by Jerry Vigil
Shopping for an effects box is a lot like shopping for a workstation. There are dozens of eligible units to choose from, and each has its own collection of features that separates it from the pack. Of course, the task is picking the one right for you. Like workstations, effects boxes have a wide price range, from a couple of hundred dollars to well into four figures, and the spectrum of features is just as wide. Priced at $2,500, the Lexicon PCM-80 certainly ranks among the high dollar boxes, and for the money you get some high quality effects and a unique user interface that delivers the ultimate in control.
The rear panel of the PCM-80 provides balanced inputs and outputs on 1/4-inch TRS jacks. A 2-position INPUT LEVEL switch, 20dB/0dB, accommodates both balanced and unbalanced input levels. There's S/PDIF digital I/O, and the digital inputs can be mixed with the analog inputs! A 1/4-inch TRS FOOTSWITCH jack enables connecting two footswitches to the unit. The 1/4-inch TRS FOOT CONTROLLER jack is for a footpedal. MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU jacks and the power connector complete the rear panel.
The front panel has only a few controls, but that hardly says anything about how much control you have over the PCM-80's effects. The HEADROOM LED indicator displays both digital and analog input levels. The INPUT level knob sets the analog input. To the right of this is the 2-row, 20-character LED display, the ADJUST and SELECT knobs, twelve function keys, and the MEMORY CARD slot.
This true stereo processor comes with 200 preset programs and 50 user memory locations referred to as "registers." The 200 presets are stored in four "banks" of fifty presets each. Press the PROGRAM BANKS key to select program banks. Turn the SELECT knob to select programs within that bank. Press the LOAD/* key to load the program, or the PCM-80 can be set to automatically load programs once they're selected. Press the REGISTER BANKS key to access the user bank of 50 registers. If a memory card with additional presets is inserted in the MEMORY CARD slot, pressing the REGISTER BANKS key repeatedly will cycle through the program banks on the memory card.
The 200 presets are categorized into twelve groups within the four program banks: Multi Effects, Modulation Effects, Special Effects, Rhythmic Echo and Delay Effects, Ambience Effects, EQ Effects, Spatial Effects, Gain Effects, Resonant Chord Effects, Reverb Effects, Processed Reverb Effects, and Remix Effects. Many of these effects are written primarily for use in music production, but there are many effects useful in radio production as well.
What is a bit surprising is that all of these programs are based on only ten algorithms. Each algorithm includes a multi-voiced stereo effect "tool box" coupled with a high quality stereo reverb. Five of the ten algorithms are categorized as "4-Voice" algorithms and the other five are "6-Voice" algorithms. The 4-Voice algorithms are Concert Hall, Plate, Chamber, Inverse, and Infinite. These are named after the type of reverb effect the algorithm is built around. The reverb effects are link to four independent voices which are basically delays. These delays can be panned anywhere in the spectrum, and there are independent feedback and level controls for each voice. A wide variety of reverb and delay effects are possible with these algorithms.
The 6-Voice algorithms are Glide>Hall, Chorus+Rvb, M-Band+Rvb, Res 1>Plate, and Res 2>Plate. Like the 4-Voice algorithms, each of these has a stereo reverb effect combined with other stereo effects based on six independent voices. Unlike the 4-Voice algorithms, these add more complex effects to the reverb such as gliding delays, a 6-voice chorus, multi-band EQ, and two 6-voice resonators. The Glide>Hall algorithm is used to make some interesting sample and loop effects. The Chorus+Rvb algorithm is the equivalent of six separate delays, each with its own independent chorus effect. The M-Band+Rvb algorithm offers low and high cut frequency filters on each of the six voices in addition to independent delays, levels, feedback controls and more. While this is not the extensive array of EQs found on many effects boxes, it is quite effective in creating a number of special "filtered" effects. The Res 1>Plate and Res 2>Plate algorithms use the input signal to excite six resonating voices. Each of the voices has independent level, pitch, duration and high frequency cutoff controls. These two algorithms are designed primarily for special effects with musical instruments, but they provide some unique harmonic effects with the voice. There is a maximum stereo delay time of 2.6 seconds. This is expandable to up to 42 seconds by adding 4 meg SIMMs to the PCM-80.
If any one thing about the PCM-80 stands out, it's the extensive editing power provided for each of the programs. The parameters are set up in a matrix form of columns and rows. The first row is row 0 and the first column is column 0. So, the first parameter at the top left is parameter 0.0. The parameter just to the right, on the same row, is parameter 0.1. The parameter directly below this one, on row 1, is parameter 1.1, etc.. The parameters are categorized such that level controls are found on row 4, for example, and reverb time parameters on row 2. Some of the programs have well over seventy parameters. But if you find this a bit intimidating, the PCM-80 makes things simple. The ADJUST knob is basically a data entry control that can be assigned to any parameter. In each of the 200 presets, the ADJUST knob has been assigned to what the programmers thought would be the most used parameter for that effect. This makes life pretty easy. Just dial up the effect program you want, then twist the ADJUST knob and see what it does. When you do, the display changes to show what parameter is being edited and what value is being assigned. If this isn't the parameter you want to adjust, then press the EDIT key to enter the edit mode. The PCM-80 can be set up to operate in two edit modes, "Go" and "Pro." In the Go mode, the programmers have once again taken it upon themselves to decide which parameters of the program would be the ones anyone would most likely want to adjust. These parameters are then assigned to what is called a "soft row" of parameters that aren't part of the actual matrix of parameters, so you don't have to concern yourself with what row and what column the parameter is on. Simply press EDIT, then use the SELECT knob to scroll through the various parameters on the "soft row." When you get to the one you want, use the ADJUST knob to make your adjustments. If you want even more editing power, configure the unit to operate in "Pro" mode. In this mode, when EDIT is pressed, you not only get access to the "soft row" of parameters, but by using the UP and DOWN keys to move from row to row, you can access all the parameters in the program. And you can assign whatever parameters you prefer to the "soft row" and further customize your programs.
Press the CONTROL key to make adjustments to various system parameters. This also puts you into a matrix setup consisting of seven rows. The first row accesses audio parameters such as digital and analog input level, output level, and other digital parameters such as Word Clock, SCMS, and Emphasis Bit. The 2nd row sets the edit mode, global mix mode, bypass mode, and more. Format, Load, and Copy functions for using memory cards and access to the PCM-80's extensive MIDI capabilities are found in this section.
Press the TEMPO key to access the PCM-80's unique tempo functions. Below this key is the tempo TAP key. Pressing this key twice, in the desired tempo, sets the tempo. Any delay parameter can be assigned to this tempo value. This is especially handy for musicians looking to keep echoes in time with the music. It can be used in a similar fashion in radio production. If you're using an echo effect on a voice track, press the TAP key twice to the beat of the music under the voice track. The echoes will match up to the beat of the music. Of course, your voice track or certain words also have to be in some sort of rhythm with the music, but when done right, this is a pretty neat effect that's easy to get with the PCM-80. An LED on the TEMPO key flashes to the current tempo value.
The tempo value is not the only way to modulate parameters in the PCM-80. Aside from the external MIDI controllers that can be used, the PCM-80 offers several internal modulators that can be "patched" to parameters. You get an LFO with a variety of waveforms: Sine, Cosine, Square, Sawtooth, Pulse, and Triangle. There are some envelopes to choose from. Use footswitches and footpedals to adjust parameters. Use input levels to modulate parameters. And of course, you can assign the ADJUST knob to any parameter. Furthermore, you can create up to ten "patches" in any single program. Several parameters can be assigned to a single controller, or several controllers can be assigned to a single parameter. And, what is referred to as "dynamic patching" enables modulating effect parameters in a most unusual way. For example, in a conventional patch, a modulation wheel might be patched to a "chorus depth" parameter. When the wheel is in the "off" position, the chorus depth is at zero. As the wheel is turned towards full "on," the chorus depth increases. With the PCM-80, up to eight "pivot points" can be set between the full off and full on positions of the wheel, and various values of chorus depth can be assigned to these pivot points. The result might be something like this: as the wheel is moved from full off to full on, the depth of the chorus goes from zero to 100% to 50% back to zero then to 50% and then to 100% and back to 50% before the wheel ever gets to full on. Take the many possible internal and external modulators available, combined with the large number of parameters in each algorithm, and it's not hard to figure out how Lexicon programmers came up with 200 presets from only ten algorithms. You really have to sit down with the PCM-80 and play with it for a while to truly appreciate this versatility.
Other front panel controls include the STORE key for storing programs into the user registers or onto memory cards. The COMPARE key lets you compare an edited program with the original. The BYPASS key bypasses the PCM-80 in one of several user definable ways.
The memory card slot is something you don't find on many effects boxes, and this is another big plus for the PCM-80. A 1 meg memory card can store up to forty-seven banks of fifty programs each. Memory cards can also store system configurations for transferring setups between PCM-80s. But probably the most useful and most valuable aspect of the memory card slot is the fact that this is a very simple way to keep the PCM-80 up to date with technology's rapid pace. Not only can cards be used to store information from the PCM-80, but cards can also supply the PCM-80 with new algorithms and even greater versatility. Enter the new PCM-80 Dual FX Card. For $250, this card provides 25 new algorithms and 250 new presets. We didn't have access to this card for this review, but the literature on it is pretty impressive. You get more delay and reverb effects along with a sub-mixer and several new special effects. One of the programs is a tape flange program that utilizes the ADJUST knob as a "thumb brake" for one of the two machines. A second card is the first in a series of "Artist" cards which will consist of 100 custom presets developed by artists well known for their work in music and sound design. It would be interesting to see what kind of card a radio producer could customize for Lexicon! Yet another card, slated for shipping by year end, is the Pitch FX Card. This one includes five new algorithms combining pitch shifting with reverb. The pitch range is +/-3 octaves. You get Dual Shift, Stereo Shift, and 4-Voice Shift algorithms. Needless to say, the FX cards are going to be something more than options as time goes on, and Lexicon's intent is to release a number of these cards for a variety of applications including broadcast production.
The PCM-80 is wonderfully quiet and the effects are very clean. It is easily operated right out of the box, but you will need some quality time with the manual to get your money's worth out of the PCM-80. It's obvious that most of the factory presets are written for music production, but there are many that apply to radio production as well. Since you cannot create your own algorithms on the PCM-80, this is not a unit for someone who likes to build effects programs from scratch, but it's certainly the kind of box that will appeal to the individual who likes to tweak existing programs and who wants complete control over lots of parameters. The unique "patching" capabilities enabling modulation of parameters from a wide variety of sources should satisfy even the most addicted tweak-a-holic.
Specs on the PCM-80 include frequency response at 10Hz to 20kHz. A/A performance specs include crosstalk at -55dB. S/N ratio is 90dB, and THD is 0.008%. The unit takes up one rack space and weighs 9.5 pounds.
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