Ageing, inexpensive, hardware effects... which ones do you still have love for?

[Go Nigel Go]

Originally Posted by chevega

Just last week i was having trouble getting the right verb sound my client was asking for. In desperation, I fired up the old Behringer Virtualizer Pro, which is basically a seventy dollar piece of garbage, but lo and behold... there was the sound! It is tentatively still patched in for future exploration.

I often say that every piece of gear does at least one thing well. Of course, I never thought that applied to anything made by Behringer.

I keep mine around for the same reason, that box has a ton of crap built into it, and sometimes it is just the right crap for what I am trying to do... I'll never sell it just because it is worth more to me in the rack as a "once in a blue moon" problem solver than I could possibly get for it on the used gear market.

[dialectic]

Originally Posted by Go Nigel Go

I keep mine around for the same reason, that box has a ton of crap built into it, and sometimes it is just the right crap for what I am trying to do... I'll never sell it just because it is worth more to me in the rack as a "once in a blue moon" problem solver than I could possibly get for it on the used gear market.

I tend to keep a Zoom 1201 sitting in my rack for similar reasons. It is so low end that it's pretty much subterranean but there are some quirky effects in that cheap little box that on occasions have been ideal for a particular source somewhere in a track.

[gtracs]

Originally Posted by dialectic

Yeah, that is quite a unique unit, I have one of those myself.

(RE Lexicon Vortex)

Yeah, but puts out a lot of hiss noise unfortunately, and you can't bypass it.

[dialectic]

Originally Posted by maggotspawn

Alesis Quadraverb.

Any other users of the original Quadraverb?
It appears to still be a popular choice for some guitarists and seems to have a keen following within the more experimental, electronic based music scene but rarely do I hear it being referenced outside of those circles.

[T'Mershi Duween]

A newly re-furbished Echoplex (I will never get rid of this baby) and a Korg SDD2000.

Both units have serious mojo and for time based effects, are fun to use.

I really like the tactile sensation of turning knobs...

[skip bitmin]

I really like my lexicon MPX1 for balled vocals some strings and guitar

Tough Chicken - YouTube

[MadGuitrst]

Boss SE 50

[vernier]

The only inexpensive retro piece a keep around is the "dbx one knob squeezer". Haven't used it in years, but old recordings with it sound cool, so I keep it around.
.
.

[dialectic]

Originally Posted by vernier

The only inexpensive retro piece a keep around is the "dbx one knob squeezer". Haven't used it in years, but old recordings with it sound cool, so I keep it around.
.
.

aka the DBX163X?

[idylldon]

Deltalab Effectron II ADM 1024. I have yet to hear anything that does a pseudo ADT (automatic double tracking) as good as this old box. Love it.

Cheers,
--
Don

[BillSimpkins]

MXR Phase 90. What can I say? It's awesome.
<secret name, not Aphex> Vintage Exciter (it is the creamiest harmonic distortion generator), great for repair work. Was $35 and $70 to fix it and re-pot it. My little secret.
Chandler Tube Driver (x2). Great on an effects buss.
I also have a DBX 266 that I drive the snot out of for a really unstable distortion. It will melt someday.

[dialectic]

Originally Posted by dialectic

Any other users of the original Quadraverb?
It appears to still be a popular choice for some guitarists and seems to have a keen following within the more experimental, electronic based music scene but rarely do I hear it being referenced outside of those circles.

Bump. Just curious.

[kpsiegel]

Lexicon LXP-1 and LXP-5. I have two of each and two Lexicon MRC's to control them. Got the lot for next to nothing and I still like them. I have to clean the pots on the LXP's though. They can get noisy.

[nedorama]

Lexicon Vortex - +1. Had it and loved it on guitar, but noisy.

Midiverb II - #36 Gated reverb - for that sound, easy.

SPX90 - that plus an ADA MP1 and an ADA MicroCab was my guitar setup for years; the SPX and the ADA fell apart and died 3 years ago. Miss that grainy 12 bit sound - not great for some things, but for guitar it worked great.

Ensoniq ESQ-M -- still have it, bought it new in '87. Will keep that synth forever.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by kpsiegel

Lexicon LXP-1 and LXP-5. I have two of each and two Lexicon MRC's to control them. Got the lot for next to nothing and I still like them. I have to clean the pots on the LXP's though. They can get noisy.

HOW do you clean them?
I have tried taking off the knobs and spraying into the post, but it doesn't get it. They seem to be sealed or something.

[depulse]

Originally Posted by dialectic

I tend to keep a Zoom 1201 sitting in my rack for similar reasons. It is so low end that it's pretty much subterranean but there are some quirky effects in that cheap little box that on occasions have been ideal for a particular source somewhere in a track.

+1

I have a Zoom 1204, sometimes a trashy reverb is what you need. The pitchshifter isn't bad either, being able to change the pitchshift in realtime gives some unique effects hard to replicate with other gear.

[kpsiegel]

Originally Posted by joeq

HOW do you clean them?
I have tried taking off the knobs and spraying into the post, but it doesn't get it. They seem to be sealed or something.

Yea I have done the same things to clean them and it just doesn't work. The MRC helps cause you don't have to twist any knobs with that. Just control via midi.

I suppose I could get them professionally serviced but it never seems to bubble to the top of the priority list.

Ken

[thrustman]

Im ashamed to admit it but I still regularly use an Alesis Wedge and once in a while use my SPX 90. I cant sell them for anything like what they are worth so I use them. I love the SPX pitch shift algorhythm. The Wedge isnt my only reverb but sometimes its dark thick verbs fit better than the plugins I have.

[dialectic]

Originally Posted by thrustman

I love the SPX pitch shift algorhythm.

It seems that many people hang on to their SPX90's for the pitch shift programs. I still have an old REX50 which is similar to the SPX90 but in desktop format and also contains the pitch shift programs which I still like to use.

[teo]

I feel stupid now!
My SPX90 is stuck on Symphonic. Off to try the pitch shift...

[ofajen]

Well, first there are the three Korg PME-40X pedalboards and some ridiculous number of modules. Fifteen at least. Those can be used on every type of signal in front of amps or on signals heading to tape and occasionally even at mix time. They really don't want full line levels, though, and I run the Otari 8-track at consumer levels which helps both these effects and the Mackie mixer avoid distortion.

I also still like MXR digital delays, because they lose HF frequency response at longer delays and mostly because they allow you to get that wonderful chorusing delay where the delay time is modulated, without having to chorus the direct signal.

Cheers,

Otto

[sonic dogg]

SPX90 for verbs in the cans and nothing sounds like a Rev7 on snare. With the two engines you can gate/verb/comp. It has that grit unavailable on ITB stuff.

[mikeyrad]

How come no one has mentioned the Roland sde-1000?

I just got one for about $80, haven't really got into it too much but fr the cheap it sounded pretty good.

Anyone got anything to share about these units?

[JamieOxford]

Lexicon Alex

Picked up one of these a while back. Used it again the other day as a snare verb and was surprised how much is sounded like a room mic. More realistic than Logic's Space Designer/Pro Tools' D-Verb and without the artifacts. Not bad for £50!

[mactac]

Originally Posted by thrustman

Im ashamed to admit it but I still regularly use an Alesis Wedge and once in a while use my SPX 90. I cant sell them for anything like what they are worth so I use them. I love the SPX pitch shift algorhythm. The Wedge isnt my only reverb but sometimes its dark thick verbs fit better than the plugins I have.

I had an Alesis Wedge for a very long time & never used it. It was never worth selling, and every once in a while I used it for monitor fx.

Anyways, one day it died. I was happy to throw it out because it freed up a a little bit of space!

[Philip S Bova]

Ibanez SDR 1000 reverb (got mine for $90)

Loft 450 analog delay/flanger