WHO is using Revelation and a MPX-1

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

I was curious how everyone has your rig configured. I just want to make sure i dont miss any tricks. Let me know how you hook your up and where you run your Input and output on the MPX-1 I'v tried several ways.
Thanks,
Gary.

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Someone has to be using this.

Scott Denniston · From: Hahns Peak, Colorado, USA

Gary, I'm on the trail away from my stuff so I can't check on this right now but.... quite a while back I talked with Buddy Castleberry who had sat with John Hughey and tried different hookups. As I remember the way that really sounds best with that unit is to go from the Rev outs to the MPX1 ins and the MPX outs to the power amp. This of course is not utilizing the nice fx loop and wet/dry mix on the Rev but it just sounds better this way with this unit and has more punch this way. Hope I've got that set-up right here. Mine has been wired up and in the box so long & I haven't looked at it but do know that this was the answer for me. It just sounds better. Check with Buddy on this though.

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Thanks Scott, Thats the way i got mine.Buddy told me about this hookup but i was just searching to see if anyone had an answer to the other way. This seems to be a great unit for the Rev.
Thanks alot.
Gary Steele.

mtulbert · From: Plano, Texas 75023

I have mine hooked up through the effects bus on the Rev. But I only use reverb and no other effects. If you want to hook your system up this way and use delays etc. you need to do what Lexicon calls parallel processing. The Lex has 2 branches for processing so you split the input set up each process on a separate branch and they are combined at the output. Sounds more complicated than what it actually is.

If you use a lot of delay and reverb and make constant adjustments according to the song then Buddy's way is probably an easier way to go.

Regards,
_________________
Mark T

Infinity D-10 Justice SD-10 Judge Revelation Octal Preamp, Fractal AXE III, Fender FRFR 12

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Yeah, what Mark just said.

Placing the MPX-1 after the Rev in "series" is by far the easier way to go. That's what Buddy Castleberry helped Hughey and a number of others do.

The MPX-1 signal path routing is a bit tricky to program properly. The way to use it in a parallel loop like with the Rev is to set up the dual paths inside the MPX-1. One path would have reverb, and the other path would have delay. This would be running the two effects in "parallel". Then each effect would be set at 100% wet, zero dry signal. Then the two parallel effects mix back together before the output of the MPX. I prefer the sound of this parallel setup using the Rev's loop.

If you attempt to use the loop and don't have the MPX-1 routed and mixed properly, the result can sound quite bad with digital latency phase and time and comb filtering issues.

So for people who have a good grasp of series vs. parallel, and also who can exactly program the MPX do do this properly, I recommend it. I must admit, I struggled with an MPX-1 for quite a while before I got it programmed to do exactly what I wanted. It wasn't very intuitive navigating the menus and controls in there. But when it was done right, it sounded killer. If you don't get the MPX-1 routing topology exactly right and don't make absolutely sure that there is NO dry signal exiting the MPX-1 then it can really mess with the sound.

I believe that Buddy Emmons and Randy Beavers and a few others still use the Dual/Parallel (delay + reverb) MPX-1 setup in the Rev's loop with really good results.

My main reason for wanting to use the loop is that it keeps all the transistors and digital conversion of the Lexicon completely out of your guitar's signal path. Only the effects are digital, but they get mixed back in thru a tube in the analog domain along with the guitar signal path that always remains analog/tube.

Not that the MPX-1 blatantly degrades the signal, but there is a purity I hear when keeping all that processing and solid state circuitry out of the path. I love knowing that my guitar sound hasn't been sent thru a bunch of little cheap capacitors, transistors and opamps, then converted to digital, sent thru a computer processor with a bunch of math done to it, then converted back to analog, and sent thru more opamps and cheap capacitors, and then out again. I prefer the ultra-minimal, ultra-pure signal path. Maybe it's just psychological, but I prefer it that way and think it sounds richer.

I personally haven't noticed there being more punch or any sonic advantage or benefit from adding the MPX-1 to the overall signal path by placing it AFTER the Rev. But either way works just fine.

Brad

Randy Beavers · From: Lebanon,TN 37090

I personally like the MPX-1 in the loop of the Rev. However like Brad said, it does take a bit to figure out the programming. I had to read through the manual a few times to get the terminology Lexicon uses. At first I tried to go straight to chapter 3 and start programming. I was ready to give up and get something easier to program. Then I got some good advice from the "Big Guy". He said to start with chapter 1 and work my way up. Oh Well

The program I'm using for my MPX-1 goes like this:

Input: 3:00 Output: 5:00

Upper block:
Delay (M) with Mix: 100%, Level: -8db, Dly Time: 325 with the option tap/ms, Fbk: 20%.

Lower Block:
Reverb (Hall), Mix: 100%, Level: +6, Size: 60.0m, Link: on, Diff: 80%, P.dly: 20ms, Bass: 1.5X, Decay: 2.54s, Xover: 654, Rt Hc: 9.3k, Shape: 106, Spred: 172.

EQ 2-Band (S), Mix: 100%, Level 0db, Gain1: +3, Fc 1: 650, Q1: 1.1, Mode1: L Shelf,
Gain 2: -4, Fc 2: 7000, Q2: 0.7, Mode 2: H Shelf.

I have several variations of this program but this is my starting point. It sounds great through the Rev's loop and keeps the tone pure. I have tried putting it inline after the Rev. I could hear a difference. Some of the tube "sparkle" was lost and it was not as "punchy" on the low end.

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Greg Wisecup · From: Troy, Ohio

Can someone call me and make me play and sound like Randy Beavers!!!! Very Happy

_________________
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Derby D-10/Steelers Choice/
Goodrich 120/ 2- Katana Boss 100's
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As long as I'm down in the mix I'm Fantastic!

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Gary Steele · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

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