Yamaha Pro R3

It looks like a flagship reverb, yet it checks in at the price of a jet ski. Paul White cuts a dash with Yamaha's versatile new digital reverb.

Yamaha seem to be striking out on all fronts at the moment, with a mid‑price 16‑buss mixer which encroaches on Mackie and Soundcraft/Spirit's patch (see Derek Johnson's review of the RM800 on page 130 this month), and now a reverb which looks to be taking on the Lexicon heavyweights. Chock‑full of new algorithms, the Pro R3 boasts third‑generation 32‑bit DSP and 20‑bit/44.1kHz convertors. At just over £1000, it may not seem exactly cheap, but when you consider that it boasts a 110dB dynamic range and costs less than the original Rev7 did almost a decade ago, it will be a bargain if it delivers the sound quality promised.

The 2U Pro R3 is predominantly a true stereo reverb processor, but like most modern reverb units, it also generates additional effects. While it doesn't purport to be a multi‑effects unit, it's still possible in many cases to combine reverb with further effects processing, as well as additional dynamic processing.

Featuring 90 user memories and 90 factory presets, the Pro R3 is really three stages of signal processing in one. Before entering the reverb processor, the input signal passes through a 3‑band sweep equaliser, which the manual sloppily refers to as parametric (unlike the post‑reverb EQ, which really is parametric). This comes after the input metering, so you have to take care not to overload the next stage by applying too much boost. Next in the signal path is the primary effects processor, which is responsible for generating the reverb/effects algorithms. There are 10 effect options available, including early reflections, room simulation, and various combinations of 'reverb plus one' modulation effects. Following on from the primary effects block is a further processing section capable of providing dynamic filtering, EQ, compression, gating, panning and balancing, and these may be used in any patch, regardless of the primary effect chosen.

Usefully, the inputs and outputs to the Pro R3 are available on both balanced XLRs and quarter‑inch jacks, with an option to switch the operating levels from ‑10dBV to +4dBu. Various input modes are provided, including true stereo and dual mono‑in, stereo‑out effects processing. There's also full MIDI support, ranging from basic MIDI patch changing to the SysEx dumping and reloading of patch data.

Quick Tour

The front panel of the Pro R3 is divided into several distinct areas, with the EQ knobs and EQ Bypass button directly beneath the metering section. In common with earlier Yamaha reverb units, the display comprises an LCD window plus a 2‑digit, 7‑segment LED display which shows the currently‑selected program number. The LCD shows the patch name, but also shows parameter data and messages during editing. A dual bargraph meter completes the metering section, while the input gain is set using a dual‑concentric knob.

Parameter navigation is accomplished via the usual combination of Inc/Dec keys and left‑right cursor buttons, while eight discrete parameter buttons select the areas to be edited. A set of numeric keys provide direct access to programs if you don't fancy stepping through them one at a time, and these may also be used for the direct input of both positive and negative parameter values. Also included in this section are the Program, Store, Cancel and Recall/Enter buttons, but on the whole, anyone who has used a Yamaha SPX processor before should feel quite at home with the operating system.

That leaves just a handful of buttons for Compare (where you see if your edits have made the patch better or worse); Utility, which gets you into the system parameters and MIDI setup, Bypass and Infinite. Switching Bypass replaces the effect/dry mix at the output with the original input sound. Infinite can be used to virtually freeze a reverb sound, by setting the reverb time parameter to maximum for as long as the button is held down. The decay time isn't actually infinite (I timed it!), but it is very long. The rear panel is, by comparison, very simple, with just the XLR and jack audio connectors, separate ‑10dB/+4dB level switches for the inputs and outputs, and a full set of MIDI In, Out and Thru sockets.

Operation

Everything about a patch can be programmed apart from the pre‑EQ, which is strictly manual. Once the input level has been set, the easiest way to explore the unit is by cruising the presets to see what kind of variety it can offer. The presets are neatly compartmentalised into room, plate halls, effects and so on. There's a good balance between straight reverbs and reverbs, with a little trickery thrown in, such as extra flanging, chorus, delay or even pitch shift. The old Yamaha favourites are all there, including two versions of the richly swirling Symphonic reverb/chorus combination, and the inevitable 'special FX'. Indeed, most of the programs are conservative in nature, because of the limitations imposed by combining reverb with only one other time‑domain effect at once. This only goes to underline the brief of this processor as a serious reverb engine.

As you'd expect from a serious reverberator, you can edit the reverb parameters in great depth, but to make life easy for the operator, the editing parameters are divided into Main and Fine groups. The Main parameters are those that make the most difference to a patch — things like reverb decay time, pre‑delay, high and low frequency damping ratio and so on. These vary depending on which of the 10 effect combinations is chosen as a starting point, but the idea is to provide instant access to the handful of parameters that make the most difference.

The Fine parameter section is where all the subtle stuff is kept, and in the case of Reverb, you have a choice of 13 more variables, including density, liveness, early reflection balance and reverb modulation — which I guess is designed to be similar to Lexicon's Spin parameter. The Room simulation program has the most Main parameters, some 17 at the last count, and these include the room dimensions, a measure of the wall roughness, and of course the high and low frequency decay characteristics of the room. You can set the listener's position within the room, and the way in which the horizontal and vertical room reflections decay. In the Fine parameters section, you can even modulate the room size — which roughly equates to the 'what I was drinking last night' variable.

Within the 'reverb with echo' option, the delay time can be varied up to 400ms for both the left and right channels independently, while the early reflections capacity of the system may be used on its own or in conjunction with reverb. However, gated effects are normally created by picking a suitable natural reverb, and then gating it using the post‑processing gate facility. Effects, including pitch change, can accommodate up to plus or minus one octave of shift, and like most Yamaha pitch‑shifters, this one includes both delay and feedback parameters.

Post‑Effects Processing

In the post‑processing section we find the dynamic filter, which varies according to the level of the input signal, making it possible to create anything from subtle timbral changes to strong autowah effects. A nice touch when using the compressor option is that the gain reduction amount is shown in the LCD window as a bargraph display. The compressor is a switchable soft/medium/hard‑knee type, with access to all the main variables including attack, release, threshold, ratio and output level. This may be used to even out the reverb decay when creating gated effects, or simply to reduce the dynamic range of the reverb.

All the reverb patches have a very upfront quality, which is wonderful in some situations, and counterproductive in others.

The 3‑band post‑effects EQ is fully parametric, but is controlled via the buttons rather than by knobs, which slows down the setting‑up process somewhat. The EQ range is from 32Hz to 20kHz, with a fair degree of overlap between the three bands, while the cut/boost range is 15dB and the Q range is from 0.1 to 5.

Finally, there's the gate, which is very conventional except in its ability to be triggered via MIDI if required. It is also possible to select the gate trigger source as being its own input or pre‑reverb, which should make for cleaner triggering when setting up gated drums. Given that one of the main selling points of the Pro R3 is its huge dynamic range, I would imagine that this gate would be used only for effects, and not for routine cleaning up!

Performance

Evaluating a reverb unit is difficult at the best of times, but expressing the results in words is even harder. To test the Pro R3, I used a small mixer connected to an AVI integrated amplifier, feeding a couple of Dynaudio monitors that I was also in the process of reviewing. The source material came from my selection of test CDs, including Alan Parsons' Soundcheck and Lexicon's own demo CD, and for comparison, I patched in an Alesis Q2. I also have a Lexicon Alex, which is fine for getting broad‑brushstroke impressions, but obviously doesn't rival the top‑end Lexicons in dynamic range or reverb density.

I've checked out more Yamaha reverbs than I can remember over the past 12 years (as well as owning several), and during that time I've learned a lot about what Yamaha get right and what they get wrong — so I was particularly interested in how they'd fared with the new Pro R3. Traditionally, Yamaha reverbs have gained a reputation for being bright and slightly clinical; shorter rooms in particular tend to be rather splashy and even metallic, although the modulation effects, particularly the symphonic variants, have always been excellent.

The Pro R3 is best evaluated, at least in the first instance, with the pre‑EQ switched out of circuit and the minimum of post‑processing. The 20‑bit circuitry not only results in very low noise operation, it also means you can allow yourself the luxury of leaving a few dBs of input headroom without worrying about noise or lack of resolution. Straight away, it hits you that the sound is very clean, with a beautifully smooth decay to the reverb. What Yamaha have managed to achieve this time around is a reverb that you can add to the original in very generous amounts without seeming to colour it excessively. The overall impression of the reverbs is that they are glossy and slick, almost as though they've been processed with some kind of exciter. The level of inappropriate coloration is much reduced, and a certain amount of warmth has crept into the sound — and all without sacrificing the brightness of earlier Yamaha systems.

It was particularly interesting to compare the Pro R3 with the Alesis Q2, which also set its sights on the Lexicon market. The Yamaha has a more open sound, but the tradeoff is that the sense of room depth and character seems to be far less pronounced. On most of the high‑end reverbs I've heard, you can hear the sound trailing off into the distance to create a definite 3D illusion, but the impression I get when I hear the Pro R3 is of a very wide curtain of reverb hanging right in front of my face. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends entirely what you want to use the reverb for. For lead vocals and lead instruments, the Pro R3 is obviously at an advantage, because the reverb doesn't have the effect of pushing sounds into the background: everything remains prominent, even when you've added lots of reverb. Sibilance sometimes causes problem on the brighter plate settings, but that can be reduced by careful use of the pre‑EQ.

By exactly the same token, the Pro R3 is less effective when it comes to trying to position sounds at the rear of the mix, and the different room types don't seem nearly as well defined as I felt they were on the Q2. Of the combination effects, I found several to be superb, and not surprisingly, the Symphonic patches were near the top of my list, along with other modulated reverbs which really shimmer and move. It's also important to note that in the combination programs, you can have the two effects in parallel, or you can put them in series either way around, which provides a lot of choice from relatively few variables. Another practical point is that the patches can be changed fairly quickly, and although some muting takes place at changeover, the procedure is reasonably fast and very smooth.

Summary

Yamaha have definitely moved on a generation in reverb technology, and the introduction of a 20‑bit system at this price is also welcome. It may seem strange that a reverberation unit with such a high technical specification doesn't have digital I/O, but I guess Yamaha must have decided that allowing its connection to a 16‑bit system would be sacrilege.

The subjective reverb quality is the all‑important factor, and though far better than anything I've previously heard from Yamaha, all the reverb patches have a very upfront quality, which is wonderful in some situations, and counter‑productive in others. You can modify the basic reverb character by using the pre and post‑EQ facilities, but the real character of any reverb is in the algorithm, not what you do to it afterwards.

I think it's reasonable to say that the Pro R3 will appeal mainly to pop music producers, due to its ability to put sounds right in your face, without fogging up the mix. What it lacks in depth it makes up with sheer sparkle and polish, and in the context of a pop music production environment, I have no hesitation in recommending it as a powerful processing tool. It's also straightforward to use, which counts for a lot these days.