it should? Loads of interactive faders right there next to you! The big guys seem to think that's a great idea (look at reverbs with the hallowed word 'system' in their product name) and yet you had it right there in a simple page based menu format which is dead easy!

i also have a TC M-OneXL and i really like that too. i find it quite a warm sounding unit with clean reverb tails - i do a lot of celtic and ambient music (i don't know why - it just happens to me!) and it works really nicely for that - especially in areas where the tails are going to be very exposed. i know it's a bit more expensive but thought i'd mention it, as i always end up spending more than i planned on gear in the long run.

good post - thanks