 George
Shilling reviews:
Eventide
DSP 4500
The
Eventide name is synonymous with the studio harmonizer. Their more
recent designs include many other types of effects, but the
pitch-shifter remains central to all 'Ultra-Harmonizer' models. The
most widely known Eventide unit is the H3000 and its variants. These
wonderful units contain a variety of superb effects. Although two
versions of this unit remain available, Eventide introduced the
DSP4000 several years ago, as a truly top-flight effects mainframe,
borrowing many features of the H3000 and expanding on them.
Specialist versions for broadcasters (DSP4000B) and guitarists
(GTR4000) have been introduced with tailored presets. The DSP4000
has not proved as popular as the H3000 in commercial UK studios.
Perhaps this is because of the high price, or the specialist nature
of the unit. In my early encounters with it, I found it less
friendly than the H3000, with an irritating, complex, cold blue
display, occasional hourglass waiting times and even a couple of
software bugs.
Buy the Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer in the studio shop.
Fortunately
there are no obvious bugs in the DSP4500 Limited Edition, a special
model, which brings together all the presets from all versions of
the DSP4000 and includes a new library of 225 presets by Scott
Gilfix named Alchemy 101. These are available on a memory card for
DSP4000 owners. In addition, an 87-second sampler board is included.
The front panel is painted blue and printed with Limited Edition
legending, and all this is included at a much lower price than if
you were to buy a DSP4000, all the memory cards and a sampler board.
Physically,
the DSP4500 is a bulky 2U device with a solid, professional feel
about it. The front panel has many similarities with the H3000, but
looks slightly cluttered in comparison, with buttons scattered
across it. A similar large knob/wheel, the keypad, four Soft Keys
and the bright twin LED level meters are included. The LCD screen is
much larger but uses a smaller font. In addition, there are User 1
and User 2 buttons, a Patch button, Cursor and Select buttons, and
the PCMCIA memory card slot with eject button. A blank card is
thoughtfully included. On the back, the two analogue input sockets
are of the dual-type arrangement, which will accept XLRs or º"
jacks. Two normal XLRs provide analogue output, whilst digital
connectors are available on XLR and phono which can simultaneously
be set to AES/EBU or S/PDIF with Input and Output formats separately
menu-switchable. There are a number of blanked panels, suggesting
potential future expansion, and a space for the optional fitting of
an RS232 PC serial interface or a Sony 9-pin RS422 VTR interface.
Three jack sockets are provided for Footswitch and Footpedal inputs,
and Relay Output to control another unit's footswitch input. MIDI In
Out and Thru 5-pin-DINs are present with extensive MIDI
implementation, and a fuse-carrying IEC socket with a switchable
voltage selector rounds up the back panel.
At
switch-on there are reassuring relay clicks and the unit goes
through a self-test routine. The 1000+ preset programs are divided
into grouped banks by type, each bank containing roughly between
three and thirty presets in alphabetical order. However, due to the
sheer quantity of presets in this special edition model, one
sometimes discovers similar programs or types spread over a number
of different banks. I waded through nearly all of the presets during
my time with the unit, and was occasionally surprised to find
certain programs in unexpected places. Unfortunately, Eventide lags
behind Lexicon and tc who have made an effort to provide some sort
of 'search by type' facility in their latest models, which would
certainly have been useful here.
The
DSP4500 comes with uprated 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, which
sounded great, boasting extremely low distortion figures. However,
in a normal +4dB environment there was not always enough Input Gain
to make full use of the large headroom allowance. Pressing the
Levels key brings up the necessary settings, but with Inputs set to
a maximum 0.00dB and Input Gain Trim at the maximum +10dB a 0dB tone
only lights the first four of the 10 LEDs. Connected to a digital
device the output seemed to be set with internal 0dB equivalent to
-18dBFS. Sample rate is normally 48kHz, but can be set to 44.1kHz,
44.056kHz or 32kHz. A useful global parameter bypasses the mix
control for 100% wet studio use. The º" jack inputs are
nominally -10dBm. Impedance is not quoted, but these seemed
perfectly happy to accept a signal directly from an electric guitar,
with just about enough gain.
The
Program key brings up a screen where you can see the current program
bank title and scroll down the list of programs. Turning the knob
further at the bottom of the list will tip you over the edge into
the following bank. At the bottom of the screen the four Soft Keys'
functions are displayed, and by pressing Program again a further
four functions appear. Load and Delete worryingly share the same
Key, but Factory Programs cannot be deleted, and User Programs
require a confirmation before deletion is performed. User Programs
can be stored in the Factory Banks, although you can create new
banks of your own, or save to the memory card.
When
your chosen program is highlighted, pressing the 'Load' Soft Key
will instantly load the program and display the first page of
editing parameters. Alternatively, the User 1 and User 2 keys are
pre-programmed to load Next and Previous programs within the current
bank respectively, no matter where you are in the menus. This could
be seen as a curse or a blessing. It enabled me to quickly run
through the available programs, but could end in tears if you were
to accidentally press one of these after much fine-tuning of a
program. No confirmation is required before program load, and this
function is not immediately obvious. Armed with this knowledge you
might want to reprogram the User keys. The cursor keys below the
wheel takes you through the editable parameters, which can be
changed with the knob. The knob feels heavy but rotates very freely,
a slight gripe being perhaps the lack of any variation of data entry
speed. Sometimes you cannot turn it slowly enough for fine-tuning;
other times you wish that parameters would change quicker. In these
instances, it is often preferable to enter the exact desired number
with the keypad. Most Programs contain a parameter page called
'Info' or 'About' where a text message displays hints or useful
information for the particular preset. Sometimes, Soft Keys can
access multiple pages of the same name with repeated presses: this
is indicated graphically. Like the H3000, some presets contain
'Expert' parameter pages for more complex tweaks.
Preset
creation and manipulation is achieved from the Patch menu, where
graphical representations of the flow of audio and/or processing can
be displayed and manipulated. This is where you sometimes see an
hourglass while the processor computes. Users can create their own
algorithms from the huge number of 'blocks' provided. Possibilities
are manifold, but there are such a huge number of programs provided,
that there is every chance that your need has already been
fulfilled. Even some of the much-vaunted Artist Presets by famous
users are simple modifications of basic presets, where little patch
modification has taken place. A number of presets include the
ability to crossfade into other presets, and this capacity is
indicated by a symbol on the program page.
Let's take a look at some of the presets, which have benefited from
help and contributions from well-known producers, engineers and
musicians at the top of their respective professions. First come the
DSP Studio banks. The DSP4500 as expected performs exceptionally
with its harmonizer programs: there are many imaginative
implementations of its market-leading pitch shifting algorithms.
There are clever multiple-shift and delay programs for beautiful
atmosphere creations or huge textures, as well as rhythmically
delayed harmonised repeats. The Utilities bank includes a useful MS
decoder and manipulator, and a list of all factory presets. Other
preset banks available include the self-explanatory Delay FX,
Chorus/Flangers, (tape-phasing programs are particularly good),
Dynamics (with Gates, Compressors and Panners), EQ and Filters, and
Distortions. The Mixdown Suite bank includes useful pitch 'Whippers'
for momentary tuning corrections and the H3000 Emulation bank
contains 27 old favourites. There are some (rarely usable) fun
things in the Bizarre, Curiosities and Multi FX banks, whilst Dual
FX contains mostly twin mono effects which include reverb. Reverbs
are grouped by size and are generally big, smooth and sophisticated
in character, with the huge processing power being put to good use
in creating a number of gated settings. The larger spaces are
exceptionally smooth. The Big Delay, Big Sampler and Big Loops banks
make full use of the 87 seconds full-bandwidth sampling capability.
Next, the Guitar presets, some of the which were a little irritating
in that they required a footpedal to be plugged in to work. Also,
some of these programs required MIDI data input, for example to control pitch change. It would have been nice to easily be able to
use the knob instead, but the creators obviously did not consider
Luddite studio engineers like me when creating presets for the
GTR4000! Virtual Pedalboard features 21 multi effects programs with
MIDI control for the gigging musician who doesn't want the deafening
silence that occurs when switching presets. Each of these contains a
variety of effects, many of which feature graphic representations of
virtual knobs for level, mix etc. Notable are Trey Gunn's presets,
which are characterised by heavy compression with a touch of
distortion and atmosphere. Artist Bank A includes EMT 140 with a
decay of up to 1000 seconds, and AMS dmx1580S which includes the
smooth Eventide harmonizers but lacks the warm grunge of the
original device, which still sounds great to me. Broadcast and
Production banks include a number of sound effects, which require no
input, some good, others unrealistic and a waste of time. Many of
these have an overwhelming American slant. There are all sorts of
telephone and radio emulation, hum and hiss elimination, and the
remarkably successful Solo Zapper, which gives an instant karaoke
version of the inputted mix. No, really, it works (kind of!)
Finally, the real treats: Scott Gilfix's Alchemy 101 banks. These
are mostly alternative takes on the DSP Studio banks, but put
together with a huge dollop of imagination, and a good grasp of what
goes on in studios. A chromatic tuner pops up in the Utilities Too
bank, along with a metronome and the tongue-twisting Tap Tempo
Template. Delay Based, Verbs, Dynamics and Filters banks all contain
novel and useful presets, and there are loads of sample-looping templates. The guitar effects provided on the Preamps/Pedalboards
are mostly set up with overly expansive effects, but the Preamps/Fuzzpedals
and Preamps/Overdrive banks include some great settings.
Overall,
there is something for everyone, and collaboration between
manufacturers and end-users is undoubtedly a good thing. One problem
in an analogue environment is the converter delay, which can affect
phase if you mix any dry signal externally, but this does not affect
digital-domain users. Eventide describe themselves as purveyors of
"neat science toys", but this sounds almost too flippant
to describe the DSP4500, which is a complex tool for the serious
professional. However, it sometimes seems operationally more
scientific than musical and friendly. While there is no doubting the
quality of the effects achievable by this box, some of the operating
architecture seems a bit clunky when compared with the latest
Lexicon and tc units. And at this price, why is there no dedicated
remote?
The
distributor was cagey about how truly 'limited' this Limited Edition
is, but it will apparently be available for approximately a year.
The DSP4500 contains some outstanding audio manipulation tools.
However, when investing such a large amount of money one has to
consider whether this Limited Edition is possibly a last-gasp
DSP4000, a Ford Cortina Crusader special model, perhaps before the
next generation of Eventide Harmonizer is released. (H5000 anyone?)
On the other hand, those blanked panels may mean this design will be
around for a while, with improvements still to come. I hope so.
Buy the Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer in the studio shop.
Buy Aphex and other recording equipment in the music studio shop
Reproduced
with kind permission from www.George.Shilling.Com. Copyright ©1997
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