Lexicon MPX-1 Multi-effects

I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS UNIT FOR 3 DAYS & THIS PIECE OF JUNK IS GETTING RETURNED TODAY. I will get a real guitar processor instead... The TC Electronic G-Force (although much more expensive) comes to mind.

Very good, but.... This unit has a SERIOUS DROPOUT PROBLEM. I bought it to use as a guitar processor. This was a BIG MISTAKE because when you change patches there is a 2 to 3 second delay before the new patch is loaded & starts processing the signal. That's right folks, I timed it. The sounds are very good but this unit is better suited for studio procesing & not as a guitar effects unit. In short DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT IF YOU WANT TO USE IT AS A GUITAR PROCESSOR (UNLESS YOU NEVER CHANGE PATCHES DURING A SONG!!!). For this reason alone I give it a 2 as far as sound quality in terms of guitar processing. For $700 this thing should not have such a huge dropout problem... I mean I have an old ART box that I bought back in the early 90's & as far as speed it is much faster & the technology in that box is 10 yrs older!!!! It does not make any sense that Lexicon would let this box go out the door like this. It's all about the $ kiddies... be warned & watch out.

Who cares, it's going back today.

Who cares, it's going back today.

Who cares, it's going back today.

I use this for guitar in my amp's loop. There is a steep, long learning curve with this unit if you want to get into deep down editing and create your own sounds using all the vast features and options. One thing that sucks is that out of the 250 programs, 200 are uneditable factory presets that are either pretty generic, or too wild and unusable. You only get 50 blank user presets to do what you want with them. But the biggest thing that sucks about this unit is the 1 second program change time. 1 long second of NO effects, just a crude audible dropout. Note to Lexicon: This is 2001 and IC chips that can remedy this delay are cheap and plenty. Do something about this long dropout on your next processor in this price range! Hell, add $100 more for it and I'll pay it.

Sound quality is very clear and clean, but like I said above, the presets are either generic, or they are too wild, so I spend time making my own programs that sound way better for guitar amp use than their presets. The previous reviewer said that the reverbs sound sterile and digital, but a lot of this comes down to how the reverbs are eq'd. Some of the preset reverbs have too much high freq for my taste, so I edit them with a lower high freq cutoff and they sound smooth and warm. Sounds like the previous reveiwer didn't get down to editing it at all. It was once reported in a major music magazine that around 90% of all users of rack effects units, synth modules, and other programmable musical gear only end up using factory preset sounds and never edit them or make their own sounds! So take most "reviews" with a grain of salt because most people don't know or care enough to get the most out of editable gear anyways! They just base their reviews on the presets, which is always down to the opinions of the programmers, and not the end user. This unit can do virtually anything, but you have to get down to editing it, and that takes a while to understand and utilize fully.

Sometimes it locks up or freaks out from a voltage spike on the AC line, so then you have to reinitialize it and it's ok, BUT you lose your user presets, so make notes on them before reinitializing them, or dump them into your computer via midi first.

Depends on who you get, like most phone support people in general. I called twice. Once the guy was very impatient and treated me like a dummy for not knowing how to do something on it, and then told me how to really fast and not step by step, so he was an unhelpful ass. But another time, I got a guy who was new to their tech support line, and although I knew more than him about the unit, he found out the answers to my questions and called me back right away like 5 times on their dime with the answers to my questions. But, this was probably because he was a "new guy" and wanted to do a good job, so he wasn't around long enough to get burned out on the job yet. Telephone support jobs suck and have high turnover rates. I've been there.

Overall it's the best effects processor so far (as of dec. 2000) under $1000 *IF* you learn to edit it, and *IF* you can stand the 1 second of program change time. If not, look elsewhere.

Basically very wasy to use. Manual really helps.

I use the unit with a a Digitech 2101, 2112, Lexicon Vortex, Oberheim Echoplex. My preamp is a Mesa Formula into Fender Jensen and JBL cabs.

The unit is very quiet.

Here's the deal, though. I don't like the reverbs. Yes, that's right! Very stale. Very digital. Forget lush, big, smooth, round. They sound cheesy. Same is true with the other effects (see other reviews). The reverbs in my Digitechs are way better - at least to my ear.

Seems to be very reliable. No problems, yet. Maybe it's because I never have a need for it.

They were helpful in taking my credit card number when ordering the manual. Very supportive!

I play blues, surf and ambient, textural stuff. Been playing for 25+ years. On a number of CD's. For blues and surf, stick with the Fender reverb cans. For ambient. I don't know. Still looking.

I do have a MidiVerb which I like Much better than the MPX-1. It sounds richer and fuller.

My suggestion is to try one first. Spend a few days with it. If you like it, great! Don't let the name fool you.

If the unit was stolen? I would be listening for the musician with the stiff sounding reverb! No, I wouldn't buy another MPX-1.

Easier to use than most of their other stuff just based on simplicity of design, but reading the manual still is laboring because you get caught up in the terminology and have to think more about what is written, rather than what the procedure is.

Used with guitar equipment and the transparency kicks butt! MAJOR DISSAPPOINTMENT with a delay in MIDI switching patches. Around a full second of delay between switching patches. MAJOR let down. I expected at least that basic commodity out of such a company. Otherwise the sound quality is top notch, very transparent, nice array of options (considering what you pay for the unit) and reasonable "tweakable-ness".

Haven't really ROAD tested it yet, but unit seems rugged enough to try it with confidence.

My basic setup is MIDI switching (Rolls Patchmate) with the MPX-100, a Mesa Mark IV and wah and volume pedal with some higher end Ibanez guitars. I get sound super high quality sounds that dont sound like cheap 80's effects units. For the price.......I'll take one anyday. Quality quality quality. If there wasn't at least a full second delay time while MIDI switching, it would be perfect and my search would end. I fear I'll have to buy the next model up to overcome that hurdle, but it WILL be another Lexicon!

Setting up the MPX 1 with my home studio was a piece of cake, and if you start out by using some factory programs it's very easy to get that stunning Lexicon sound. The OS can be rather confusing though, because of a two-level editing structure--the first level just contains some basic parameters, but the second, which offers more comprehensive settings is difficult to find. When you select an effect, a cluster of buttons to the right of the small LCD window lights up to indicate which specific effects are active (e.g. for Rich Hall, the EQ button, the Delay, and the Reverb buttons illuminate showing that those are the basic effects in use). This feature is very handy IMHO. The small display doesn't help the ease of use factor, as it can take quite a few button presses before you find the parameter you need, and since the MPX 1 is such a deep machine this can take longer than expected. Another thing that makes the unit's OS confusing is that sometimes you turn the jog wheel to select parameters, and the "<" or ">" buttons to change the value, and sometimes it is the complete opposite (i.e. the jog wheel to change values).

Still it's not difficult to do what you need to do with the unit, meaning that if the chorus is too thick, or your sound is too bassy you can easily correct the settings once you get the hang of it.

IMHO the manual is excellent; in fact I think it's the best manual I own. It's well-organized, well-written, and fits the intended market like a glove (it doesn't bore you with pages of technical jargon, but at the same time it doesn't provide obvious information that only a beginner wouldn't know, or try to capture the reader's attention with incredibly lame puns or "jokes" like sme of Mackie's manuals do).

My MPX 1 is version 1.1. Version 1.1 adds support for the guitar control pedal system (the exact model escapes me at the moment) and replaces about 25 version 1.0 presets with presets intended more for guitarists.

The sound quality is absolutely superb, with 18 bit A/D and 20 bit D/A conversion, and beautifully transparent particularly with the reverbs. You probably know by now that the reverbs are the main selling point for the MPX 1, and they most certainly deliver the goods. Whether you put sounds through deep hall effects, like the Madison Square Garden preset, or the *very* useful ambience reverbs, this unit will not disappoint. The sound is rich and full and adds a certain polish to whatever you put through it. The reverb tails are noticeably smoother than the MPX500 if you listen carefully, and sound slightly fuller and more realistic. As for the PCM91, I listened very carefully, and it definitely sounded a *little* bit different I think, but nowhere near what it would take me to spend an extra $1450!!!

The delays are uniformly excellent, the choruses are nice and thick without being muddy, although I agree with another reviewer that the flange effects are rether tame. The pitch shifting is not bad at all for such an inexpensive unit (inexpensive compared to an Eventide that is). You can program some monster effects with this unit though, by using the sweepable resonant filter with a pitch-shifted delay for example--with 2 LFOs, 2 ADSR envelopes etc you can have some fun.

I've had the MPX 1 for about 2 1/2 months or so, but it's been installed in my studio rack the whole time, so I can't comment on its gig-worthyness (although Lexicon has a very good reputation ). When I first opened the package I was kind of surprised at how cheap-feeling the buttons are on the front panel. Some of them get stuck in the down position, which doesn't interfere with the processor's operation, but it's not exactly confidence-inspiring nonetheless. The unint I used in the strore definitely did not have these cheap buttons. A quick investigation revealed that earlier MPX1s were made in the U.S., while newer units are made in China, presumably to cut costs (the price used to be about US $1000; I bought mine new for $650). . .

Never dealt with the firm, but they have a very good reputation.

I write electronic music, but I play rock and classical quite a bit. I highly recommend this processor for any use, except for guitarists specifically looking for amp simulators or distortion. I particularly like to use the reverbs on sampled realistic acoustic drum parts. . .The sound is fantastic of course, and the MPX1's awesome midi implemention can be very useful for techno fiends such as myself. The build quality leaves a little to be desired, but at $650 for something that sounds this good, I'm not really complaining too much. Connectivity is good too, with balanced XLR and TRS I/O (+4/-10dBu switchable), S/PDIF in and out, and separate MIDI in/out/thru connectors. I suppose it would be nice to have the 24 bit converters on the MPX500, but for the kind of music I make I wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference.

This is the 1.1 version I am writing about. Unit sounds incredible on alot of factory presets, obviously the verbs are excellent. Editing is actually pretty easy once you get into it. The manual is a MUST HAVE to fully understanding this thing.You will be referring to it ALOT!! The midi-mapping has been my only headache..but after alot of mistakes Im getting it down. Well worth the money. However, if you really want the most out of this toy..you NEED the R1 controller!! What a difference it makes!! You then have total control on all patches including factory ones, of what you want on at any given time,making every effect an instant access type feel. Great combination especially when you get into making your own presets and want different effect sounds within a song without changing presets.

This is being run thru a Mesa 395 power amp thru a mesa Quad preamp and a sansamp PSA1 into a patchmate which controls the TC 2290 and this piece into 2....2x12 mesa original cabs for full stereo. The sound is unbelievable..clean and not noisy at all!! Adjust the master mix levels internally if a patch drops out on you..not hard at all. I play Morse, Petrucci, Vai and its sound is right there!! I liked this unit because of having no distortion. With two seperate preamps..why have a third. Anyway..I have never heard a multi effect with a distortion that comes close to a real stand alone preamp. Rotary effects and split cabinet stereos are KILLER!! Have made a great patch with chorus and different left and right delay times using only the Lexi...when you add the 2290 into it...forget about it!! (Thanks Frank!!) Again..get the R1 controller to really appreciate the flexibility of this thing.

Mine has never locked up or done anything unusual..it is in the rack to stay. I listened to the TC M-one and D-two and G-force before i bought this. Loved the g-force but didnt want distortion. This ruled over the other two unit.

Lexicon has been GREAT!! I have spoken to the rep at least a dozen times as well as downloading all the FAQ on their website about this piece...a great feature I think!! They may write a complicated manual that takes a while to understand but they are there for you if you feel the need to "chat".

Ive been playing over 25 years and teaching guitar for 21 so I have used quite a few things in my life. This is one of the best. It really has alot to offer for the money once you get into it. Use it in stereo..if you use in mono..go internally and set the unit for mono operation to get the right sounds from the patches. It is a hard unit to work at first, but its worth it when you get it right. After all these years, my rig is finally done!! Of course my wife doesnt believe that but......!!

Well, that's one of the biggest weaknesses of this unit. The display is a two-line alphanumeric type and you must constantly move between pages with these forward and backward buttons. Very awkward. The other big gripe is that there are a gazillion presets but only room for a few user patches. The store lost the manual so I can't comment on that but the really stupid thing is you can't download one from their website. They'll glady charge you for one though.

I used this with a Fender Strat Ultra into a Mesa Triaxis preamp and a VHT 2502 power amp into a couple of single 12" cabs. The reverb is very nice as are the chorus and flanger. The EQ's are ok but, and this is a big but, if you are using the chorus you can't fit any of the EQ algorithms except for like some silly ones like autowah or something. Forget having a nice 3-band parametric along with chorus: won't fit (even the one-band won't fit, sheesh). The pitch-shifter is surprisingly good. The Leslie simulator is decent.

A big problem though is the level difference between normal and bypass modes. When you bypass the effects the level goes up dramatically. Not very practical for live use.

The routing leaves a lot to be desired. You can order the effects any way you want but there are only two parallel paths. So you are pretty much stuck with serial routing and an occasional route around an effect.

All-in-all the sound is very good but for something that brags about having two-processors it should have enough horsepower to run a chorus with an EQ. I have to knock a few points off because of this.

In a word: terrible. The thing locks up about once every few hours. I would not use it on a gig. Even worse, the only way to reset it is to turn it off and back on again and it take about 15 seconds to start up.

Overall the unit has a cheap feel to it. The buttons and knobs feel cheap. The chassis is average, not quite as solid as my Q20. I thought Lexicon was a high-end product but this product feels like they were doing everything they could to keep costs down (except for the XLR inputs).

The lock-up issue is a biggy though, minus five points.

I've been playing for over 20 years and I've owned a closet full of processors including an Alesis MidiVerb, Quadraverb, Q20, Digitech TSR-24, etc. The MPX 1 sounds great but it has some serious problems and I cannot recommend it. I'm currently using a TC Electronics G-Force and overall it beats the snot out of the Lexicon.

So far the presets are keeping me occupied, many seem more than useful right out of the box. After browsing through the manual, I think I could find my way around the unit for editing (as long as the manual was within arms reach for frequent research!)

I'm using this primarily as a studio reverb, but wanted the option of having other effects on board (should I need them). Sort of a "kill two birds with one stone" choice. I've also ordered a Lexicon MPX500 as a secondary effecs unit. Seems quiet "provided" it is run balanced, a bit noisy otherwise!
I am aware the high end Lexicons have extremely great reverbs, this was the next best IMHO, at a price slightly higher than my budget (Isn't everything?!) Having said this, I am very satisfied with the reverbs, as well as general effects, to the point I would really have to consider the usable difference versus price before going to the higher end units. But if you can afford it....

Don't know, just purchased. Good reputation, bought from reputable dealer, so I won't lay awake at night worrying about it.

Same as above, don't know....would deal with store where purchased anyway.

I tried other reverbs/multi-effects as well as stand alone digital reverbs, liked some (Roland SRV 3030) but had to demo a Lexicon as well before deciding...chose the Lexicon for one reason...sound quality of the reverbs!!!

Easy enough if you consider the editing options that the unit offers. Spend a little time with the manual if the units operation is not intuitive enough for you.

Sounds fine in most applications. To extrapolate on that statement, as long as the external effects interface of your amp/mixer/whatever, doesn't mangle signal trying to send/return it, it sounds good enough.

No problems encountered yet. Have only had it a month.

Once you get used to how this thing works its pretty easy to use but at first I had a hard time getting it going. I had to email lexicon support several times. The manual is not written very well in my opinion. It was almost no help to me.

Im using this thing with a triple rectifier and a les paul and with the presets ive made it sounds pretty good. i havent tried the tc electronics or eventide processors but this sounds just as good or better than everything else ive tried. its very low noise and it hardly takes anything away from the tone at all. i play mostly heavy metal and i can get sounds out of it like korn which is pretty cool.

hasnt failed me yet.

Ive had to write to lexicon several times and i was pretty disappointed. it took them several days to write back and they werent always all that helpful. a couple of their letters were incredibly brief and useless.

The one thing that pisses me off about this thing is that it has 200 presets most of which are useless to my style of playing and there isnt a way to erase them and ive only made a few of my own programs and there already isnt enough memory left to use many of the effects. for example i tried making a program with only an eq effect and i couldnt do it because there wasnt enough room. on a blank program? i have 40 of them left! i wrote to lexicon and all they said was i used up too much memory with my other programs. maybe if they werent so cocky about their presets i could erase them and make room for what i want.