ProSoundWeb Community

Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB Lounge => Topic started by: David Parker on January 14, 2014, 01:26:46 PM

Title: analog plate reverb
Post by: David Parker on January 14, 2014, 01:26:46 PM
http://lightningboyaudio.com/vog-reverb.html
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: Tim McCulloch on January 14, 2014, 01:34:10 PM
http://lightningboyaudio.com/vog-reverb.html

Yeah, but the rack mount is... cumbersome.  8)
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: David Parker on January 14, 2014, 01:43:28 PM
Yeah, but the rack mount is... cumbersome.  8)
it's amazing, all the little dumps I work now are pretty good for sound, none of them have slapback or bounce or natural reverb. Back when I was working mainly churches, I rarely used any effects, the room usually supplied MORE than enough.
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: Ned Ward on January 15, 2014, 09:03:20 PM
$6K - price of the gods as well. Here's the DIY link to build similar for around $500

http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/how_to_build_your_own_plate_reverb/
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: John Fruits on January 16, 2014, 05:48:42 AM
If you really want to be a DIYer, why not build your own live echo chamber.  If you are in tornado alley it could also do double duty for a storm shelter. 
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on January 16, 2014, 09:09:06 AM
A (real) plate reverb is not remotely a live sound tool. Even in studios they need to be sonically isolated from loud sounds.

JR
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: duane massey on January 16, 2014, 11:05:17 AM
Built one back in the early 70's. Decided a mic down the hall in the bathroom worked better.
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: James A. Griffin on January 16, 2014, 01:50:05 PM
http://lightningboyaudio.com/vog-reverb.html

Are you suggesting that sound providers keep a couple of these on the truck and set them up at gigs?
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: Josh Millward on January 16, 2014, 01:55:21 PM
Are you suggesting that sound providers keep a couple of these on the truck and set them up at gigs?
Well, you know, if you've just GOT to have that real, analog reverb sound that digital just can't emulate... then yes, you MUST buy these things.

I can't imagine someone actually using something like this on a real show... unless it was Pat Metheny.
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: David Parker on January 16, 2014, 01:56:20 PM
Are you suggesting that sound providers keep a couple of these on the truck and set them up at gigs?
well, I can imagine some of the quirky big name artists wanting such, but in my world I don't think it would be feasible, especially since real estate is at such a premium in the tiny, packed places I work!
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: James A. Griffin on January 16, 2014, 02:16:33 PM
well, I can imagine some of the quirky big name artists wanting such, but in my world I don't think it would be feasible, especially since real estate is at such a premium in the tiny, packed places I work!



There is no world in which it is feasible because:

a)  A $200, one rack space unit can sound better and have much more sophisticated options.    Ya know that "pre-delay" function in your digital reverb plate set-up?   It's not there on the analog plate.   Back in the 70's and 80's when using a plate in the studio, to get "pre-delay", we had to send the signal to a dedicated two-track reel-to-reel recorder, using the distance between the record and play heads as the delay.   The length of delay was determined by the speed of your (hopefully) variable speed  two-track.   The other source of analog delay was the Cooper Time Cube, which  had two channels at 14ms and 16ms.

b) Who wants to load in/out night after night?

c)  As stated by JR, there's a noise issue.   There are pickups/microphones attached to the plate which are sensitive to noise around the unit..

Of course, all of this logic goes out the window when some tired old rocker decides that the EMT sounds better than the digital unit he'd been using before     8)
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: David Parker on January 16, 2014, 03:35:16 PM


There is no world in which it is feasible because:

a)  A $200, one rack space unit can sound better and have much more sophisticated options.    Ya know that "pre-delay" function in your digital reverb plate set-up?   It's not there on the analog plate.   Back in the 70's and 80's when using a plate in the studio, to get "pre-delay", we had to send the signal to a dedicated two-track reel-to-reel recorder, using the distance between the record and play heads as the delay.   The length of delay was determined by the speed of your (hopefully) variable speed  two-track.   The other source of analog delay was the Cooper Time Cube, which  had two channels at 14ms and 16ms.

b) Who wants to load in/out night after night?

c)  As stated by JR, there's a noise issue.   There are pickups/microphones attached to the plate which are sensitive to noise around the unit..

Of course, all of this logic goes out the window when some tired old rocker decides that the EMT sounds better than the digital unit he'd been using before     8)
never suggested it for live use
Title: Re: analog plate reverb
Post by: Greg_Cameron on January 16, 2014, 04:34:36 PM
Looking at that brings back bad memories of Radio Tokyo Studios in Venice, CA where my band recorded a few records back in the 80s. It was an econo studio that bands like Jane's Addiction, Descendents, and a bunch of other friends from the day used to record at. On the wall next to the bathroom, was Ethan James's (owner/engineer/producer) homemade plate reverb. I guess it was one of those things where he wanted to use it on everything because it was his baby. I HATED the sound of it and got into arguments about how it made my snare sound like a shitty tin foil drum. You also had to make sure nobody was in the can when mixing down because a door close/open or toilet flush would get picked up by the plate. I'd imagine a vigorous dump would too. A bit of punk rock history I guess...