complementary analog / digital effects

[Wmacky]

I was a little disappointed that my REV2 didn't have "dual" effect capability as my OB-6 does. Everything at least needs some reverb in addition to whatever extra effect you may need right?

The fix is easy as you all seem to know already. Add outboard Reverb that's more or less on at all times, and the on board effect can be programmed in to change with each patch as needed.

I'm looking at the less expensive Lexicon MX units. Are there good reasonsto go with the MX 400 vs the MX300?   I see there is also a 400XL model but that appears to only use XLR connections?

I'd like to purchase a unit today!

[Razmo]

I was a little disappointed that my REV2 didn't have "dual" effect capability as my OB-6 does. Everything at least needs some reverb in addition to whatever extra effect you may need right?

The fix is easy as you all seem to know already. Add outboard Reverb that's more or less on at all times, and the on board effect can be programmed in to change with each patch as needed.

I'm looking at the less expensive Lexicon MX units. Are there good reasonsto go with the MX 400 vs the MX300?   I see there is also a 400XL model but that appears to only use XLR connections?

I'd like to purchase a unit today!

Well... it more or less does have dual FX ... it's exactly the same as on the OB-6... it has just been split between the two layers, so that they can have individual FX, which in my opinion is a better solution... otherwise the FX would have had to be global for both layers... I know that it allow for more options if both layers had two FX, but they also had to keep cost down I suppose... and it is an advantage that the FX are split to each layer, especially if you use the REV2 as a dual timbral machine, sequencing the two layers separately in multimode... this way you have the FX as a layer-part, and they will be send out from their respective output on the back.

Just hook up an external FX processor, and you can do so much more...

[Razmo]

I was a little disappointed that my REV2 didn't have "dual" effect capability as my OB-6 does. Everything at least needs some reverb in addition to whatever extra effect you may need right?

The fix is easy as you all seem to know already. Add outboard Reverb that's more or less on at all times, and the on board effect can be programmed in to change with each patch as needed.

I'm looking at the less expensive Lexicon MX units. Are there good reasonsto go with the MX 400 vs the MX300?   I see there is also a 400XL model but that appears to only use XLR connections?

I'd like to purchase a unit today!

And about the difference on MX300 and 400 ... I'd highly advise you to get the MX400 instead of the MX300 and the reason is not very obvious when you read about them... I've had the MX400 and know how the MX300 works.

The main difference is that MX300 is a single FX unit... you can configure it to be either ONE big algorithm, with loads of parameters to change for the algorithm... or you can set it up as TWO small algorithms with a drastically reduced parameter set (just three parameters per algorithm).

The MX400 on the other hand is TWO separate engines each with their own I/O on the back... while this seems to be just two MX300's in the same box, it has one big trick extra up it's sleeve, that is not obvious: The routing can be set to STEREO... in this mode, the processing of both engines can be routed together, so that you can have TWO full algorithms with extended parameter set in tandem, and set them up in different routings... and it all works from the I/O of the A connectors on the back.

You can of course also use the two physical engines separately for a lot of different configurations... but the nice thing about the MX400 is that the algorithms with extended parameter sets can be combined internally so that you can use two algorithms with extended parameters together without having to change cabling configurations on the back for serial/parallel modes etc....

So my advise is: get the MX400... the XL version gives you nothing else but the XLR connections, so unless you really need that, get the one with just TSR plugs...

[Wmacky]

I was a little disappointed that my REV2 didn't have "dual" effect capability as my OB-6 does. Everything at least needs some reverb in addition to whatever extra effect you may need right?

The fix is easy as you all seem to know already. Add outboard Reverb that's more or less on at all times, and the on board effect can be programmed in to change with each patch as needed.

I'm looking at the less expensive Lexicon MX units. Are there good reasonsto go with the MX 400 vs the MX300?   I see there is also a 400XL model but that appears to only use XLR connections?

I'd like to purchase a unit today!

And about the difference on MX300 and 400 ... I'd highly advise you to get the MX400 instead of the MX300 and the reason is not very obvious when you read about them... I've had the MX400 and know how the MX300 works.

The main difference is that MX300 is a single FX unit... you can configure it to be either ONE big algorithm, with loads of parameters to change for the algorithm... or you can set it up as TWO small algorithms with a drastically reduced parameter set (just three parameters per algorithm).

The MX400 on the other hand is TWO separate engines each with their own I/O on the back... while this seems to be just two MX300's in the same box, it has one big trick extra up it's sleeve, that is not obvious: The routing can be set to STEREO... in this mode, the processing of both engines can be routed together, so that you can have TWO full algorithms with extended parameter set in tandem, and set them up in different routings... and it all works from the I/O of the A connectors on the back.

You can of course also use the two physical engines separately for a lot of different configurations... but the nice thing about the MX400 is that the algorithms with extended parameter sets can be combined internally so that you can use two algorithms with extended parameters together without having to change cabling configurations on the back for serial/parallel modes etc....

So my advise is: get the MX400... the XL version gives you nothing else but the XLR connections, so unless you really need that, get the one with just TSR plugs...

Great, that's just the report I needed. I'll get the 400!

[Gerry Havinga]

I was a little disappointed that my REV2 didn't have "dual" effect capability as my OB-6 does. Everything at least needs some reverb in addition to whatever extra effect you may need right?

The fix is easy as you all seem to know already. Add outboard Reverb that's more or less on at all times, and the on board effect can be programmed in to change with each patch as needed.

I'm looking at the less expensive Lexicon MX units. Are there good reasonsto go with the MX 400 vs the MX300?   I see there is also a 400XL model but that appears to only use XLR connections?

I'd like to purchase a unit today!

And about the difference on MX300 and 400 ... I'd highly advise you to get the MX400 instead of the MX300 and the reason is not very obvious when you read about them... I've had the MX400 and know how the MX300 works.

The main difference is that MX300 is a single FX unit... you can configure it to be either ONE big algorithm, with loads of parameters to change for the algorithm... or you can set it up as TWO small algorithms with a drastically reduced parameter set (just three parameters per algorithm).

The MX400 on the other hand is TWO separate engines each with their own I/O on the back... while this seems to be just two MX300's in the same box, it has one big trick extra up it's sleeve, that is not obvious: The routing can be set to STEREO... in this mode, the processing of both engines can be routed together, so that you can have TWO full algorithms with extended parameter set in tandem, and set them up in different routings... and it all works from the I/O of the A connectors on the back.

You can of course also use the two physical engines separately for a lot of different configurations... but the nice thing about the MX400 is that the algorithms with extended parameter sets can be combined internally so that you can use two algorithms with extended parameters together without having to change cabling configurations on the back for serial/parallel modes etc....

So my advise is: get the MX400... the XL version gives you nothing else but the XLR connections, so unless you really need that, get the one with just TSR plugs...

Yep thanks Razmo, I second that. I got my MX400 second hand for a really nice price and never looked back. At the moment it's main configuration is as a dual affects box adding effects to each Rev2 layer.

[Razmo]

Another great aspect of the FX being layer dedicated is that it allow you to create a layer that has the FX as an integral part of the sound engine... if the FX had been global, you would not be able to swap a layer with another without the FX part being compromised...

Actually this is one of the things I find VERY attractive about the REV2 FX section... that the parameters are available in the modulation matrix... this allow me to make interesting modulations of the FX parameters, so as to be part of the sound in itself... the Ringmod will follow the played keys which gives really wonderful timbral possibilities that add organic performance possibilities... the Hipass filter can also be thought of as part of the signal chain simply because it allways follow the layer it was modulated by.

I actually hope that DSI would/could put in more fun FX that would be cool as extra sound sculpting features... Pitch shifter, Ensemble FX, some extra filters (LP and BP), frequency shifter plus other fun FX that would extend the sound potential of the REV2.... an analog synth like this does not have many oscillator timbres compared to the plettora of options on the Prophet 12 for example, and thus can get a bit too narrow in it's tone as an analog synth... extra FX would greatly enhance this, making the REV2 a truly unique machine and set it even more aside from the older P08... especially when the parameters can be modulated from the matrix.