Latest User Reviews

Probably like a lot of 480L owners now, I had to wait until one came up at a sensible price but make no mistake about it, it was well worth the wait! while you’re probably thinking, why bother, as plugins are getting so good at emulating the originals at a fraction of the price? I personally believe there is something missing by not having the original hardware in front of you and I’m sure as time goes on, these units will be snatched up by enthusiasts and studios.

The 480 is a legend! I wanted one for years and have no regrets in buying a really nicely presented example. It’s a flip of a coin as to which is better suited from the 480, a 224 or an RMX but I’m certainly am glad I have two of those 3 giants in the Reverb world. The quality of the actual algorithms is breath taking ! I have recently sent separate emails to two Studios that have the 480 and the RMX and asked them to compare both to their Bricasti M7’s… Their response was quite surprising with both the older Reverbs being preferred by clients and engineers.

The U/I on the 480 via the LARC, is very easy to use and the Machine itself is not just a reverb, but a box full of multiple effects that can be split into two separate effect machines and thus having the left input split with the right and effectively having two 480’s on each input, with separate stereo outputs. Having never compared the Classic Cart on the 480 with a 224, I’m not going to say it’s the same, but I’ve heard it’s pretty close and has most of the 224’s presets. I have the 480 plugin and it’s a good reverb, but the 480 just sounds more organic and rich to me. One thing that users will find a little nuisance it’s the noise of the cooling fan, but it’s a small price to pay for such a unique piece of equipment.

The Lexicon 480 is a long lasting old love and will never break. Still in todays time there is no other effect like the 480L. It is smooth and gentle and better than any other reverb ever made. Sure it will be replaced more and more from modern Reverbs in Plug In quality, but all of them have the goal to reach the sound of the original one, the Lexicon 480L.

It was extraordinary when it was released, and still today it provides incredible reverb for my mixes some 28 years later. Can plugins sound as good? Not as far as I am concerned, I will keep the 480L until it dies.

Using it primarily for Tiled Room, which sounds really lively and spacey on drums, separate percussion or to get some instrument, mostly guitars, move a little bit to the back of the mix, but retaining it’s urgency. It does not sound like a 224 or 224X as you read sometimes, but it sure has a classy sound. The delay sound quality is great also, really biting through the mix, and the flange and chorus FX are up with the better of them. Admitting that i actually use it not that often maybe comes from the fact that i sure have some big workhorses in the control room that often get used because they are default connected to the sends and returns of the console, like 2 224’s, 2 300’s, an AMS RMX16 and a SST282 by Ursa. But the PCM70 sure deserves to be used big time!

It’s my main reverb for a start point on vocals. Most of times it’ handles the vocals to glue perfect in the mix, that’s why this is the most used machine in studios around the world. Soft, no harsh tales as the software reverbs. For a pro level studio this is a most to have!

This was my first Lexicon, back around 1990. I absolutely loved it and the presets, but is was so noisy it had to go. While all outboard gear from this era suffer with a bit of noise, this unit is notorious from suffering with this annoying trait. Sadly, it had to go for the PCM 90, which I love.

This is still a reverb you will find in many studios, but it is not because it is so pristine and great, but because it sits in mixes well and has some mojo compared to many others from the period. I would not make it my only reverb, but would have one for that something different.

I’m going to start by saying how much I enjoy reading reviews and information on this website. I also have to admit, that over the years I’ve become a self-confessed reverb-aholic and while some of my reverbs I’ve bought from new and had for many years, others are new additions that have finally found a place in my studio after being on the wish list for many years!

I think the Lexicon 224 was the one I’d heard so much about over the years, but I’d never had the opportunity to use and was top of my list to try out and see just how good these really were? Up until recently, rarely did people let them go and I found that most 224’s that come up now, usually have a long history and some sort of provenance to go with them.

Today, they have become a bit of a cult classic and along with the 480L, become affordable to some, but not all ! So, that’s my story and I’ve been after one of these for many years to complement my other high-end Lexicons and AMSs I now have at my disposal. Of course I’m going to only make reference to the model I have, which is the last revision of 224, and was model introduced with the same LARC as the 480L, and not the original 224 that Vangelis used on Chariots of Fire.

I’ve now had this unit in my possession over the last month, and as you can imagine I’ve used it quite extensively and done multiple comparisons. The first thing I can say with hand on heart, is the hype about this thing is NOT hype ! This reverb is utterly amazing.. in a recent interview I read by producer Chris Porter, he clearly states that George Michael’s vocal on Faith and earlier recordings, were predominantly Lexicon 224xl.

In comparison with my 480L (with the classic cart) I can hear enough difference to warrant using the 224 albeit the 480L on classic cart presets, are equally stunning in their own right. In general, the 224xl and 480L always seem to be compared to one another, when in reality they are completely different in design, with different algorithms, sound and the 480L being a multi-effects unit and not just a straight reverb.

I’m not going to be drawn into a definitive which one is better, or which one I prefer, but what I will say, is that if you have one without the other, you will certainly survive, and survive well ! Perhaps in time, I’ll have the opportunity to compare the original 224 with the 224XL and write about what differences that to have? In the meantime, I will conclude by just saying that this machine is quite simply breathtaking on vocals, strings and its warm character it gives in any application.

An excellent vintage piece very well suited for drums. Tons of mojo and very fast in the creative process. Find the right space in about 20-30 seconds. Extremely well built. Only drawbacks are a mono input. The room sounds are great for drum sounds. The plates are cleaner, brighter and shorter by comparison. A great companion to a PCM80/90/91 or an Eventide H3000 for sound design/mixing Broadcast material.

This is a lovely reverb that sounds amazing. A bit noisy, but those rich and lush tails really shine. But the best thing about it is the intuitive and easy to use user interface.

They don’t make them like this any more – two delay lines, sounds amazing, can do standard delay to amazingly weird. The only problem is getting them fixed if they break as it is a specialist area, but certainly possible. I have two!