Super-awesomest, best reverb module in Eurorack 2022: Starlab, ECR+, Desmodus, et.al.?

[Jee]

Hey, thanks for your detailed review. I was an early CXM adopter and it's really a great pedal, isn't it? I have Starlab and I like that a lot. E520 also has some unique reverbs in it, to do weirder stiff with, and some short convolutions. I have had my eye on the ECR+ since the original ECR and its dramatic evolution. Without your description I probably would have eventually tried one out, but the things you described are exactly what I don't like in a reverb. Have you tried Starlab? Also, have you tried CVing the CXM? I haven't gotten around to that yet, but I should do an experiment soon.

So YES, CXM1978 is just freaking brilliant sound wise and UI wise it's a (chase) bliss. Not perfect perfect (what is?), it can sound a bit metallic too and it's kind of powerful reverb sometimes, a bit hard to tame
I could explore MIDI control more...
Didn't try other reverbs in euro except the pico dsp one (quite average).

Anyway!
Back to euro reverbs, the firmware is easy to update on Desmodus Versio and Qu-Bit Aurora?
These 2 look like great choices for extreme sound design reverby spectral crazyness.

[Peng33]

I updated the Versio firmware immediately upon purchase, using a Chromebook, and it took a minute or two. Next time, it will take even less time, now that I know what to do. Cannot vouch for the Aurora.

[natureclubcassettes]

still Erbe for me

[someot]

I splurged on a Starlab a week ago and I'm in love with it. Granted, all I had before was the ES Pico DSP and Synthrotek verb so I don't have a lot to compare. I like generative and ambient sounds and it works quite well for that. The Karplus-Strong voice is also really nice and I like that the regular reverb still functions with it enabled, so you can combine the two.

Biggest con IMO is the built-in LFO. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to have one, but I would have preferred that space be dedicated to more reverb-related controls (or maybe the string synthesis) instead of something most cases will already have in excess.

[Powerdwarf]

I splurged on a Starlab a week ago and I'm in love with it. Granted, all I had before was the ES Pico DSP and Synthrotek verb so I don't have a lot to compare. I like generative and ambient sounds and it works quite well for that. The Karplus-Strong voice is also really nice and I like that the regular reverb still functions with it enabled, so you can combine the two.

Biggest con IMO is the built-in LFO. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to have one, but I would have preferred that space be dedicated to more reverb-related controls (or maybe the string synthesis) instead of something most cases will already have in excess.

built in lfos in eurorack effects is the most ridiculous thing you can encounter in eurorack world

[LordKrud]

Hey, thanks for your detailed review. I was an early CXM adopter and it's really a great pedal, isn't it? I have Starlab and I like that a lot. E520 also has some unique reverbs in it, to do weirder stiff with, and some short convolutions. I have had my eye on the ECR+ since the original ECR and its dramatic evolution. Without your description I probably would have eventually tried one out, but the things you described are exactly what I don't like in a reverb. Have you tried Starlab? Also, have you tried CVing the CXM? I haven't gotten around to that yet, but I should do an experiment soon.

So YES, CXM1978 is just freaking brilliant sound wise and UI wise it's a (chase) bliss. Not perfect perfect (what is?), it can sound a bit metallic too and it's kind of powerful reverb sometimes, a bit hard to tame
I could explore MIDI control more...
Didn't try other reverbs in euro except the pico dsp one (quite average).

Anyway!
Back to euro reverbs, the firmware is easy to update on Desmodus Versio and Qu-Bit Aurora?
These 2 look like great choices for extreme sound design reverby spectral crazyness.

To update the Aurora you just put the different file on the usb. You don’t even have to power it down!!

[informationsource]

Update to my previous post.
Qu-bit Aurora with the FDN Verb firmware.
Nice reverb. Not as nuts as the normal fw.
More tame but can still get deep.

+1 on this. Both regular Aurora and FDN Verb firmwares sound great and cover a lot of territory. FDN Verb is my favourite "normal but can get weird" reverb of the ones I have. The standard firmware benefits from tweaking the config.txt, to my taste (I think I swapped almost all options on last use), but that can be done without powering down too.

Also quite enjoy the MiVerb mode in Clouds Parasites/clones, Arbhar, and Mimeophon's Halo (Beads' reverb is nice too).

I've had and sold MFX (mostly mono-stereo, no knobs), FX Aid (XL has better ergonomics, but which algorithm am I on again?), and 2hp Verb (no CV, tiny trimmers, sounds nice). Haven't tried a Versio (0-5V CV inputs get a thumbs down despite the sound), or the others. I have played with Erbe-Verb in a Shared System and it works very well in that context imo.

[proxy]

Sad to hear the negative stuff about the ECR+, this video demo sound so good and it really almost had me sold till I checked the opinions on here.
Aurora looks and sounds really cool but idk this ECR+ demo is still exciting...

Anyone else have additional feedback (hopefully laudatory praise but criticism is also helpful) on the ECR+?

Also please keep this discussion going as euro-reverb is so contentious.

[Jee]

yeah this demo sold it to me... (especially the part at 6mn). But I wasn't able to get into these territories / effects.
I probably didn't explore it long enough as I sent it back quickly.
My review was pretty negative and tailored to my tastes of course.
There are good stuff to get out of it, definitely !
The pitched down impulses render really well for instance. The metallic / digital touch plays very well in this case.
If you can live with the negative points (modulation being terrible on this unit, it kind of kills a large part of the interest of having it in eurorack though...), that can be worth trying and you send it back to the shop if you don't like it (or get one second hand).
Some people really praise it so it's just my 2 cents.

Overall I surprised myself having way more fun with Bitwig convolution than the ECR+ which is a big bummer as normally I always have more fun using my hardware...

last but not least, my unit arrived with 3 out of 4 press button mis-aligned and not always functioning... (quality test hem hem... )

[Jee]

forgot to say that I got myself a Xaoc Timiszoara to try it out. Demos of the reverbs were pretty convincing and the other effects available can definitely find some use in my sounds if they are at my tastes.
It just arrived, test bench this week end.
i'll gladly feedback first impressions compared to ECR+ (+CXM1978 and Softube TSAR reverb as my reference points -TSAR sounds insanely good to me... but it's vst).
I'll probably focus on modulations quickly after doing a litte tour of the available effects.

[Ebotronix]

I am currently researching the Strymon Cloudburst with the AA1 Level Shifter.
here is a playlist with different Synths / Eurorack Systems....

[clwilla]

Recently sold my starlab for an eventide H90. Lacks cv inputs (well has 1) but I like it quite a bit more. Super flexible and much wider variety of sounds.

Get a CV > midi module, and you can modulate whatever you want with CV via midi.

[BLogic12]

Recently sold my starlab for an eventide H90. Lacks cv inputs (well has 1) but I like it quite a bit more. Super flexible and much wider variety of sounds.

Get a CV > midi module, and you can modulate whatever you want with CV via midi.

My point of making the switch for me personally, is that for the role it fits with the rest of my gear, I’m just not super interested in external modulation. I know there’s ways, it’s just something I feel the need to do.
Lots of the algorithms have basic modulation built in. That’s enough for me and what I’m doing with those effects.

[clwilla]

Recently sold my starlab for an eventide H90. Lacks cv inputs (well has 1) but I like it quite a bit more. Super flexible and much wider variety of sounds.

Get a CV > midi module, and you can modulate whatever you want with CV via midi.

My point of making the switch for me personally, is that for the role it fits with the rest of my gear, I’m just not super interested in external modulation. I know there’s ways, it’s just something I feel the need to do.
Lots of the algorithms have basic modulation built in. That’s enough for me and what I’m doing with those effects.

I tend to think that “standard” effects like reverb, delay, etc are probably better done with pedals. There needs to be something particularly different about an effect for me to want it in my case. And for the most part, something like reverb is oftentimes set and forget, even in synthesis.

Don’t get me wrong. I have plenty of effects in the rack. But virtually all of them do something not possible with a pedal, or one that can be modulated in particularly useful ways.

For instance, I have no interest in something like the Strymon Starlab. I have a Strymon Nightsky, an Eventide Black Hole, and several other reverb pedals hat cover every sort of “standard” reverb in spades. But the Qu-Bit Aurora is something quite different from your normal reverb that I feel like it should be in the case. Ditto Qu-Bit Nautilus. It’s sufficiently different to standard delays that it’s in the case.

The closest thing I have to a standard effect in the case is the Venus Instruments Veno-Echo, but it’s so flexible and everything is modulatable in quite useful ways that it’s in the case. I also believe it to be the best Eurorack delay.

[BLogic12]

Recently sold my starlab for an eventide H90. Lacks cv inputs (well has 1) but I like it quite a bit more. Super flexible and much wider variety of sounds.

Get a CV > midi module, and you can modulate whatever you want with CV via midi.

My point of making the switch for me personally, is that for the role it fits with the rest of my gear, I’m just not super interested in external modulation. I know there’s ways, it’s just something I feel the need to do.
Lots of the algorithms have basic modulation built in. That’s enough for me and what I’m doing with those effects.

I tend to think that “standard” effects like reverb, delay, etc are probably better done with pedals. There needs to be something particularly different about an effect for me to want it in my case. And for the most part, something like reverb is oftentimes set and forget, even in synthesis.

Don’t get me wrong. I have plenty of effects in the rack. But virtually all of them do something not possible with a pedal, or one that can be modulated in particularly useful ways.

For instance, I have no interest in something like the Strymon Starlab. I have a Strymon Nightsky, an Eventide Black Hole, and several other reverb pedals hat cover every sort of “standard” reverb in spades. But the Qu-Bit Aurora is something quite different from your normal reverb that I feel like it should be in the case. Ditto Qu-Bit Nautilus. It’s sufficiently different to standard delays that it’s in the case.

The closest thing I have to a standard effect in the case is the Venus Instruments Veno-Echo, but it’s so flexible and everything is modulatable in quite useful ways that it’s in the case. I also believe it to be the best Eurorack delay.

For me it’s convenient to have some in rack effects.
I play out live sometimes and it’s so much more convenient to just have to show up to a gig with a single rack instead of a rack plus pedals… (it can be stressful enough performing live with even just eurorack). I have two fx aids for this reason mostly, they are highly worth it being only 4hp. Also just having a reverb on one of the wmd performance mixer’s aux sends at all times is just nice to have.
I also have the 4ms DLD which is one of my favorite modules, the hands on knob per function and effortless clock sync and cv control of freeze and reverse is just a joy to use for me. Also mutable beads and qu but databender, those obviously are worth having in the rack because heavy modulation is essential.
The h90 is mostly for when I want those kinds of effects but deeper/more hifi than what the fxaids can do, and to use with other non modular gear in my studio, and it just has some really interesting algorithms that are pretty unique in its huge library.

[etckla]

I use some outboard effects but don't feel comfortable doing intense patching like feedback loop stuff with them. Maybe that's misplaced.

Somehow I feel like eurorack is designed to take all kinds of levels, and you can drive them to all kinds of limits without concern.

[Faru]

my two cents, as I am really falling in love with convolution reverbs in my DAW, and as many artists and labels release fantastic impulse responses to those. So if I would by a reverb, id probably get the ECR+ Eurorack convolver and just load whatever reverb you want to have - potentially could create your own if you have access to some of the reverbs here mentioned and recreate them as impulse responses?

[vectorwarrior]

That's the advantage of convolution, you can mimic anything, albeit statically. Find a nice reverb, grab a demo, get an impulse of it, use in convolutional reverb. That's one way to build a large ir library, but there's tons out there to purchase too.

[Nik]

I have a NightSky, since it was released, rather than a Starlab, and I really don't like it much at all (and I have explored it at length with Midi). FDN Verb for Aurora is nice, Springray (with 3 tanks) is good for my percussion (though a constant battle with controlling the noise), the FX AID ones are OK, but it's a pain having to attenuate signals that are often too hot for it. Desmodus is my absolute goto, and the most used module in my rack (to the extent that I have never put another firmware on it - I keep meaning to buy another Versio for experimenting with those), but I also really like the one-knob reverbs in Beads and in my Hologram Microcosm. I've never had an Erbe-Verb, as I keep holding out for a stereo replacement from MN.

[studio460]

As the OP, I really appreciate the continued contributions to the thread—thank you. I have a couple of fancy Eurorack reverbs/delays, but I still really enjoy the simplicity and instant-gratification Tiptop's ZVERB and ECHOZ deliver—simple units which deliver satisfying, noticeable effects without any fuss. Also really love my Starlab and Magneto, but when I want it fast and easy, it's the Tiptop FX (same goes for Pico DSP). For pedals, my Eventide Black Hole surpasses all others.

Due to all the accolades voiced here, I'll probably order a Desmodus Versio next. I already have a Ruina Versio—best, most-extreme distortion unit in my rack—but would still like to own each iteration of the platform in its own module for optimal usability. ECR+ was on the list, but not anymore.

Still considering:

• Tiptop Z-DSP NS.
• QU-BIt Aurora/Nautilus.
• Erica Black Hole DSP2.
• Endorphin.es Milky Way 1U.

[ee_]

Best I've used as of May 2023 is still Desmodus/Electus, Erbeverb was pretty cool, Starlab was pretty cool; all others were just okay ... looking forward to the new Erica Synths one and hearing what that can do, as well as that Befaco FX boy. Have not used Aurora. I think it sounds sweet in demos, but reports on it from users here feel very mixed. Nautilus was pretty dope even though I let it go in a trade.

[reiz trigger]

I am currently researching the Strymon Cloudburst with the AA1 Level Shifter.

that seems to be a good combo. and more affordable than a battleship euro-reverb...
do you use the midi-options?
here: aa1 to eventide blackhole, but only in "set and forget" mode (or manual tweaking);
i don't have a dedicated cv-midi interface.
on the pro-side of big/good euro-rvbs though: the inviting cv-ins will probably inspire to do more automation...

[JRC]

I have desmodus versio, amazing, but... there is a bouncing ball bit of the reverb that gets repetitive.

Funny you mention this, I was just noticing this the other day. It's the main reason I prefer Electus. Electus does that too (if I'm thinking of the same thing you're referencing) but I actually feel like I have more control over its impact on the sound with Electus.

I have the DV as well, but I've never noticed any bouncing balls...is it more when you use the onboard lfo? Or is this something you notice in the plain reverb? Just curious.

*Also wanted to mention how much I love the DV. One of the very few pieces of gear I've sold, only to buy again!

[decimeter]

Probably an unpopular opinion: I bought a DV, and it was great, but after trying all the firmwares I landed on the Polydactyl and that's where it stays. The eq/compression makes everything polished and professional. The DV is fun but doesn't take my sound to the next level.

For a long time, I've been committed to keeping everything in rack. 1) for easy setup at gigs, and 2) it's a satisfying constraint to work within. Pretty sure I'm going to break that rule for the H90. The demos sound far better than eurorack is bringing to the table. Starlab might come close, but I rather have 62 distinct algs and saveable user presets than trying to dial something in every time I want a new vibe. And supposedly you can run 2 CVs into the H90 via the expression pedal jacks. Probably not worth the effort, but I dream of modding the H90 to mount in eurorack. The dimensions are right.

[ee_]

Probably an unpopular opinion: I bought a DV, and it was great, but after trying all the firmwares I landed on the Polydactyl and that's where it stays. The eq/compression makes everything polished and professional. The DV is fun but doesn't take my sound to the next level.

Polydactyl is the one Versio I still need to try out. Consider me inspired!