Lexicon PCM NATIVE User Manual

PCM NATIVE REVERB BUNDLE

OWNER’S MANUAL

The Lexicon® Legacy
continues...

2

...with the PCM Native Reverb Bundle

For over 35 years Lexicon® has
been recognized as the golden
standard of digital reverb and
effects processing and has con­tinuously introduced leading edge
technology for the audio industry.
Lexicon has again rocked the audio
industry with a complete collec­tion of the finest reverb plug-ins
available. The PCM Native Re­verb Plug-In Bundle is the ultimate
bundle for creating professional,
inspirational mixes within popular
DAWs like Pro Tools
any other VST®, Audio UnitTM, or
RTAS® compatible platform.

With all the flexibility you would
expect from native plug-ins, this
powerhouse Bundle delivers 7
legendary Lexicon reverb plug-ins
with hundreds of the most versatile
and finely-crafted studio presets.
Designed to bring the highest level
of sonic quality and function to all
your audio applications, the PCM
Native Reverb Bundle will take cen­ter stage in your DAW.

®

, Logic®, and

Congratulations and thank you

for purchasing the PCM Native Reverb Plug-in Bundle, an artful blend of seven
celebrated Lexicon® reverb plug-ins. With decades of legacy products to pull

from, the PCM Native Reverb Bundle includes the nest collection of Factory

Presets available. Designed to bring the highest level of sonic quality and func­tion to all of your audio applications, the PCM Native Reverb Bundle will take
center stage in your DAW.

Quick Start

Choose one of the seven Lexicon plug-ins. Each plug-in contains a different •
algorithm:

Chamber (LexChamber)
Hall (LexHall)
Random Hall (LexRandomHall)
Plate (LexPlate)
Vintage Plate (LexVintagePlate)
Concert Hall (LexConcertHall)

Room (LexRoom)
In the plug-in’s window, select a category•
Select a preset•
Adjust parameters (optional)•
Save the preset (optional)•

It can be as simple or as in-depth as you’d like. The hundreds of included presets
work well for most situations, but you can easily adjust any parameter and save
any preset. See page 12 for more information on editing presets, and page 20 for
more about saving and loading presets.

Included Items

PCM Native Reverb Bundle software CD•

iLok license code•

This manual•

Table of Contents

Installation ................................................................ 1

Install the Plug-in Bundle ................................... 1

iLok License ....................................................... 1

First Look .................................................................. 2

Preset Category ........................................... 3

Preset Selector ............................................ 3

Realtime Display .......................................... 3

EQ Window .................................................. 3

Level Meters ................................................ 3

Help Button .................................................. 3

Fader Area ................................................... 3

Control Buttons ........................................... 3

Realtime Display ................................................ 4

Off ................................................................ 5

Multiband .................................................... 5

Frequency ................................................... 5

Impulse ........................................................ 5

EQ Window ....................................................... 6

Graphic Display ........................................... 7

Early/Late Selectors .................................... 7

EQ Type Selector ........................................ 7

Level Control ............................................... 7

EQ Parameters ............................................ 7

The Fader Area .................................................. 8

Parameter Name ........................................ 9

Parameter Value ......................................... 9

Modier Button ........................................... 9

Fader .......................................................... 9

The Control Buttons ........................................... 10

Edit .............................................................. 11

Compare ..................................................... 11

Store ............................................................ 11

Edit Navigation and Full Edit Mode .................... 12

The Soft Row ..................................................... 13

Customizing the Soft Row ........................... 13

Input and Mix ..................................................... 14

Reverb ............................................................... 15

Reections and Echoes ..................................... 16

Master Time Control .................................... 17

Absolute/Tempo Switch ............................... 17

Gain/Polarity Switch .................................... 17

Room Control ..................................................... 18

Predelay ..................................................... 19

Room Scale ................................................. 19

Bass Xover .................................................. 19

Bass Boost .................................................. 19

Factory Presets ........................................................ 20

Loading a Preset ................................................ 20

Storing and Managing Presets ........................... 21

Portable Presets ................................................ 22

Where are presets stored? ................................ 24

Getting the most out of your computer ..................... 24

Reverb Tail Behavior ................................................ 25

Tempo Mode Presets................................................ 25

The Algorithms.......................................................... 28

Chamber ............................................................ 29

Hall ..................................................................... 31

Random Hall ...................................................... 33

Plate ................................................................... 35

Vintage Plate ...................................................... 37

Concert Hall ....................................................... 39

Room ................................................................. 41

The Parameters ........................................................ 42

Bandwidth .......................................................... 42

Bass Boost (Room) ............................................ 42

BassRT .............................................................. 43

Bass XOV (Bass Crossover) .............................. 43

Category (Room) ............................................... 43

Chorus ............................................................... 43

Chorus Depth ..................................................... 43

Denition ............................................................ 44

Delay Feedback Master ..................................... 44

Delay Level Master ............................................ 44

Delay Time Master ............................................. 44

Diffusion ............................................................. 44

Bass Crossover (Bass XOver) (Room) .............. 44

Echo Parameters ............................................... 45

Eko Delay ................................................... 45

Eko FBack ................................................... 45

Eko Gain ...................................................... 45

Eko Time Mast ............................................. 45

Eko Fbck Mast ............................................. 45

Feedback ........................................................... 45

Frequency .......................................................... 46

Front Early Level ................................................ 46

Innite ................................................................ 46

Mix (Wet Dry Mix)............................................... 46

Output Level ....................................................... 47

Pattern (Room) .................................................. 47

Predelay ............................................................. 47

Reection Parameters ....................................... 47

R Delay ..................................................... 47

R Gain ........................................................ 47

R Time Mast ............................................... 47

Reverb Time ....................................................... 48

Reverb Wander .................................................. 48

RT Hi Cut ........................................................... 48

RtHC Damping ................................................... 48

Scale (Room) ..................................................... 49

Shape and Spread ............................................. 49

Shelf ................................................................... 51

Size (Reverb Size) ............................................. 51

Spread ............................................................... 51

Spin (and Wander) ............................................. 51

Tail Width ........................................................... 52

Tap Slope ........................................................... 53

Wander ............................................................... 54



!

Installation

Install the Plug-in Bundle

Insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The Installer should start automatically. 1.

If the Installer doesn’t start automatically, you can start it manually by open­ing the approprate le on the CD:

Mac®: PCM Native Reverb Plug-in.mpkg
Windows®: setup.exe

Once the Installer is open, follow the on-screen instructions to install the software
you wish to use.

iLok License

You must download a license to your iLok USB smart key before running any
program that might use these plug-ins. If a valid iLok license is not present, the
initial plug-in validation scan will fail and you may not be able to run the plug-ins

without digging into your system. For more information go to www.iLok.com.

Important! Your PCM Native Reverb Bundle will not work without an autho­rized iLok USB smart key inserted in your computer’s USB port!



!

1

Level Meters

Fader

Area

Control Buttons

Algorithm Name

Preset

Category

Preset

Selector

Realtime

Display

EQ Window

Help

Button

First Look

When the plug-in is instantiated, you will see a window that looks something like this:

2

Preset Category

Presets for the algorithm are grouped into categories to make them easier to nd.
For example, the Hall algorithm is broken into Small Halls, Medium Halls and so

on. Clicking in this area will show the list of categories. Selecting a category will
load the presets for that category in the Preset Selector.

Preset Selector

Displays the list of presets within the selected category. Selecting a preset from
the list will cause the preset to be loaded into the plug-in.

Realtime Display

Three unique visualizations help you to see inside the reverb. This is explained in
greater depth on page 4.

EQ Window

Allows you to see the type of EQ lters that are applied to the early and late

reverb signals. This is explained in greater depth on page 6.

Level Meters

Show the input and output levels.

Help Button

Click on the Help button to enable tooltip help. Then hover your mouse cursor over the
button or parameter you want to know about. An explanation will appear onscreen.

Fader Area

Parameter values are shown and controlled in this area. This is explained in
more depth on page 8.

Control Buttons

These let you access all of a preset’s parameters, manage presets, and compare
changes you’ve made to the original settings. This is explained in more detail on
page 10.

3

Realtime Display

The realtime display window allows you to visualize the reverberation in three
ways. While your ears will always be the primary tool in choosing and adjusting
presets, the displays provide a direct way to see what’s going on. Click any­where in the realtime display window to change the view.

4

Off

This mode shows only the algorithm name. It is the
default view for the plug-in and requires the least amount
of CPU cycles.

Multiband

This display shows the reverb in ve frequency bands,

with the lowest frequency in the rear. The image moves
from right to left as it ages.

Frequency

This display shows the reverb as a more traditional RTA
image, with lower frequencies on the left.

Impulse

This display shows the signal as a single impulse re­sponse, The image moves to the left as it ages.

5

Graphic Display

Early/Late Selectors

Level Control EQ Parameters

EQ Type
Selector

EQ Window

This window provides control of the output equalization:

6

Graphic Display

Shows the EQ in a graphic form. The active section (Early or Late) is in the forefront.

Early/Late Selectors

These buttons select which EQ section is currently being edited. ‘Early’ includes

reections, direct echo outputs and room patterns. ‘Late’ includes the reverb tail.

EQ Type Selector

Allows any of six types of EQ to be applied to the active section. Those types are:

Single-pole lowpass (6db / Octave)•
Single-pole highpass (6db / Octave)•
Double-pole lowpass (12db /Octave)•
Double-pole highpass (12db / Octave)•
Bandpass•
Notch•

Level Control

Overall output level of the active section. These may be edited by holding the
mouse down and moving up and down over the knob. Alternatively, the value

eld may be directly edited.

EQ Parameters

Frequency, shelf and bandwidth parameters of the active section. To edit these,

click and hold on the knob, then move the mouse up or down. Alternatively, the

value eld may be directly edited. The bandwidth knob is only available when the
lter type is Bandpass or Notch.

7

Parameter

Name

Modifier

Button

Parameter

Value

Fader

The Fader Area

The fader area may be populated by up to nine faders. This illustration shows
what may be found for each fader.

:

8

Parameter Name

Shows the parameter being adjusted.

Parameter Value

Shows the current value of the parameter. This eld may be directly edited.

Modifier Button

This button only appears for certain types of parameter. It controls aspects of the param-

eter. In this illustration, it serves as a button to send the reverb into innite reverberation.

Fader

Changes the value of the parameter. May be dragged, control-dragged (for
higher resolution) or may be controlled by the mouse wheel.

9

The Control Buttons

These buttons let you access all of a preset’s parameters, manage presets, and
compare changes you’ve made to the original settings.

10

Edit

The Edit button makes the Navigation buttons visible. These buttons allow all of the
algorithm’s parameters to be edited. See page 12 for more detailed information.

Compare

The Compare button temporarily restores the plug-in to the selected preset. It
gives you a chance to see what was changed. While in compare mode, the plug­in is not editable. Click Compare again to restore your edits.

Store

This allows the you to create and manage your own presets. See page 20 for
more information.

11

Edit Navigation and Full Edit Mode

Click

Edit

When the “Edit” button is clicked, an additional row of buttons appears along
the lower right portion of the plug-in. The names and number of buttons varies
among algorithms. Clicking one of the buttons will bring up an edit page holding
parameters related to the button name. Those parameters may be edited until the
desired sound is achieved.

12

The Soft Row

1. Click
Edit

2. Click

Soft Row

3. Modifier

button area.

Click to assign

soft row

parameter.

When the plug-in is rst instantiated, a number of parameters appear. This page

of parameters is called the “Soft Row”. These parameters were chosen as being
the most useful parameter for a particular preset. In most cases, we’ve tried to
make a consistent set of choices, but many presets call for different parameters.

For most people, the soft row is all that’s needed.

Customizing the Soft Row

The Soft Row assignments are part of the preset. You can change the Soft Row
assignments and store the preset as a User preset. To do this, press the “Edit”
key to go into edit mode and press the button for “Soft Row”. The plug-in will
look something like this:

In the modier button area, just above the fader, you will see the name of the

parameter that is assigned to that position in the soft row. Click on the parameter
and a list of all the algorithm parameters will appear. Select a parameter (or “no
selection”) from the list, and that parameter is assigned to the soft row. The as­signed parameter is still available on its original edit page, but now it appears in
the soft row as well.

13

1. Click
Edit

2. Click

Input & Mix

Absolute/

Tempo
Button

You can assign any parameter, whether it’s on an edit page or in the EQ window.
You can even assign the same parameter more than once. When you’re done,
store it as a User Preset and you’ll always be able to recall the preset with your
customized soft row.

Input and Mix

Clicking the Input Mix button reveals a straightforward group of parameters, all of
which are described in the Parameters section starting on page 42. The Prede­lay parameter includes an Absolute/Tempo button. In Absolute Mode, a delay is
shown in milliseconds. In Tempo Mode, a rhythmic value is shown and the delay
time responds to changes in the tempo using this plug-in. If tempo slows down,
delays get longer.

14

Reverb

1. Click
Edit

2. Click
Reverb

Infinite
Button

Damping

Button

The Reverb button opens a selection of parameters that are pertinent to the
selected algorithm. Each parameter is described in the Parameters section start-

ing on page 42. This edit page also includes an Innite button (which lets the

reverb echoes continue endlessly) and a Damping button, which controls the
high frequency damping of the signal during the reverb tail. It may be conisdered
analagous to air absorption.

15

Master Time Control

Absolute/Tempo

Switch

Gain Polarity Switch

2. Click Reflections or Echoes

1. Click Edit

Reflections and Echoes

There are two types of delay voices in the Lexicon® plug-ins:

Reections• are simple delay voices leading from one of the input channels
to one of the output channels. Their delay time may be modied, as well as

the output level and polarity.
Echoes• are similar to reections but they have an additional control that al-
lows them to feed a delayed signal back into the input.

Both types of voices pass through the input diffusors.

16

Master Time Control

Scales all reection voices by a percentage value. Once individual voices are

set, this is a handy method for quickly changing the effect of the reverb.

Absolute/Tempo Switch

Nearly all delays (including predelays) have this switch. In Absolute Mode, a de­lay is shown in milliseconds. In Tempo Mode, a rhythmic value is shown and the
delay time responds to changes in the tempo using this plug-in. If tempo slows
down, delays get longer.

Gain/Polarity Switch

Changes the gain from normal to inverted.

17

Room Control

Early

Predelay

Reverb

Predelay

Room

Scale

Bass

Xover

Bass

Boost

Select room
impulse category

Select
impulse

Normal/Reverse
impulse

Click Room

Most of the Room algorithm’s parameters are self-explanatory, and you can nd their

descriptions starting on page 42. Here are a few parameters unique to this algorithm:

18

!



NOTE: Though the term
“impulse” is used in this
manual, these algorithms
are NOT convolution
reverbs!

Predelay

You will notice that there are two predelay parameters:

Early Predelay

Is an overall predelay that delays all of the signal. As with a more typical
reverb, it’s often used to create some separation between the wet and dry
portions of the signal.

Reverb Predelay

Is an additional delay that comes between the room impulse and the
reverberation section. It can have a large effect on the perception of size
and/or liveness. A small value means that reverb will begin while the room
impulse is still being output. A larger value will delay the reverb until nearer
the end of the room impulse. An even larger value will create actual separa­tion and may be perceived as a slapback.

Room Scale

Is used to change the size of a room impulse.

Bass Xover

Controls the frequency of a lter that is applied to the room impulse. It works in

conjunction with Bass Boost.

Bass Boost

Can boost or cut the signal below the Bass Xover value.

On the right side of the fader eld, you will see a pair of drop-down menus and a but­ton. The upper menu allows you to select a category of room impulses. The lower
menu allows you to select an impulse from the active category. The bottom button is

used to switch the impulse from Normal to Reversed, a rather signicant effect.

19

Click here

to select

a category

Click here

to select

a preset

Factory Presets

Each plug-in comes with a large complement of Factory Presets. These presets

are grouped in categories (Medium Halls, Large Halls, etc) that make it easier for

you to nd the sound you need. Most presets also come with several variants
that may save you a lot of editing time. For example, most of the reverb presets

have dark, light, bandpass and notch variants. These variants share the same
basic characteristics, but are EQ’ed differently.

Loading a Preset

The preset category is chosen from the drop-down menu in the upper-left part
of the edit window. When you select a category, the preset menu is updated to
show availability of the new presets. An initial preset will be loaded from the cat-

egory. It will be the rst preset in the list unless you have previously visited the

category. In that case, it will be the last preset you loaded from that category.

20

Storing and Managing Presets

When you load a Lexicon® plug-in, the overall appearance may be something like
this:

You will notice that the Lexicon plug-in (with the gold border) is embedded within
a larger window provided by the DAW. Appearance will differ from host to host
(this example is from LogicTM). Oftentimes, the DAW itself provides the ability to
save presets. The presets saved by the DAW can only be used with the DAW
that saved them. If you work with multiple DAWs, this could be a problem.

21

Portable Presets

1. Click Store

2. Click to
edit name

3. Click Store
to save

Lexicon® has provided a solution by providing portable User Presets. When you
store presets with the Lexicon “Store” button (shown below), your presets are
available to all DAWs on your machine. With only a little effort, you can also
share them with other machines, even when going between Mac and PC.

If you’ve made some edits you’d like to save as a plug-in, press the “Store” but­ton on the lower left corner of the plug-in editor. You’ll see a screen that looks
like this:

22

The upper eld contains the list of User Presets that have already been created

2. Preset name
appears here

Click to delete

1. Click on a preset

3. Click to replace, or

for this algorithm. Presets appear in alphabetical order.

The lower eld contains the name of the preset that was loaded before you
began editing. You can easily click in this eld and change the name to anything

you like. Once you have the appropriate name, click the “Store” button and the
preset will be saved. If you decide not to save it, then the “Cancel” button will
return you to the editor.

If you select one of the existing presets in the library, you can replace or delete
that preset.

23

Where are presets stored?

On the Mac, User Presets are stored in:

/Home/Library/Application Support/LexiconPro/Native/User Presets/Algo­rithmName

Home is the name of the account you’re logged in under. AlgorithmName is the
name of the plug-in.

On Windows Vista, presets are stored in:

Users/”username”/appdata/”usertype”/Lexicon PCM Native/User Presets/
AlgorithmName

On Windows XP it’s:

Documents and Settings/”username”/Application Data/Lexicon PCM Native/
User Presets/AlgorithmName

Getting the most out of your computer

These plug-in reverbs are written to be efcient, and most computers will run
more copies than you may need. But if you nd yourself needing to squeeze a

little bit more out of your CPU, you can take the following simple steps:

24

Turn off the active displays. The central window can represent your reverb in •
real time in several ways. This display consumes some of your computer’s
processing power. If you click until you reach the static display, your com­puter will have more time for audio.

Close the plug-in editor. Unless you’re actively controlling your mix in real-•
time, you don’t need the editor after you’ve made the appropriate settings.
All those knobs, faders and displays require processing power. You can
always reopen the editor if you need to edit.

Reverb Tail Behavior

Each host treats plug-ins a little bit differently. You’ll notice this especially when
you stop, loop or relocate. You may notice that the tail stops immediately on one
platform and continues to ring on another. You may also notice that the behavior
changes when the plug-in is inserted on an audio track, an instrument track or an
aux track. We’d like to behave as consistently as we can, but some things are
beyond our control.

Tempo Mode Presets

In some of the plug-ins, you will nd presets with ‘(T)’ in the preset name. These

are tempo mode presets. These presets have some characteristic (predelay
time, delay time, etc) that responds to the tempo of the DAW. They are best

used when the tempo of the project actually reects the tempo of the musical

material (MIDI sequences and such). In those cases, the tempo component of
the preset will reinforce the tempo in some way.

25

The

Heritage

26

Lexicon® occupies a unique position as a leading innovator in both professional
and consumer audio industries. Since the release of the rst digital delay, Lexi­con has stood at the forefront of digital audio with a reputation as a manufacturer
of exceptional professional audio and home theater products and an inventor
of new technologies. Years of research, development, and learning allow us to
continue expanding the boundaries of the listening experience.

Our professional products are prominent in the creation of worldwide music, televi-

sion and  lm productions. These products have won numerous awards, including

an Emmy® and numerous TEC awards, including a TEC Hall of Fame award for the

Lexicon Delta T-101, the world’s rst digital delay. Lexicon processors have been

embraced as the standard in professional signal processing since the introduction
of the 480L Digital Effects Processor, which has retained tremendous popularity for
the past 22 years. It has since been replaced as the standard in professional signal
processing by the 960L Multi-channel Digital Effects System and the PCM96 series
Reverb/Effects Processors, which have themselves garnered an impressive follow­ing of producers, artists, and engineers.

Growing demand for proprietary Lexicon technologies has led to its appearance
in numerous applications – with dramatic results. Our processing is relied upon to
enhance the sound of prestigious live halls and venues. Our critically acclaimed
LOGIC7® technologies have been successfully incorporated in several world­renowned automobiles, including select models from BMW® and Mercedes®.
LOGIC7 technologies have also been licensed to other audio companies such as
harman/kardon® and AKG®.

Knowingly or unknowingly – you experience Lexicon products and technologies
on a daily basis. Chances are that Lexicon processing was involved in the televi-

sion program you watch at home, the lm you see at the cinema, or the song you
listen to on the radio. From the initial tracks to your listening room or automobile,

Lexicon is part of the process that brings these recordings to life. Our commit­ment to the audio professional and content delivery ensures an unbroken chain
between the artist and the audience. Now hear this…

27

The Algorithms

You’ve just received a package with seven plug-ins, each one controlling a dif-
ferent algorithm. Why would you choose one over another? Experience will
eventually give you a feeling, but in the meantime a little description won’t hurt.

28

Chamber

The echo chamber was the original high-end reverberator. It was a small-to me-

dium-sized space with highly reective and irregularly-shaped walls. Inside this

space would be a microphone or two and a speaker or two. The input signal was
sent to the speakers and picked up by the microphones. With careful design and
setup, a highly satisfying reverb could be generated. There are still a number of

rst-rate echo chambers in operation around the world.

The principal characteristics of the chamber algorithm include a rapid high den­sity and avoidance of noticeable wall slaps. This complex miniature-space effect
resembles an echo chamber at its smaller settings and, at its larger ones, a small

performance space with a more rapid build-up of reection density than a hall.

Reverberant tails are randomized.

29

30

Hall

The highly acclaimed Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall reverb algo­rithms have regularly been used by live sound and recording engineers because
of their exceptional ability to reproduce the musical ambience of large, wide,
panoramically wonderful spaces.

A hall is the principal venue for classical ensembles, but has proven to be useful
for all types of music. A hall is comparatively large, with wall-to-wall distances
that are typically several tens of meters. Smaller halls may be used for smaller

ensembles. The characteristic sound of a hall includes very low initial reection
density, with little reection energy before 60-100 milliseconds. Density buildup is
more gradual, because of the larger distances between reecting surfaces. Re­verberation time is somewhat longer as well. Finally, in most halls lower frequen-

cies reverberate longer than higher frequencies.

This new hall algorithm shares these basic characteristics with Random Hall and
Concert Hall, but is smoother with a more even decay. Its initial density is also
lower than Random Hall so it may be a better choice when the reverberation
needs to be unobtrusive.

31

32

Random Hall

The highly acclaimed Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall reverb algo­rithms have regularly been used by live sound and recording engineers because
of their exceptional ability to reproduce the musical ambience of large, wide,
panoramically wonderful spaces.

Random Hall is similar to Hall, with gradual build-up, well suited to complex
sounds like orchestral music. Its reverberators change over time in controlled
random ways to avoid the buildup of tinny, grainy, metallic, or other colorations.
The modulation can be noticeable and is often a desirable effect. This is one of
the classic Lexicon® sounds.

The early reections are user adjustable in amplitude and delay. Some skill is
needed to set useful reection patterns. The pattern can be expanded or con-

tracted in time using the “Delay Master” control, and the overall level of the pat­tern can be set with the “Early Level” control.

A hall is the principal venue for classical ensembles, but has proven to be useful
for all types of music. A hall is comparatively large, with wall-to-wall distances
that are typically several tens of meters. Smaller halls may be used for smaller

ensembles. The characteristic sound of a hall includes very low initial reection
density, with little reection energy before 60-100 milliseconds. Density buildup is
more gradual, because of the larger distances between reecting surfaces. Re­verberation time is somewhat longer as well. Finally, in most halls lower frequen-

cies reverberate longer than higher frequencies.

One of its charms is a bit of irregularity in the decay. In some cases (very small
rooms with precisely-pitched instruments), this modulation may not be the best
choice. But in general, this is a time-tested reverberator.

33

34

Plate

A Plate reverb is a large, thin sheet of metal suspended upright under tension on
springs. Transducers attached to the plate transmit a signal that makes the plate
vibrate, causing sounds to appear to be occurring in a large, open space.

The Plate plug-in mimics the sound of plate reverberators, with high initial dif-

fusion and a relatively bright, colored sound. For this reason, they are good

choices for percussion. They are designed to be heard as part of the music,
mellowing and thickening the initial sound itself. The Plate sound is what many
people associate with the word reverb, and it is useful for all popular music.

35

36

Vintage Plate

This version of the Plate algorithm has the new equalization touches from the
PCM96 plate, but also has characteristics of older plate implementations. It
“speaks” differently, with different input diffusion and it also has an additional pair
of echo voices.

A Plate reverb is a large, thin sheet of metal suspended upright under tension on
springs. Transducers attached to the plate transmit a signal that makes the plate
vibrate, causing sounds to appear to be occurring in a large, open space.

The Plate plug-in mimics the sound of plate reverberators, with high initial dif-

fusion and a relatively bright, colored sound. For this reason, they are good

choices for percussion. They are designed to be heard as part of the music,
mellowing and thickening the initial sound itself. The Plate sound is what many
people associate with the word reverb, and it is useful for all popular music.

37

38

Concert Hall

The highly acclaimed Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall reverb algo­rithms have regularly been used by live sound and recording engineers because
of their exceptional ability to reproduce the musical ambience of large, wide,
panoramically wonderful spaces.

This reverb is an updated version of one of Lexicon’s oldest algorithms. It was
an essential part of many of the mixes of the late seventies and eighties. It is a
less-dense reverb, allowing it to add lushness to a mix without stepping on the
dry source material. It also has quite noticeable modulation, causing strong pitch
effects at higher settings. The reverb tail has a life of its own, desirable in pop
music, less so in jazz or classical applications.

A hall is the principal venue for classical ensembles, but has proven to be useful
for all types of music. A hall is comparatively large, with wall-to-wall distances
that are typically several tens of meters. Smaller halls may be used for smaller

ensembles. The characteristic sound of a hall includes very low initial reection
density, with little reection energy before 60-100 milliseconds. Density buildup is
more gradual, because of the larger distances between reecting surfaces. Re­verberation time is somewhat longer as well. Finally, in most halls lower frequen-

cies reverberate longer than higher frequencies.

39

40

Room

The Room algorithm was introduced in the PCM96 and is one of the most ex­ible algorithms we’ve ever invented. Reection patterns can be easily selected,

scaled and equalized all while simultaneously passing audio, and the room size
can be instantly changed or reversed. It is similar to other Lexicon® reverbs in
that it is used to create the illusion of space. However it differs in important ways.
A room is comprised of a selectable early impulse taken from actual room mea­surements. There are several categories of responses, including small rooms,
large rooms and odd rooms (impulses from unconventional sources). There are
parameters to allow adjustments to this response, including scaling and reversing

the response. In many cases this is sufcient.

There are three primary applications for the Room algorithm:

Post Production • - Lexicon® reverbs are renowned for smooth tails and con-
trolled frequency response. However, in many cases the earlier components
are more important. This may be true for some forms of popular music and is

even more true for post-production. In these cases, specic types of spaces

need to be invoked for convincing dialog and effects.
Reverbs • – This algorithm can also be used to generate large reverberant
spaces that have a very different character from the more traditional Lexicon
reverbs. These reverbs provide a high-quality counterpoint to the original
“Lexicon Sound”. There are a number of presets which take advantage of
this.
Effects • – Because room patterns can be reversed, there are many additional
sounds available, such as backwards reverb and gated sounds.



!

NOTE: Though the term
“impulse” is used in this
manual, these algorithms
are NOT convolution
reverbs!

The Room algorithm provides the inherent realism of the actual space with all the
precise control and manipulation that is only possible with a reverb synthesizer.

41

The Parameters

The seven plug-in reverbs contain hundreds of presets, covering just about every
possible need. But you can rene and customize any preset by adjusting its pa­rameters. Parameters are the building blocks within each preset that determine
how it sounds and behaves.

Each algorithm contains a set of parameters, and a variety of those parameters
are combined to create a preset.

Below are all the algorithm parameters you can edit in the PCM Native Plug­ins. Note that sometimes parameter names are abbreviated when they appear

onscreen, and they may have prexes indicating what channel they control (for

example, Level may appear as RightInLvl).

Bandwidth

This parameter lets you set the bandwidth of a multimode lter. Bandwidth is
specied in octaves or fractions thereof. This parameter is available only when it

has an effect (bandpass and notch modes). In all other cases, it is hidden.

42



!

NOTE: Though the term
“impulse” is used in this
manual, these algorithms
are NOT convolution
reverbs!

Bass Boost (Room)

This parameter is closely tied to the Bass Crossover parameter. It controls the
boost (or cut) of signal below that crossover.

Depending on the type of impulse response selected, the listener may become

aware of an excess or insufciency of low frequency output. This parameter may

be used to correct the frequency response.

BassRT

This parameter controls bass reverb time. It is closely associated with the Bass
Crossover and Reverb Time parameters. BassRT is a multiple of Reverb Time
that applies to signal below the frequency described by Bass Crossover. If
BassRT is less than 1.0, then the low frequency part of the reverb tail will be
shorter than the midrange part. If BassRT is greater than 1.0, then the low fre­quency part of the tail is longer.

Bass XOV (Bass Crossover)

The Bass XOV parameter is closely tied to the BassRT parameter. It represents
the frequency below which BassRT has an effect. Note that there are two of
these parameters in the Room algorithm. One is tied to BassRT, the other is
found in the Pattern settings menu and affects the BassBoost.

Category (Room)

This parameter lets you select a specic category from which a room response may

be chosen. Changes here have a direct effect on the Pattern Selector parameter.

Chorus

This parameter (in the Concert Hall algorithm) controls the rate at which the re­verb chorus is run. Low values may cause a barely-noticeable undulation. Higher

values will cause noticeable wobble in xed-pitch instruments such as piano. It is

closely tied to the Reverb Chorus Depth parameter.

Chorus Depth

This parameter (in the Concert Hall algorithm) controls the amount of randomization
of the chorus tap. Higher values are generally preferred in order to minimize reverb
coloration. Pitch effects may result and are closely tied to the Chorus parameter.

43

Definition

Denition controls the density of the Concert Hall reverb. Higher values result in

lower density.

Delay Feedback Master

Controls all delays in the algorithm. Each voice has its nominal feedback gain
adjusted by this percentage.

Delay Level Master

Controls all delays in the algorithm. Each voice has its nominal gain value ad­justed by this percentage.

Delay Time Master

Controls all delays in the algorithm. Each voice has its nominal delay time ad­justed by this percentage.

Diffusion

Input diffusion is the rst part of processing for any signal entering a reverb or

delay. It can be described as a smearing or softening of the signal and is typically
used to lessen the impact of strong transients.

Bass Crossover (Bass XOver) (Room)

This parameter is closely tied to the Early Bass Boost parameter. It represents
the frequency below which early bass boost has an effect.

44

Echo Parameters

Eko Delay

Controls the delay time of an echo that comes from the indicated input (L or
R) and goes to the same output. It may also recirculate back into the same
input. This can be toggled to Tempo Mode, in which case its delay time will
be related to tempo.

Eko FBack

Controls the feedback of an echo that comes from the indicated input (L or

R) and goes back into the same input. The sign of the gain coefcient by be

optionally inverted.

Eko Gain

Controls the gain of an echo that comes from the indicated input (L or R) and goes

to the same output. The sign of the gain coefcient by be optionally inverted.

Eko Time Mast

Controls all echo voices in the algorithm. Each echo delay has its nominal
time adjusted by this percentage.

Eko Fbck Mast

Controls all echo voices in the algorithm. Each echo feedback has its nomi­nal gain adjusted by this percentage.

Feedback

This controls the amount of echo output that is fed back to the input of the echo
buffer.

The actual feedback level is modied by the Master Echo Feedback parameter,

45

if present. The master value is a percentage (0-100%) that is applied to the Echo

Feedback level.

Frequency

This parameter lets you set the cutoff frequency of the multimode lter. The au­dible effect of this is determined by the Type parameter.

Front Early Level

This parameter acts as a master control for any early signals going to the output

channels. Early signals include echoes, reections, and the room reection patterns.

Infinite

This parameter captures the reverb tail as an innite loop. This may be useful in

music, where a note or chord can be extended. It is also useful in post-production
for creating ambience backgrounds.

Mix (Wet Dry Mix)

Mix is the proportion of wet (processed) signal to dry (unprocessed) signal. This
must be used with care. If the plug-in is used as an insert on a single track, then
it is probably appropriate to use the mix control directly in the plug-in. However,
reverbs are often used on Aux tracks and may be sourced over internal busses in
the DAW. In this case, it may be better to control the level on the Aux track rather
than wet/dry mix. Not all DAWs feature delay compensation, so it’s important not
to have a dry signal in more than one path (cancellation being a possible outcome).

46

The mix parameter is “sticky”. Like other parameters, it is saved and restored by
the DAW. But after the plug-in is loaded, the mix value will stay where you put
it--even if you load another preset in the same plug-in. This makes it easier to
preview presets and choose the one you want, since the mix won’t spring back to
100% every time you load another preset.

Output Level

Output Level controls the amount of post-mix signal emitted onto a channel of output.

Pattern (Room)

Selects a space available in the selected Category (see Category parameter).

Predelay

This is used to add a small amount of delay to a signal before it enters the rever­berator. This is used to create a little separation between the wet and dry signals,
in turn creating greater clarity in the mix. This delay can also be toggled into
Tempo Mode, causing the delay value to be related to the tempo of the music.

Reflection Parameters

Rfl Delay

Controls the delay time of a reection. This can be toggled to Tempo Mode,

in which case its delay time will be related to tempo. Note that this parameter

can have different routing congurations, indicated in its name. For example,
if its name appears as “L R Delay” or “L-L R Delay,” the signal comes in
from the left and goes out the left. If the name appears as “L-R R Delay,” the

signal comes in from the left and goes out the right.

Rfl Gain

Controls the gain of a reection. The sign of the gain coefcient by be option­ally inverted. Note that this parameter can have different routing congura­tions, indicated in its name. For example, if its name appears as “L R Gain”
or “L-L R Gain,” the signal comes in from the left and goes out the left. If the
name appears as “L-R R Gain,” the signal comes in from the left and goes

out the right.

Rfl Time Mast

This parameter is used to scale all reection times at once.

47

Reverb Time

Reverb Time is the mid frequency reverb time (in the frequency above Bass XOV
and below RT Hicut). As such, it is one of the primary controls affecting the length

of the reverb tail. It may be considered to model the reectivity of the walls in the

reverberant space.

The parameter most closely associated with Reverb Time is Size. A large room
size with a small Reverb Time can easily have the same decay time as a small
room with a large Reverb Time. Even though the two solutions may result in the
same reverb time, they will sound quite different from one another. The value
that is actually displayed is an approximate reverb time based on both of those
values. The actual time is also highly-dependent on other parameters as well as
the audio material.

Reverb Wander

This parameter (also known as just Wander), along with Reverb Spin, is used to
control the reverb randomizer. It controls the maximum size of randomizer steps,
and is expressed in a time value (typically milliseconds).

RT Hi Cut

This parameter, also known as Hicut or RTHC is a low-pass lter in the recirculat­ing part of the reverb. It represents a frequency above which the tail dies away
more quickly. In some ways, it represents the opposite end of the scale from
BassRT, and may be considered an analog of air absorption. It is also closely tied
to the RTHC Damping parameter.

48

RtHC Damping

The damping parameter is closely tied to the RTHC parameter. It controls the
strength of the hi frequency absorption and has three values: Light, Normal, and

Heavy. The normal value gives lter response identical to previous Lexicon®

reverbs. The other values should be self-descriptive.

Scale (Room)

This parameter is used to modify the overall time of the selected early impulse.
It is a multiplier that goes from 0.5x to 2.0x. The actual time of the responses
varies from response to response. The Early Scale parameter simply scales
that amount of time. It’s fair to describe this as “rubber-banding” the impulse
response.

Shape and Spread

The Shape parameter is closely tied to the Spread parameter. Shape controls
how energy is injected into the reverberator. A low value means that sound
enters the reverb at the beginning of the spread window. A high value means
that most sound moves into the reverb at the end of the spread window. A value
somewhere in the middle means that sound enters the reverb evenly across the
spread window.

Tip: Shape will not have this effect if spread is at its minimum value. But even
then, it can make a difference. In this case, it affects reverb timbre and density.
Higher values of shape may be both darker and denser, although the effect is
subtle.

49

The Spread parameter is closely tied to the Shape parameter. Spread is a

Shape = 32, Spread = 20%

Shape = Anything, Spread = 0%

Shape = 64, Spread = 75%

Reverb
Tail

Early
Reverb

window of time during which a signal is injected into the reverb. Shape controls
just how the signal is injected during this window. Together, the two parameters
create an envelope for the early portion of the reverb, as shown in this illustration:

50

Shelf

This parameter effects all lter types. The shelf species the audio level below
which the lter has no effect. For example, let’s imagine we’re using a one-pole
lowpass with shelf set at -12 dB. The lowpass lter affects only the strongest 12
dB of the signal. Below the shelf, the signal is unltered. This is easy to under-

stand by viewing the EQ window.

Size (Reverb Size)

Size corresponds roughly to the length of the longest wall of a rectangular room.
In a more general sense, it corresponds to the overall dimension of some mythi­cal space. This space has a geometry that causes sound to bounce around.
When the room size is small, the “walls” of this space are closer together and the

resultant reection density increases. When the room size is large, that density

decreases. The most natural reverbs use room sizes that vary from about 24
meters to 45 meters or so, but there are many useful reverbs that are outside of
this range.

There is a relationship between this parameter and the Reverb Time parameter.

Please see the Reverb Time parameter for clarication.

Spread

See Shape

Spin (and Wander)

These two parameter control randomization effects within the reverb. Random­ization is used to control the spectral purity of the reverb. It can also—at some

settings—create a more noticeable modulation effect. Articial reverbs some­times create audible artifacts with some types of signals. For example, a voi-

ceover in a very small room might sound a little metallic. Randomization works
to minimize these effects and remove the sense of ringiness.

51

Spin controls the rate of randomization. In most cases, values between 1 - 2 Hz
are appropriate. Wander controls the amount by which various delay values may
be modulated. Typically, these values should be smaller for plates and chambers
or for very small rooms. But it’s always best to listen with the material you’re us­ing.

Tail Width

This parameter is present in all stereo reverbs and rooms. The reverb tail (all

components of the reverb except for early reections, etc.) is passed through a

simple 2x2 matrix. This provides an encoding of the tail that dramatically changes
its spatial characteristics. The tail can be changed to feel narrower (even down to
mono) or wider than normal stereo. There are values for the parameter to encode
the tail in such a way that it decodes into surround channels.

The parameter operates in the range of 0 to 360 degrees, with an incremental
change of 1 degree. The matrix uses Sine/Cosine rules so that power distribution
remains constant. This may be acceptible—even highly desirable—but the mix
engineer must fully understand the process and its implications. It is possible to
compromise the mono compatibility of a mix by using this parameter carelessly.

This is a powerful tool for audio whose release format is two-channel. It is not

useful in any other format. Formats include compact disc and radio/television

broadcast. Some of these effects are clear and noticeable without any sort of
decoder. Many are even more dramatic when a decoder is in place, such as in a
home theater.

52

It is strongly recommended that you monitor in all possible formats (stereo,
mono, matrix surround) when using this parameter.

Tap Slope = 0

Positive Tap Slope

Negative Tap Slope

Overall Decay trend

Impulses

Tap Slope

This is an unusual parameter which affects the relative gain of impulses coming
from the reverb. While this parameter does not (as it might appear) make the
reverb sound ‘bumpy’, it may affect timbre or the overall sense of spaciousness.

It can also be used to create inverse and gated effects. In this case, Reverb
Time should be at 0. Spread should be fairly high. Shape should be fairly high.
Size should be fairly high. TapSlope should be in the range of (5 to 10). Play with
spread, shape and size to vary the effect.

53

Wander

See Spin.

54

55

Harman Music Group
8760 South Sandy Parkway, Sandy, Utah 84070, U.S.A.
Phone: [phone] | Fax: [phone]
Questions or comments? Visit us at www.lexiconpro.com

©2009 Harman International, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lexicon is a registered trademark of Harman International, Inc.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
All features and specifications are subject to change.

www.lexiconpro.com

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