A few years ago, I embarked on creating an album in my home studio, collaborating with studio musicians from across the globe. Simultaneously, I was assembling a rack of vintage effects specifically for the project. Since the album consisted of songs written in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I aimed to capture a sound that echoed that era, focusing on vintage reverbs and effects from that time.
I managed to acquire a Roland SRV-2000, Roland SRV-330, Lexicon MPX1, Sony DPS-R7, Sony DPS-V77, Eventide H8000, Yamaha Rev5, and a Sony MU-R201. I was quite pleased with this collection of reverbs and found that I particularly loved the Roland SRV-2000 for snares – it had a wonderfully grainy sound that complemented snares perfectly. Unfortunately, the Roland SRV-2000 broke down before mixdown, and during that period, as I experimented with different reverbs, I discovered the Sony MU-R201 preset 31.
In the end, I used this plate-based reverb preset on every snare across the album. For me, it was the ideal snare reverb that blended seamlessly into the mix. It seemed to add an extra punch to the snare and had an incredible stereo spread that I’ve yet to find in any other reverb, whether hardware or software.
About the Sony MU-R201
The Sony MU-R201 was Sony’s first true stereo in-and-out digital reverb, and it certainly made good use of that capability. Given that it followed the renowned Sony DRE-2000, a favourite of Chris Lord-Alge, one might assume that some of its algorithms were derived from that model, though I can’t say for certain. What I do know is that I absolutely loved this reverb – it was a perfect fit for my album. Of course, your experience might differ.
The user interface was, thankfully, quite straightforward, unlike some of the later Sony reverbs like the Sony DPS-R7, which I eventually sold despite its great reverbs. I found the DPS-R7 to be a bit noisy, at least in my experience, noticeably more so than the Sony MU-R201. You’d expect the later model, with its better converters and improved noise specifications, to outperform the older one, but for me, it was the opposite, especially when it came to reverb on snares.
Selecting presets, whether Sony’s or your own, is a simple two-step process. First, you choose the bank using the large plus/minus buttons under the display, then you select the preset using the number buttons to the right. For example, preset 31 is actually Bank 3, Preset 1 within that bank. To edit a preset, you just press the edit button, choose the parameter you want to tweak, and adjust it with the plus/minus buttons. If you liked the changes, you could save your custom preset in the user bank – easy and intuitive.
Sonically, the MU-R201 has a limited top end, which I think is why it sits so well in the mix – it’s present, but it doesn’t overpower. I occasionally used it for vocals too, though I mostly relied on the Roland SRV-330 for vocals on the album.
Reliability
Over the years, I’ve owned several Sony MU-R201 reverbs, and almost every one of them arrived with an issue. They don’t seem to handle shipping well, particularly after sitting in a studio for years. The rough journey from one side of the world to the other tends to take its toll.
The problem I encountered with all of them was the same: they would work fine at first but then start glitching, producing an awful digital noise. The initial reaction might be to assume the reverb is beyond repair and bin it, but I’m here to tell you it’s an easy fix! The Sony MU-R201 is actually very well built, and out of the four I’ve owned, none have failed permanently – at least not after I sorted out the issue.
I’m fortunate to have a highly skilled technician, more capable than any other I’ve worked with, who helped me uncover the root of the problem. On the main circuit board, which spans the entire base of the unit, there are copper bars that sit between sections of the board, providing electrical isolation between the digital, analogue, and power supply areas.
Typically, these copper bars don’t play an active role in the circuit and are just soldered into the ground circuit. However, in the Sony MU-R201, these copper bars are actually part of the circuit and suffer from dry solder joints. When the unit is shipped, the bumps and jolts cause these joints to fail, breaking the circuit.
Fixing these dry joints is straightforward. If you inspect each solder joint on these bars, you’ll likely find several dry joints. All you need to do is reflow the solder on these joints with a soldering iron, and the reverb should work perfectly again. From my experience (having repaired three of these units now), even a single dry joint can cause issues, so it’s crucial to check every solder joint thoroughly. A magnifying glass or loupe is essential for this task to ensure you catch every problem area.
Remote Control
With the repairs sorted, there’s one more thing worth mentioning: there’s a remote control available for the Sony MU-R201, though it’s as rare as hen’s teeth. During the MU-R201’s production, Sony released two different versions of this remote, as shown below.
After years of searching, I finally managed to get my hands on a Sony MU-R201 with its remote control, both in excellent condition. The remote essentially duplicates the front panel controls, so there’s nothing groundbreaking there, but it’s incredibly convenient if your rack is out of reach. Plus, it adds a cool factor, having the remote on your console – just like a Lexicon or similar gear.
I’ve made many questionable decisions in my life, and one of them was selling the Sony MU-R201 with the remote! John Parr ended up buying it for his fantastic studio in the UK. But, John, if you ever decide you’re not happy with it, I’d love to buy it back!
Buying Advice
When it comes to buying the Sony MU-R201, it seems it wasn’t particularly successful in the Western market. Most of the units I’ve acquired have come from Japan. If you check the gear lists of Japanese studios, you’ll often find at least one Sony MU-R201 in their racks, even today. For example, Sony Music Studios has one in every single studio, and Onkio Haus still uses the Sony reverb as well.
It’s clear that the Sony MU-R201 was a big hit in Japan. I’ve generally paid around US$200-250 for units in very good condition. If you’re lucky enough to find one with the ultra-rare remote control, though, expect to pay upwards of US$450-600.
Conclusion
I highly recommend the Sony MU-R201 to anyone interested in hardware reverbs. It offers true stereo processing and brings something a bit different compared to the usual choices like the Lexicon PCM70. The best part is that the Sony comes at a much more affordable price, making it a win-win all around!
