New Software Review: Lexicon 480L Digital Reverb and Effects by Universal Audio
Universal Audio furthers their line of classic hardware emulations with the Lexicon 480L Digital Reverb and Effects plugin.
The Lexicon 480L Digital Effects System became famous decades ago for its reverb and effects algorithms. While the brains of this classic effects unit sat in a large 3U mainframe, it was controlled by a smaller “LARC” controller, which could be fit easily on top of a mixing console. In years past, it was a nearly ubiquitous fixture in higher-end studios.
Now, Universal Audio has now created the Lexicon 480L Digital Reverb and Effects plugin, which is the only Lexicon-endorsed emulation of this classic studio reverb. The plugin is made specifically for use with Universal Audio’s UAD hardware and UA audio interfaces.
I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this plugin since the hardware unit is such an iconic device. The sound quality provided by the hardware sets a high bar, but its hardware user interface leaves room for improvement. Let’s see if the plugin can stack up against—and potentially exceed—the capabilities of the hardware.
Features
The bank you choose determines the algorithm that the Lexicon 480L uses; you can select plates, ambiances, halls, rooms, and effects. “Program” controls a sub-set of factory presets within the bank you’ve selected, and “Page” controls the parameters that are mapped to the faders. You can select a specific bank or program from a drop-down menu if you click on the name of the current bank or program from the main display.
Each fader controls a different part of each algorithm. The functionality of each fader will remap itself depending on the bank, program, and page you’ve selected. Reverb time, shape, spread, size, HF cutoff, and pre-delay are some of the most common controls for the reverbs. The effects are slightly different, with the faders mapping themselves to controls like spin, slope, length, wander, and number.
Above the faders are basic self-explanatory button controls like Mute, Aux Outs, I/O Meter, Display Hold, Mix Dry (to increase dryness), Mix Wet (to increase wetness), Wet Solo, and Power.
A feature that’s been added to the plugin version of this reverb is A/B functionality. With the A/B buttons, you’re able to test two presets back-to-back with one another, easily allowing you to compare spaces. When you’re having trouble deciding on a reverb preset, A/B functionality can help you quickly make up your mind, or even make for quick automation between settings.
On the hardware unit, the numbers 0-9 act as a way to quickly access banks and programs; this holds true for the plugin as well. In the plugin version, this section will also give you access to input and output gain controls if you click the text that says “Open.”
The main display is where you can see the bank, program, and parameter you’re currently editing. This section also has an input meter that allows you to view the level of the audio signal running into the plugin, which is perfect for gain staging. If you want to quickly access factory presets, you can click on the bank or program currently being used in the main display and select a new one from a drop-down menu.
To access the onboard effects, cycle over to them by pressing the Bank button. This will load up the effects bank, which you can then browse using the Program button. The effects programs include doubling, tremolo, and chorus textures; for vocal processing in particular, these effects are essential.
The 480L is well-known for its “Random” algorithm. There’s a bank called Random Halls, and another called Random Spaces. These banks are similar to the regular reverb algorithm, but sound a little bit denser and smoother due to the modulation randomization.
In Use
In regard to what you’re able to do with the 480L, the options are endless. You can use it to create massive gated reverbs on drums with the ambience presets, or pull together thick vocal stacks with the hall presets. On top of this, the room presets can be used to infuse acoustic guitar with a natural feel.
The original 480L LARC controller in its natural habitat.
Let’s not forget that the Lexicon 480L is also an effects unit; this is actually one of my favorite things about the plugin, and it’s also what elevates it above your regular run-of-the-mill reverb. For some real fun, check out the programs within the Wild Spaces, Effects, and Twin Delays banks. I can see some of the more obscure programs being great for film soundtracks.
If you’re accustomed to using reverb plugins with lots of visual feedback, the Lexicon 480L might take a little bit of getting used to. The workflow is different, but in a way that I quite enjoy; you need to rely almost entirely on your ears. I think that some of the very best creative ideas come about when you trust your ears, and the Lexicon 480L creates an environment in which you’re required to do this.
Using the Lexicon 480L is very easy; cycle through banks and programs until you find something that catches your interest, experiment with the different presets (0-9), and then dial in the faders as necessary. The drop-down menus found in the plugin make this process much more streamlined than scrolling through banks and programs on the hardware.
Since this is a UAD plugin, you’ll be able to bake your processing into the material you’ve recorded using the DSP provided onboard UA audio interfaces. One of the greatest benefits of doing this is that it can reduce your computer’s CPU load, allowing it to perform other critical processes.
To Be Critical
Plugins that adopt the exact same user interface as their hardware counterpart can sometimes feel a bit clunky from a user perspective, or limited in their features. Universal Audio has actually done a pretty great job including features like drop-down menus in the plugin that weren’t available on the hardware unit. In general, using the Lexicon 480L plugin feels pretty good.
Two things that I would have liked to have seen on this plugin were variable button states and improved mix control functionality. Most of the main buttons only have one of two states, so being able to see if they’re pressed or de-pressed would be nice.
I also think the mix controls took a hit in order to maintain the authentic user experience of the hardware unit. There are two buttons that I think could have been combined into a single knob. You need to either repeatedly click on the Mix buttons to affect the dry/wet signal, or hold down on one of the buttons and wait. Being able to input my own dry/wet percentage would be a nice addition to this plugin.
Overall, these are relatively small flaws that I ran into. They don’t do anything to affect the exquisite sound of the Lexicon 480L, which is really its most standout quality. I understand that Universal Audio wants to keep their hardware emulations as authentic as possible, but I wouldn’t mind if they took a few more liberties when adapting this reverb to the plugin world.
Summing it Up
The Lexicon 480L is an incredibly powerful reverb and effects processing device. It sounds great on vocals, guitars, drums, and more. The versatility that it provides makes it a great all-around tool that is sure to benefit your mixes in one way or another.
This plugin sells for $349, but you can pick it up for much cheaper with the Universal Audio Ultimate 7 bundle. If you own previous versions of Ultimate, you can upgrade to Ultimate 7 at a significantly reduced price. Download the Lexicon 480L demo through Universal Audio’s Console software for free and try it out for yourself; it’s incredibly fun to use.
Charles Hoffman is a Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Black Ghost Audio. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with an English degree, Charles completed his education at Icon Collective in Los Angeles, CA.
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