Lexicon Alex

had this lexicon alex for about 2 weeks now.. it's great .I play bass guitar and run this through my svt stack...this is very true...when you run the alex through the send and return on the back of the svt,, you loose no tone ,,in fact use the presets they are perfect.I use the chorus preset and then use the mix knob to tune it in you don't need to change what lexicon has put in there no one does it better than lexicon .. my alex was buildt in the usa is about 15 yrs old now running strong and quiet.. bass players go after this if you can find one..yeh it has one chorus what the hell else do you need, the reverbs and delays are perfect like I said for bass you need just a pinch for your sound I use the reverbs and flange for funk and solo's and delays for pink floyd,tool rtc. the chorus for slow songs.. lexicon is awesome I have been playing for 30 yrs now and have been using lexicon products for a long time but won't but the new one's there made in china . mine is usa and if it brakes I will get it repaired 15 yrs and havn't had it repaired once.

sound quality is amazing

15 yrs and no repairs great

don't know never had to call

awesome

Sounds are really easy to dial-in and change. The presents are good enough to get an idea of what the unit can do for you. I run the unit through the effects loop of my 5150 and it's easy to get good sounds. Storing sounds is a little invovled and is difficult to do w/out the manual.

I got this unit after hearing the praise everyone gives lexicon for their reverbs, and i must say, this unit delivers. Each of the 8 or so reverb modes sound really great and the unit preserves most to all of my dry tone characteristics. The unit is is basically silent which is good because my 5150 is noisy as hella by itself. The digital effects are very warm and true, unlike some digital effects which sound kinda thin and "fake". Other effects are decent, but im sure the reverb is what everyone is after.

Well, mine works but it has one slight problem. After playing for about 45 min, the volume of the unit drops about 5-8%. The drop is minimal but can be a problem especially in the middle of a song. I can depend on it but i'm already looking to replace it with a more solid unit as time passes.

dont know

If you are a guitar player looking to add some great reverb to your rig, look no further. Adds great sounding reverbs/echo's with sacrificing any of your amp's tone. Considering you can find a unit that is functioning perfectly, you won't find anything better at this price. I've tried the boss rv-3, rv-5, digiverb, and line 6 pod xt; none comes close to the quality, warmth, and transparency of the lexicon alex.

Dial in the a sound is quick and easy. Gets you a usable sound fast.

For vocals in my home studio this is exactly what the doctor ordered. I'll be using this unit primarily for the famous Lexicon reverbs. Hearing is believing and now I understand what "transparent" means.

Nothing to note at present. I bought the unit used and everything seems to be working like the day it left the factory.

Nothing to report.

I've heard a few reverbs over the years and these are the most pleasing I've heard. I'm a bass player/singer with a home studio and I simply HAD to try a Lexicon - I am surely not dissapointed. I like the simplicity of this unit but seeing that it is obsolete I'd be open to trying the new generation of Lexicon products. I have had other reverb units that tended to sound just to "metallic". I chose Lexicon based upon reviews and reputation.
This is after all an older generation unit and a very basic one - but I bought it for one thing - the reverbs...and I am pleased with what it delivers (regardless of the reasonable price).

It took me a while to figure out how to "chain" the effects (only have the one's that I want come up when I use a footpedal). But once I had that, piece of cake. I use it live for reverb and delay. Use with standard 2 switch guitar footpedal--one for bypass, the other to select the effect. I keep it very simple, with two reverbs and two delays programed, so I can switch between them live with ease.

For live shows it's terrific (that's all I use it for). It blows away the effects in our band's powered mixer. We use it for vocals. The reverbs and delays are lovely. I have no need for the other effects, which are pretty limited.

Bought used and still going strong.

Have not needed it.

For live vocals it's a winner.

Once you get it set up right, it's a snap. I use it live for vocals with a footswitch (you can switch between patches using a standard amp footswitch). I've got 4 favorite settings that I've programed and can quickly get with the footswitch during a performance. That said, it was a pain in the butt to get it set up. The manual is a bit confusing and programing, saving, and chaining the effects took a lot of trial and error.

I'm very pleased with the sound quality for live vocals. The reverbs and delays are quite good. I agree with the other reviewers that the other effects are weaker, but I don't use them for vocals anyway.

Bought it used and it's still going strong. The pots are scratchy.

Haven't had to deal with Lexicon. I do appreciate that the owners manual can be downloaded from their website.

Once you get it set up it's a breeze to use with a footswitch. I'd buy another if it got stolen.

Great Lexicon reverbs I would expect.

Had it 13 months, then it started to make intermittent scratching sounds, enough to ruin a recording.

They told me it would cost more to fix it than it was worth. I might as well trash it. I am wondering if it was something very minor. Who knows?

I love the ease of operation and the sound quality, but I must have reliability in my studio.

I have owned and used this unit for the past 3 years and have been happy overall with the quality of reverbs & delays. The modulation
effects arent good.
The unit couldnt be easier to use.
Can't recall about the manual.

I Use it in the effects loop of My tascam porta studio.
Reverbs are the best feature. The delays are ok too. Its very quiet.
The modulation effects are kind of lousy. They were like an after thought.

The unit has been doing something strange for the past 2 years which I honestly havent addressed. After its on for about 20-30 minutes, It freaks out! It buzzes and the screen display usually goes blank and the unit stops working. When I reboot the power strip its plugged into, the unit functions normally again and doesnt malfunction again as long as its left on. Of course once I turn it off for the evening I go through the same thing again the next time I use it. kind of a pain in the ass. There has got to be someone else out there whos having this problem or who has had this problem repaired. Would love to hear from you. Is it worth fixing.

I called once about the problem mentioned earlier and the fellow on the phone said no ones ever reported this type of problem. he suggested I document exactly what the unit was doing and call back.
The unit always does the same thing but the creen doesnt always go blank. Sometimes theres a backwards P or an A or another letter. Not consistant. He suggested I pack it up and send it back for service but I havent.

I am a lead guitar player and singer playing since I am 8 years old.
I own a Tascam 4 trk porta 2, A 52 reissue tele, 73 strat, a gibson LP special, & a 74 L6S, a danelectro u2 reissue an Ovation and a cheapo nylon string, (a hondo I think) and a fender hot rod deluxe, an old ampeg 2x12 combo and a vox pathfinder (which I love)among a host of microphones, effects peddles from various manufactures. The lexicon Alex has been excellant to use with my 4 trk original recordings as well as my song parodies except when it craps out. As long as I turn it on a 1/2 hour or so before I start using it I'm in good shape. Weird ah? I just reboot and I'm in business. I like the fact that the unit doesnt have tons of parameters. I like simple stupid. adjusting parameters can be a too time consuming.
Why did Lexicon discontinue this unit?

I've found the Alex unit to be quite easy to use as an additional reverb in a studio setting. While the parameter adjustments are basic, to be sure, they cover the necessary range of those that are most useful, and storing edited patches is esay, as well. Not a lot of memory... only 16 user settings, but as I said, it's basic. It is NOT a $1000 unit, but the sound is clean and useful.

The manual is equally simple. But as other users have also pointed out, there's not THAT much to go into! I found it interesting that footswitch parameters are user programmable, and explanation was good on that, as well as basic suggestions for groups of presets. Handy info to get you started, and easy to move on as you play with it.

One thing SORELY MISSING in manual, is list of local or even national service centers. I know these things change, but most manufacturers supply at least a separate sheet listing available locations. This unfortuanately, has become necessary information. Details later...

One feature I especially appreciate is that, unlike many older processors I've had with even MUCH higher price tags, this is a true stereo unit, with 2 ins and 2 outs, as opposed to a mono input that can "generate" stereo outputs. That makes it good in FOLLOWING some of those others, particularly in use with a dedicated rack system for guitars, where a mono signal is commonly the starting point.

I bought this unit initially as aa additional studio reverb to add to those I have already (Lexicon, Yamaha, AKG, & Alesis). It has sounded clear and quite as I've been using it (with an exception I'll discuss in a bit,) and I've been quite pleased. "Cost efficiency" - you can't go wrong!

I recently pulled it from built-in studio use, to try it in a small, simple guitar rack I wanted to put together for just informal playing. Starting with a Yamaha SPX-50G Guitar FX unit (one of those mono in, stereo out rack-units I'd mentioned), the stereo outputs of that go to the Alex, through a switched input selector that can insert stereo guitars at this point, behind the mono SPX-50. It produces a truly wonderful stereo sound, which I then run through an Alesis "Wedge" FX unit for MANY more complex FX than the other two units offer.

Guitars vary, depending on music: Gibsons, Fender Strat, Rick 12 stereo & bass, Gibson acoustics... all sound good, although noise levels vary with the instruments and effects used, of course. Have not noticed the ALEX adding noise... only the normal instrument noises.

Amps also vary - stage use: Old Fender Twin Reverb w. add'l 2-12 cab & Vox Super Beatle (yes, you read right...). In studio (MOSTLY that now...) I usually go direct into board. For practice or sometimes recording I use a small Marshall & a small Fender or 2 Vox combos, with the stereo spilt between them. It's a nice sound, and the Alex has had a lot to do with it.

Mostly have used Alex only for reverbs, so have not been critical of flanging/chorusing & other FX as I see others have been.

Bought it in Dec. 1997, and have had no problems until recently. Now, USUALLY, although intermittently, there is a clock noise that comes through as a loud "scratch," and renders the unit unuseable. It doesn't affect the other units around it, and passes a clean sound with the Mix level turned to dry/bypass. I've noticed it's less problem on reverb settings 1 & 2 - longer delays. Beyond that, on shorter delay times, I can count on hearing it - LOUDLY.

Before a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it without backup. Now I'm glad I've had alternatives.

Called phone number in manual... have not gotten a response to detailed messages. Quite disappointing, considering how fine a company Lexicon is. That's actually why I looked for an Internet site, to see if I could solicit help from them "electronically." I'm hoping it works better than the phone!

I still look forward to seeing what ease of repair there is or isn't for this unit. But I DO look forward to getting it fixed and putting it back in service.

So far, I'll still consider the jury out on this rating. Won't call it "#1, worthless" yet.

I'm basically a guitar player, but most of my activity now is with guitars and keyboards, doing film & TV scoring. This unit has been, until recently, a fine, clean addition to my studio, and worthy of the name Lexicon.

If lost, I don't think I COULD get another... but just a few days ago, I was recommending it highly to a friend who wants a good FX unit at a good price.

Got it on sale... that WAS part of the draw at the time, so it was a great investment, comparing favorably to more expensive units in SOUND, although not in true flexibility. As a basic reverb/FX unit, as I said, it's hard to beat for cost efficiency!

Generally easy to operate. Pick your effect, and if desirable tweak it through 3 three different parameters; decay, level, depth. Input and output knobs affect the overall level. You can save your tweaked settings of the presets, which is pretty useful as well. The manual is pretty straightforward.

You get very good Lexicon quality in most of the effects; reverbs are wonderful, the plates are quite useful, and the echo and delays are outstanding. The chorus is a bit weak, in my opinion. The flange could be better, but it does what it's supposed to. And for what I paid for it new, it's 10 times better than a stompbox I would get at the same price. It really makes my cheap Yamaha PSR-300 keyboard shine! The drum patch on the keyboard can sound very very lifelike through the percussion plate or one of the reverbs. Pretty versatile and gives the user a nice plethora of standard application-type effects, no frills but it does the basics quite well if you want to get the crazy sounds elsewhere, as I do in various stompboxes. The Alex rounds out those boxes quite well with pristine digital reverbs and delays. My rating here is based on the quality for the price.

Rack gear is only as good as the case surrounding it. I use a SKB PS-100 3-rack pedalboard/footpedal setup and it works great.

Bought at a clearance at Guitar Center. What a price for rack digital effects, not to mention from such a prestigious brand. It's the lowest piece of rack gear they've made, and it excels tremendously at covering all the bases in reverbs, plates, and time-based effects. Sounds well with all instruments. Sounds particularly good with the Gold lace sensors in my Strat Plus through my Custom Shop Vibro-King amp. A great bargain if you can find one for as cheap as I got mine, while they are still around! (Lexicon stopped production.) OF course, you can't tweak each effect a whole lot, just the basic timing, decay, and overall level, but you get that effect in a good, transparent tone, and that is the important thing, especially for the price!

The display is a simple 2-digit LED affair, but there really isn't that much information to display. The manual is pretty basic, but then so is the unit itself. Is this where the wall-wart complaint goes?

Reverbs, reverbs, and more reverbs. Okay, just 12 of them. The chorus, flange and delay programs seem to have been an afterthought to round out the list of effects. I don't care - the reverbs are beautiful. There is a little metallic ringing with some synth sounds, but overall it is a very natural sounding unit. Aside from a little sweep noise in the flange program, noise isn't a problem.

Just got it today. My Vortex is built just like it, and I haven't had any problems with it, so..... (hmmm... maybe the wall-wart complaint goes here?)

Ask me in a couple of years.

I was out looking for a used Microverb IV or something like it when I found this gem for $179 at Guitar Center. Lexicon is apparently discontinuing this unit, hence the blowout price. It is kind of a one-trick pony, but what a trick! If you are looking for a do-everything multieffects unit, this isn't it. If you need a great sounding, musical reverb, grab one before they're all gone.

The Alex is a dummy-proof effects unit in some regards. You can use one of sixteen different effects- reverbs, delays, chorus & flanger. Editing the presets is easy, but there are only a few parameters to alter. For the reverbs & delays this isn't so bad. The modulation effects are puzzling without the manual. The manual is good, and useful. Presets can be modified and stored, though I've never used this feature and probably won't ever do so.
For those of you with crowded power-strips, I have 2 words: WALL WART!

I find the reverbs to be excellent for low-budget studio work. Initially, I had planned to use them for a guitar rig, too. This ended in disappointment. While most people I know seem to gravitate toward the Hall Reverbs, I prefer the Gold Plate for vocals. It's very warm and natural sounding as such: Decay:8, Delay:6. You don't need much, and it doesn't clog the mix with that processed reverb mush. The chorus and flanger are unforgiveably bad. I hate 'em. In a pinch, I have used the chorus, but found the results to be unsatisfying. The delays are good utilitarian tools, but I would probably use something that I could tweak more precisely. In spite of the bad Mod effects, I have to rate it highly for the reverbs. Noise is not an issue.

Mine went goofy soon after I bought it, and 2 other people I know have had troubles with theirs. I think Lexicon is putting good sounds on crappy circuitry to keep this level of unit cheap. Since mine was repaired, it seems to do everything I require, but I use very few of the available functions. I recommend a spare, and might acquire a second one of my own. Seems cheaply made, though.

Mine was serviced under warranty, either by the vendor or Lexicon, I don't know which. There were no difficulties as such. I have (in other instances) found Lexicon to have great support.

I am in a process of transforming from a hobbyist home-studio to something more serious. Having used numerous bad reverb units on home recordings, The first Alex I ever borrowed impressed me into buying one of my own. While it's fairly pedestrian, you can get great sounds from it. I love the reverbs, especially the Gold Plate, but hate the chorus & flanger. I wish they were even as good as a Quadraverb, which is a much older technology. I will replace it if necessary. Just as the other Lexicon effect units in this genre, it uses a wall wart. I hate those things.

Instant excellent reverb. 16 programmable registers which can be variations of any of the 16 presets. Only one criticism: when using as a looper you can have your I/P going straight through but not adding to the loop, this is done by using the "effect level" control, which varys the I/P to the echo, not the O/P. Unfortunatly you have to turn the data entry knob at least 3 times to achieve this.

Although the sampling frequency is only 32kHz quality is Lexicon (=excellent). This is mainly a reverb unit and there are a good selection here, from a short rev which can make a mix sound full without intruding, to massive spacey effects which only sound unnatural when you extend the time beyond the reasonable.Adjusting reverb parameters is basically glitch free. Chorus and flange are disapointing, can't really vary them much. Echo is excellent, a generous 1.5s. Not quite infinite recycling but OK for looping.Quality only starts to degrade after a great many repeats, and even then it isn't offensively digital. Gated reverb doesn't actually have a gate, just a dense block of reverb with zero decay time. Works though. Reverse is like gate, only reverb volume increases from zero.

Haven't abused it (yet).

I filled out the registration card for my Lexicon Jamman, subsequently I was phoned from the States by a guy called Greg to answer my questions. Later they sent me a large collection of information including Vortex and Jamman application notes.

Basic high quality reverb. The sounds aren't instantly recognisable as ,say, a bedroom or a small church, rather they seem to be idealised to be musically useful.(You don't get that annoying first echo off the back wall which would add to realism, but wouldn't help your mix). Echo is an bonus (1.5s), but then you have to do without that reverb.

Very easy to use, only 3 editable parameters besides the standard mix, input, and output knobs. Manual is very brief, but there isn't much to learn anyway.

Noise free on all settings. Reverbs are not true stereo, so they are just OK. Delay's are either standard Echo, 4 tap ping pong, or chorus delay (which is really cool because the timbre changes as it decays). Flanging and chorus are both good. Plates are good. For reverbs which are much better, spend twenty bucks more and buy the Reflex. Actually, the Reflex is better in all respects.

Reliable

I don't know - people are generally nice though.

All in all, if I could have bought another Reflex instead, I definately would have, but seeing as I'm using the Alex as a delay processor exclusively, I'm not complaining - it's very quiet. If you want a new FX box, always choose the Reflex over the Alex, but if this is your best price option by a fair amount - it still beats alot of whats available.

Sometimes it can be a little difficult to "seat" the reverb in the mix without it sounding like reverb (It can easily sound cheesy). Selecting and editing are very simple and quick, this makes it simple to fingd the appropiate effect. The manual is short and allmost unnecessary.

Not noisy on any settings. The effects are useful. Some very unique sounds can be produced by setting the parameters to their limits. It would have been better if the unit were true stereo.

No problems to report. But, it has just been sitting in a studio.

Never delt with the company for customer support.

I would but it again but I would not buy another to have two. It has good sounding reverbs but they seem to be somewhat particular about dynamic range. There sounds to be a low-level threshold where above the reverb kicks-in and below that it is lowered in volume. This helps keep quiet sounds clear but it can be somewhat abrupt. This box complements a sans amp VERY nicely. It also works well for any guitar/bass in an anps effects loop or for recording direct. For drums & vocals it is ok. If this is all that you can afford, you will not be making a bad choice. Any negitive comments I may have is just because I am very picky when it comes to reverbs.

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