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Hi,

Im looking for a good reverb processor for vocals. My price range is $100-200. I was wondering if you guys have any recommendations for me at the $100 price point and one at the $200 price point.

These are my preferences:

- Good control and flexibility over echo and delay is a must
- Rackable unit is a plus. Half-rack is ok too.
- Balanced input/output is a plus
- Ability to save presets is a plus

For reference, here's a list of my existing components:

- Shure sm-58 mic
- Behringer Composer pro-xl compressor/expander
- M-audio DMP3 mic preamp

I got ruined with the plugins in sofware like cakewalk But for live you want a combination of plate* and chorus.  I use the Alesis microverb 4 and run it at 198 or 197 The upper range 100-200 is a saved setting with delay and amount settings. This is in combo with the efx in a dfx12 which i run rev gate plate or spring or chorus depending on the genre or beat....

 The efx on vocals can make all the difference in the world... When they are adjusted and used right singers relax and improve with each outing....This probably is the most important art or edge in karaoke...

*  This is an effect where they put speakers on a large steel plate which vibrated with the music.. Then it was recorded again.. For vocals it produces (i cant think of the word)  tremelo and resonance which gives the vocal full depth and then chorused blends the vocal with the music and background singers.  Chorus is absolutely nexessasary with 2 or more singers....

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Thanks for the suggestion. The Microverb cost about 150, which is right between those 2 price points. I was considering either the 99 dollar nanoverb, or the 200 dollar lexican mdx110 or 200. Microverb seems to be a nice compromise as far as features and price.

Can anyone compare this unit with the Alesis Nanoverb and Leixcon models i've listed?

Lexicon over the Microverb any day.  Much less noise & fuller sounding.

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Anyone know the differences between the Lexicon mpx110 and 200? They both cost around 200 dollars.

Ok Lonman you just added to my want list again and I'm not even doing research I'm just taking your word but I do think I will put it in series with the dbx (vocals only) and still use the microverb4

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Argh, im getting my Lexicon's all mixed up. The MPX-200 is 300 bux! I'm not considering anything that costs that much.

What i meant to ask was about the MX-200 and the MPX-110 (both $200), how do THOSE compare with each other and with the Nano/Microverb ones?

The 200 has more features as far as versatility, but the 110 will be an all around good processor - as far far as sound of effects, they will be about the same.  Once you get into the 500 series, then you'll start hearing (maybe - with good ears) a noticeable difference.

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For somthing like Patsy Cline I run med plate on the mixer and combination of chorus and plate or flange on the verb4. If the singer is struggling I might go to lg plate. Sometimes on a Folsom Prison type I'll rev gate but thats more for a slapback on the bass.

The best way to learn efx is play something like Martinas life # 9 and see what different efx do to it. You will  find out if a certain effect is being used turning up that efx does not give a radical change as it would without the efx on the recording. That way you can tell what efx are being used and how much.

 In the same respect a good singer does not need help from efx but the efx dont give a radical change. Usually I dont have the time to be changing efx but try doing Statue of a Fool.  Start with min or no efx and increase in steps and on the last stanza full efx.

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A flanger and reverb on the vocals? Are you serious now?

 One of the tecniques used in the studio is bouncing the vocals down to 3 or 4 tracks. Then a track is delayed a slight amount eq'd and efx applied Then all tracks are mixed together.

 Flange was originally a method where a stereo was played back on two reel to reel tape decks. One was slowed down with a thumb and it gradually would reach the speed of the other track.. A chorus type effect was produced.
 
So flange if applied right tends to simulate the vocal delay.. . Although if digital flange  is applied too much it just shifts the sound from one speaker to the other..

 All efx are even applied to rap but as the saying goes you dont know they are being applied unless you shut them off...

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Here is one of my singers with all efx applied to the vocal..

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And here is an example of a recording I did with chorus and reverb applied to the vocal.

So I guess I was serious then .......

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What do you mean?

You asked me if I was serious...... So I still dont know the motive in the quote above....

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Oh that! I thought you were just being snotty about my track. I apologize.

Anyhow, I have honestly never used a flanger on vocals. Just shows you, you're never to old to learn. Now I have to get my butt in the studio and play with it. Unfortunatley I only have a analogue flanger. Could you be more specific on that topic? What exactly do you do, I don't have R2R.

ps. I listened to your track, and it sounded mighty fine to me, nice clean vocals, nothing overdone. I would have liked the music to be a tadd louder though, bit that's just mho.

Yea on the wav file the music was louder for some reason after I converted it and uploaded it seems too low.... No your track sounded good too... I just like to record and play with all the efx..

 But the bottom line is trying to make all my singers sound better... The kids that come that have karaoke machines at home go nuts when they sing on it...Its hard to run efx live usually im too busy with requests etc I start a song make sure the mic level is right then go on to other things.. I miss the vocal delay effect at live shows and am trying to simulate it with flange Its crude at best but in some cases if the singer is strictly monotone it helps....I didnt think Id ever use flange on vocals but I started using it in the plugins and with a slight amount of chorus it adds a richness to the vocal.. You do have to bounce the vocal down to stereo to get the efx to fully work...

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We used Mod FX for all sorts of stuff.  I like the analog stomps. Vocals through an MXR phase 90, or even with the addition of a small amount of flanging gave a nice "psychedelic" effect. It was pretty common as I recall during covers of certain songs such as "Picture's of Matchstick Men", and some of the later Beatles vocals, etc.  I don't recall but some of Pink Floyd, Supertramp, and Soundgarden also sounded as-if vocals were put through a Uni-Vibe, flanger, Phasing, or even a Leslie type device. Seems as though more than Gilmour's guitar went into mod devices.

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