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Re: New Lexicon Reverb...MPX 500



Steven Woods suggested:

>The reverbs are not the same as the MPX 1
>they are the same as the MPX 100.

>For a magazine to  suggest that to the readership is ridiculous, they 
>should
>look at the price point.

To be fair to all sides, I'm not sure that the "Sound on Sound" reviewer
*did* claim the MPX 500 and the MPX 1 shared reverbs.

In part it reads:
============================================================================
===================================
The Lexicon MPX1 is an established multi-effects/reverb all-rounder that
started life at over a grand, but now sells for little over half its
original price, while the more recent MPX100 is an altogether simpler 
device
based on presets with limited editability at under £200. I think it's fair
to say that the MPX100 set a new standard for very-low-cost reverb/effects,
but although it sounds impressive for the price, if you put it up against a
PCM90 or 91 you can hear straight away that the more expensive unit sounds
richer, smoother and more spacious.

While the MPX100 is a fine reverb for the fiscally challenged project
studio, the more serious user may demand a little more sonic refinement and
more editability, which is why Lexicon developed the subject of this review
— the MPX500. Based on the same Lexichip III reverb engine that powers the
new generation of Lexicon reverb processors, the MPX500 expands on the
MPX100's philosophy while offering a sound quality that lies somewhere
between the MPX100 and the PCM90/91. So new is this processor that I had to
visit the Lexicon factory in Boston in order to get my hands on one in time
for this review, and while I was there, I was able to do direct comparison
with other Lexicon products in a studio environment before bringing it home
to do further tests. If the MPX100 sits at 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 with the
PCM90 at 10, I'd say the reverbs of the MPX500 score a five or better.


                                 Conclusions

You can buy more versatile multi-effects boxes than the MPX500 for around
the same price, but I don't
think any of them offers the quality of reverb available here. Similarly,
the non-reverb effects may provide
nothing new, but they sound just right. Is the MPX500 an alternative, or
even a replacement, for the more
expensive MPX1? Their reverb quality is certainly comparable, but the MPX1
is a far more capable
multi-effects unit, with rather more depth to its editability. At the same
time, more flexibility makes the
MPX1 more time-consuming to program, and for tweaking effects during a
session, the MPX500 is about
as close to perfection as you can get.

In fact, the only real criticism I can make of the MPX500, given its very
attractive price, is its limited
number of user memories. I'd recommend the MPX500 either as a second
reverb/general effects box for
someone who already has something better, or as a main reverb for the
smaller studio owner who
appreciates the benefits of a Lexicon reverb. I'm buying one to back up my
PCM90!

============================================================================
===================================

Hope that clears things up!

Cheers

David
<http://www.mp3.com/davidcooperorton>