Reverb: Hardware or Plug-ins

ORIGINAL: bitflipper
But if you have the bread, pick up a Lexicon PCM96. Get me one too, while you're at the store.

ORIGINAL: aj

Maybe I'm missing something but I had always understood that convolution was effectively the ultimate reverb because you were truly emulating the sampled space. Since convolution can also mimic the behaviour of speakers and preamps as well as a reverberant space, it would seem that you need only find the right impulse response. I believe someone has recently posted links to some plate reverb responses, for example, and in theory a convolution reverb can emulate any other kind of reverb. Until CPUs became powerful enough to do convolution in real time, all reverbs were a compromise based on algorithms which were limited by available CPU power.

This would imply that plugins should, these days, always outclass external devices unless CPU power is an issue.

Now, interestingly, you should also be able to create your own impulse responses. For example, put a signal through a hardware reverb and then your convolution reverb should be able to emulate it precisely. So if there's a hardware product you like, rent it, sample it and then use your convolution reverb to emulate it perfectly.

ORIGINAL: Jim Roseberry

1. Convolution plugin (ie: Perfect Space or Pristine Space) with good IRs
2. Magix VariVerb Pro

This combination covers all my reverb needs... and sounds great.
Unless you're talking a $2k+ hardware reverb, the above plugins will likely sound better.

ORIGINAL: SteveJL

Just so you guys know, the cheap MX series do not pass audio through the USB (afaik), the USB is used to control parameters through the Editor program. They do have S/PDIF though. (I have a 200)

Also, they do NOT have PCM model series sound. I would rate them closer to the Yamaha SPX series in sound quality.

ORIGINAL: bunnyfluffer
BOTTOM LINE:
99% of the time, plugins are great for reverb and if I didn't have my hardware boxes I'd be fine. But if you're gonna buy hardware get the good stuff or you will be disappointed - I think - with any hardware reverb under $2,000 list.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bitflipper
But if you have the bread, pick up a Lexicon PCM96. Get me one too, while you're at the store.


Too bad they aren't shipping yet.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bitflipper



However, IMO, this advantage is not worth it if it requires an extra conversion. It's really only worthwhile if the outboard hardware accepts a digital inputs and provides digital outputs. Only if you never leave the digital domain will you get the performance benefit without the quality hit. But even in this close-to-ideal scenario, you'll still have to deal with the added latency.




This is simply not true. The added Conversion is negligible an often sounds better adding that tiny bit of distortion. Running SPDIF can be a pain in the neck sometimes getting everything to clock together. True about the latency being a Pain but it's something you only need to figure out once if external inserts work for your soundcard.

Something just isn't "right" with convolution reverbs. They sound great solo'd but they get blurry in a mix (to my ears at least). With the Lexicons you could pile on verb and it never got lost.

I've not heard one Reverb plugin that sounds as good and an el cheepo Lexicon MPX-100. I'm talking about in a mix, not solo'd. Then again, I've not checked out the TC Powercore or UAD plate so maybe I just need to swim in a bigger pond . . .