I'm interested to hear what people think that have the opportunity to compare the two verbs. (Personally my all time favorite reverb)

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

yes yes yes!!!

Im 99% sure UAD will give no chance to relab

If they had released this years ago I would have bought it. But the ReLab is really really good, and in my own tests has stood up well against the hardware 480L. And now I also have Avid Space that also has the 480L algos. Between it and the Relab I really can't see the need to get this UAD release.

Interesting. Are these the Big Gee impulses or have Avid done some of their own?

R.

I use and for the most part love UAD but they are a day late and a dollar short. Plus the Relab is fantastic!

Yes I did it.

1. Lexicon Hardware
2. UAD
3. Relab

UAD is VERY close as expected and sounds bigger than LX480. Hardware seems to have slightly better reverb tails than UAD. I have the feeling, that the source is a little bit more 'inside' the room. But congratulations to UAD for this fantastic product.
I think it is easier with the hardware to find the right settings. It is nearly impossible to make it sound bad.

I can... if for nothing else, the Delay and Pitch banks that Relab is missing... and I'm missing them too. There were several useful ambient patches to be created from those algorithms. The reverbs in the software were close enough for me to sell my hardware unit. BUT... I will mos def be auditioning the UAD soon and when a sale comes around, I'll be all over it.

I have not compared the two but I used the new UAD 480 plug today and it is a fantastic reverb.

Mark Linett

I just scanned the UAD manual and featurewise the Relab-version is just totally superior.

* 2 engines with parallel & serial configurations, not only a setting-switcher
* very useful additional parameters in many of the algorithms
* optional great sounding modulation on the 'plain' Hall & Plate algorithms
* A 'modern' Random Hall HD algorithm, which is often overlooked
* The 'Panorama' algorithm is Relab only
* you don't have to think about CPU using the Relab, with the UAD you get 4 on a Quad (each instance uses 66% of the shark UA is using)

Advantages of the UA version:

* The 'Effects' algo (right now UA only)
* 100 times better marketing and hype generation

As for sound, I have not compared the UA to the Relab yet.

I have heard today, that Relab is about to publish V3. Now this could make things more interesting. Let's see, what they prepare.

That sounds awesome, where did you hear about it?

Relab Development │ Downloads

You can download the Windows Beta version. Mac will follow soon, they told me. Finally a preset browser will be integrated to use the Larc screen for changing the presets. I hope, that they also revise the sound.

I see in this beta where the preset is listed at the top left it's now a button which activates a drop-down menu with all the presets in it

Honestly doesnt matter what they do.

Never heard a native reverb that sounds close to hardware like DSP reverbs like UAD do and i tried them all!!!!

Its not about how they sound, its about how they "gel" with the mix without getting in the way!

YouTube

Since the UAD is upsampled.......... upsample relab to 192 and tell me what do you guys get please ?

That’s a good point. However when you run the same preset with the same source reverb sounds different and I don’t mean smoother. I’m talking about LX480. Try it.

I would have seriously considered this years ago when I bought the Relab plug.

If you augment Relab through a nice dirty comp it is indistinguishable from hardware. The hardware has that edgier sound becasue of the cheap converters in it

Yup. Like an RNLA or a VLA. I use Relab with a special nebula preamp and it’s sounds awesome. Shrugs.

The difference between the hardware and Relab is the wider image and of course how it merges with the source. You can hear the 480L, if you switch it off. The software is a little bit separated from the source. It's still a difference, but the reverb tails of UAD sound very similar.

I have 480L 4.1 hardware but I didnt use uad cards cause of bad support.

Reproduction of hardware reverbs problem is very small room is not modelled correctly. Sounds not good. Also long reverb tail not good.

Can you try very small room presets?(in hardware bank2 preset 5) than decrease room meter down to smalest value uad and 480l.

Still sound same may be I use uad software again.

The reverb tails are very similar. The difference is the way the original source is embedded in the reverb. The way the 480L hardware merges with the source is still unrivalled.

i start every mix with the relab on an Aux on Large+stage. i love it. I level matched the two and printed a mix with the relab, then made it inactive and replaced it with the UAD version. It was heavy on the vocals in the mix, so the processor was [retty out front. I love the relab, and still do. but there was soemthing more stereo, and less congested about the UAD. It wrapped itself around the music in an unobtrusive way that I am used to hearing from outboard reverbs, instead of feeling stamped on top like in the box verbs can. Now I'm not talking mind blowing. I'm talking me my assistant and a few interns listening to A, then B, then A, then B, then switching on each other blind to make sure. Not a world of difference, but a nice one. I like this verb. I will get it. But until then I am perfectly happy with my relab.

It's wonderful to have both options - let that be said first. The Lexicon 480 offers a dated but still compelling and undeniably classic palette of sounds and it's amazing to have basically the same sounds ITB, especially over many instances and at a much lower price.

I sold off my UA DSP cards a few years back so can't compare these directly. That said, I did listen to examples of the UA model and feel very familiar with the Hw and Relab sound. I don't think the UA product has any sonic advantages over Relab's. Realistically they are probably both complete substitutes for the HW, minus the tactile LARC user experience.

For anyone comparing UA and Relab keep in mind that parameter values aren't going to be 1:1. I know in some cases Relabs ranges were expanded or parameter scaling was not 1:1 with the HW.

Small differences in shape/spread, reflection levels or the filtering make substantial differences in the overall envelope and how the tail blends with the source.

Also Relab has options for 18 bit truncation, saturation, and three selectable outputs - digital, analog and analog aux (both with and wothout noise). These absolutely make a sonic difference and give it some exta character and melting/blending magic.

If you're comparing Relab with the HW be sure to use the analog with noise outputs (assuming your 480 is running analog).

Relab has the super dense R Hall HD, extra chorusing modulation, split and cascaded routings, and is very low CPU. Any missing effect banks may be included with a later update.

BTW - For anyone who hasn't tried the non-standard machine routings (like A into B or A for L B for R) you're missing out on some really fun sounds. A stereo delay or pitter patter type setting feeding a hall or plate sounds awesome. I often use a simple echo from machine A into HD RHall on B doing a really small, short but dense ambience. Awesome thick diffused delay potential.

Exactly!

Hi all

B Elgin said this: "For anyone comparing UA and Relab keep in mind that parameter values aren't going to be 1:1. I know in some cases Relabs ranges were expanded or parameter scaling was not 1:1 with the HW."

Good point here. I very much wish to add that little simple fact:
As long as there is not exactly a 1:1 approach in hardware parameters and behaviour, there will never-ever be an exact simulation of the hardware unit, period.
I can understand the "need" of every "reissue" of the 480L to have that little something extra that every company wishes to put together with their signature but... it will never be the exact unit representation. And this is the exactly right word: representation. No one seems to have achieved this yet.
Who knows... maybe it's time for Lexicon itself to step in and release the one and only exact possible representation of the 480L with no other fancy tricks included.
Then, I might be really tempted to buy a real Lexicon 480L plugin. But until then...

I wish somebody would be able to post a demo of the two here side by side unless I get to do it first.

Does anybody know if the V3 update of the Relab LX480 will be a free update from V2 or if you have to pay for it? If it would be free, it's a good time to buy V2, but if you'll have to pay for the update, maybe it is wise to wait for the release of V3.

It will be free. There's a public beta already available for Windows, OSX should be coming soon: Relab Development │ Downloads