EMT 140 plate reverb chamber

[tomv]

Hi,
I'm looking for another reverb. And I'm just looking for opinions on this, before I get some rack-digi-multi-crap like everyone else. Like tape machines, it's probably going to be a pain in the ass, but will the result will be worth it? Or is this completely insane, I record in my basement!!!
I'd appreciate to hear anyone's experience working with the EMT 140 reverb. thanks
peace,
tl

 

[FX]

I've always liked the sound of the 140. The biggest problem you may have is that it is about the size of a queen size mattress on it's side and it will need VERY good solid ground to sit on as they are extremely sensitive to vibrations. I remember waiting to put mixes onto tape in the gaps between the underground trains passing a few hundred feet away. Moderate acoustic isolation is also fairly important.

There are valve and transistor variants and naturally the valve ones are more desirable.

Original remote meters and controls are hard to come by and a pain to wire up. Tuning the springs on the plate is as I recall a bit trial and error but worth the effort. Large swings in temperature can change the sound a bit, but once the plate is set up they are very reliable and have that characteristic sound. If it's that sound you are after and can afford the space then why not. Alternative you could get the Sony DRE-S777 which I think is the duck's nuts. But then it should be for about £8+k with all the options and CD's.

Good luck

 

[anonymous]

I agree with FX all the way.

Old plates CAN be like pianos, where sometimes deals come up where, if you can take em a way, you can have em free! (or very little)

Also - a friend is involved in some DIY plate kit, I will post up the details here when I get em!

 

[miketholen]

here's an alternative that IMO knocks the socks off any rackverb under 8K.
http://www.quantec.com/
I don't miss my 140 anymore!
I do miss a real chamber though...
lood guck! :w:

 

[Ted Nightshade]

So on the subject of "real chambers", who has any proven designs? We're basically talking a monitor or two playing back into a live room into one or more mics? Or what?
Ted

 

[drumsound]

Originally posted by Ted Nightshade:
So on the subject of "real chambers", who has any proven designs? We're basically talking a monitor or two playing back into a live room into one or more mics? Or what?
Ted

That's what I've done on occasion. Bob Clearmountain converted a wine cellar into two chambers. He has a Mackie HR824 and a pair of mics (AKG 451?) in each.

 

[miketholen]

anyone here ever work at Fantasy in Berkely CA.?
I've worked there a bit and I fell in love with their chambers. they are the smoothest thing I've ever heard. NOTHING comes close.
My Quantec QRS is almost there but...
the chambers themselves were about 15'x20' (just an estimate) and had a speaker facing one end and 2 mics facing the other.
at the time we were using a pair of KM54's!!!
most of the time though they just use some AKG 460's.
the 54's were still set up from Roger Waters sessions.

 

[Jon Best]

I would imagine that a chamber would sound wonderful with a small electrostatic and a pair of Beyer ribbons....

 

[Bear's Gone Fission]

Okay, I looked a couple days ago, even at all the linked (all German) retailers, but I couldn't get any info on what the current Quantec box runs for, and is their a US distributor? Probably a good chunk out of my budget for a while, but it's been nagging me.

Bear

 

[stoneinapond]

Hi Bear,
I believe the US distributor for the Yardstick is HHB. I don't remember the exact price, but if memory serves it was in the low to mid $2K. Sounds like an intriguing piece. Was always partial to the Room Simulator. Love to hear this one.
Peace,
Yorik

 

[stoneinapond]

Just went on HHB's site and the unit lists for $2999 without remote. So street price maybe a little higher than I originally posted, but it all depends on availability, popularity, and how good a deal you can make.
Yorik

 

[FrankO]

and the Yardstick is digital i/o only so be prepared to find some converters if you want to use it in the analog domain.

At least I hope it's PSU is better than the original QRS!!

 

[tomv]

Thanks for the info.
Could anyone give me a reasonable estimate (I'm sure they vary greatly) on the price of an EMT 140 in good working condition?
thanks,
tl

 

[anonymous]

Check this guy out, I was introduced to him at AES by Bob Buontempo.

Joe Errico

joseph@errico-associates.com
http://www.errico-associates.com

He is marketing a build your own plate kit. A Tape Op magazine article is due soon, get the scoop here.

 

[anonymous]

Sonic Youth have a Demeter Spring reverb unit at their studio. I think it is a digital simulator. Either way I heard it there and it sounded great. Seemed like the sound of Exile on Main St by the stones! (AKG spring?)

Anyhow it had a long and short reverb, each MONO! (ulp!)

I want one

 

[Bear's Gone Fission]

Sure you don't mean Demeter and not Daking? The Demeter is real springs, and supposed to be bloody sweet. I want two.

Bear

 

[anonymous]

Yarz! My bad! Ypou are correct DEMETER!

Thanks..

How the F are there 2 x springs in that unit?

I DONT BELIVE IT!!!!

 

[Ted Nightshade]

Hot damn, bowlegged man! Spring reverb sounds very appealing. I once was in a situation where a super cheap (too cheap) DOD spring reverb just did it for a vocal after we'd been messing with the Lexicon, etc. all day.
The best one I've had a chance to play with were out of an old Hammond A-100. Very lush, smooth and full frequency, not the real obvious spring twang like in a guitar amp. The one I was using were just pulled right out of the Hammond, it would be cool to have some racked up and ready for whatever...
Apparently some are much more appropriate for general use than others, having to do with the tidyness of the box (some are just hanging there) and the input/output ohmage.
I've heard these are used in Polytone jazz guitar amps.
I get the impression that this Demeter is pretty spendy, I'll have to look it up. Digital reverb has never really sent me...
Ted

 

[Bear's Gone Fission]

I think the Demeter lists for about $650, don't know about discounts. The pans themselves aren't all that big, but I haven't seen the Demeter to notice if it seems small. One of the pans is long, the other short, which incidentally is close to my favorite reverb for guitar.

I have a Boogie Quad 4 channel guitar preamp which is nice, but not amazing, except it has a 2 pan reverb that runs a long and short pan in parallel, so the traits of the pans blend for one smooth sound without one characteristic decay time dominating. They also figured out how to avoid transient sproings and eq it for guitar, so it is lush, dimensional, and detailed. I should try reamping through the preamp just for the reverb sometime, though it might not handle drum transients so well.

Bear

 

[EdWray]

You may want to check out a reverb kit I found at this site: http://www.paia.com/hotsprgs.htm