Spring Reverb

[Dubious]

Originally Posted by shaneoconnor

i have found that sending drums to a plate plugin, or another OTB verb and then blending in some spring sounds amazing. recently i have been way into blending verbs together and creative less of a spacial strictness in my mixes.

hmm thats a cool idea

lately i've found running a 20ms Delay before the spring (or any OTB verb) to be really satisfying.

[Sam an huel]

Nobody talks about this one i think.

Fisher SpaceXpander: famous when it comes to dub/reaggae.

[pan60]

their is a thread here somewhere just about the Fisher SpaceXpander, just can not remember were.

[bee]

The Accutronics Accuverb gets my vote! but it may be a little more than $300 I haven't seen one for sale in awhile.

[Mr. Meoff]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

master room xl 305!!

Yeah! I just picked one up at a University Surplus auction for $10!!!! and it works!!!!

[pan60]

Originally Posted by Mr. Meoff

Yeah! I just picked one up at a University Surplus auction for $10!!!! and it works!!!!

you dog!!!
i will double your money now: )~
great score.

[ThomasWho]

Originally Posted by DrDeltaM

The German company Vermona makes one, think it's around 300 actually.
http://www.vermona.com/en/produkte/r...retroverb.html

I have one of them , love it! sounds very warm and nice.

T

[macleodgrant]

you're in luck because Softube have just released a Spring Reverb for $99

Spring Reverb by Softube

[Sounds Great]

Originally Posted by macleodgrant

you're in luck because Softube have just released a Spring Reverb for $99

Spring Reverb by Softube

[firby]

I have a fisher space exander here. I do not have it going yet. I have to make cables to go from xlr to RCA.

Anyways it is a tube spring reverb AND its old so it will rule right ? Right?

[GordZilla]

Though I have to agree that there is nothing quite like the sound of a cool old analog spring reverb... as far as software emulations go, I do find that the spring reverb in the UAD-1 plugin of the venerable Roland RE-201 Space Echo is pretty satisfying.

Of course the real hardware version of the RE-201 would probably work even better

[Sounds Great]

Originally Posted by GordZilla

Though I have to agree that there is nothing quite like the sound of a cool old analog spring reverb... as far as software emulations go, I do find that the spring reverb in the UAD-1 plugin of the venerable Roland RE-201 Space Echo is pretty satisfying.

Of course the real hardware version of the RE-201 would probably work even better

The reverb built into the Roland and other tape delay machines is ok, but not that special. Pretty much the same as the spring reverb in most old guitar amps.

[DanDan]

The Grampian Ambiophonic Unit Type 666. Scary eh? This was very popular in the UK way back. I am guessing the BBC designed or commissioned it to be a small affordable substitute for the EMT plate in their many regional studios. It is exactly that. Very plate like. Very clever circuitry where a flashlight bulb in series with the driver coil acted as a compressor and an overload indicator. The slow and bulby compression of the bulb caused a sort of pre-delay. The spring was a Hammond, later Accutronics, same as in the Organ and the Fender Twin, I believe.
I have one. I also have a homemade true stereo copy. I rarely use them but this thread prompts me to make an Altiverb version.
Best Regards, DD

SoundSound - Homepage

[punklejim]

I'm lucky enough to have a really nice AKG BX10...complete with original manual and sales flyer..." lightweight (only 45 lbs)".....it sounds soooo good

[Granny Gremlin]

Originally Posted by BirdFLU

The guy said "under $300." Sheesh.


Other models I've seen for under $100 pretty regularly are the Furman RV-1, Furman RV-2 (which seems to be two RV-1s in one case). A couple Tapco models, and a Fostex model that I forget the model numbers for. I'm pretty sure the Fostex one is stereo and it sounds decent. I've never heard the Tapco or Furman ones.

The (brownface) Fostexes are not terrible but annoyingly unbalanced and -10 level. ... some have RCA i/o.

I have a Tapco 4400 and it is useful. The neat thing is the 4 band graphic eq on the reverbed signal and the wet/dry mix. It's best used as a trashy reverb (easy to OD the input/output amps) but can be very y if driven hard with drums or other percussive/highly dynamic sources (the EQ can tame this to a degree). It can be nice and smooth if you watch the input gain (has handy input VU meters). Another cool feature is the momentray switch that lets you hear just the tails without the dry signal (handy for dialing in your sound or if you're into dub). That said, I wouldn't be happy if that was my only verb; sometimes I need something lusher and more hifi. It's also unbalanced but I think it's +4, because that's what I feed it and it's not in the red by default.

[alovejoy]

I had a similar obsession and discovered the world of 1960s hifi reverb tanks. Folks used to buy these with their home hifi systems - man, those must have been the days. Anyhow, a Sansui RA-500 http://www.groenewoudnet.nl/Sansui%20RA-500.jpg for $50 and a Rolls M15b ProMatch Rolls Corporation - Real Sound - Products MB15b Promatch and More for $100 (to get the Sansui's RCA consumer level I/O up to pro +4dbv) and you've got Stereo Reverb insert that looks cool as hell.

Be aware that the Sansui will not provide a 100% wet signal, so it's not a true "send" per se, but makes a fun insert. Will dirty up the signal pretty nice too. A good dark, short spring reverb. Sounds great on drums too.

[Jay Dee]

The Little Lanilei uses real springs and fits your budget: Amplifier Effects Reverb - Mahaffay Amplifiers

My all-time fave spring is the stand-alone Fender spring reverb unit. I bought a '66 blackface model from AnalogMan about ten years ago for use in a surf band and it was all that, believe me. But I think they're going for about a grand nowadays... nice thing about the Fender units was they had some gain bumping going on so it almost gave a slight overdrive to your signal. That and the deepest verb you could want.

[rack gear]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/instr...rb-pedals.html

Buy Danelectro Spring King Spring Reverb | Delay & Reverb | Musician's Friend

hmmmm not sure about this, but check it out...
Boss FRV-1 Fender Reverb / 63 Reverb Tank



That Danelectro Spring King is about the same price... and has real springs!

[kreeper_6]

Just got a spring King and I am enjoying it very much.

[Scott M. Reiber]

I have heard some of her vocal recordings and some of them sound like they are using an old mono Plate reverb. I have gottem similar results using Universal Audio's Plate 140 reverb. It's one of the best plate emulations I have ever heard and for the price it can't be beat. As long as you have a UAD-1 or 2 card, which is also a great investment. Most of UA's plug ins are the best out there period, and there are no yearly fees like Waves charges.

[YetiHunter]

Why is spring considered a kitsch niche? Listen to all those Rudy Van Gelder Prestige recordings... Hell, listen to most things prior to Lexicon. Not everyone had a plate or a nice room. What do you think they used? Think all those spring and tape echo units were being made for the manufacturers shelf?
I know some of the "older" and outspoken Gearslutz attendees like to scoff; but "older" in 2010 means that, once upon a short time ago, they were way into doing live sound for Journey and Warrant at a Miller Lite and PBR bar... = super cheese-bags.

All the cool people got springs. Get some springs.


Anti-hype machine:

The Fisher Spacexpander sounds like turd. And I've heard more than a few.
True, it is the King Tubby sound, but didn't he do 3 million zillion records,
is it really worth re-hashing? Can't you get a 200 cd boxset from Trojan for $2?

Seriously, it's terrible and useless.

But it definitely struck me as unique in the sense that unlike most spring reverbs -- which as soon as you hear you think "ugh, spring reverb!" and unlike most digital reverbs which, in some instances as soon as you hear them you think "ugh, digital reverb!" and in a few instances you think "Mmm, a room!" (or "Mmm, a plate!") -- with the Demeter as soon as you hear it you think "What the...huh? That is so freakin cool...what the hell is that?"

Yup.

The Demeter is still a spring reverb, however: it s if you clip it real hard...it sounds bad clipped (compress your echo send). It's dark, but a lot brighter than you'd expect (watch out for cymbals and alto sax). And there's still pickups in there, so beware of hum, low buzzes, etc.

But if you avoid these things, it's totally worth it, and it blends super well with a Lexi dark plate.


More thumbs up to the Furman. It's low-end, but in a super-rad way.
The eq is super noisey and obvious. ...in a super-rad way.

The spring in my Korg Stage echo is very atmospheric. ... in a super rad way.

Wish I could speak of the AKG's. Are they more of a Fender Reverb sound, or a "for the studio" sound?


Super rad.

[noah330]

I have a Fostex that hasn't been hooked up in years and a Fender from the 60s that I use with my guitar.

[Michael_Joly]

My badass twang box is the Jule Amps "Santa Cruz" reverb. Catch a wave or dwell in the swamp swell of this all tube spring tank housed in a natural-finish tongue and groove cab.

[David C.]

Originally Posted by YetiHunter

Wish I could speak of the AKG's. Are they more of a Fender Reverb sound, or a "for the studio" sound?


Super rad.

I used to record at a studio in the late 80's early 90's that had an AKG box. It was definitely more studio sounding than a Fender guitar amp verb. Very warm and friendly sounding.

[Multi-Monitors]

try to find a reverberator...they're badass

[kkonkkrete]

Maybe check out the Ekdahl Moisturizer.

[Shadow Boxer]

anyone used a boss rx-100?? watching one on ebay at the moment

[utters]

Originally Posted by broadway252

Hello Slutz.

I'm in love with the production on the Amy Winehouse record, especially the use of spring reverb

the reverb used on her voice (at least in the mix) was a pioneer sr-101 tube spring reverb.

I have one. It's great! although it's fiddly with gain staging and whatnot as it has no direct out, just a blend of original signal and verb.

[bpm888]

assembling your own spring reverb is easy-as-pie, and is a great introduction to audio diy-ing.
buy a spring reverb tank, accutronics are classic, $20+ new, or for next to nothing on ebay. Build a simple driver and pickup amp, circuits are all available on the accutronics website.
You'll end up with (literally) the same thing as the accuverb ($300), or the paia kit ($100) for $30. Plus you'll be able to leave the springs exposed if you choose so you can interact with them... hit them, hold them or stretch them to change spring resonance and reverb sound. they are surprisingly robust and can really take a beating.

[NEWTON IN ORBIT]

+1 for these units. I have a 242a? I know a few others that have them as well.

One thing I am surprised to see, is that nobody is mentioning the Walter Sear trick of crimping the coils in random increments. Maybe I missed it, I dunno.

It's in an article @ the Searsound web site. That guy has done a lotta heavy stuff of course, and he states he uses springs all the time.

The mod thing though...

It is subtle, so you can crimp with needle nose-> listen, crimp, listen and when you have tamed the , STOP, because there's no going back.

On the plus side though, if the unit uses accutronics, these are easy to get your hands on new, or even just gut an old transistor /cheapo guitar amp for one, if you screw it up beyond use.

If it is a stereo unit, crimp the other side at different intervals. Even though the chances of you getting the exact same sound with them crimped EXACTLY in the same places is next to nothing, I would still shoot for wildy different spacing for the crimps, for a more dramatic stereo effect.

If you want it to sound a bit more like a plate, crimp it up, but remember to not over do it... listen as you go, and be sure.

Also, I really wanted to reduce the decay of one side, so I got some very small lead fishing sinkers, and crimped two on one side's spring. No , more like a short plate. Kinda like a really damped plate of some kind....maybe.

After I did this to mine, the only thing that can make it "" now, is a REALLY hard drum hit, and I don't typically use these for drums. I think maybe twice, and with very little return in the mix. Once was a brushes track, with very little hard transient "whack", and it worked pretty nicely.

I built my own plate too, which hangs in a seperate room, and I use both it and the spring equally as much.

They sound a little more similar after the spring mod, but still each do their own thing. There is no substitute for a real plate though, even a ghetto one. Whomever mentioned building that DIY plate, is right on target.

Even if you don't coax EMT fidelity out of your DIY plate, it is still going to be very useful from time to time, on a lotta things. Even if it is not "reality", it's still a cool effect.

Maybe somebody will find this useful....

Peace,
J