# Hardware Reverbs: Anyone still using them?



## Scott Cairns (Jun 8, 2005)

The title says it all.  Ive been thinking for a while about getting one and running it via S/PDIF to my host DAW. Or do you guys think it'll become dust in the face of the software verbs and convolutions available these days?

Thanx,

Scott.


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## Trev Parks (Jun 8, 2005)

I used to do just that with my Lexicon PCM90. Its useful for having a nice reverb for selected instruments in a sketchpad situation before the main mixing happens. But I have to say that, since purchasing IR1, I haven't really used it and I imagine I'll be selling it soon enough.

What do you intend to use it for?.


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## Craig Sharmat (Jun 8, 2005)

i am selling my Lexicon PCM 91. i will no longer have any outboard stuff except mic pre's. I have friends who think i should keep it as it is a fine reverb and uses no power up on my cpu. Just some thoughts.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 8, 2005)

With five stereo-stereo Altiverb Concertgeboews running at 50% CPU on a 2x2.5 G5, there's not a lot of reason anymore. I recently sold my second (and last) NuVerb card after not turning it on for six months. There may be a day when I wish I had it, but it seems unlikely.


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## Scott Cairns (Jun 8, 2005)

Thanks Guys.


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## christianobermaier (Jun 8, 2005)

>Thanks Guys. 

Oh, this thread isn't closed yet, or is it ?

I'd say, buying new ? No. Keeping at least one for not taxing your CPU generally and ease of tracking musicians? Yes, sir.

Christian

http://www.artofthegroove.com/logic/mp3/Christian_Obermaier_demo.mp3 (show reel) http://uk.geocities.com/christianobermaier/home.htm (home page) http://uk.geocities.com/christianobermaier/Studio.htm (studio pics) http://uk.geocities.com/christianobermaier/Gearlist.htm (gear list)


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## Scott Cairns (Jun 8, 2005)

Hi Christian, I have a powercore card in my host, the reverbs are ok for percussion generally. This takes some load off the cpu.


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## Herman Witkam (Jun 8, 2005)

Craig Sharmat said:


> i am selling my Lexicon PCM 91. i will no longer have any outboard stuff except mic pre's. I have friends who think i should keep it as it is a fine reverb and uses no power up on my cpu. Just some thoughts.



Selling the PCM91? :shock: 

Don't forget to make an impulse response of it first


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## sin(x) (Jun 9, 2005)

It'd help if you told what kind of hardware reverb you're heading for. I'd say there's little point in getting one of the lower-spec boxes (that is, anything below ~1500 bucks) except for live work nowadays, as there are plenty of comparatively low-priced plug-ins which perform the same or better. OTOH, there's hardly a chance the big toys (like TC System 6000, Lexicon's 960L) will get obsoleted by software in the near future. They have far more sophisticated tweaking possibilities than convolution reverbs, and even their presets can't accurately be captured with impulse responses, since there are lots of non-linearities in their signal paths.

If you're mainly searching for a standard pop reverb for use on vocals or instruments in mixes, or realistic renditions of real spaces without the need to tweak lots of details, I'd suggest you save the money and stay with the software. OTOH, If you're doing post production (or VERY perfectionist music mixes =) and need to control every aspect of your spaces, get one of the big boxes if you have the money.

Cheers,
jan


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## evaclear (Jun 10, 2005)

Craig Sharmat said:


> i am selling my Lexicon PCM 91. i will no longer have any outboard stuff except mic pre's. I have friends who think i should keep it as it is a fine reverb and uses no power up on my cpu. Just some thoughts.



I've thought about the CPU thing too, but at the end of the day my verbs have never posed a problem on my cpu. I mean by the time i mix a track (using 2 different verbs in the one session for eg) I always push my buffer right back, and then i have no problems. It's only if i was trying to track with low latency that i would have trouble running 40 plugins and 2 verbs etc- which of course practically never happens.

It's been interesting to watch great lexicon outboard verbs become more and more obsolete, and very tempting to buy, but i just don't think i'd ever do it.


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## José Herring (Jun 10, 2005)

There's a new outboard lex box that interfaces directly with a computer. Has anybody seen that one? It'd be cool if it acted just like a plugin.

Maybe that's what's in store for the future of hardware boxes.

Jose


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## Trev Parks (Jun 11, 2005)

josejherring said:


> There's a new outboard lex box that interfaces directly with a computer. Has anybody seen that one? It'd be cool if it acted just like a plugin.
> 
> Maybe that's what's in store for the future of hardware boxes.
> 
> Jose



I suppose cards like the UAD-1 are built for this reason but I agree that it'd be nice to have a bit of external hardware that could be plugged to take the load off the DAW. At the moment the solution is networking and using another computer for the FX but is it the most elegant solution?. It works for Nuendo ok but I do still long for the day when everything can be done in one computer and a whisper quiet rack unit or two.


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## Simon Ravn (Jun 11, 2005)

I still use Lexicon MPX1/MPX500 when I compose, and for non-final mixes. Easy to just press record and then you have a pretty good representation of what it's gonna sound like and you don't have to worry about fiddling with plugins etc. I'm not gonna get rid of them. Also, I would have a hard time composing completely dry.


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## hv (Jun 11, 2005)

Used a TC M3000 for years and a TC Rev 4000 my last few projects. None of the soft revs I've tried sound as good to me. My biggest 4000 issue is concurrent channel processing ability. The 4000 adds 24/96 processing but only one channel at a time. I'm not sure I want to spring for a 6000 with the additional digital i/o ports required the pricing and complexity are a deal breaker for me.

Also using GS3 Orch with Gigapulse. Kicking around the idea of dedicating a machine to Gigapusle and hooking to my DAW with adat lines. And IRing my 4000. My tests suggest I can definitely sustain 2 GP instances for 4 channel operation at 96K with a 2.8 ghz mobo. Maybe get to 6 or 8 channel operation with something faster or perhaps when GS 3.1 lands.

Haven't tried TC Powercore, Voxengo, or SIRS yet. Very interested in Peter Roos' work. I could go for a 6000 if it got a PowerCore interface and maybe acquired some convolution support.

Howard


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## Rob Elliott (Jun 20, 2005)

Simon Ravn said:


> I still use Lexicon MPX1/MPX500 when I compose, and for non-final mixes. Easy to just press record and then you have a pretty good representation of what it's gonna sound like and you don't have to worry about fiddling with plugins etc. I'm not gonna get rid of them. Also, I would have a hard time composing completely dry.




I am with Simon on the reasons for...

I also need it to track live instruments (guitar, violins, etc.) and voice.
BTW, I use the Roland SRV 330 (what a gem of a verb - 12 years later)


Rob


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## bdemenil (Jun 24, 2005)

I've compared impulses of KSP8 presets (on the IR1) to the real thing, and there is an obvious difference. You get the same general sound, but the quality of the actual unit is far superior. The new reverb plugins sound great, orders of magnitude better than the plugins out a few years ago, but they're not on par with high quality hardware yet. 

The same is probably true of EQ and compressors.

My dream would be to have effects with a good analog signal path controlled digitally by the daw with plugins.


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## José Herring (Jun 28, 2005)

Hey, I maybe nuts.

But, I downloaded this set of free plugs from Kjaehrus(spelling) audio. I'm actually liking the classic reverb plug and the chorus plug isn't that bad either. 

Does anybody else have any experice with these products. I maybe interested in paying for their EQ. How does there stuff compare to Voxengo's stuff?

Jose


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