How good is Alti-verb mangst high-end hardware...

[Dirty Halo]

Ok, so some of us have things like a Lexicon 480L, PCM 70, AMS 16, Eventides, etc...

I'm thinking of adding Altiverb as a very different color in the palette (to things like above)...

I know Altiverb convolution verb gets some bashing 'round these parts, but is it that bad or is it actaully good.

If so, why?
What do you like about it.
If no, why?
What are it's strengths and weaknesses?

Thanks, and any context given to your help/answers would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Andrews

DIRTY HALO www.dirtyhalo.com

[dlmorley]

I think it's alright! It's fun sampling your own reverbs. That I REALLY like about it.
I still prefer a real EMT or my Roland R880, but Altiverb is fine.

At Easter I am going to my wife's home town in Bavaria and there is a church where they have built a huge glass front that sounds mad and fab when you sing in it! Armed with some mics and a recorder/player I can capture it.

I wouldn't sell any of my better hardware reverbs for it though.

[piano]

I have a PCM 91 and Altiverb.

Altiverb is just spectacular for acoustic instruments or classical work - nothing beats it except a real room.

The PCM 91 gets used more for vocals - it does some wierd phasing that changes a piano sound unfavorablly but does wonders on a vocal.

What's a smoother sounding verb? Altiverb by far. But I've never tried the box emulations on vox --- because I like the way the PCM 91 handles it (I'm keeping my PCM80 and my PCM91!).

[piano]

Oh yea... how good is Altiverb to my PCM 91.... in a word it smokes it for smoothness and realism. Not even close. Altiverb is amazing.

However, those Lexcion verbs are very sweet sounding on certain instruments.

[Silver Sonya]

Altiverb is a use-your-ears type of thing. Some rooms are positively awful and some are truly amazing. There are three or four of them that I return to again and again. It's a personal taste thing. One of the rooms, in particular, is spectacular for drums and I find it addictive.

I have done mixes where people ask "Where did you record that?" afterwards. That's a good sign w/ reverb, I think.

The library and its versatility are pretty spectacular. If you can't find something you like, your needs are more specific than mine.

- c

[bdmctear]

I had access to Altiverb for some time a few years ago. It was quite excellent, trully, especially from the standpoint that I had access to unlimited reverbs. I will say, I prefer my own EMT 140 over a sample of the EMT 140 that I found online. On their own they sounded very similar, almost indistinguishable.

However, I seem to prefer the real EMT and I believe the difference must lie in how the real one combined with the whole mix, especially hours after I actually set up that effect, when I was no longer thinking of it. I can only surmise that there is merit to the effect it can have when the reverb is "off the clock"... not clocking and working on a digital treadmill... and is simply taking in sound and sending back effect free and clear.

I also prefer my Space Echo to emulations, and I suspect for the same reason.

Again, though, the limitless choices of the Altiverb are pretty tough to beat. My EMT is 8 feet long, 4 ft high, and it weighs a couple hundred pounds... and it does one thing: make reverb. (though I am not complaining).

[ISedlacek]

The problem with convolution reverbs is their rather static 2D sound. When using a high-end Lexicon reverb, you feel the sound is alive and 3D.
I am not sure how much Altiverb differs from other common convolution reverbs as far as the sound quality is concerned. Yes, you can see all those photos of churches, concert halls etc., which is impressive at first.
I prefer Lexicon PCM-91 over Altiverb any time for any occassion

[RoundBadge]

I find the Alti hardware emulationss lacking to the real stuff.less depth width,detail..
It makes me question the mics and convertors they use for the real space impulse's too
.. for natural spaces Alti can be very cool.
As a test I put real 480/PCM90/80/60 up to the impulse..the real deals pretty muchkilled it for depth/width.

Heard the Bricasti Hardware verb today @ NAMM...
Ex Lexicon engineer designed it,
500 times the DSP of a Lexi 480L... sounded f*cking awesome

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

I find the Alti hardware emulationss lacking to the real stuff.less depth width,detail..
It makes me question the mics and convertors they use for the real space impulse's too
.. for natural spaces Alti can be very cool.
As a test I put real 480/PCM90/80/60 up to the impulse..the real deals pretty

Run it through an external delay as a predelay(especially the 480L impulses). The predelay and decay control when used can compromise the sound and make it sound smaller.

My favorite 480L impulse is the Motown chamber(which sounds really good on female vocals) and it rocks when you predelay it with (2) PCM 42's if you got them lying around or a 1300S... it works wonders.

The only issue is the decay can't work for everything and if you fuss with the control in Altiverb the sound gets really tiny. I just automate the tails and sends.

This works great as well with the EMT 140 plate impulses again the decay becomes an issue so i tuck it really low and automate it.

The rooms and EMT 250 impulses worked best for me when i ran the sends from the SSL and summed the returns on analog.

By the way if you can find one the Sony DRES-77 has better rooms and a better plate program for the convolution stuff.