Lexicon PCM 91 vs. Bricasti

[supoUSA]

For classical music (orchestra/choirs)? Desire is to make the crappy room we're in sound awesome.

Also, is there any TRULY high quality Reverb software?

[Careyn]

Originally Posted by supoUSA

For classical music (orchestra/choirs)? Desire is to make the crappy room we're in sound awesome.

Also, is there any TRULY high quality Reverb software?

As far as software goes it is all about the altiverb. Go check the website the features and sound could work great for what you guys want to do. It has impulses from some of the famous rooms around the world. The lexicon reverb is more of an effect reverb. I use a lexicon reverb the (pcm 70) but I plan on switching it for the 224xl which was lexicons original $20.000 reverb an in my opinion is still a really good and relevant high quality reverb. But I use it on synths and vocals not classical music. If lush high quality reverb sound is what you are after about give the lexicons a try. The bricasti is supposed to be more of a natural type reverb but it will cost four to five times more than what the lexicon reverb will cost you. I haven't heard much about it or used it as it is relatively a new reverb. My opinion is ask a dealer to let you demo both and see what you want to keep. There are people that can do that for you.
Hope this helps.

[saovi]

Bricasti is probably going to give you more realistic rooms for that genre especially - if its realism that you're after.

Regarding software reverbs, Altiverb (with the right convolution impulse responses) sounds great. Waves IR-1 is also quite good in importing true stereo (4 mono mic) impulses. Regardless some of the artifacts that I don't appreciate regarding software impulses in general is that many of the available libraries do add Q to your mix - for better or for worse and regardless of sample rate etc. We've even had to neutralize room EQ to remove muddiness for some critical projects - including the Todd AO IR which is notorious for adding mud. Good luck.

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by supoUSA

For classical music (orchestra/choirs)? Desire is to make the crappy room we're in sound awesome.

you mean a dead room or a room w/ lousy acoustics,reflections.standing waves?

[Benmrx]

Originally Posted by supoUSA

For classical music (orchestra/choirs)? Desire is to make the crappy room we're in sound awesome.

Also, is there any TRULY high quality Reverb software?

Depending on what dimensions you have to work with, it seems to me that if you're willing to spend $3,700 on a reverb for making "the crappy room sound awsome", you'de get a MUCH better end result if you put even half that into acoustics.

[Careyn]

Originally Posted by Benmrx

Depending on what dimensions you have to work with, it seems to me that if you're willing to spend $3,700 on a reverb for making "the crappy room sound awsome", you'de get a MUCH better end result if you put even half that into acoustics.

How do you go about doing that?

There are companies that design the big studios but usually its big rooms ect and you have to spend a lot of money to hire them to work and make this happen. How would you go about getting a room to sound better on a smaller budget?
Thanks in advance.

[Beastie]

Bricasti.

[Benmrx]

Originally Posted by Careyn

How do you go about doing that?

There are companies that design the big studios but usually its big rooms ect and you have to spend a lot of money to hire them to work and make this happen. How would you go about getting a room to sound better on a smaller budget?
Thanks in advance.

I didn't have that much "dedicated" to acoustics at my place, but the rooms sound pretty darn good IMO, and the opinion of freelancers. It could very well be more to do with the dimensions and how we built the walls though.

$3.5K will get you VERY far IF you're willing to put in some man hours and do some of the labor yourself as far as building bass traps, diffusors, softening some of your early reflections, keeping parallel walls and surfaces to a minimum, etc. I just used my best judgement from what I've learned over the years and of other studios I've been to. I didn't have any "pro's" come in and tune the place or anything, although I would LOVE for that to happen someday because I'm sure it would only make the place sound better.

What are the dimensions of your room? How high are the ceilings. Is the floor and ceiling parallel to eachother?

[reid]

In my experience the Bricasti is wonderful for orchestral recordings - its Halls are some of the most '3d' I've heard, and it outwits Altiverb in every respect. It's a cliche that's been discussed before, but one that I found to be borne out through A/B-ing the two: whilst Altiverb seems to add the reverb on top of your music, the Bricasti seems to 'become' part of the music itself. Don't know if this is down to the quality of the Bricasti's algos, the convertors or just the sheer horsepower it can access in all those ritzy computer chips - but it does a good job of making everything sound lush, involving and expensive.

I'd agree with Saovi - the Todd AO IR (which seems to be many folks go to response for orchestral stuff) is muddy as hell - but once you clean it up with EQ, does work well. I've also had a lot of success with the Mechanics Hall and Kammermusiksaal IRs. But if you can get your mitts on a Bricasti, then maybe check out the Clear Hall and Worcester Hall settings - they always put a smile on my face.