New Software Review: AMS DMX Digital Delay & Pitch Shifter from Universal Audio
“Used on classic albums for its unmatched soundscapes and textures, the AMS DMX is famous for adding iconic ’80s‑era space and depth. “
Delay. We all love it.
Arguably the most critical effect in music production, delays are the basis for many other well-known effects.
Flanging, phasing, and chorusing? All delay-based.
Digital reverbs that aren’t convolution-based? Most likely built around multiple delay lines.
Delays can be used to add rhythmic emphasis or make something stand apart from the movements of the rest of the song. They can be used to give subtle ambience, an enormous sense of space, or alien-sounding comb-filtering effects.
Because of this, there are many delay units and plugins available to all of us. So how do you make a delay that stands out from the crowd?
Universal Audio and AMS Neve aim to do just that with their emulation/revival of the famed AMS DMX 15-80 S unit. It offers a unique digital delay…and so much more.
Features
The AMS DMX 15-80 S was initially released in 1978 and was the first microprocessor-controlled, 15-bit digital delay and pitch shifter. If you listened to, for example, any MUSIC from the ’80s and early ’90s, you’ve heard this box.
However, like all early digital hardware pieces, they are increasingly rare to find, tough to repair, and costly to purchase (as of this writing, I found one for sale online for a little over $8k). An after-market chorus expansion module was also available and is even rarer!
The plugin version features all of the standard parameters of the hardware version and a few extras as well. The face of the unit can effectively be broken down into 5 sections: routing and level control section, delay controls, VCO/modulation, and chorus/pitch shifting. The four above sections all have rotary knob controls to adjust parameters. The fifth section consists of a keypad that allows for more precise control and display of the settings.
The routing and level control segment has two independent channels (here labeled “A” and “B”) with discrete input level controls. However, the output is ganged. Additionally, the unit can be used as mono-in/mono-out, mono-in/stereo-out, stereo-in/mono-out, and stereo-in/stereo-out.
These four options are thoughtfully laid out with a helpful LED that lets you know if you are using it in true stereo. Each channel can be panned anywhere in the stereo field, and 3-segment meters give a red-light 6 dB shy of clipping. The pan controls are disabled when operating with a mono output. A master mix control at the output makes this plugin work well in serial and parallel processing scenarios.
The Delay section offers separate time settings for each channel and allows for up to 6.515 seconds of delay. Each channel also has a Regen control (more commonly known as feedback). A gentle 6 dB/Octave low pass filter is included as part of the Regen controls. The polarity of channel B is fixed, but channel A can be reversed, which opens up all sorts of options.
The VCO/Modulation controls offer the standard speed and depth. Whereas the hardware unit had only one VCO, the plugin version offers a secondary VCO with a 90-degree phase offset. This gives even more control over the stereo field and is a useful and welcome addition.
The VCO set feature is another thoughtful addition not available on the original unit. This feature allows the user to program in an exact zero-crossing point and choose the initial excursion of the oscillation. Due to the random nature of modulation effects, it can be challenging to automate them in and out and get consistent sounds and performance from a unit.
The pitch shift section offers a +/- 1-octave range for each channel or a chorus effect with its own speed and depth parameter controls. Finally, the keypad section allows users to enter and display precise values over any parameter.
Settings can be manually typed in or nudged up/down. A well-designed sync/free switch gives the user freedom to jump to precise tempo-aligned, bar/beat rhythmic subdivisions, or anywhere between.
Understanding the UI layout is key as it does not mirror the signal flow. While not crowded or poorly designed, it can take time to learn. I’d highly recommend settling in with the manual here, which is primarily excellent and will free you up to have fun and be creative in no time. The manual also gives a signal flow chart for those who really want to understand the order of processing.
In Use
In use, the AMS DMX 15-80 S is stunning and fun. With such long delay times available, it’s easy to add a sense of space with a clean slap or create a wall of self-oscillating chaos at home in any noise project.
There are definitely more flexible delay units on the market, but the real strength of this processor lies in the myriad ways we can stress and strain that delay sound. Expanding the delay palette with modulation, pitch-shifting, or chorusing makes it fun to add movement, width, and depth to any sound.
While I use this for many different effects in my mix chain, it has also become my go-to pre-delay processor before any reverb I use. This makes ALL of the effects more interesting. The filter is musical and easy to dial in.
The Sync/Free switch makes it simple to get a nice rhythmic delay and then quickly tweak it slightly forward/back to better match the groove or offset the two channels from each other for decorrelation and width.
The meters are simple and easy to use. I can quickly get perfect clean delays or run into it hot and get a nice crunch. Deeper features like adjusting the bit depth of the DAC on the output can get you even further down the clean/dirty path.
To Be Critical
I think a few points could be improved on, though, and every review needs a critique as there is always room for improvement. It’s 2022 right now, and every plugin available should have an A/B functionality (or even A/B/C/D) to store and audition different settings. Also, I think every plugin should allow users to freeze settings so they won’t change unless manually adjusted.
With a deep and flexible feature set like this, it’s nice to scan presets when looking for inspiration. Being able to freeze the mix at 100% for those who typically work in parallel or keep the delay time at ¼ note while perusing presets would be eminently helpful. Freezing the mix at 100% is only possible with the plug-in by enabling the “wet solo” switch. (An exception is when browsing from the Pro Tools preset toolbar, presets can instead be loaded from the lower UAD toolbar.)
Also, the pitch shifter controls don’t offer presets like the delay. I can easily select an 1/8th note for the delay section, but I have to remember the 1.498 is a perfect fifth and punch in those numbers manually. Multiple interval settings should be included to make this unit even easier to use.
In fairness, these are minor quibbles (and UA is not the only guilty party here) and have nothing to do with the overall tone and vibe.
Summing it Up
As mentioned above, the AMS DMX 15-80 S continues to find new ways into my mix template. I have loads of delays, including an actual tape delay, but the vintage digital sound and fun feature set keep bringing me back to it. This device sounds fantastic in every way and keeps mixing fun, which is the highest praise I can offer.
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