Equipment Review
Product Reviewed:
Alesis adraverb II Multi-Effects Processor
Made by: Alesis
Cost: $550 US
Submitted by Slider
Rating: 
Features:
This unit has a powerful processing chip that allows up to 8 effects at one time. The 4 main effects catagories include EQ, Pitch, Reverb, and Delay, and within each of these are speciallized effects like chamber reverbs, 3 plate reverbs, stereo and mono delays, ping-pong delays, flangers, tremolos, leslie effects, pitch shifting, resonators, high/low pass filters, parametric EQs, graphic EQs, and a stereo simulator (there are many more effects that I have not listed!). Digital optical input/output for hookup to ADAT system. Balanced 1/4" inputs/outputs. Fully informational display, input and output level knobs, input level meter. 100 factory preset patches, 200 factory-programed user patches. Toggle wheel, bypass button, compare function, ability to adjust routing from one effects block to another (meaning stereo, mono, or bypassing). Ability to adjust the input gain to each block. Comprehensive list of parameter functions for each effect, and MIDI compatable. 16 bit A/D converter, and 18 bit D/A converter. Sample rate of 48K. Frequency response is 20Hz-20KHz 1db.
Technical Specifications:
What I liked:
This is an amazingly flexable processor, because of all the effects you can add at one time, and how you can route each one to the next. I really like all the control I have over each effect in terms of the parameter functions. The reverbs sound great, and there are a ton of them. There is no room that you cannot simulate on this box!! I also appreciate how detailed the display is, telling me each effect being used, how it's routed, and program numbers. Scrolling through the parameters is easy, and the list of global commands come in handy (such as display view level, and wet/dry defeat). The book is not hard to read. It is lengthy, but that is because this processor has so many options. All in all, the Quadraverb II has become a very indispensable unit in my home studio.
What I didn't:
The gain structure of each block is a little difficult to understand, and to be honest, I still dont fully understand it. Some of the parameters are hard to understand at first, but the book explains these ok.
User Tips:
These have recently been replaced by Alesis with the Q20, but should be able to find one at E-Bay or Digibid.com. Dont screw with the internal gain structure unless you know how it works. (I learned from experience! lol!
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