I would like to hear some of U who used the Alesis midiverb Mk1
FX reverb from 1986 Im intersting about so I will be pleased to read you about.
I know this old reverb has some gate and reverse preset but it seems to not be tempo syncable. So my first interrogation is about the use of those gate and reverse use on different bpm…
How does this work, are the gated by a input level ?
Are they just definished with X bpm ?
Each of the gated and reverse reverbs are set at specific times. If I remember rightly, there are about 9 or so different gated presets, from 100ms to 600ms, so it’s kind of a case of selecting the preset that works best with your track. The same goes for the reverse presets (which sound amazing, by the way) but there’s less of them.
The midiverb sounds really nice for what is essentially a preset machine but is a bit noisy signal wise and uses rca connections for the audio, which makes it feel a bit strange and dated.
I’ve not got a midiverb but have heard one in action. I’ve got a Quadraverb and it’s the shit, sounds different than the midiverb but I do really like abusing 1980’s reverbs.
EDIT:
Also, the old Alesis units have fuck all headroom, so it’s best not to drive the inputs too much.
Thank you for your message ! I found one for 30 euros so that is a nice price ! And I think it will give a bit of old character to my elektron machines.
So about the gate ms time, it’s trigging each 100 / 600 ms from the preset selection or maybe from a sound input at volume X ?
Heard some artist I like who use qaudraverb, for exemple coppice hallifax If I remeber. I really hope I will find something a bit magic in this old mk1 Alesis.
Okay I tried it but it is really noisy ! Interesting but really needs an EQ or a filter then…
Didn’t knowed that RCA what at this point noisy…
Really more noisy than in the demo…
If you’re not getting any crackling from the inputs or outputs I’d say there’s nothing wrong there. They really are very noisy units by today’s standards. The sample rate is only about 24khz with a bandwidth of 10khz. Also, it’s 25 years old. Noise and aliasing are part of the deal with units like this, you just have to be super careful with levels and maybe invest in a noise gate. A cheap option for this could be the 3630 compressor (also by Alesis). The compressor is a piece of shit but the noise gate is useable and units can pe picked up very cheap.
Hi ! What is a noise Gate ?
I know the Alesis 3630 as a pumping compressor, but didn’t know about noise gate …
I have to buy one 3630 since a long time so I think I will try this anyway ! Thank you.
Yes I can sell it but I don’t think I will, I’m trying to re make me a bit oldschool setup, with tapes and this kind of things, more inspiring for me, I don’t use so much my only elektron setup so I have to make it a bit more rough I think
A noise gate is a simple gate that only opens and allows sound through once the input passes a defined threshold, so it will allow the midiverb through when it has a signal going through it but will silence it when it does not.
If you’re going for an old school sound it doesn’t get much more old school than a midiverb and a 3630.
Just consider that a gate closes much faster than a reverb tails off, giving the gated-reverb effect, it doesn’t just magically remove the noise. Also, you can’t use the 3630 as a pumping compressor on your track and go gate the noise on midiverb at the same time.
great reverb but if I had to recommend just one old alesis I’d probably recommend the midiverb 2. you can’t go wrong though with either of them. i own nearly every old alesis (so cheap!)
Yeah seriously this old Alesis Mk1 really give something in the fun, creative and vintage way. Having some old gear is really cool, in combination of a computer, I prefer to work with a computer and some extra old artefact than with a pure modern setup. I like the trinity MD OT A4 + meris modern sound but I remember when I had some reel to reel delays and other stuff, it was pretty different and I liked it more.
Their are plenty good reverb on computer… Maybe one day I will invest in UAD FX’s.
Or in a hardware space echo
What realistic or favorite reverb or FX you have on your computer ?
Well, as a lover of Alesis reverbs I’m not really a good person to ask about quality realistic reverbs. I made my comment about realistic computer reverbs more “in theory” - as in "if i wanted realistic reverbs… " I’d use a computer. As for me, I’m happy with beautiful, un-natural spaces
- as in "if i wanted realistic reverbs… " I’d use a computer. As for me, I’m happy with beautiful, un-natural spaces 