Alesis Wedge Master Reverb

Ease of use is one of the best features of this FX box. Editing is a snap. Press the edit/page button and the sliders control 4 parameters per page with up to 6 pages. Just slide the sliders where it sounds good and move on. Super easy. It's so easy you tend to underestimate the power of the thing. The manual is well written and clear. Also, in edit mode if you don't know the abbreviation for the parameter, just hold down the button under that parameter for a second and it will tell you the full name. No need to guess or refer back to the manual. This is by far the easiest piece of gear to program I have ever used.

I'm using this in the effects loop of my mixer for guitars and keyboards. The ONLY time I have heard ANY noise on this machine is when it is on a patch with modulation. I have found this to be the case with a lot of gear over the years. Modulation effects are just prone to noise I think. If you run a high gain signal into it you will hear some swishing. It can be minimized with careful level settings. I found that the unit can easily be overloaded and run into distortion (maybe this is the noise some people are complaining about?). I found running my signal through a good compressor/limiter before it hits the Wedge eliminates this problem completely.
The dedicated chorus on the Wedge is particularly nice I think. Very clean and defined.
The reverbs are super clean. It has three levels of accuracy in the different algorythms (28 in all). The highest accuracy ones are amazing. They only do one thing, but they do it really well. The quad pitch shifter for example is really fast and accurate. However, if you want any reverb with it you have to run it into another box because it will ONLY do pitch shifting on that algorythm. I have a Boss SX-700 that says it does pitch shifting, but it does it so badly it is useless in reality. The Wedge runs circles around it in that respect. Though, the SX-700 does a lot of other very nice things which compensate for the lousy pitch shifter. The multi effect algorythms in the Wedge are more low fi but they still can sound really good depending on what you are doing. So, the Wedge ranges in sound quality depending on what you do with it, but it was designed that way to give you more options. Overall, I was blown away with how nice it is for the money on the used market. And editing is child's play - major bonus.

Looks solid. I wouldn't beat it up, but it is well made. The plastic over the very large LCD screen easily scratches, but you can buff that out with car wax - works great. I don't gig, so this question is NA...

I have no experience dealing with Alesis on problems.

I play mostly experimental synth music. I like real wet mixes with pads and weirdness. The Wedge works well for this. It also sounds good with guitar. I'm a serious hobbyist. I spend a lot of time with music gear and have had a fair bit of it. I currently have a Boss SX-700, a Roland SRV 3030 and a Lexicon Vortex. They are all different with particular strengths and weaknesses. The Roland does very airy and thin reverb especially well. It is harder to program for warmer sounds, but it can be done though it takes time. Very detailed. The Boss unit does great stereo reverbs that move and swirl because of the RSS programming. It's warmer than the SRV. The Vortex doesn't do reverb at all, but does a lot of unusual modulation stuff. The Wedge is a bit darker/warmer sounding than both the Roland and the Boss. The sound isn't as metalic as a rule, though you can make it metalic. But, I am not sure it is as detailed as the others. But, I frequently run them into each other for complicated multi effects. The Wedge definitely stands up to the other two in its own way. Different, but also very good. A lot of people have complained of the desktop design, but I think it works great. I have it sitting on my master keyboard so I can tweak it in seconds. For my others I have to reach up on the rack to get to the buttons etc. This is so much easier. For the price these are going today I have to give it a 10. Very nice and under-rated effect. You just have to use it the way it is meant to be used - like most everything in life.

This unit is pretty easy to use once you get used to it. It takes a while to start remembering what all the different parameters do for each effect. Editing the parameters and storing the edits is incredibly simple but it just takes a while to remember what some of the parameter abbreviations stand for.

The sound quality is great. There is almost no background noise to the unit itself and most of the reverb sounds very natural. However, there are some reverbs that sound very fake. Even with all the different parameters that can be changed, it's hard to get that "metallic" sound out of a few of the programs.

I have never had a problem with it and I have used it extensively at multiple live venues. My unit gets packed, unpacked, moved, shaken, rattled, etc., and has never given me a single problem.

Never used them.

Overall, this is my favorite reverb unit out of all of the units that I own. I bought it on clearance back when Alesis had just discontinued production and I wish that I had bought 2 or 3 more. Why Alesis stopped manufacturing this unit is beyond me. I love it. If you can find one in good shape on ebay or a used music store, get it. You won't be sorry.

EVEN MY 13 YEAR SON CAN GET A GOOD SOUND OUT OF IT BUT PLEASE READ THE MANUAL AS I SEE IT FOOLS RUSH IN AND NEVER READ WHAT IS SAID AND ONLY EVER GET 10% OUT OF WHAT THEY BUY GOT ONE FINGER AND ONE EYE TRY READING THE MANUAL

LIKE I SAID YOU CAN GET A SOUND OF 100% PURE TONE AND THE VERB'S ARE AS GOOD AS ANYONES BUT YOU HAVE TO MOVE A FEW THING FIRST NOT THAT HARD !!!!!!!!!!

HAD IT FROM NEW NEVER DOES ANYTHING BAD BUT THE COMPANY HAS ON OTHER THING BEEN GOOD +++++WHEN I HAVE NEEDED THEM

ONLY ONCE BUT LIKE I SAID GOOD ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I HAVE PLAYED FOR 40 YEARS I PLAY A HAND MADE PRS AND BEFORE THAT A 50s TELLY PLUS MATRIX 12 PLUS MANY STRANGE THINGS IT IS WHAT I NEED FOR A GOOD SOUND AND YES HAVE TRYED A LEX BUT NEVER GOT NEAR IT

very easy. buttons and sliders. nice backlit display. piece of cake.
the only real problem is figuring out what some of the parameters ARE and what they DO and why they are INCLUDED in a particular preset.

mixed bag here. not the QUIETEST box around. not bad,...but,..it ain't no Lexicon. HOWEVER,....there are SO many editable parameters that you can squeeze some very unique verbs and delays out of this box. i particularly like the SWIRL adjustment (which i use in conjunction with very long reverb decays) on some of my synth sounds. i play alot of ambient/space music. the Wedge works very well for this genre.

no problems,..even dropped it once.

Alesis customer support varies from UNREACHABLE to EXTREMELY HELPFUL. it is a coin flip.

don't buy it for flanging or chorusing. it's not as good as a Lexicon for vocal reverbs (even an MPX100 is better),..but it's not too bad,
either. HOWEVER,...you can crank a reverb decay tail into INFINTIY,..knock off some high frequency and add some tasty "swirl" to get some terrific "specialty" results. i won't part with it,..i just won't.

I got my Wedge used at Guitar Center. Therefore, it didn't come with an instruction manual. Even so, I was able to figure the thing out pretty quickly. It should be noted, however, that some of the tweakable parameters on the unit require some explanation (which I might have gotten had I received a manual with the Wedge). Also, the power plug is sort of pathetic in that it doesn't insert very gracefully.

When I first plugged the unit in, I was a little upset at the fact that the reverbs weren't completely natural sounding (after all, this was originally a $500 machine). However, with a little bit of tweaking, you're sure to find something to fit your needs. Personally, I think the Wedge sounds best when used in moderation.

I've never had a problem with the Wedge, but the power plug does worry me a little. Also, what if something does go wrong? This is, after all, a discontinued product. As far as taking it on a gig goes, I guess you could so long as you're careful with it. I, however, use it for recording.

I've never had to deal with Alesis and this is not the only Alesis product I own, so I guess that that's a good thing.

I record really fast, loud punk and hardcore bands. As a result, I have little use for reverb (since it usually just muddies things up). There are situations, however, when a vocal or guitar will benefit from some ambience. That's why I bought the Wedge. It has served its purpose well and really enhanced some mixes that otherwise would have been failures. Keep in mind that this unit is not going to hold a candle to a $1,000 reverb, but if you only record to a semi-pro portastudio 8 track, anyways (like I do), it will serve its purpose nicely. Plus, if you like tweaking you'll love the Wedge.

especially if you know what you want and are willing to experiment, though it doesn't include a dedicated 'phaser' or mixing or amp simulations, a fewhours playing with it got me an extremely flexible phase program and some really awesome amp simulations. Also, i was able to fugure out a psuedo - 'Cathedral(EVH)' effect. the manual is well written and you should read through it once.

Imainly use it as a pre mix in to my 4 tracker, and for global mix when mixing down, not as noisy as my old digitech tsr-6, just check the parameters and tweak the eq if your hearing artifacts you dont want to hear..it is better sounding with a full range amp (keyboard amp or karaoke(!)). You should be able to get hendrix SSpB dead on and just about anything else, you just have to be willing to experiment and save. the only negative and gripe i have with the unit is the little clicks that are evident when trying to change parameters on the fly..apart from the leslie, which i wish had more control over switching speeds, i have found all of the programs useful, even the pitchshifts for brian may type harmonies and octave shifts....and even doppler effects...

yes it is very reliable, in the studio, and i wish i could take it on the road, but there is no way i ever would....

never had to call them, never had a problem, and i got mine when they were brand new.

from extreme death to hardcore to jazz to classical(modern) i play a lot of different stuff, and i have always found the right stuff in my wedge.I have been playing for 6+ years. The only other outboard effects i own is the aforementioned TSR - 6 and i just use that for gating and very slight Chorus and paraEQing my guit. I would buy 2 or 3 more if i could get them used in excellent shape. now if alesis could come out with a harmonizer only effect processor to go with this, i would truly be happyyyyy.....i guess ill have to spring for the helicon/tc voice prism or get really lucky and win the lottery so i can go Eventides way.

This was the first serious reverb unit I bought, and as such, I wanted a reverb that not only sounds good, but is very tweakable. You see, I believe knowledge gained from using equipment can be more valuable than ultimate sound quality. The wedge has a user interface that is not only logical and easy to navigate - it is very fast to get around, thus, you will constantly tweak your effects gaining optimum sound from this unit. Nowdays I also own a Lexicon MPX-1. It is logical too, but the Wedge is so much faster to tweak and a much better teacher.

Sound quality is very much a question of taste. Things like hiss, hum, noise and distrotion are very much a thing of the past, but I have to admit the Wedge is a little too noisy for me sometimes. I guess they pu too cheap buffer-amplifiers in the unit because digital technology is usually dead silent.

One thing to be aware of is that the Wedge mostly operate in mono-mode. It sums the inputs, computes the rever and adds to oth the output channels. This is good for some PA-use and if you want no phase-problems whatsoever. On the other hand, my stereo Leicon MPX-1 can do reverbs that are so much more airy than the Wedge.

My filosophy when it comes to gear is that every gear has it's character - strength and weaknesess. The Wedges do not sound like a Lexicon, but the Lexicon cannot emulate the Wedge either. I've had great success with it on instrumental music and especially the whirl-parameter is unbeatable for adding mellowness to strings. Whirl is like adding a pitchshifter to the reverb tail, very unnaturall, very effective.

Well. For home studio use there is no problem, but I wouldn't tour or gig with it. It is 99% plastics, not made for rack-mounting and you will have problems with the cables going to and from the unit. Too bad, because otherwise, it would probably be a great tool for PA due to it's user interface.

No

I do music with synths and samplers and have had the Wedge as my master reverb since 1999. I like wet mixes and has learned to tweak it a lot. I've never ever felt like my music could be better with another reverb. In fact, I think the Wedge has given my first two albums a little bit of their sound. At the price-point when I bought it, ther wasn't much competition except the cheap Lexicons, but they are not as tweakable wich I find very important (ok I admitt, I study computer science, so I only by things I can re-program). If I lost It I might buy a new one. Or a more epensive one. It has character, but now that I have explored it on two albums, I don't need it on a third.

Conclusion: if you need a reverb for little money, you will only get disapointed if you don't learn how to adjust it.

This thing is incredibly easy to tweek I dont understand every body elses problems.The manual is great also.As with all effects units the presets are over the top tweek them all its easy and fun.

This has worked great for me as a recording devise but I usually use it for guitar.I use it with a Semour Duncan convertable 60 head in the effects loop and it`s very quite.The delays are incredible you can change the paremiters on the fly while your playing.The choruses are sweet sounding and the flanges are wonerfully diverse. Guitar players are wimps when it comes to programing effects. Take the time to learn how effects work and all the different parimators will make sence to you.By the way this sounds incredible with two amps in stereo.Im usally too lazy to schelp around two amps though.

Since it has a plastic case I doubt if it can take much abuse.I leave it on my amp and hope it doesnt fall off.Also the power cord is somewhat problematic.Be carefull.

Alesis doesnt want to talk about this unit.I think it was a disater for them .

I wanted this unit after reading about in Recording magazine. They thought it was the best sounding unit they had tried for under $1000 (thats right $1000)They thought it raised the level of under $1000 units. They did`nt like the fact that you had to drag so many cords over your recording consele to use it in the studio.I saw it for $299 in some catalog and was about to buy it when low and behold I walk into Guitar Center one day and there selling it for $99. I wish I had bought 10 of these because I could have sold them for $150 apeice in a week.Ive had every kind of stomp box in the world now I`m down to my semour Duncan amp the wedge and various compresers.Like I said If I`m feeling extra strong. I`ll bring my sovtek and run the two Amps in stereo. Ive been playing for thirty years and I love this set up.The little white noise generator button is great for hearing what the delays and reverbs are doing to your sounds.

Pretty straightforward to get to the many preprogrammed reverbs, but the sliders are not the most natural interface for dialing in anything thats custom.

This is the standard cheap Alesis reverb. It works well on some things in moderation, but can really squeeze the life out of natural sounding instruments like drums. Pretty much everything from plate to hall has that lousy digital 'thinness' that Alesis can't seem to get around with any of their units. I guess this is why they're A) really cheap B) made by Alesis. It won't destroy a track if used very sparingly, but it doesnt approach the warmth, clarity, and natural sound of other units costing as little as $100 more.

Hasn't failed once. Only used in studio though.

Alesis isn't great about returning emails.

With studio effects, sound quality = overall rating, so I'm giving it a cheap, tinny 4.

Plug it in and go! Unlike most rack units I've monkeyed with, the Wedge is very easy to use-- very intuitive. There are so many great sounding presets, you just dial one up and play. The only reason I'd give the unit an 8 rather than a full 10 is that if you want to edit the parameters, you need to whip out the comprehensive instruction manual. It's almost like you need a degree in electrical engineering to even understand the parameters, let alone to understand how the adjustments will effect your sound on a practical level. Still, if you want the ability to really edit/tweak the sound, you certainly can.

I'm using the Wedge as my "one unit does all" for home recording. I mainly use it as an effects send from my digital 8-track and it's fabulous in that role. It is very quiet, and it can simulate any room you want. It's almost scary how natural some of the effects are. One preset I've used a lot is called "Kitchen" and if you put your mix through it, you guessed it, it sounds like you recorded your whole damn song in the kitchen! Very nice if you're looking for a "folk" sound. There are also several great sounding reverbs that duplicate a warm studio, tiled bathroom (nice for guitar), concert hall, etc.

A couple of complaints: There is no tremolo, and I think it would have been easy to include. The flanger effect is so complicated you'll never want to tweak it-- stick with the flanger presets. Lastly, there is some noise when swtiching between certain effects. The only reason to mention it is that you'll want to watch your monitor volume so you don't blow your eardrums when switching between the processor-intensive multi settings! CRACK POP POP POP BOOM! It doesn't happen often, but boy will it surprise you when it does.

I've found the unit to be very realiable. Which is a good thing considering that they don't make these units any more. I especially like the sliders-- more durable to me than buttons where the labels/paint will come off.

The people at Alesis are terrible difficult to get a hold of, but when you do they are great. I've never had a problem with the Wedge, but my QS6.1 keyboard got banged up by UPS, and Alesis really came to the rescue.

I love this unit and consider myself lucky to own one. Basically, the Wedge was a marketing faux pas for Alesis. Everybody likes rack units but me, and I like the desktop aspect. The Wedge has the electronic guts of the higher-end effects units, but at a bargain price because they've been discontinued. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for one, but at even $200, this unit is a steal. You won't find a better reverb for the money, and you certainly won't find such an easy unit to use.