Just finished putting the Kurzweil KSP-8 through its paces.....

Blue Bear Sound

Blue Bear Sound

New member
...if you guys want serious reverb, get the Lexi 960 at $15K, if you want the next best thing, get this little guy.

One word sums it up completely..... SWEEEEEET!

I haven't scratched the surface of all its capabilities yet, but it is an incredible-sounding unit and has a completely flexible routing configuration.

Yes - it's considerably more than a mid-line Lexi, but the Kurzweil is an instant rack of outboard gear (the unit has 4 stereo FX - 8 mono - plus on-board EQ and mix buss.)
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
...if you guys want serious reverb, get the Lexi 960 at $15K, if you want the next best thing, get this little guy.

One word sums it up completely..... SWEEEEEET!

I haven't scratched the surface of all its capabilities yet, but it is an incredible-sounding unit and has a completely flexible routing configuration.

Yes - it's considerably more than a mid-line Lexi, but the Kurzweil is an instant rack of outboard gear (the unit has 4 stereo FX - 8 mono - plus on-board EQ and mix buss.)
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Omfg...a $15k effects processor...that is insane...

Too bad none of the Kurzweil processors have expression pedal controllable effects parameters. That'd freaking rock. I'd get one and use it with my guitar amp all the time.
 
OneArmedScissor said:
Too bad none of the Kurzweil processors have expression pedal controllable effects parameters. That'd freaking rock. I'd get one and use it with my guitar amp all the time.
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Don't you think the KSP-8 is maybe a bit of overkill for a guitar rack????????? :eek:
 
Did you happen to do a comparison between the Lexicon 91 and the Kurzweil, and if so, what did you think of the Lexicon (since then you must have choosen the Kurzweil over it)?

....or...do you already have the Lexicon 91 and/or...are you intimately familiar with it?

...and.....what do you think of the mid level Lexicons now at this point after hearing the KSP-8(as far as sound quality)?
 
mixmkr said:
Did you happen to do a comparison between the Lexicon 91 and the Kurzweil, and if so, what did you think of the Lexicon (since then you must have choosen the Kurzweil over it)?
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No - I haven't heard the 91... I was stunned by how good the KSP-8 was when I heard it at a colleague's studio recently - that's what made me choose it.


mixmkr said:
...and.....what do you think of the mid level Lexicons now at this point after hearing the KSP-8(as far as sound quality)?
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Naturally, there's a difference... I did direct comparisons between the Kurzweil and mid-priced Roland, Rocktron, and Lexi units. The first thing that hit me was that the Kurzweil has a depth around the sound that the others lack to a degree. You get a better impression of the track sitting in an ambient space than you do on the mid-priced units. OTOH, I was heartened to find that the sound of the mid-line units wasn't "bad" (ie, not grainy, metallic) by comparison, only different - not quite as substantial. It's a bit hard to describe without actually hearing it.

From my initial mucking about, I think the mid-line units and the Kurzweil can co-exist quite comfortably in my rig. The big guy will be very effective on vocals, drums, overall ambience - those areas where ambient depth is critical - the others will be useful for layering, and for specific effects - tap delays. choruses, etc....
 
I purchased a KSP-8 a few months ago. I am still learning how to use it. The effects are the best I've ever heard. I wonder if that optional remote console would make things easier?
 
OneArmedScissor said:
Omfg...a $15k effects processor...that is insane...
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Naw, not when you consider that they are being used in studios with $250,000 consoles. They have also become somewhat popular amongst touring live sound companies, and they make a lot of sense when you can charge your client $250 a day or more for the rental. You can't do that with an SPX-90.

And the high end Lexicon stuff is SOOOOO damn good. I have not used the 960L, but the 240 and the 480L sound amazing. That being said, I know a fair number of guys who's opinion I respect that prefer the KSP-8.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
...if you guys want serious reverb, get the Lexi 960 at $15K, if you want the next best thing, get this little guy.

One word sums it up completely..... SWEEEEEET!

I haven't scratched the surface of all its capabilities yet, but it is an incredible-sounding unit and has a completely flexible routing configuration.

Yes - it's considerably more than a mid-line Lexi, but the Kurzweil is an instant rack of outboard gear (the unit has 4 stereo FX - 8 mono - plus on-board EQ and mix buss.)
Click to expand...

For my budget, I'll have to settle for the Rumor.
 
Most guys I know who are touring with this sort of thing in a guitar rack use a "Rumor" as it's only 1 RU and a bit quicker to recall saved programs...

As for ease of use of the KSP-8, I can't even begin to imagine using the thing without the remote. I try soooooo many different things when I'm using mine that sitting back with the song in "cycle" mode with my feet up on the desk and the remote in my lap is absolutely mandatory.

I use 4 engines in mine, I have them set up as 4 mono inputs with 4 stereo outputs. I usually use Engine 1 as a "plate reverb" kind of thing; Engine 2 as a "hall or room" kind of thing... Engine 3 is invariably a set of "Rotors" [like a Leslie, only it comes in the KSP-8]... and Engine 4 is some kind of effect that will be specific to that song which I will never use again on any other song ever.

On the "rotor" thing... you can add such a cool little shimmer and depth to a sound with it... I have found it an absolutely indispensible tool!!!
 
Fletcher said:
...and Engine 4 is some kind of effect that will be specific to that song which I will never use again on any other song ever.
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That's a very cool "engineering ethic" to adopt.... keeps things 'fresh'!
 
For a while I had both the KSP8 and Rumour here, and did some A/B testing. As far as sound quality, they are virtually indistiguishable. The Rumour is not a step down in that respect at all. In addition, it's algorithms do have all the parameters of the KSP8, it's not a preset box as has often incorrectly been said.

The main difference is that the KSP8 has a 8 busses and allows chaining of effects. With the Rumour you have one effect at a time, or in some cases two. But the quality of the those effects is essentially the same as the KSP8.

The Rumour and Mangler are amazing deals and sound great. And like Fletcher mentioned, they are easier to use than the KSP8 as far as calling up presets and finding sounds quickly.
 
Is the Rumor sonically identical to the KSP8... I'm very interested in that scaled down little brother... Does it use the same DSP chips (just less of them)?

Thanks
 
You will not believe what this thing can do for you. The converters are a real plus for a home recorder and the plates are so fat, errr phat, errr phfattt. The thing sounds great!
 
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