New Gear Review: Raumzeitmaschine Tube Reverb by Tegeler Audio Manufaktur

Tegeler Audio Manufaktur’s Raumzeitmaschine tube reverb sports a streamlined design and plugin-controllable hardware potentiometers.

Tegeler Audio Manufaktur is a boutique manufacturer of rack effects, started and led by developer Michael Krusch and based in Berlin, Germany. The company embraces a less-is-more approach, choosing to focus on only the most essential controls and streamlining the user interfaces of their effect units. All of their products are hand-manufactured and tested thoroughly before being shipped out of their Berlin headquarters.

Most of their previous products have concentrated on dynamics and equalization; most were also tweaks of previous designs with a few, albeit significant, changes. However, January 2018 saw Tegeler introduce the Raumzeitmaschine, an all-new reverb effects unit that is the company’s first spatial effect.

Features

The Raumzeitmaschine, or RZM for short, is full stereo reverb and has inputs and outputs on balanced XLR jacks. The unit is 2U high and sits in a sturdy metal case. Tegeler’s dedication to the details can be seen in the unit’s packaging—a bespoke, military-grade-like wood box that holds the RZM securely in place. There is an internal 25-watt power supply, so luckily there’s no wall wart to contend with.

The reverb itself is DSP-based, although Tegeler don’t give many details into the processor. The focus, instead, is on the signal path, as Tegeler tout the RZM as not just a reverb processor but as a simple coloration device. This is because both inputs and outputs have their own transformers, as well as two double triode tubes per channel. This means that, with the mix knob turned all the way down, the RZM can function as a way to run your signal through a nice stereo tube path—more on that later.

Tegeler have chosen to keep the interface and design of the RZM simple. The front panel features large, chicken-head knobs, which are sturdy and easy to grab. There are knobs for mix, pre-delay, decay, room size, density, and input. These knobs are actually set upon motorized potentiometers, which change on the hardware with any tweaks that are made within the plugin.

There’s also a bypass/mute button which has two uses. When the mix knob is set to 100% dry, hitting the bypass button will connect the inputs directly to the outputs, removing the RZM entirely from the chain. With any other mix setting, the input signal still goes through the input transformers and tubes, allowing you to tell exactly what affect the RZM is having. In this case, the button acts as a bypass—hitting it will mute the reverb from the signal chain.

Besides the knobs, the bypass button, and an on/off switch, the only other thing on the faceplate of the RZM is a large screen with a lovely picture of the cosmos. This screen has two floating, concentric circles that present information in a subtle way. The inner glowing orange circle expands in circumference with changes in the decay time. Meanwhile, the outer blue circle expands based on how hard the input is getting hit. As you’d expect, these aren’t the most scientific readings given the way they are displayed, so their usefulness to you may vary.

In Use

Unlike reverb units that have many different algorithms to choose from, Tegeler’s RZM features a single model with the focus being on tweakability—those knobs really beg to be turned. The reverb itself falls squarely into the “Hall” category, so it won’t be a replacement for those looking to make use of a boingy spring reverb or a deep plate.

What you do get are lush, thick tails that blend away incredibly organically, despite the digital innards. The density knob controls the number of room reflections and can be used to move from an “open and clear” reverb sound to one that is dense and rich, according to Tegeler. That richness tended to mean a build-up of harmonics in the lower mids, which could be seen as either a pro or con depending on the source material. When situated on a send/return track, you’ll want to make sure you have a way to EQ out some of those lower frequencies as some rumble tends to build up, especially when employing longer delay times.

When used on either male or female vocals, the RZM’s tube-laden signal path helped add a bit of bite to the source material, even on lower gain input settings. It’s worth noting that there’s no master volume, so increasing the input gain increases the overall input of the signal with no way to attenuate it in the RZM. If you’re using the unit as a send/return effect, this won’t be such a problem but when using it in a vocal chain, you’ll have to plan your gain staging accordingly.

When the RZM was set to shorter decay settings combined with larger room sizes, it could approximate unusual spaces that worked well in tandem with driving the inputs. Setting the mix knob to entirely wet kills the dry signal completely, handy for getting those huge washes of sound with long attacks.

The RZM also worked wonders on synthesizers, especially on settings with a lower density and a longer pre-delay, which allows more of the attack of the original signal to come through. Playing with the size and decay settings can also produce subtle modulation when tweaking the knobs in real time.

One of the most interesting things about the RZM is that it can be controlled remotely over Ethernet or a bespoke internal web server that Tegeler Audio have set up. No doubt did their programming expertise come into play here. This allows for the recalling of presets from your DAW of choice, although there’s no way to access these presets from unit itself. This keeps the RZM in line with Tegeler’s minimal philosophy, meaning that you won’t get lost in menu diving.

A view of the RZM plugin interface.

Tegeler have included quite a number of pre-programmed presets that are organized by type of use or instrument, and scrolling through the presets shows that even though there’s only one algorithm being used, there are quite a variety of sounds to be found. When changing parameters on the plugin, the knobs adjust accordingly—a fun detail.

To Be Critical

If there were any qualms with the RZM, they were minor. It’s worth mentioning that the labeling of the knobs is a bit hard to read unless the unit is perched near eye level, as they are tucked quite close under the big chicken heads. Given the fact that there are only six parameters, it’s not hard to memorize each knob’s function, but this would have sped up beginning workflow.

It’s hard to not wish the beautiful screen on the RZM was a bit more multi-functional, though we’ve been told new UIs for the display are likely coming in 2020. As is, it serves as eye candy as well as a somewhat-hard-to-read meter. While the space image does inspire, it’d be interesting to see how this screen could be more utilized to expand the RZM’s functionality while keeping the stripped-down ethos of Tegeler intact.

Summing it Up

If you’re in the market for a high-end reverb unit, it’s likely that you’ve gotten sucked into comparing specs and features. In that sense, the RZM’s spec list might seem fairly minor, as it only has one algorithm to play with and six paltry controls. But what it does, it does well. The use of dual tubes means the RZM has a warm, deep sound all its own. You can hit the input with a hot signal and distort the input transformers and tubes for a very satisfying crunchy saturation. It’s able to surround vocals, synths, or whatever else you throw at it with a very real and warm bath of reverb that works well in busy, bright mixes.

While not an impulse purchase with a price tag of €2.699,00, you’d be hard pressed to find another reverb that pairs a simplicity of workflow with a rich, tube-laden signal path. Tegeler’s Raumzeitmaschine might not appeal to producers looking for a reverb that can work in a variety of situations, but it’ll be just the ticket for those looking to narrow their sonic signature.

Leo Maymind is a producer, DJ, and writer living in Los Angeles, CA. He is obsessed with sound, and you can reach him at lmaymind@gmail.com.

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