Post
by cgarges » Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:58 pm
Two reverbs I kind of never hope to be without again are the Sony R7 and the Klark Teknik DN-780. I have multiple units of both of these in case one breaks down. Both can be had for under $1k.
The 780 gets used on almost every session I do. Literally. It's such a terrific and wonderfully-under-rated reverb. It's simple to program and will do really nice natural room sounds in addition to some great artificial reverbs. I can get to almost anything I need REALLY quickly from the front panel controls. In fact, I mixed some stuff today and used both the non-linear verb and the 200ms delay. The #18 and #19 rooms are some of my favorites.
The R7 is totally great in a completely different way. It has some nice natural verbs, too, although it's definitely got a '90s Japanese digital grit to it. In smaller amounts, it can be perfect for adding a tiny bit of almost undetectable ambience, but the bigger, washier stuff is almost out of hand. It's got some really great goofier effects, too, including some nice modulations and delays.
I agree that the SPX990 is probably the best of the Yamaha units. If you're a fan of the mid 80s records done by Don Gehman, for example, than the Yamaha REV7 can be had for like NO BREAD these days and it's a very cool reverb. The #22 snare verb on that thing is an extremely recognizable sound. The SPX90II has some of the same verbs and is also a very handy box.
I always liked Lexicon verbs, too, although they have an extremely distinct sound. I'm a big fan of the LXP-1s, which I assume you can probably still get fairly cheap, but I think they're difficult to repair if I'm not mistaken. The PMC60s are still great, as are the old Model 200s. As for slightly more modern bang for the buck, I think the MPX-1 is a great addition to the line, with a separate, dedicated chip for the reverb sounds and another for the delays and modulation effects. It's kind of a pain in the ass to program, but it's got some really useful stuff in it.
I've used the TC M2000 and M3000 and they're cool, but they just don't so it for me. There's something totally unexciting about them, although I've certainly heard some GREAT records made with those things, including anything that Tony (drumsound) has used them on. He has those things totally figured out and I know a lot of great engineers who really like them.
I LOVE H3000s and the "New House" or "Empty House" or whatever it's called is a stellar verb, but like Tony, I almost never use those things for reverb. There's so much other stuff that they do well that I usually find myself saving those for something other than verb duties.
I used a Bricasti last summer at Wellspring Sound in Massachusetts and I TOTALLY fell in love, but I've not yet shelled out the dough for one. I'd also love to have a stereo EMT plate at Old House, but that hasn't happened yet, either.
Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC