Plate reverb alternatives

[honkyjonk]

Hey, just wondering what you guys use when you are after a plate sound, but don't have one. I've never heard the AKG BX10, but some have said it sounds almost platey. In my expereince though, I've never heard a spring reverb that doesn't sound like a spring reverb. Anyway. . . . . . . .

[E-cue]

The Kurzweil units have some great Plate verb settings. Altiverb is as faithful as a real one to me.

[forthorton]

I have a BX10 and a plate reverb. The BX10 definitely does not sound anything like my plate. That said the BX10 sounds quite good and mine doesn't sound anything like a spring. I had one of those Demeter Real Spring Reverbs for a couple of weeks and that sounded pretty much exactly like the reverb in a guitar amp. From what I've heard from others about the BX10, they all sound different, so your mileage may vary. I find it to be a nice dark, smooth alternative to my plate.

Billy

[eeldip]

i have a "great british spring", which is a giant pvc tube with 4 accutronics stuffed in it.

in a pinch it can be used to detect any form of AC current running anywhere- even in walls- as in it is a hummy beast if you dont stick it on a wall with no wires running thru it, and at least 3 feet away from any power cord.

ok, anyway, it sounds less like a spring than say my pioneer spring reverb. however it still suffers the whole spring issue with transients (so if you dont want the boing you have to severly limit the signal before heading in).

but it decays in a way that doesnt quite sound like a spring reverb. its a bit smoother...

[djimbe]

One of the Lexicon's, like PCM-70 (or whatever number that older one is...)or PCM-91? Not cheap, even used, but they have some plate settings that don't sound too fake. I don't turn the PCM-91 on very often, especially now that I have the real deal, but the Gold Plate setting sure could do the trick. Lot more stuff to adjust there than the EMT too, if you're into fiddling with your sound. I guess I'm lazy, but all those menus on the Lexicon...I also notice that, given the right input level, our old '63 Fender sounds most un-spring-like. Not a plate sound, but more plate-ish than other springs I've heard (and have...). I run a board signal thru an impedence matcher before the 'verb (it's set to receive instrument level), then step the output up with something like a UA M610 before hitting the mix. MMMM...creamy...

[joeysimms]

I'll second forthorton on the bx-10. While mine is defintely not as springy as the furman rv-1 I have, it doesn't sound like a plate. Keep in mind that when I say "plate", I'm referring to the various "plate" settings on an ensoniq dp-4. The akg is sort of in between the furman and the ensoniq. I'm beginning to really enjoy it. If you can find one for reasonably cheap (I paid $225) I think it's a good choice.

[d.olivier]

not that i have heard a real plate reverb, but i have heard plenty of spring reverbs. i have an accutronics tube stereo reverb unit that is 2 rackspaces. I have used it on everthing. I think that it sounds less boingy than one in a guitar amp. I have to say though, that the best thing about it (besides the huge amount of noise it genrerates) is how it blends things together. That is probably what i use it for most, not reverb but the magic that happens when all the trackes are aux to left and right and how they come out as one thing, music. Somthing really amazing happens, and while it is really limited in a sonic effect way (the reverb is reverb), the same thing could be said of tape compression. Sure with ampex 408 or realstic brand the crunch is different but it is still compression/distortion hiss. anyway my point is that the sound is running around in somthing real and metal and that is difffernt than a plug in or algorythym.

[wing]

my alternative is to not use reverb... hehe.

[Girl Toes]

I just use my face.

[rhythm ranch]

I'll third forthorton. I love the BX-10. I've never used a BX-20, but the 10 is the least spring sounding spring reverb I've ever heard. Still ain't no plate though.

If you gotta have the plate sound, but don't have a real plate, it seems like digital is your best option.

Cheap digital reverbs I like:
Roland SRV-2000
Roland SRV-330
Ensoniq DP/4

Really cheap:
Alesis MidiVerb II

[d.olivier]

can i just throw in that the gold plate on the lexicon alex was actually pretty nice? it kicked an alesis qudraverbs sounds, but i don't know if that means much.

[leigh]

A not-as-cheap, but still under a grand, digital substitute would be the Sony DPS V77. Some people cream over the plate algorithm in that one, apparently.

Leigh

[thethingwiththestuff]

i've found MOTU's plate reverb that comes with DP4 to be quite pleasant, much better than "eVerb." it can emulate a nice, pillowy verb. i've used it in the past on bass for a 60's folk pop sound.

[vvv]

Anybody tried to use convolution to get plate reverb?