The EMT 245 Digital Reverb, introduced in 1982, was a significant step in EMT’s evolution of digital reverb technology. Positioned as the successor to the EMT 244, the 245 offered improved features while maintaining the compact and cost-effective design that appealed to studios with limited budgets and space. This model reflected EMT’s commitment to bringing professional-quality reverb effects to a wider audience during the burgeoning digital audio era.
Building on the foundation of the 244, the EMT 245 added enhanced features such as adjustable pre-delay and early reflections, which gave engineers more control over the spatial characteristics of the reverb. These improvements allowed for greater precision in tailoring the reverb to suit different recording and mixing scenarios, whether creating subtle ambience or lush, immersive soundscapes. The algorithms shared similarities with EMT’s iconic 250 but were streamlined to fit within the 245’s more accessible design.
The EMT 245 was prized for its dense and rich reverb tails, delivering a sound that retained a vintage character while embracing the precision of digital processing. Its sonic quality made it especially valued in genres requiring a distinctive and atmospheric reverb effect, cementing its reputation as a classic piece of digital hardware.
Compact and rack-mountable, the EMT 245 was an ideal solution for smaller studios or setups where space was at a premium. Its straightforward interface made it easy to use while still offering enough flexibility to meet the needs of professional engineers. However, its more modest feature set and functionality meant it didn’t quite achieve the legendary status of the EMT 250, which remained the flagship in EMT’s lineup.
Today, the EMT 245 is celebrated by vintage audio enthusiasts for its unique sound and historical significance. It represents a transitional period in digital audio, combining the charm of early digital reverbs with practical features that made it a reliable studio workhorse. For those lucky enough to own one, the EMT 245 continues to inspire creativity with its timeless reverb character.
The adjustment of reverb time, frequency response, amplitude of early reflections, and delay time can be controlled remotely. With a specialised adapter board (Interface 2), existing remote-control units for the EMT 140 or EMT 240 reverb devices, already integrated into mixing desks, can also be used. Another specialised adapter board (Interface 3) allows the connection of the EMT 245 S remote-control unit (retrofit available from serial number 47 669 onwards).
