SPX90 Symphonic Setting

Heinzi

Heinzi

Inspired
Hey,
i know that questions arises from time to time, concerning the SPX90 Chorus effect, famous in the end 80s and 90s.

I still try to figure it out and came very close by just going for a Dual Detune in the Pitch Block, setting Detune 1 to -12c panned hard left and Detune 2 to +12c panned hard right, than by taste adding an enhancer after that in the chain.


Did anybody probably come up with some ideas regarding tha typical chorus sound?

Cheers
 
Not sure of needing an Enhancer after the SPX90....more important maybe : the SPX90 is a 16 or 18bits machine.....so very warm sounding how I remember....so maybe some tweaking with the EQ in the pitch block....?
 
chrisjnyc said:
Is this the same chorus the EVH used a lot in the 80s? I have seen a few EVH patches with a detuned chorus

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/a-preset-for-roth-era-van-halen.159929/

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...iling-the-flanger-timing.153645/#post-1827306
Click to expand...
Thank you!
I´m not sure if Eddie used that too - it´s definetly the one that Zakk Wylde used and many players in the late 80s and 90s - it was also used quite a lot on vocals, bass and drums. I think i just get myself a used SPX90 and try to get close to it with the axe fx - the SPX90s go out for only around 100 bucks
 
Without looking at all those other threads, I know all the settings for the different factory patches on the SPX90 are right there in the manual. I seem to remember the Symphonic being a chorus with a very small minimum delay time, making for almost a flanger-ish tone.
 
It's been many decades since I sold the two I had, so audio memory is completely unreliable, but vibes-wise, the Dimension models ring that bell a bit.
 
I would love to be able to get a SPX Symphonic sound. As a bassist, a lot was used during the 80's. I had the rack unit in the past, but if it can be accomplished with a block or two on the Fractal, that would be awesome. I always thought it was like a cross between chorus & flange to me ears. I've never been able to mimic Symphonic with any other effect so far. Fingers crossed.
 
Looking at the manuals for the different SPXs and reading up a bit. I would say a digital stereo flanger would do the trick. There are some good clips here: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/958648-yamaha-symphonic-effect.html

I would start from here:

Rate: 0.7 hz
Depth: 100 %
Feedback: 0 %
Low cut: 250 hz
High cut: 12 000 hz
Min time: Probably quite low
Max time: 2ms more than minimum time (according to the manual, 100 % is 4 ms, the Symphonic uses 50 %).
 
Yeah. I have three of those old SPX90s. I plugged one in a few weeks ago and it blew up. Maybe a fuse. So I ended up buying the SPX2000 - 24 bit version. MUCH better. Now I have a higher rez one. The one I used was before I knew Mike Stern used it. Pitch Change C. Somewhere I wrote my settings down, but they're probably in a Mac format I can't open any more anyway. I think it was detune -8/+8 though.

I was doing an album in a studio mid-late 80s. The engineer dialed it up and I loved it. I bought the SPX90 and that was my sound. I saw Mike Stern play a few years later. He was kind enough to let me play his massively customized Tele after the gig and I looked at his rig. SPX90 Pitch Change C just like mine. Wow. I was impressed with myself! LOL. I'm out of the loop though. I was and am unaware of others using it.
 
Last edited:
simeon said:
this popped up in my feed the other day. this is the sound i associate with the symphonic setting. it's a chorus, not a flanger, imo

Click to expand...

I chose the flanger block because it's easier to select the min and max delay time in that block. A trick I stole from javajunkie.
 
2112 said:
Just picked up an SPX90 on ebay, so once it arrives I'll have a crack at matching this closer.
Click to expand...

You'll have to play around with it on the bassline you used for the Ozzy demo you did the guitars with. I use to use one in the 80's/early 90's to nail all the stuff in the 80's that used it or chorus on bass. Good stuff.
 
I have an old Yamaha FX500 in the basement collecting dust for a number of years... if I remember right it had 'Symphonic' effect in it - I wonder if it would be the same what is being discussed here?

If so I could give a try at mimicking it in the III...

Cheers,
Joce
 
When I was working the Cruise ships (rip) in the 80s I sometimes had to run sound for the cheesy stage shows when I wasn’t performing in one… The only affects I had in the cruise booth where a couple of SPX 90s And they served me well in all sorts of matters mainly masking horrible singers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom