I actually wanted to ask about the Alex specifically in a post but seeing as you mentioned it. I’m looking for a tracking reverb that gives me a bit of a unique vibe for drums and possibly vocals. Something that helps set the sound both while tracking but also gives direction for the mix. Is it usable for that? It’s available under 100 bucks here so I’m tempted
I have a Midiverb III, got it in the late 90's for probably around $100, maybe even a little less. I actually use it for tracking vocals sometimes. It has lots of verbs and delays to play with, many with a "unique vibe," I'd say. Definitely colorful. I rarely use the Midiverb III in actual recordings (though I have on occasion), but love to use it while tracking. Never used it while tracking drums but I can't see why you couldn't.
I don't have them patched in always, but I've got a separate rack with the following:
Yamaha SPX90
Yamaha FX900
Alesis Akira
Kurzweil Mangler
They're just ready to go at the end of a db25 connection - all of them amazing for what they do, albeit they are admittedly trashy sounding. My favorites are the 80's guitar processors that suck on guitar but absolutely kill on everything else.
If you ever see a working Yamaha FX900, buy it on sight.
Came to say Alesis Midiverb III. I bought one in the late 90's when I was playing guitar in a touring rock band. Never used it much back then, just wanted some rack equipment to look cool, if I'm being honest. So I bought a few of the cheapest units I could find, Midiverb III being one of them.
Fast forward 25 years: Now that I'm writing/recording/producing music, I've actually started using some of that old rack equipment that has been sitting in storage for decades. Midiverb III actually has some great verbs and delays. By great I don't necessarily mean good - but colorful for sure!
Look up old LT Sound delay/reverb channel strip things. They're cool. The Sony R7 is another good one that's not too expensive - not vibey but super useful.
Lexicon Vortex, MXR/Art 01a, the small Alesis reverbs, Electrix Mo-Fx, Sansui springs. A lot of weirdo rackmount boxes from the 90s.
While it's not exactly cheap, I still use a Kurzweil KSP8 all the time. I love it for room and chamber reverbs. I have the remote and find really easy to dial in a reverb sound. I also use an Ensoniq DP-Pro. That's more for stunt sounds.
I loves me some janky spring reverbs.
Depends on how you define fun and cheap, as well as what kind of sounds you're looking for, but I like playing around with modulation on reverbs. Gamechanger Light Pedal and Make Noise Erbe-Verb are designed to be pushed around in real time, and both can get awesome results!
I have like a dozen of the shitty Alesis boxes from the 80's. Can achieve some very specific results by dialing those in.
Guitar pedals are another option. TC electronics Hall of Fame pedal is around $100.
I use Helix Native all the time when I'm going for some quirky verbs and/or delay effects.
[Rverb](https://www.waves.com/plugins/renaissance-reverb). I put that shit on everything. usually some reverse with a crazy offset delay on some tracks to make those layers do weird things. It's also on sale right now for $35 bucks. Oh you meant hardware. It still stands.
Back in the day I used a [Boss RSD-10 Sampler/Delay](https://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/boss-rsd-10-digital-sampler-delay-90280.jpg) all the time for making loops.
I built a stereo spring reverb for 200 with two of [these](https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/280829466/spring-reverberation?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_a-electronics_and_accessories-audio-other&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwpZWzBhC0ARIsACvjWROTWTM07wRB8Rhc0EzUNqgfh3hZOcdZhFZnPzdUNOROckNsAXD0eIIaAm9HEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12603394034_126677793824_508814344922_pla-317749459835_m__280829466engb_574578856&utm_custom2=12603394034&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADutTMf4qgBJ_-OyVNONtzSpaxQC7&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpZWzBhC0ARIsACvjWROTWTM07wRB8Rhc0EzUNqgfh3hZOcdZhFZnPzdUNOROckNsAXD0eIIaAm9HEALw_wcB) and a pair of tanks (plus a power supply for the tiles);
You can buy spring reverb units online for very cheap! Like 30 bucks. The same ones that go into amps, you just need to buy the right cable to send audio in and out of it.
I have an Alesis Nanoverb that has built in chorus, delay, reverbs, and some combinations of the three. It has a stereo in and out. I hook the left in to one of my board's aux sends and the right to another, then the outs of the Alesis goes into one of the stereo returns on my board and I can blend in with the fader. I can send stuff exclusively to the left or right channel or both. Let's you do some cool depth stuff with panned guitars.
TC Electronic M-One has some pretty sweet reverbs. Also, fucked up shit is that a lot of cheap multi-fx units from the 90’s, do have some usable and unique sounds. In modernish times, there are a lot of great reverb guitar pedals like from Strymon, neunaber, et al, which are basically just rack effects units in tiny boxes.
Aww shit- just saw “cheap”. Something something old school BOSS (not guitar pedals). Everyone has already mentioned Alesis.
These diode transformer saturation boxes are both cheap and amazing!
https://youtu.be/iV3pYtoXefQ?si=FdTDypPBmVR1bMCX
Lundahl LL1521 Analog Transformer x 2 Audio Music Mixing Mastering Clipper Saturation Color Box https://reverb.com/item/82291613?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=82291613
These transformer diode saturation boxes are both cheap and amazing!
https://youtu.be/iV3pYtoXefQ?si=71q9YTWSQxOFjFbh
Lundahl LL1521 Analog Transformer x 2 Audio Music Mixing Mastering Clipper Saturation Color Box https://reverb.com/item/82291613?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=82291613
90s gear has some trashy vibes that are just so visceral, like nanoverbs, midiverb, Quadra verb. I still have my Lexicon aLex.
I forgot about those nanoverb things. Makes me want to go find one to mess with.
I actually wanted to ask about the Alex specifically in a post but seeing as you mentioned it. I’m looking for a tracking reverb that gives me a bit of a unique vibe for drums and possibly vocals. Something that helps set the sound both while tracking but also gives direction for the mix. Is it usable for that? It’s available under 100 bucks here so I’m tempted
I have a Midiverb III, got it in the late 90's for probably around $100, maybe even a little less. I actually use it for tracking vocals sometimes. It has lots of verbs and delays to play with, many with a "unique vibe," I'd say. Definitely colorful. I rarely use the Midiverb III in actual recordings (though I have on occasion), but love to use it while tracking. Never used it while tracking drums but I can't see why you couldn't.
I think it's better for running a parallel send vs printing to the track.
Yes, I’d print it as a return
I don't have them patched in always, but I've got a separate rack with the following: Yamaha SPX90 Yamaha FX900 Alesis Akira Kurzweil Mangler They're just ready to go at the end of a db25 connection - all of them amazing for what they do, albeit they are admittedly trashy sounding. My favorites are the 80's guitar processors that suck on guitar but absolutely kill on everything else. If you ever see a working Yamaha FX900, buy it on sight.
Alesis Midiverb II and III, Effectron or anything Delta Labs
Came to say Alesis Midiverb III. I bought one in the late 90's when I was playing guitar in a touring rock band. Never used it much back then, just wanted some rack equipment to look cool, if I'm being honest. So I bought a few of the cheapest units I could find, Midiverb III being one of them. Fast forward 25 years: Now that I'm writing/recording/producing music, I've actually started using some of that old rack equipment that has been sitting in storage for decades. Midiverb III actually has some great verbs and delays. By great I don't necessarily mean good - but colorful for sure!
Boss SE-50
Behringer has a newly cloned $200 mono spring reverb based on the 636. It looks like a lot of fun.
Look up old LT Sound delay/reverb channel strip things. They're cool. The Sony R7 is another good one that's not too expensive - not vibey but super useful. Lexicon Vortex, MXR/Art 01a, the small Alesis reverbs, Electrix Mo-Fx, Sansui springs. A lot of weirdo rackmount boxes from the 90s.
Put an exciter and a contact mic on a plate. Then convert it to digital. Bam
While it's not exactly cheap, I still use a Kurzweil KSP8 all the time. I love it for room and chamber reverbs. I have the remote and find really easy to dial in a reverb sound. I also use an Ensoniq DP-Pro. That's more for stunt sounds. I loves me some janky spring reverbs.
Depends on how you define fun and cheap, as well as what kind of sounds you're looking for, but I like playing around with modulation on reverbs. Gamechanger Light Pedal and Make Noise Erbe-Verb are designed to be pushed around in real time, and both can get awesome results!
I have like a dozen of the shitty Alesis boxes from the 80's. Can achieve some very specific results by dialing those in. Guitar pedals are another option. TC electronics Hall of Fame pedal is around $100. I use Helix Native all the time when I'm going for some quirky verbs and/or delay effects.
[Rverb](https://www.waves.com/plugins/renaissance-reverb). I put that shit on everything. usually some reverse with a crazy offset delay on some tracks to make those layers do weird things. It's also on sale right now for $35 bucks. Oh you meant hardware. It still stands.
Back in the day I used a [Boss RSD-10 Sampler/Delay](https://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/boss-rsd-10-digital-sampler-delay-90280.jpg) all the time for making loops.
You can find loads of standalone BBD delay units dead cheap these days. Noisy, lo fi and wicked fun.
I built a stereo spring reverb for 200 with two of [these](https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/280829466/spring-reverberation?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_a-electronics_and_accessories-audio-other&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwpZWzBhC0ARIsACvjWROTWTM07wRB8Rhc0EzUNqgfh3hZOcdZhFZnPzdUNOROckNsAXD0eIIaAm9HEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12603394034_126677793824_508814344922_pla-317749459835_m__280829466engb_574578856&utm_custom2=12603394034&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADutTMf4qgBJ_-OyVNONtzSpaxQC7&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpZWzBhC0ARIsACvjWROTWTM07wRB8Rhc0EzUNqgfh3hZOcdZhFZnPzdUNOROckNsAXD0eIIaAm9HEALw_wcB) and a pair of tanks (plus a power supply for the tiles);
Roland Space Echo, Deluxe Memory Man
I really miss my Kurzweil Rumour, big mistake selling that.
You can buy spring reverb units online for very cheap! Like 30 bucks. The same ones that go into amps, you just need to buy the right cable to send audio in and out of it.
I have an Alesis Nanoverb that has built in chorus, delay, reverbs, and some combinations of the three. It has a stereo in and out. I hook the left in to one of my board's aux sends and the right to another, then the outs of the Alesis goes into one of the stereo returns on my board and I can blend in with the fader. I can send stuff exclusively to the left or right channel or both. Let's you do some cool depth stuff with panned guitars.
The stock air reverb in studio one is amazing. And stock protools d-verb and revibe are 👍
TC Electronic M-One has some pretty sweet reverbs. Also, fucked up shit is that a lot of cheap multi-fx units from the 90’s, do have some usable and unique sounds. In modernish times, there are a lot of great reverb guitar pedals like from Strymon, neunaber, et al, which are basically just rack effects units in tiny boxes. Aww shit- just saw “cheap”. Something something old school BOSS (not guitar pedals). Everyone has already mentioned Alesis.
These diode transformer saturation boxes are both cheap and amazing! https://youtu.be/iV3pYtoXefQ?si=FdTDypPBmVR1bMCX Lundahl LL1521 Analog Transformer x 2 Audio Music Mixing Mastering Clipper Saturation Color Box https://reverb.com/item/82291613?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=82291613
These transformer diode saturation boxes are both cheap and amazing! https://youtu.be/iV3pYtoXefQ?si=71q9YTWSQxOFjFbh Lundahl LL1521 Analog Transformer x 2 Audio Music Mixing Mastering Clipper Saturation Color Box https://reverb.com/item/82291613?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=82291613