Lexicon MPX1 Thoughts...?

midnightlaundry said:
Rolling off the highend on the Verb response helps with the fakeness.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I generally like darker Reverb sounds overall, so I always cut a lot of highs. Sometimes they just dont take to that well though. Sometimes you can hear more of a series of small delays instead of a diffused reverb "cloud". Other times they still have a plinkiness to them, even if you cut the highs.

I have been kind of obsessed with Reverb lately, so I have been doing a lot of critical listening. I have a big rack full of different units I use for Reverb, but have been looking at downsizing, so I have been trying all kinds of things. Lexicon, Fractal, TC Elec, Rocktron, IK Multimedia, Universal Audio, Source Audio, etc... I mostly like a light reverb that sits behind the sound and adds space without sounding too noticeable, but I dont like so transparent and plain that it sounds vanilla.
 
If I wanted lexicon reverb I’d just go for the PCM81. If I wanted a cheap lexicon reverb I’d spring for the RV-7 pedal for the good enough bucket. Funny thing is that it’s still in the same pricepoint as the MPX1 anymore due to simple demand but they sound stellar.
 
glpg80 said:
If I wanted lexicon reverb I’d just go for the PCM81. If I wanted a cheap lexicon reverb I’d spring for the RV-7 pedal for the good enough bucket. Funny thing is that it’s still in the same pricepoint as the MPX1 anymore due to simple demand but they sound stellar.
Click to expand...

I have a RV-7 pedal also. I know they say it is derived from the MPX-1. I can definitely hear the similarity. Where I struggle with it is that it has no Pre-Delay knob. That is pretty much required for high gain to keep your pick attack.
 
Shask said:
You must have never tried a Multi-Voice Chorus :D I love the Multi-Voice Chorus tones from Rocktron and Digitech. The Rocktron Intellifex 8-Voice Chorus is legendary.
Click to expand...
I’ve heard people say that, I don’t have any experience with the Rocktron but I dig the Yamaha Symphonic presets in their various devices so you may be right.
 
paulyc said:
I’ve heard people say that, I don’t have any experience with the Rocktron but I dig the Yamaha Symphonic presets in their various devices so you may be right.
Click to expand...

It is just different. Think STP's Plush. It is just a wall of thickness instead of that underwater warble of analog units.
 
Geo said:
I agree, but it's always what I used from the start so that might be why I feel that way.
Click to expand...
Coincidence mate; there really is something special about them.

Another thing I failed to mention is that, IMHO, and this is related to the ability to overdo it and get away with it, the boxiness you hear from other brands is absent. Lex spent many decades refining its algorithms as it strove for "musical", pleasing-to-the-ear results.

IOW, I s'pose it could be said that its priority wasn't to mimic "realism" 100%. This is a great thing for those of us mixing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geo
Racerxrated said:
I think they sound great. For 200$, or whatever they go for they are a bargain IMO. I had a PCM 81, which is killer but A/Bing the MPX1 and PCM, yes the PCM is better but not 800$ or more better. The MPX1 is better than the Intellifex, and any/all pedals you want to compare to. IMO.
Right now I use the MPX1 for Reverb and have 2 Roland SD3000s set with different delay times in my WDW rack. Killer setup and the MPX1 holds its own.

Only drawback is the programming...it is rather complicated. Manual though is available online....
Click to expand...
Agreed. My only drawbacks with that unit was the programming and latency between patches which ultimately for me was the deal breaker. Sounds great though.
 
Geo said:
Might want to try the MPX G2.
Click to expand...
Latency issue again, maybe worse than the MPX1. That along with the programming really was the main issues with both of those units. I went through most all of the rack multi efx back in the day. The mainstays for me and what I always came back to were my Quad 2 and the Intellifex. Quad for delays and a really cool swell patch I've never been able to recreate on anything else and Chorus and Verb from the Intellifex. Both worked well together and I never had to use a mixer. Very straightforward rack setup with some pedals and a GCX system. Probably ran that system for 15 years until I deracked to a board.
 
jabps said:
Latency issue again, maybe worse than the MPX1. That along with the programming really was the main issues with both of those units. I went through most all of the rack multi efx back in the day. The mainstays for me and what I always came back to were my Quad 2 and the Intellifex. Quad for delays and a really cool swell patch I've never been able to recreate on anything else and Chorus and Verb from the Intellifex. Both worked well together and I never had to use a mixer. Very straightforward rack setup with some pedals and a GCX system. Probably ran that system for 15 years until I deracked to a board.
Click to expand...

I just run one patch and use the PCM81 as an effects unit that’s always on. If I needed live levels of decent latency I’d go to a g major 2. The PCM81 can do a lot of things, but reverbs it does extremely well - to the point nothing else can touch it in quality.

+1 to the OG quad. I bought one and upgraded the EPROM chip. They do a sound that is just hard to beat.
 
glpg80 said:
I just run one patch and use the PCM81 as an effects unit that’s always on. If I needed live levels of decent latency I’d go to a g major 2. The PCM81 can do a lot of things, but reverbs it does extremely well - to the point nothing else can touch it in quality.

+1 to the OG quad. I bought one and upgraded the EPROM chip. They do a sound that is just hard to beat.
Click to expand...
Yeah if I ever went back to a rack I'd go G2 as well. Actually bought the G1 when I was downsizing the rack but it had loop issue's that were fixed with the G2. By that time I was kinda done with keeping up with stuff and then I just deracked everything. It's funny I gigged for 20 years with a midi rack, multi fx, racked pedals etc... and then I deracked to all the pedals on a board and only played live once since lol.
 
CCs/SysEx turning on/off portions of the algos is the way to get around lag between patches. You don't want to be changing patches in the middle of a song with these units. Doing it this way means you get more overall processing power for FX capabilities, but it also means rethinking how you run your setup. If you're trying to swap between multiple PCs in one song, you're in for a rough time even with a line mixer.
 
glpg80 said:
I just run one patch and use the PCM81 as an effects unit that’s always on. If I needed live levels of decent latency I’d go to a g major 2. The PCM81 can do a lot of things, but reverbs it does extremely well - to the point nothing else can touch it in quality.

+1 to the OG quad. I bought one and upgraded the EPROM chip. They do a sound that is just hard to beat.
Click to expand...
I too set and forget my Lex and Roland units. Just for those times I want to go back to the 80s/90s wet rack days.
 
Racerxrated said:
I too set and forget my Lex and Roland units. Just for those times I want to go back to the 80s/90s wet rack days.
Click to expand...

I have been looking at downsizing but still going for those sounds I like. I have the SDE-3000D and 2290p pedals. For Reverb I am thinking about grabbing the UAFX Golden Reverb. It sounds the best to me in videos as compared to the old rack units.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top