Sony DRE-S777 vs. Yamaha SREV1 vs. Altiverb

[Starstreet]

Hardware convolution is not dead. It is underrated. There are only two available units, that exist: The Sony DRE-S777 and the Yamaha SREV1. For a short time, I have both units in my studio. Please listen to the examples I made for you.

I have recorded the dry files and the reverb tails. Try your own mix, import both files and let me know, what you prefer.

The voice was recorded with the following equipment:

Brauner VMA
Manley Slam => GML 2020
Motu HD192
Vovox cables

[jimthepisces]

I would say that the hardware wins, but not by a landslide.

[Starstreet]

Hardware is clearly better. The main advantage is, that Altiverb vanishes in the mix. In a dense mix you can still hear the hardware.

[Robin Ball]

Thanks for this Star, the hardware is clearly better! I'll take a REV1 and a DRE-777 thanks......

[Starstreet]

The DRE-S777 and the SREV1 have their own strength. The big halls of a DRE-S777 are unbeatable. I now have the complete 5 CD library. It is unbelievable!!

But the small rooms of the SREV1 are deeper than those in the DRE-S777. It seems to me, that the SREV1 is a perfect choice for drums. I love the "Epicurus studio" in the SREV1, it adds an extra punch to the sound.

[ryansupak]

The hardware machines seem to add a different "color" to the sound, while the software seems more neutral. But I wonder if this is a product of the impulses, the converters, or other EQ/Modulation/etc... settings specific to each box.

Is it possible to use the *exact same impulse* on each device, and to more-or-less replicate the additional settings on each?

(I'm not asking OP to go off and do that -- just if it's possible to do so.)

rs

[Voyage.One]

I'm really digging the Gold Plate setting in my TC.

[bee]

Cool clips...now I want DRE-S777.

[laddie.music2]

I'm confused, were the same impulses used?, I don't see why hardware would be better when it comes to convolution reverb...

If it were a algorithm I can see it, and yeah the way they implement the impulse for sure,

But load the 2 same impulses, personal I think this test might have been more about which impulses each liked better,

I agree the impulse I liked best was the Hardware, in any case.

My favorite software convo. is by far Spaces by East West,

[Starstreet]

East West Spaces is a nice plugin. But the impulse responses were recorded with a Sony DRE-S777. I already asked East West to sell the original files in DRE-S777 format, but they didn't want. I am sure, that the DRE-S777 files sound better than Spaces does. Spaces doesn't have the deepness of the DRE-S777 when it comes to mixing.
By the way, I really love to combine the 480L with the Sony. The Lexicon has the wideness and that special sound we all love . The Sony adds more deepness to the sound.

Originally Posted by laddie.music2

My favorite software convo. is by far Spaces by East West,

[Casey]

Originally Posted by laddie.music2

I'm confused, were the same impulses used?, I don't see why hardware would be better when it comes to convolution reverb...

There is a very simple answer to this. The Sony 777 uses a different algorithm to calculate the convolution results.

The Sony uses massive DSP power to calculate the result in the time domain.

The software based convos first convert the audio into the frequency domain and then back again into the time domain in order to reduce the DSP requirements to make them practical to run on a Mac or PC.

While in theory these two methods can be made equivalent, it is quite possible that they are not, due to differing implemenations.



-Casey

[didier.brest]

Your dry file is voice + organ. The wet files are voice alone. Can we get the dry voice alone so that we can compete with plugins other than altiverb ?

[Bigbang]

I would like to know which converters were used with the Yamaha Srev-1 to make the samples.

I have two of these units and I first tried the Yamaha converters, then the Apogee AP8AD & AP8DA cards and I ended up using a Lucid 8824 with much better results. The reverbs were wider, deeper and clearer. A difference of night and day.

[leaf studios]

Originally Posted by Starstreet

Hardware is clearly better. The main advantage is, that Altiverb vanishes in the mix. In a dense mix you can still hear the hardware.

yeah thats spot on , i found cubase reverance better or s.i.r myself.This thread makes me want that sony machine .

On the subject of convolution you have to check these out if you use impulses.

Kineticsoundprism esoteric impulses and synth patches