Lexicon Reverb...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seeker of Rock
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The TCm300 is quite an upgrade as well as any Lexicon that is still in that price range. Even an old Yamaha SPX90 would be an upgrade. It's really hard to describe what the Alesis is NOT doing for you right now. The best I can do is tell you that when you get something nicer, you will realize within 5 minutes. That being said, you may still find some uses for your Alesis reverb:)

As far as the LXP1 goes, I still think I was pretty much right. First, I was not aware that there was a software program for editing it. Now I am going to have to pull my LXP's out. I do have the MRC which certainly changes the capabilities. However, my response was purely to the LXP-1. There was never any mention of an MRC, and like I said I was not aware of third party software that controlled it:) My statement still stands unless the end user has the capabilities to run remotes with it (be it software or hardware).
 
Sounds like a step toward any decent unit is going to be better than my initial pony up of $189 for the Alesis. I will keep it around for whatever, I guess, but look forward to a bump in reverb. Guess it's down to MPX500 or 550, LXP-1, TC 300, Yamaha Rev 500, or an LXP-15. Thanks again to everyone for your help and experience!
 
It's not that the Midiverb is 'bad". Back when they were for sale, there weren't any better options in that price range per say. You could also find a used Yamaha spx900 nowadays for around $300.
 
Seeker of Rock said:
Sounds like a step toward any decent unit is going to be better than my initial pony up of $189 for the Alesis. I will keep it around for whatever, I guess, but look forward to a bump in reverb. Guess it's down to MPX500 or 550, LXP-1, TC 300, Yamaha Rev 500, or an LXP-15. Thanks again to everyone for your help and experience!
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Out of that list I personally would be most inclined toward the LXP-15 (a version 2 ideally) or Yamaha REV500.
 
Sonic, your insistence on the MPX-1 has taken its toll on me. My final purchase choice will be an LXP-15 (sorry, no v 2 up for grabs and may or may not be for some time) or an MPX-1. The latter looks very sweet, it may be big-time overkill for my needs, but I have read it does have presets, just the price....OUCH!!!! Anyway, your advice, Sonic, is well taken and I am looking...anybody have and MPX-1 to let go for $350???? Otherwise, I have to do what I have to do.
Thanks again for all of the help you gave me and let's see what becomes available on ebay!...
Dale
 
Thinking about LXP-15 v1 in my price range, digging MPX-1 that is not, even more looking at PCM-80 that is way out of what I want to spend, but....damn you man, what have you done to my logical thinking??? Obviously still looking for the best "deal", you know my gear and what I am about, but would it really be worth it to spend $800 or whatever on a PCM 80 vs. a MPX-1 vs. a LXP-15....Sonic, or others, please advise.
Input much appreciated. Keep in mine my humble setup listed above :o
 
I think it may be the Cuervo talking, but PCM 80 vs. PCM 81...again, I listed my setup...too much overkill if I was to consider PCM 80?
Please advise.
 
Ah yes, you've gone from an LXP-15 to an MPX-1 and now to a PCM-80 that's way over your budget. My work here is done...

I'll say this: the PCM-80/81 is in a whole different class than the LXP or MPX series. I personally don't consider it overkill, but then again I bought a PCM-91 and PCM-81 new from a dealer before the price cuts. I think they sound great.

There are some differences between the PCM-80 and 81. I'm not a 100% sure what they are, but I believe the '81 adds XLR analog I/O connectors, and adds the pitch shift card to the built in fx. There are probably other differences as well, but I think they sound pretty much the same.

However, if you are really getting out of the $350 price range, you should also consider the Kurzweil Rumour for reverbs. It's street price is about $500 new.
 
Sonic, I feel I may have partially let you down. Went for the LXP-15 on ebay. Got it for $233. A little steep for what others have sold, but this one has the original box and is adverstised in mint condition. Check it out when it gets here.
Contemplated the bigger models, but for my setup, I think this is the best bang-for-the-buck upgrade from the Midiverb IV in the "under $250" price range. Second choice in that range would have been the MPX-550.
Look forward to plugging it in and playing with it.
If anyone owns or has owned or has an opinion (be nice, now :)) on a Midiverb IV, any suggestions? Running 8 analog tracks and most music is general rock..drums, bass, guitars, vocals...some stuff is acoustic guitar/vocals, may be some tunes with flute in it. Or should I sell it and get something else around $150 to replace?
 
Sonic, need your help again...

Sonic, I found a Version 2 upgrade kit for the LXP15. As you suggested earlier in the thread, this is probably something I want to go ahead and purchase for my V1. This is just the V2 chip exchange, though. You mentioned a guy in LA who does mods to V2s? Do you have his name or contact info? If I move forward with the upgrade to V2, I may want to look into what his mod would add to that, depending on cost of course, whether it is feasible with the LXP-15 box (though the parameter controls look to be the same layout as V2), and what he will do to it.
Thanks again for your help.
 
No, no, you didn't let me down at all. No need to think that way at all. The LXP-15 is a good piece of gear, I've been tempted to get one from time to time myself.

Here's the web site Jim Williams, who does the gear mods:

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~jwilliams3/index.html

His site hasn't been updated in a while, and sometimes his current prices are a little higher than what's listed on the site. But the LXP-15 is like $150 or so to upgrade. He claims his upgrade makes the LXP-15 sound better than a PCM-91. No matter what, I'm sure it will noticably improve the sound of your LXP-15.

I've had him do a couple pieces for me and like his work. I'm going to be sending him another piece to mod soon, so I guess that's a pretty solid recommendation!

As far as the V2 upgrade, you might want to do that before sending the unit to Jim. Or ask him what he thinks you should do. I suspect that Jim's mods don't have anything to do with the chips/software themselves, but more to do with the analog stages going in and out of the box.
 
Sonic,
Excellent!! Thanks again for your, and everyone else's, help. Can't wait to receive the LXP-15 and give it a run through!
Dale
 
Hooked up the LXP-15

Hooked it up last night and played with it. Sounds very lush. I ab'd it against the Midiverb IV in similar settings and there is a noticeable difference. I see what all the hubbub with Lexicon is about now. I want to leave work early (shame on me, but I feel an illness coming on...cough, cough) and explore it some more.
Ran drum tracks (whole kit, because it is a DM Pro and I only have 8 tracks) through some of the presets. Medium rooms sounded good with the drums, large rooms and halls got a little expansive. If I mix them in right, two of the plates sounded really nice with the drums. A few of them did not, almost like a cycle hum in the background, but only with the drums, not guitar or vocals. Is this common? Maybe I just need to take the effect levels down or tweak them. I recorded the drum tracks pretty hot, so maybe that has something to do. Vocals and guitar (tested with a scratch track of a tune I'm working on) everything sounded good. I could not find a bad reverb preset. I also noticed the Alesis, when I just monitored the effect, got some bleed from other tracks, same settings as the Lexicon and the Lexicon did not. I dig this unit and look forward to getting home and exploring further.
BTW, any general types of reverb you guys prefer to use on vocals vs. guitar vs. drums for basic rock styles? Generally speaking I know there is not really a wrong answer for this and it is what sounds best to my ears, but just curious.
 
Seeker of Rock said:
Sonic,
Excellent!! Thanks again for your, and everyone else's, help. Can't wait to receive the LXP-15 and give it a run through!
Dale
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SoR, I realize this thread is over 2 years old and you've probably moved on, but did you ever get your LXP-15 modded and if so, how much of a difference did it make.

Again, I realize this is an old thread, but I too am thinking of getting this unit and modding it.

Just curious,
Dennis
 
dlt123 said:
SoR, I realize this thread is over 2 years old and you've probably moved on, but did you ever get your LXP-15 modded and if so, how much of a difference did it make.

Again, I realize this is an old thread, but I too am thinking of getting this unit and modding it.

Just curious,
Dennis
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I did two things to the LXP15...one was an upgrade to version II, which made the famous Lexi "load" process much faster, as well as the scrolling. Then the Jim Williams upgrade. And Sonic will be proud to know that I finally ended up with a PCM90 as well that I picked up used for $700 a few months ago. I finished building a recording/mixing room a few months back and haven't gotten to use it much. Once I start getting some use out of all of this stuff I'll post some songs with a little "behind the scenes" notation here on what is being used where and on what. The LXP15 is a great unit and I would highly recommend it to anyone, even without the mod. I think where I will really hear the mod will be in a mix situation, which I have not tried the unit out in yet as I've been busy building a stand-alone "studio". To tell you the truth, I can't at this point remember what it sounded like before I shipped it off, but remember using it on some drum tracks when I got it back and it sounded much better. I seem to recall the difference in the pre-mod and post-mod as being a little smoother, or maybe thicker is a better word.
 
Seeker of Rock said:
I did two things to the LXP15...one was an upgrade to version II, which made the famous Lexi "load" process much faster, as well as the scrolling. Then the Jim Williams upgrade. And Sonic will be proud to know that I finally ended up with a PCM90 as well that I picked up used for $700 a few months ago. I finished building a recording/mixing room a few months back and haven't gotten to use it much. Once I start getting some use out of all of this stuff I'll post some songs with a little "behind the scenes" notation here on what is being used where and on what. The LXP15 is a great unit and I would highly recommend it to anyone, even without the mod. I think where I will really hear the mod will be in a mix situation, which I have not tried the unit out in yet as I've been busy building a stand-alone "studio". To tell you the truth, I can't at this point remember what it sounded like before I shipped it off, but remember using it on some drum tracks when I got it back and it sounded much better. I seem to recall the difference in the pre-mod and post-mod as being a little smoother, or maybe thicker is a better word.
Click to expand...

SOR, thank you for taking time to answer my question... I appreciate your feedback and and extra effort to answer a thread that was over 2 years old.

Good luck with your studio and I am also looking at getting the PCM 90. Good score at $700 for your PCM 90. I hope I get as lucky.

Take care,
Dennis
 
Seeker of Rock, I thought I would followup on my post here and let you know that I took your lead and purchased a Lexicon LXP-15 off eBay. I'll add the V2 upgrade and send if off to be modded. I'm sure it will do me fine.

Also, thanks again for being such a good HR member and fielding my questions. I got a much more respectful response from you than I did on this thread. You might find it a good read...

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=243820

Thanks again,
Dennis
 
On a semi-Lexicon note, I used a Bricasti reverb for the first time this week. It is made by a couple of the guys that worked at Lexicon before the Harman buyout. They are not actaully on the market yet I beleive, but my brief experience with the Bricasti M7 was amazing. The depth and naturalness will give even the 960 and 480 a good run. I hear the Bricasti will be prety expensive though:(
 
Sorry to revive this, but last week I finally put the PCM90 in the signal chain of a DM Pro kit (actually, just traded it and cash for a PDP FS kit). WWWWWOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!! is all I can say. Now I always thought that my first rack multi unit, a Midiverb IV, was a decent box and gave a good sounding reverb. Oh, how my ears were deceived when I compared one against the other; seriously, a night and day difference. It is THAT noticeable, nothing subtle about it, just the sound alone. I used a couple of similar verbs to compare on each unit, focusing on plates. The PCM made everything sound real and present. I'm anxious to a/b the PCM with the LXP15II Jim Williams now. The LXP is already a keeper, but I want to hear how significant the difference in overall sound is if there is any(I'm sure there will be at least a little). This was the first I have heard the PCM and I've owned it for several months and was waiting to get everything up and running in the new space before hearing it....kind of an "ahh.... construction is finally finished, time to hear the new toys now" state of mind.
 
Seeker of Rock said:
Sorry to revive this, but last week I finally put the PCM90 in the signal chain of a DM Pro kit (actually, just traded it and cash for a PDP FS kit). WWWWWOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!! is all I can say. Now I always thought that my first rack multi unit, a Midiverb IV, was a decent box and gave a good sounding reverb. Oh, how my ears were deceived when I compared one against the other; seriously, a night and day difference. It is THAT noticeable, nothing subtle about it, just the sound alone. I used a couple of similar verbs to compare on each unit, focusing on plates. The PCM made everything sound real and present. I'm anxious to a/b the PCM with the LXP15II Jim Williams now. The LXP is already a keeper, but I want to hear how significant the difference in overall sound is if there is any(I'm sure there will be at least a little). This was the first I have heard the PCM and I've owned it for several months and was waiting to get everything up and running in the new space before hearing it....kind of an "ahh.... construction is finally finished, time to hear the new toys now" state of mind.
Click to expand...

SOR, please do let us know your impressions between the LXP15 w/mod and the PCM90. I am really curious since I've never heard the 90. I like my LXP though.

Looking forward to your post.
Dennis
 
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