Reverb!

[GaryG]

... to leave in my Tascam 488's effect loop ...

Do you record to cassette? Is it your primary MO or use it to supplement a DAW or something.

[KrisM]

Do you record to cassette? Is it your primary MO or use it to supplement a DAW or something.

The lowly cassette indeed. Tascam's 8 tracks, starting with the 238 Syncassette have these crazy interleaved heads so it's about the same as a 4 track (which is still pretty narrow lol).

Then I plug the line out into my RME Babyface to get the stereo mix into the computer. In theory I can fenagle all 8 outputs through the various outs on the 488 and use a bigger interface for ITB mixing, but I don't. Which reminds me, I need to do that for a few tapes >.>

a 60 minute cassette gives 15 minutes of recording time on this beast, so no "album length" tracks with this setup, but it's fun and having grown up with cassettes and CDs, I like the sound o.O

[GaryG]

Cool.

I thought 8 track cassette tracks were only half the width of four track ones? I know people moaned about crosstalk but obviously depends on the material you're recording (maybe even a pro )

[KrisM]

Cool.

I thought 8 track cassette tracks were only half the width of four track ones? I know people moaned about crosstalk but obviously depends on the material you're recording (maybe even a pro )

with DBX enabled, the crosstalk/channel separation is 70dB, it's not horrible. Tascam does some kind of voodoo interleaving on their eight tracks (can't say about Yamaha or Fostex). You can actually take a tape recorded in a 424mkIII 4 track, and pop it into an 8 track, and the old track 4 is now 8.

So yeah, reverb *cough cough* reverb is awesome *cough*

>.>

[Toaster]

...What I'm thinking of is buying is the Lexicon MPX plugin, for around a hundred bucks. The only thing that puts me off doing it is that I'm forced into using a dongle, which I don't want to do.

Before you do that, try out any of the reverbs on offer here:

http://www.valhalladsp.com/

They sound fantastic, they're well-supported (the developer is a real enthusiast, always trying out new things and posting new presets for the users to try out), and great value - easily worth double their price.

If you haven't at least tried Valhalla's reverbs, you're doing it wrong. Seriously.

[robojam]

Software: Audio Damage Eos (algorithms by Sean Costello) - Audio Damage Eos. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to reverb wash every mutha f***a in the room... accept no substitutes.

I've definitely considered that and some of their other plugs, as they sound great.

[KrisM]

I've definitely considered that and some of their other plugs, as they sound great.

They don't have demos, but FYI they do have a no questions asked 30 day refund, and within 120 days you can get an equal value exchange.

[GaryG]

What I'm thinking of is buying is the Lexicon MPX plugin, for around a hundred bucks. The only thing that puts me off doing it is that I'm forced into using a dongle, which I don't want to do.

JRR Shop have the MPX Bundle for $49 at the moment (http://www.jrrshop.com/lexicon?dir=asc&order=price discounted price shows in cart apparently).

I had EOS and loved it but found it kind of redundant after getting ValhallaRoom. Definitely a different sound but too close for me to justify having both. Though strangely I question whether I need VRoom, sounds great on anything but I've never really programmed it (just change the depth etc on the presets). I found I'm just as happy with Reaktors Spacemaster to be honest for the stuff I do (maybe natural isn't a property I worry about... )

[oxebe]

I used reverb fx from Live so far. I value it for many parameters to tweak as for DAW fx (simple eq, width, distance, early refl to name a few well known). It has spin and chorus additionally. But for sound, it's not top notch I guess but it was enough so far. I tried Kjaerhus reverb classic before and liked its sound but it's no longer supported I think.
I need to check ValhallaRoom as many users recommended it here.
I was wondering of what convolution can do and tested Reverberate LE (free/donationware). The sound is very convincing, for more, you can adjust frequencies with 5 sets of knobs EQ, so that's useful. I didn't use it much yet but maybe I will go for full version. I will have to check it against Valhalla. Live 9 suite includes convolution reverb what I read from its features.

[robojam]

I've definitely considered that and some of their other plugs, as they sound great.

They don't have demos, but FYI they do have a no questions asked 30 day refund, and within 120 days you can get an equal value exchange.

I mostly know it from listening to it on tracks by people I know and I think it sounds great in their mixes. Certainly on my list for consideration.

[robojam]

What I'm thinking of is buying is the Lexicon MPX plugin, for around a hundred bucks. The only thing that puts me off doing it is that I'm forced into using a dongle, which I don't want to do.

JRR Shop have the MPX Bundle for $49 at the moment (http://www.jrrshop.com/lexicon?dir=asc&order=price discounted price shows in cart apparently).

I keep seeing it for a good price, but then I'd need to buy a dongle too, so not only do I have a hardware dependency that I don't want, I also have to pay for something I don't want. I might cave sometime as it does sound so good, but we'll see.

[KrisM]

So after demoing B2 and having tried Aether in the past, I just had to get the Perfect Storm bundle. I forgot how gorgeous Aether can be, and B2 is just wonderful. Since sending my Octatrack off for repair I've been having to rely on my computer again (it is the essential brain to my hardware setup), and some of these reverbs that can be had, I'd forgotten how spoiling ITB could be. And considering the fact that music is my secondary hobby/passion, I'm reconsidering having so much money tied up in hardware.

But I digress.

I keep seeing it for a good price, but then I'd need to buy a dongle too, so not only do I have a hardware dependency that I don't want, I also have to pay for something I don't want. I might cave sometime as it does sound so good, but we'll see.

That keeps me from so many things, but thankfully there are a lot of alternatives to just about everything that is locked down with an iLok/eLicenser/whatever (at least eLicenser lets you use the hard drive iirc). I wish more audio interfaces worked like Propellerheads' Balance; it can act as their dongle.

but again I digress.

Reverb, reverb, reverb! I actually think between Aether. B2, Eos, Breeze, RP-Verb, and my DAW(s) I'm set for software reverbs. I never thought I'd say that, but I have a convolution reverb in Studio One 2 and Max4Live and I'm pretty set with algorithmic at this point. Maybe a Valhalla Shimmer or Audio Damage's MangleVerb, but I definitely feel pretty good on what I have to work with, now.

[aoVI]

2CAudio make some great reverb. You should definitely check out Shimmer, and if you haven't picked it up yet, grab FreqEcho while you are there (its free). ValhallaDSP stuff is almost always my first choice in reverb.

I picked up Melda's MMultiBandReverb last fall during a sale, but I haven't explored its potential yet.

[Synthetic Aurality]

My go-to reverb is usually Eos or the built-in Sony reverb in Acid, but I'm using AD Mangleverb a lot now, and getting back into Shimmer. I just bouth VintageVerb and will play with it ths weekend (when not watching football).

I wish I could afford one of the PSP 'verbs, maybe if I eat ramen noodles for a bit. Gotta suffer for my art (snicker)!

[seismic1]

And don't forget STW-Audio's excellent REFLEX free ambience generator. It's capable of some marvellous effects. I have used this on a few tracks now, and find the effects to be very satisfying. I advise you to try it. There is a paid Pro version too.