Alesis Quadraverb - discuss

jpttaylor

I've listened to the classic Quadraverb albums like Grace and early Verve albums, but my knowledge of rack gear is lacking to say the least. Most of the pedals that can create that wash of reverb like the Eventide are out of my price range so I'm investigating how I can integrate an old rack mount into my setup.

Apparently the bypass isn't very good (I'm happy to buy a bypass looper), but what else should I know about them before I buy one secondhand? Does it require a PhD to program or edit patches?

english_bob

Here's the manual. If you can't understand it, don't buy a Quadraverb. Boosh. You've just saved yourself some cash.

I asked a similar question about rack reverbs a while ago: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/38691/good-cheap-reverbs-old-rackmounts/p1

@heartfeltdawn is your guy for old Alesis gear.

stratman3142

I used to have one that I used in the effects loop of a JMP1 preamp a long time ago. IIRC ran it with the FX at 100% wet and then mixed it (in 'parallel') with the dry signal in my JMP1 preamp. That way any signal effects of the Quadraverb were minimised. But if you connect it in 'parallel' and don't run it 100% wet, I think you might get a pipeline delay that gives phase cancellation effects that will 'thin' the sound. My memory is a bit hazy, so maybe recent users can chip in.

If you want to run it in a 'series' configuration and set the effects mix in the Quadraverb, maybe a bypass looper will be a good solution if you want to bypass it.

I seem to recall it was quite tricky to program, but I managed it.

FelineGuitars

The quadraverb has some good reverbs etc but it kills the dynamics of your guitar/preamp etc. It is much better put in a parallel loop . I had one when they were a new thing and discovered the limitations, and how to get around them.

Cabicular

I remember them being pretty noisy in the grand scheme of things

EricTheWeary

I used to know someone who had a Quadraverb GT,which was the guitar specific one. How it differed I don't recall but hearing him plug it in to twin Marshall Jubilee combos was my first encounter with something I guess I'd now call ambient and I was really wowed by it. 
He had a solo act singing sixties songs so why he had that set up I don't know, just GAS I guess.

dogload

I used to have a Midiverb II which I preferred to the III, IV and Quadraverb, despite only having presets and no editable patches. It sounded much cleaner to my ears.
I never tried it as part of my guitar rig though, only as part of my recording set-up.
I think the GT version just had extra sounds like Leslie simulator and distortions IIRC.

Gassage

The Quadraverb has some lush delays and mods. What it isn't is quiet. You totally need to split out via a parallel mixer and use the dry kill on all the patches.

It's a PITA to programme too. I utterly love the digital delay on it.

Anorak note: Same algo's and EPROM's that were developed for the MXR System Delay II unit. (the Gilmour one).

Gassage

BTW, better finding a 2nd hand Line6 Echo Pro for what you are wanting- awesome things.

octatonic

Personally I think Quadraverbs sound like ass.
Alesis' converters are pretty shit and they are noisy.

^^^ @Gassage is right about the Echo Pro. They are terrific.

One of the best modern sounding effects boxes though is the Axe FX 2.
I use it as a mix down device all the time- it has some of the best delays and verbs you can get.
Not that surprising since Fractal started out being an effects box- the amp modelling was initially an afterthought.

lasermonkey

I have two: a GT and a standard (Plus). I like them. They're very good for doing complex multi effects as the routing is versatile. The "Taj Mahal Modw" preset is a perfect example of this.
I found I could whiz around the parameters and programme them pretty easily. I can't remember the last time I bothered to look at the manual!

Gassage

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

Heartfeltdawn

@jpttaylor You've listened to the right albums for the Quadraverb. Grace especially is a tour de force of what the Quadraverb can do. When I got my first one, I foud one particular settings, started up with Hallelujah going through my JC120, and realised just how much the Quadraverb colours that whole album. 

The Quadraverb is not quiet. Contrary to some opinions, it's not some huge hissy monster but it's not ultra-quiet. It's like most of the rack gear of that era, SPX90, Midiverb II, Roland units etc. Personally I love these bits of gear because they are noisy and they are lower fidelity. As much as I would love to buy an FX8, and the chances are that I will later in the year if a good one comes up in the Classifieds, I am sure I'll end up feeling that it's just a bit too clean and precise. 

Personally I think of the Quadraverb and Midiverb as being like the big box Deluxe Memory Man. They all have a specific character, they all mess with your tone, and they all have a bit of noise to them that I tolerate because they do something I've not found elsewhere. The Eventide Eclipse is an amazing unit (borrowed one for a week a few years back) but even that hasn't got the same wonderful sounds. Like the DMM, the magic for me is how the dry sound meshes with the wet sound. 

Editing: I found it easy but I find the old school editing systems far easier than some of the modern ones. 

I used mine in serial. Never worried about tone suck because losing a bit of top end when you've got a JC-120 isn't exactly a bad thing. 

FelineGuitars

I have an Line 6 Echo Pro I am likely to sell shortly ( bought it as it had such a good rep , but sadly really never got round to plugging it in other than the first time - simply so busy I rarely get to play (let alone get all my rack stuff running)

jonnygreentrees

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

Gassage

jonnygreentrees said:

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

Nope; loads more processing power.

english_bob

jonnygreentrees said:

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

On paper it's sort of an expanded DL-4- it has the Echorec model that's on the M-series boxes but not the DL-4, MIDI functions, more flexible I/O, more presets. As far as I know the software is much the same.

octatonic

english_bob said:

jonnygreentrees said:

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

On paper it's sort of an expanded DL-4- it has the Echorec model that's on the M-series boxes but not the DL-4, MIDI functions, more flexible I/O, more presets. As far as I know the software is much the same.

Much longer looper too- 60 seconds rather than 12 seconds in the DL4.

english_bob

octatonic said:

english_bob said:

jonnygreentrees said:

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

On paper it's sort of an expanded DL-4- it has the Echorec model that's on the M-series boxes but not the DL-4, MIDI functions, more flexible I/O, more presets. As far as I know the software is much the same.

Much longer looper too- 60 seconds rather than 12 seconds in the DL4.

That too. Although I'm not sure you can do the fun stuff from the DL-4 looper- half/double speed, reverse, triggering...

octatonic

english_bob said:

octatonic said:

english_bob said:

jonnygreentrees said:

Gassage said:

I am seripously looking for an Echo Pro - the Mod Pro I have just stuns me every time...I sold it to @meltedbuzzbox and he was nice enough to sell it me back before he'd tried it.

Literally, it'll do anything my collection of vintage stomps will do- the only slight weak spot is the vibe- the phaser is the best I have ever heard though.

isn't the Echo Pro just a rack DL4?

On paper it's sort of an expanded DL-4- it has the Echorec model that's on the M-series boxes but not the DL-4, MIDI functions, more flexible I/O, more presets. As far as I know the software is much the same.

Much longer looper too- 60 seconds rather than 12 seconds in the DL4.

That too. Although I'm not sure you can do the fun stuff from the DL-4 looper- half/double speed, reverse, triggering...

Yup, you can.
The extra sampling time in the Pro makes for a much richer experience but it is tricky to trigger it so you dont have an onboard footswitch. I used a Ground Control but it was fiddly to get it working.
For a long time the Echo Pro was my favourite looper.

FWIW, the Axe FX/FX8 replicate all of the DL4/E Pro functionality. A bunch of us asked Cliff for it a fair few revisions ago and they did it. It works great- better than any of the hardware loopers imho.

Cirrus

I think the converters and analogue front end are better on the Echo Pro as well, certainly sounds cleaner and clearer than the DL-4 I had.

Literally the only thing I didn't like about the Echo Pro was that the modulation on the modulated delay doesn't sound great when collapsed to mono. Other than that, it's a glorious rack delay (much better than the boring TC D-two @Gassage   )