Hey guys,

Hope I am not repeating my self here but the only thread I could find is really dated and I need some recent and fresh feedback.

I work only on Electronic music, and I am after some decent reverb in hardware.
The Bricasti would seem the obvious choice when it comes to a good reverb unit but just wondering how it compares to the Eventide h8000fw.

I hear great things about both units.

I am in Sydney Australia and unfortunately I can't seem to find a dealer that has both units for a decent demo.
Anyway just before I drop the cash on the Bricasti I wanted to hear what others think around here.

I have already been told the Bricasti will offer me more natural type reverb whilst the Eventide reverb is a little more unnatural.

Also I know the Bricasti is straight up reverb and cost $2k less here in Sydney whilst the Eventide is like $6300 and seems to be more then just reverb correct? a type of all in one processor unit.
Also I have a few other Eventide units currently and they are a real pain in %$#@ to program. They seem to be quite deep and with lots of hidden menus, something which I do not like all that much. Hmm maybe the h8000fw is no different? not sure.
Would be good to hear from folks who have experience with such units.
Thanks

For your music I would just get the LX480 plugin rather than all that $ on a M7.

Where in Sydney are you? (im in Hornsby)

What eventides do you have? I have been wanting one of those H8000fw for ages.

What no. Don't tell me not to get one. I ain't that big on plugins even though they sound good.

That is not what I want to hear.

I am in Redfern

Oh own a few of the stomp boxes nothing special.

If you have a chance to get hold of either an M7 or an H8000, then I'd say go for it. Top flight hardware units such as these have something you won't get from plug-ins any time soon IMO.

Regarding your other comments and questions, agreed that the M7 has the edge with naturalistic sound spaces, whereas the H8000 is stronger on otherworldliness. But there is some overlap and you can get some great subtle ambient spaces out of the Eventide, and some taint of warped weirdness out of the v2 patches in the Bricasti.

The H8000 is definitely deep and programming it can be a bit of a trip (VSig software helps, but it is still a complex machine). But then as you have suggested, it does a vast range of things many of which go leagues further than reverb. Whereas the M7 does simulation of acoustic spaces and does that extremely well.

The correct GS answer is to get both, and you may eventually want to do that. For now, it's a question of what your immediate needs are. If you want high end Eventide offerings, you might also consider the Eclipse, which less expensive and not quite as flexible or capable as the H800 (but has some great sounding patches on board nonetheless).

Thanks buddy I greatly appreciate such detailed response and let me assure you that I will never settle on just a plugin, not that it is a bad thing but I prefer hardware.
It is funny as I was just looking at my funds and thinking that right now is the time to get both- hell life is short and I need both. I am close to really just buying both if all goes well

I am well looked after when it comes to compression and EQ, delays, and distortion.
These 2 boxes would really be the missing pieces of the puzzle for me.

I like the sound of both and a great investment with plenty of hours of processing ahead I am sure.
What to do....

Ha! I knew you wouldn't be happy with a plugin verb.
For basic programming, the 8000 would be easier than the pedals because it has a nice big screen. And remember it comes with 1800 presets. It would take a couple of years to properly explore all those before you have to worry about creating your own presets.

ha ha I was just chatting with Awave today and mate I am so excited hey. They would do me a nice deal if I buy both I am sure, either way I would get the points.

You also knew I would eventually get the Eventide did you not.
It just seems unbelievably deep, 1800 presets. What the hell.

Yeah I need more then a plugin Thats not a bad thing is it.
Could you imagine 1800 presets on an Eventide :)))

I bought both pieces during my initial setup. Since then, I have purchased 2 more M7 units and the tethered remote control!

I have considered selling the H8000 FW. It is a dated digital sound that jitters or sometimes refuses at 96K sampling rates. It has hundreds of redundant presets and gimmicks that I never use. It is decent for vocal doubling and harmonizing, the reverbs are unremarkable at best.

In the end, one is a dedicated reverb/delay processor, the other an 80s FX processor with 90s technology. If you have a specific question, I may be able to answer and save you some cash.

Hey some of us love that dated 90's technology. I would get the Bricasti and the Eclipse. Best of both worlds and four grand cheaper. I have a TC Reverb 4000 and a Lexicon PCM92 . A Bricasti is next on my agenda. Nothing better than hardware reverbs imho.

Dated 90's technology can you explain a little further please?
Until now I have heard nothing but great things about the H8000 oh except that it is a real pain to program.
I have a couple of Eventide stomp boxes and must say apart from those annoying menus and bad manuals they sound fantastic.

@shreddinator I have also thought about your suggestions.
My thinking right now is just grab both units, definitely want the Bricasti though.

For one the FW connection is useless, they offer no features thru it other than basic audio in/out, but if you record with other I/o devices at any usable sample rate the bottleneck and jitter mentioned earlier will render it useless.

When I purchased the unit, they were developing sw in the works, beta that would allow the h8000 and presets to be integrated and controlled right in PT as a channel insert. This software has been since scrubbed. The only way to remotely control the device and presets is with ancient midi programming with some proprietary protocol and 3rd party freeware or use some off the wall custom Ethernet hack (I forget their name for this)

By trade, I was/am a software developer and engineer, for many years, in my opinion they can not deliver a workable product. The annoying menus are still the only way to use the box and its tiny screen without days or weeks of custom configuration and digging to do midi control. Even after, you will not see visual representation of the screen or have automation.

The sound quality is very weak compared to modern plugins and or hardware FX. Lastly, as DSP hardware can always be replicated ITB, the quality debate ends there. If you are looking for better than plugins as was originally stated, this box does not deliver. To my knowledge, their Anthology bundle offers most everything the H8000 does for 1/5 the price.

I must qualify by saying, I personally want only vintage analog audio and not Vintage Digital fx which I feel the h8000 delivers.

get bricasti and eclipse if you can swing.

Sounds like the H8000 is not very good. I'll take it off your hands for $1500 if you want. That's a fair price for outdated 90's digital technology.

Hmm you have almost completely turned me off this unit.
I would have never expected such a response given the reputation Eventide has in the market, studios and around the world and here on GS.

The minute I speak of a highend processor this is one of the first units which rolls of the tongues of Engineers and pro producers which I have spoken with over the past few years. Having said all that I am not saying your view is entirely wrong but a rather interesting one based on Eventides reputation as a high quality company which delivers.

I would not argue with you about the programming, as my experience with Eventides to date has been terrible when it comes to menus and programming. The feel like an old 80's computer

Anyway thanks for the share. So I say this part with a big smile on my face, I just ordered my new Bricasti M7. I will have it by the weekend
Would like to hear your thoughts on this unit?

I just could not care about the demo and just ordered it Honestly was about to order the Eventide also but I need to further investigate this unit a little I think.

H8000 waaaaaay more for the money...

this may be the only negative review I think I've ever seen of an H8000... I'd say your applications are probably pretty specifically reverb based.

I agree with H89. Sold my H8000 too. Pointless presets and cumbersome interface. I have 2 Bricasti.

I have an Orville and a Bricasti.

Both are amazing and both sound fantastic.

In my honest opinion, for electronic music I'd go with the Eventide. I find the Bricasti too sterile sounding on synths. Even with the modulation on maximum, I find the Bricasti to still be too sterile to add to synths. I love it for plenty of other things but it's not the first thing I go to for keyboards and synth basses.

The Orville (the former flagship before the H8000 was released) also sounds amazing. Has incredible reverbs that are every bit as mindblowing as the Bricasti but completely different. Reverb-wise the Eventide and the Bricasti compliment each other very well, each excelling at what the other doesn't. The Eventide is awesome at otherworldly and really colorful reverbs and delays. There's a lot of really creative presets that can be put to great use. It also has some Lexicon PCM 70 sounding presets that I love as well - those really sound great on keys.

The sound quality and converters are every bit as good as the Bricasti so I wouldn't worry about that.

Programming the Eventide is no harder than the Bricasti. Every preset has all the major variables available in one screen. Need to reduce the delay time or the pre-delay? No problem. Same as in the Bricasti. When people complain about programing the Eventide, they're usually referring to using Vsig to come up with completely original stuff from scratch. If you don't want to, you never have to go near Vsig and you'll still get endless mileage out of the Eventide.

Seriously, both blow me away every time I turn them on.

I'd start with the Eventide and add the Bricasti later. You should look for what I have - the Orville -which is an awesome alternative to the H8000 and usually available used for anywhere from $2300 to $2700.

Good luck,
Frank

I disagree with H89. Kept my H8000 and bought two Bricasti M7s to go alongside it.

While H89 is entitled to his/her opinion, there's a lot of room for different views. Criticism of the FW implementation may be reasonable if you A) intend to use the unit mainly through digital I/O and B) already have your FW bus maxed out with other duties. Unless both these conditions apply, it works fine IME. Agreed about software control - would have been nice to have (and might be a nice thing to have for the M7 too for that matter) - but I didn't buy either unit with that in mind, and I can't say I miss it.

As for the rest of the critique, my mileage varies. Don't agree one iota about the sound. Overall, I guess one might sum it up as H89 does not like the H8000 because it is not a plug-in. Nope that's right - it's outboard. But that happens to be one of the things some of us like about it.

Of course it's all personal. I did dive into the Vsig so I could further tweak parameters and introduce new ones. If I was a sound designer I could have been in heaven but from a musican/producer pov it always felt as too much work. Same with the presets. 1% great but the rest... At least not for me.

Yup. And there's no issue with that. Different preferences, different needs, different budgets, different choices. All good.

I can usually pinpoint a few patches that bear some relation to something I can use somewhere in a given mix, then I tweak them to taste. Haven't had much call to be building new effects from the ground up. I agree that if you get far into that land you end up becoming a programmer/technician and moving further away from the music.

Not sure I'd want the H8000 to be my only effects or only reverb option. Can't think of any boxes (or PIs for that matter) I could say that for. But very happy to have it as one of the sources of colour on a diverse palette.

Thanks mate. You have previously joined some of my previous threads and I always like what you have to add. Thank you to all the others for the helpful insight into your experiences with both pieces of gear.
It is hard when you are undecided and do not know what to choose or whether even buying both is worth it.

It is interesting to hear the feedback on both units.
Its one of those things where you will never really know until you get in deep under the hood of each unit and then use each during a mix.

I have certainly not dismissed the Eventide yet. Was actually just researching the Eclipse and it looks allot similar to the H8000, almost like its little brother.
Could be wrong. The price for the Eclipse is certainly nice- its like 2 times less then the H8000.

So if I could ask? anything else which is new and which would give the H8000 a run for its money? I am staying away from used for the moment, had a few nasty surprises through Ebay lately.

The Bricasti is a wrap, I will have it by the weekend.

Some of the replies here sorta reminds me of this old rocker guy i forget the name complaining that his minimoog was broken; why? - it would only play one note....

I guy with great ears that takes a stand.....I like it.

I am Jealous.

Well its hard to say no to a Bricasti.

Sleek looks, smooth design and great sounding and in hardware and with a remote if you want. What else could a gear slut ask for??

I am so looking forward to this to arrive, except the dealer just tells me they are out and none in the country. No Bricasti this weekend.

Lex PCM80

wow, that says something right there. They cannot make them fast enough.

If you are ever in NZ you are most welcome to demo the two units at my studio.

Essentially the Bricasti is a stellar stereo hi-end reverb processor whereas the H8000FW is a hi-end multi-fx unit with 2 independent processors A and B (with 4 analogue ins/outs, 4/8 AES ins/outs, etc), which includes very useable reverb programs for most applications. There are some amazing presets for synth and electronic instruments on the H8000FW. The reverbs are very useable. The Vsig opens it up to limitless possibilities. There are Eventide programers such as Italo who have presets for sale or who can program presets you require. I am still waiting and hoping that Eventide will one day release "E-Control" for it. The presets on the Bricasti can be controlled via on ProTools with additional software programs.

Both units are incredibly robust and well made. Bricasti provides an exemplary post sale service.

There are some great clips on the internet of Casey demonstrating the Bricasti on various instruments (including drums, vocals, guitar, etc). Those clips are worth listening to. Although I don't recall any of those clips use electronic instruments (electronic drums, synths). Here are some links:
Drums - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4WQqZIqK9U
Acoustic Guitar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ8zA_JQNgM
Band - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQnKVJESIVU

There is a great H8000FW demo on the Eventide website, which uses keyboards, guitars, an indigenous flute, vocals, and a snare drum. That is worth listening to as well. Here is the link: http://www.eventide.com/AudioDivisio...s/H8000FW.aspx

Both are great with synths. My Waldorf Wave loves both of them. My acoustic guitar favours the Bricasti. My electric guitars (6 string and bass) favour the Eventide.

If you have any tracks you want processed with either I would be happy to do that for you over the weekend.

Id love to hear a 303 being messed around with through an Eventide