You'll get more variety with the 81/91 combo than with a single 300. 300 has very nice verbs and a few funky things but I've always found myself going back to the same couple of programs. 81 is great! Lotsa familiar sounds in that one. Bunch of funky stuff as well as some very good rooms ... better than the 300 IMO. 91 is verbs all the way. Very nice sounding. I'd go for the 81/91 combo. I think you'll be happier in the end.

I own both the Lexicon 300 and PCM91. The 300 has the better sounding reverb but with less presets and less parameters, and less parameter fine adjustment. The 300 is much easier to use, does many other usefull things that neither the PCM91 or PCM81 can do (like the classic ambience and PONS alogrithms and the mastering digital compressor) and even the model with the display can be upgraded to be used with the LARC. The PCM81 is a great unit, although I like the reverb better in the PCM70. I'd likely own a PCM81, but I have three Eventide's that can do what the PCM81 does and much, much, more.

Depends on your needs. With two units you get more flexability and I/O's, but the 300 is a real old school classic and has it's own unique sounds. The upgraded converters and algorithms in the PCM81/91 have more of a harsh and grainy character than the 300 but is still miles ahead of the MPX and other low level crap they dumped on customers.

AudioGaff, do tell what eventides you think do what. I'm thinking of replacing a DSP4000 that a friend of mine (still a friend--long story) has retained. I'm debating whether to go low end and get an eclipse, get a deal on an Orville, or wait and splurge on an H8000.

Don't get me started on Eventide or I won't shut up. First you need to decide how deep you intend to get into using one as well as how deep into preset or rather algorithm construction you need or want to get. The Eclipse is more powerful than the DSP4000 series, is 96kHz capable, has many of the same types of presets, but is more like a standard effects unit whre the algorithms are fixed such as in the PCM81 or TC M3000. The Eclipse offers more than those in terms of it's preamps and other guitar focused effects.

All of the newer DSP7000/75000, Orville and H8000 offer way more DSP power and flexability. The Orville is dual engine that is akin to both a DSP7000 and DSP7500 in one box where each DSP engine can have it's own preset loaded and it being a 8-I/O capable with 4-analog I/O and 4-digital I/O. At time of order on new Orville's only, an ADAT and/or 8-I/O AES option is available.

The H8000 is also an 8-I/O digital with dual DSP engines and comes standard with both the ADAT and AES with only 2-I/O analog and uses newer DSP chips that in addition to being faster and more powerful, allow both DSP engines to be used together in tandem for real huge monster presets. The H8000 has additional presets to take advantage of this and is be able to do true multi-channel surround. The H8000 also allows all the factory presets to be run at 96kHz where on the Orville many do but many do not.

The DSP4000 and it's brothers are still great units and offer great flexability within their DSP limits. I own the DSP4500 and still find it to be one of the best most useful products and audio tools that I have used or come across. It is a little shy on DSP power and resources compared to it's flexability and capability, but as long as you don't need very complex monster sized presets, it does a great job of stereo in - stereo out processing and still allows bigger and more complex presets if you just use it as a mono in - stereo out as well as some clever use of DSP programming resources.

Used prices on the DSP4000 series now offer great value and while they don't exactly capture the sound or all of the preset flavor of the older H3000 series, they are much more powerful, capable, flexable and can emulate anything that the H3000 series can do and more. And the reverbs are least 100 times better which I always thought was the weak point on the H3000 series units.

Lexicon PCM 81+ Lexicon 300

I think Lexicon PCM 81+ Lexicon 300 is the best Compromise.
Better H8000fw with a Lexicon 300.

Lexicon 300 is also the same as a Lexicon NuVerb. The NuVerb is a 300 on a Nubus slot for an older PPC Mac. Its digital AES 20bit 44.1/48k in and out only.

More info: http://www.lexiconpro.com

If you can find one they usually go for around $300 to $500 used. Once you have a computer with multiple slots you can have more than one be controlled by the software simultaneously, however you must remember you will need AES I/O for each. I've had this setup for many years, Audio Gaff nailed this one down.

I'm actually really excited about mine because today I am getting a Lucid ADA 1000 20bit A/D / D/A converter just to use for the nuverb. I had been using a poor method of control previously, so this should be a major step up for my studio. I'll then be able to use it in the mix on my analog console. The verb is so smooth it sounds transparent, it has a very powerful charm about it and for the money you just cannot go wrong, however you still have to run an old PPC to use it.

This old beast (PPC 8100) is uselessly outdated to most but I do have three of them from the old days that I have managed to keep so if one ever breaks down I got plenty of parts around. I'm sure you could find them for next to nothing. The PPC's are a bit noisy, but they are very reliable, I've hardly had many problems with them over the years.

Cheers!