Vintage digital reverb suggestions? hardware/plugins?

[Sir Ruff]

I've recently been interested in vintage digital reverbs as a novel source for some murky, character-filled tones and was wondering if people had some suggestions of units to check out in the lower end of the scale (ideally under $200). As a frame of reference, I was about to jump on a Dynacord DRS-78 but backed out because of the price/functions/size, despite it sounding great and super dark.

I guess the older you get, the more you are talking about blended delays rather than actual digital processing, but it's the final effect I'm most interested in - basically the more artificial and gritty, the better! If there are any plugins free or otherwise that fill a similar niche, would be interested in hearing about those too...

[nogginj]

i found a lexicon lxp1 for $50 and i really love the character of it.

for a simple roll-yer-own...set up a few aux channels with simple, single delays. route each delay back to each other delay in varying amounts. for colour, set up some filters before or after the delay.

you'd be surprised how reverby something as small as 3 or 4 delays start to sound once you start feeding them back to each other.

this is probably easier to do programmatically vs in a daw, but it can be done.

[Sir Ruff]

i found a lexicon lxp1 for $50 and i really love the character of it.

for a simple roll-yer-own...set up a few aux channels with simple, single delays. route each delay back to each other delay in varying amounts. for colour, set up some filters before or after the delay.

I actually just passed up one of those - think I need rack only.

I know what you mean by feeding one delay into another. I'm limited by two at the moment, so it still only ends up sounding like two delays

[THEODICY]

Ensoniq DP/4

You get some very useable reverbs and a whole lot more. It's a staple in some contexts and can be had given your price range if you are patient.

[sqweebking]

Roland DEP 3 or 5

[Sir Ruff]

Ensoniq DP/4

You get some very useable reverbs and a whole lot more. It's a staple in some contexts and can be had given your price range if you are patient.

I actually used to have one of those. It sounded good - probably too good for what I'm after now:)

Roland DEP 3 or 5

huh, ok... just been reading about the DEP-5. Sounds like that might be a good option with some modulation features. I've also been suggestion the Ibanez SDR-1000 if anyone can comment on that.

[bhrama]

Roland DEP 3 or 5

+10000, had one in the 80s and it kicked the bucket, still miss it

[sqweebking]

I love my DEP-5, I thought it was severely underrated when I picked it up exactly two years ago on Friday for $92.40

[Sir Ruff]

I love my DEP-5, I thought it was severely underrated when I picked it up exactly two years ago on Friday for $92.40

haha, nice... sounds like I'll definitely be on the lookout for one of these!

[piRoN]

Yep, DEP-5 is a winner. Great for those thick-as-treacle 80's 'verbs.

The gated reverbs alone are more than worth the price of admission. Lots of editability too, and the delay algos are fantastic.

[meatballfulton]

Yamaha SPX90

[tekkentool]

Redline reverb by 112db has a lot of old lexicon emulations from 80's units IIRC.

[astroidmist]

Impulse responses from old gear, of course.

[colmon]

yamaha rex-50

essentially the spx-90/50 algos in a tabletop box the size of a small answering machine ca. 1988

super artificial 12bit reverbs, huge cavernous 99 sec decays, world famous kevin shields approved reverse reverb algo

i got one for 1000 yen, way way way way under your budget

[Virgule]

Ibanez SDR1000/Sony MU-R201.
There's also the Korg DRV series.