Re: qualities of reverb

[S V G <vsyevolod@yahoo.com>]

     As well as the 'big three', Lexicon, t.c.electronics, and Eventide, 
it might be worthwhile to
consider the Kurzweil series of FX processors.  Their high end KSP8 (2500 
USD) as well as the two
pieces that use parts of the KSP8, the Rumour and the Mangler.  The Rumour 
is dedicated mostly to
Reverb, in all its convoluted forms (with some delay, chorus, and flange 
thrown in).  The Mangler,
like its name, is dedicated to more serious damage.  

     Every manufacturer will have their own 'fingerprint' on how their 
boxes affect your music.  I
bring up the Kurzweil mostly because I never hear people talk about it, 
the quality is VERY high,
and the price reasonable (400 USD street price).  Special to Kurzweil is 
their 'Laser Verb' which
is one very cool sound (available on both Rumour and Mangler).

     Even more attractive is their interface.  Not wanting to dis the 
Fireworx too much, when I
owned one for a year, I found the UI not very friendly.  The buttons 
required a harder press than
was comfortable for me, and the nested menus were a musician's 
nightmare/propellerhead's wet
dream.  Kurzweil on the other hand, and in direct contrast to their 
earlier keyboards (K2xxx
series), had an intuitive layout that was very easy to wrap one's head 
around.  They even offered
a 'simple mode' where only the first 4 possible variables appeared in EDIT 
mode.  This was user
selectable from the MASTER menu.  They chose this 'intuitive' approach to 
programming and UI in
general with the aforementioned FX boxes and the PC series of keyboards.  
If Kurzweil were a
bigger player, this would force the other companies to update their UI as 
well...  Or we can at
least hope...

         Stephen













      
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