MX200 vs UAD-1's Dream Verb

[SRR]

Would adding a MX200 to the stable add anything new, or can I do everything it can do but but better/different with my UAD-1 and dream verb? Hows the MX200 really stack up?

[Middleman]

Wow, tough question. I have both and here are my thoughts.

Dreamverb - Unlimited ability to create a room ambiance for instruments or to add just a touch of liveness to some tracks. Vocal uses: not my first choice as it cannot do the silky smooth vocal sound required on say a ballad. The Plate 140 is much better for this. DV is a great tool for shaping a space that may not exist when recording at home or in a bad room.

MX200 - This has great smoothness and authenticity as a high end reverb, just not as many quality presets but is equal to the ambiance task as Dreamverb if not better sounding overall. It has the added ability to provide very good but bright vocal ambiance vs the Plate 140 which is darker. Then there is the VST implementation which is good and bad. Good because its nice to run an external box like a plug in, bad because your computer software cycles through all the settings during updates and files saves, slows the computer down temporarily.

I have the the M-One from TC Electronics as well which covers a lot of the Plate 140 in an external box. Deep rich ambiance.

Basically they are all different colors which get applied in various places. The most universal box would be the M-One if I could only have one. This would be followed by the Plate 140 because it kind of defines the sound of vintage reverb. Next would be the Lex MX200 followed by Dreambverb, which is a precision problem solving tool. Nice to have but not meat and potatoes like the rest.

Hope that helps.

[SRR]

Thing is I just got a 20% coupon for one single item at GC friday night only, and MX200 poped into my head. Which would make it $160, which I am guessing is a good price? I will have to keep pondering, as we don't have a lot of money laying around at the moment. Maybe I should get another SM57.

[SRR]

Got a MX200 tonight, GC messed up the price of the coupon, will have to go back and get that fixed. But I do like the sound of the verbs. Heck even the dessser works better then some plugins I tried side by side with it. Another tool, yippppy. Just wished it worked with the digital in and outs with my m-audio card. Seems like that is one its problem areas, mx200's digital in works just fine, just it won't connect with its digital out to the digital in on some m-audio cards.

Other then that, works like a champ.

[SRR]

I just wanted to add, you can never have to many reverb options IMHO. I am really digging this unit.

One question for those that have the mx200, can you buy and use a second mx200 as a VST insert? Like use one on your main vocal bus, and one on guitars? Between what I have with the UAD-1 and one mx200 I can't see my need for a second mx200, just wondering if it can do it?

[Middleman]

Great question. I have no idea if that would work. You might ping the Lexicon guys over at their site.