Retro Rack Episode 3 : Lexicon PCM-70 + Yamaha SPX-90ii

On tonight's episode we combine the mighty Lexicon PCM-70 with it's more affordable counterpart from the same year, the Yamaha SPX-90ii.

[@BigHairyGuitars]

That Yammy Hall is sounding prettttttty dang good actually!

[@cliftonwright7081]

Today, Yamaha taught me to question everything.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I bet we would all love to see a guitar collection video!

[@cliftonwright7081]

Ooo that would be fun

[@darlenemcmillan5802]

Here, here!👍

[@Sailor_Man_Music]

I ❤️ guitar collections. I would love to see what’s in the arsenal.

[@cliftonwright7081]

I shall make it so

[@darlenemcmillan5802]

@@cliftonwright7081 make it so #1

[@tejeguitar]

DUDE, your playing caught me off guard. Bloody hell, what a pleasure to hear something as authentic as what you are casually playing here. Good job, I'm subscribing just for the playing of that video haha damn, props to you man. All the best!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

This sounds like a nice 80s blanket of tone. Hand stitched by grandma.

[@cliftonwright7081]

Hahaha this was grandpas drinkin rag

[@got2rock4]

You have a nice original style awesome video🎸🔥

[@cliftonwright7081]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@jaxplanner7282]

Never cease to be amazed by your playing, great job!

[@cliftonwright7081]

Thanks for the kind words, this old strat was my main bread-winner through my entire 20s!

[@jaxplanner7282]

Clifton Wright Are you self taught or did you have some musical training?

[@cliftonwright7081]

@@jaxplanner7282 self taught

[@chandlerclement1365]

Sounds rad man. I've heard Eric Johnson used the PCM 70 a ton in the studio and live. This might be tooo specific of a request, but I would love to see some Cliffs of Doverish reverb / delay demonstrated on a real PCM 70.

[@cliftonwright7081]

I’ll see what I can stir up!

[@Michaelkeyreal]

Good tones. Great chops.

[@BasVogelpoel]

Clifton, once again incredible playing, what a joy to watch and hear! Please pair up a H3000 micropitch with a 1.7 sec. plate in the pcm81 (perhaps with some PCM mod-delay in there... ). But above all, just keep making these video's!

[@cliftonwright7081]

Hahaha I wish could pair those up

[@pfrisch6030]

Great stuff Clifton. I love the comparisons! It really shows why the legends like the PCM-70 and D1500's earned their reputation.

[@cliftonwright7081]

No kidding! I was able to get the spx verb sounding a little better but that Lexicon is always absolute money, especially in a mix

[@cliftonwright7081]

I sold most of my D1500s but I have another one, maybe I’ll do that one next

[@pfrisch6030]

@@cliftonwright7081 If you have an SDE-3000 or 1000 around that would be an amazing comparison. There's something special about those old hardware based mono delays.

[@cliftonwright7081]

@@pfrisch6030 there definitely is, I have a pair of SDE3000As and they sound fantastic. I’m using them in the rack demo video where I’m playing that late 80s whale blue PRS Signature.

[@EuroDJ]

thnx

[@geezberry8889]

i've got the spx90II but my Lexicon is a PCM80. Supposedly it doesn't have circular delays but is possible somehow maybe with an expansion card. i gotta figure this out

[@Yupppi]

It also seems like SPX90 II has better headroom or preamp/front, because every time my spx90 hits the first red led, it gets nasty. I saw the spx90 II hit the first red many times, but didn't hear that nastyness once. The Boss SE-50 I got after watching your videos arrived, and it's a beast on pitch and delays. Customizable 5-tap delay or 4-line pitch shifts, they're juicy. It's a real sleeper in my opinion, worth some comparisons with gear that's known for pitch shifts/delays. It's not as complex as Lexicons or Eventides, but full stereo, multiple lines, long delay times and customization is really good if you have an idea of how you put it in your rack. And it also has a nice Paul Gilbert style chorus. The best 80 euros I've spent on effects.

[@cliftonwright7081]

That’s awesome! I’m glad it worked out for you! The pitch shift and delays were definitely my run-away favorites in the unit. I think that shifter can definitely hang with anything else I’ve got!

[@theirritatedirishman5440]

Okay you’re really good and I think you know it! That being said brother,how does it “Feel” sound wise? Sound is one thing and feel is another. I’ve been building and repairing amps for close to 30 years and I explain to guys about sound & feel all the time. Do these units change the feel or because of using effects loops just change the sound? Thanks and great videos!

[@cliftonwright7081]

I’d say certain effects obscure the attack and add the illusion of sustain which gives a lot of players a false sense of confidence lol. In that way, it changes the feel.

[@lucasdeliramendonca5237]

Wow, very nice pairing Cliff! You've got some tasteful tones here! Can you make a comparison between the symphonic patch on the spx's? Another excellent video, by the way!

[@cliftonwright7081]

I think the main difference will be that the 90 MIGHT seem a little warmer because of its limited frequency response range compared to the 900 and up. But I have wanted to A/B those

[@lucasdeliramendonca5237]

@@cliftonwright7081 yeah man! I have an spx 90 and also have two 900. I can hear the difference between each one. I think it's very subtle, but still exists!

[@peterjepps1229]

Sounds great as usual🤟missed which amp you are using? Have you tracked down a pcm 42

[@cliftonwright7081]

I used a helix for this video. There was one in reverb but people want crazy money for them!

[@peterjepps1229]

@@cliftonwright7081 thanks for replying, Cheers

[@marks-yw5ij]

I have a few questions regarding building my first rack. Would it be possible at to email with you ? Possibly too much to type here

[@cliftonwright7081]

Hey there Mark, unfortunately, I’ve got a lot going on, being active duty Air Force stationed overseas, father of two etc, but I can give you a few tips. 1: Google how to use a line mixer to run time based effects in parallel. This will keep the core tone of your preamp unaffected by the the analog to digital conversion that takes place in effects units and generally give your tone more depth and life. 2. If you’re on a budget, consider getting something that can process lots of effects at once really well like a Yamaha FX series or a BOSS SE-70. A Lexicon PCM80-81 will do this really well if money isn’t too much of a concern. So the basic components to a good rack rig are the preamp, line mixer, effects unit(s) and either a power amp or something like a torpedo to do power amp and cab simulation. I’ll try to throw together a video on building a basic rack set up