JML Stereo Plate Reverb Unit - Designed and Built In The USA 2024

This unique custom designed stereo plate reverb is a culmination of decades of experimentation and plate reverb study and built to commercial production standards. We have built a few of these and each one gets better and better.

This incredible sounding plate reverb is highly versatile and features stereo, hand built, high-end buffered active/48v+ powered piezo contact microphones, a unique dampening system, a genuine 50W Vidsonix Ghost Audio Transducer and a Class D 100W Hi-Fi amplifier. The unit also features 2 sets of caster wheels: 4 on bottom and 4 on the side to stand the unit upright in a tight space as shown (horizontal or vertical orientation options). It is made of high end premium wood and stained with the same amber shellac EMT used in the 50's and 60's, as a nod towards the original German made aesthetic. It is lined with .5" acoustical absorption foam which is designed to keep unwanted vibrations from entering the chamber. It boasts a hand-tuned 50x26” galvanized steel plate (1/64” thick/18 gauge steel which is the same as EMT used). This differentiates between other plate reverbs because it is not cold-rolled steel, and therefore will never rust nor need to be maintained for rusting, but yields a wonderful 3D bright shimmer that beats cold-rolled all day. As far as maintenance goes, there is nothing you’ll ever need to touch… except adjust the volume.

The box measures 40x50x9” and can easily stand either horizontally or vertically for convenient placement in your space. Note that like all plate reverbs, it requires a very quiet space to operate properly. A few Manhattan engineers came over to the studio and we tested the unit. Their response was, “not only does this plate sound better than the EMT 140 plug-in… but it sounds a THOUSAND times better.” Compared to any given plate reverb plug-in, this unit has a 3-D holographic sound that has to be heard to be believed. When we first tested it we kept ripping our headphones off and looking around the room at where the sound was emanating from, as if we had left the monitors on, only to realize our headphones were doing something they’d never ever done before. You’ll be hard pressed to duplicate a holographic immersive reverberation effect like this ITB! If you ever doubted that analog is still better than digital, this is the box that will prove it.

AUDIO SAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE AT LUTZMULTIMEDIA DOT COM. Simply type "plate reverb" into the search bar in the blog section to listen.

I/O:

The JML Plate reverb utilizes a mono balanced XLR-F input and stereo XLR-M outputs. While you can technically use an unbalanced input, keep in mind output will be hotter and more prone to distortion.

The lid locks and seals into place with two screws. It sits flush on six inner wooden lid mounts. The plate is suspended by 22 springs and the metal frame is floating, suspended on rubber feet to further dampen incoming vibrations. Like all plate reverbs, it will need to be stored in a dead quiet room, away from people and speakers that can transmit vibrations to the hyper sensitive surface pickups.

The dampening system will reduce decay times by turning the dial to the left. However, it is best left wide open and processed in parallel with the dry source as the amplitude of the wet signal creates the illusion of longer or shorter decay times. However, the dampening system is there to fine tune the decay when need be. A servo-based remote control system can be custom built for an additional $3500 if desired. This includes any length of run from your machine room to your control room. It is far more complex than you’d imagine so we feel a manual knob price-point is much more attractive but remote control is definitely available if desired.

SPECS:

1. Mono digital Class D Hi-Fi 100W amp specs:

Iconic TPA3116 amp IC, Hi-Fi class D amplification, max output power can reach 100W(4Ω load) which can easily drive the Vidsonix Audio Transducer to full-frequency output and then some (well into oblivion so never go past %50 max gain). This unique setup yields full-frequency (20-20,000Hz+) which replicates the full spectrum of human hearing.

• Chip: TPA3116D2
• OP amp: TL072
• Max. output power: 100W
• Frequency range: 20Hz-20KHz
• THD: ≤ 0.01%
• SNR: ≥ 118dB
• Input sensitivity: ≤ 280mV
• Matched speaker impedance: 4-8Ω
• Working voltage: DC 12V-24v
  
  Switching power supply is included and hard wired inside.

2. Visonic Ghost Audio Transducer Specs:

Frequency Response: 100 - 12,000Hz

Impedance: 8 ohms

Max power: 50W (do Not overdrive the transducer with the installed 100w amp to full output. Do not exceed 50% volume otherwise damage may occur).

3. The Piezo Pickup Specs:

Balanced Buffered Contact Mics contain phantom-powered circuits that balance the signal from a piezo transducer and matches its high output impedance to the low input impedance typical of consoles and recorders for use in your recording studio. These are far more quiet and have far better output quality than any other piezo you may have used in the past. These hand built mics allow for super wide bandwidth for a piezo (~20Hz-20kHz), very low signal losses, and extremely high signal to noise ratio; unheard in all other plate reverbs available today. See last two images for schematic and PCB layout.

CUSTOM ORDER TIME:

The unit pictured is available to pickup now however custom sizes are available with a 4 to 8 week lead time. Pickup is recommended and available 15 minutes from Manhattan NYC. Wood stain colors may be customized per request in advance (all colors available upon request). Once purchased, no returns or refunds will be available under any circumstance. All JML Plate Reverberation Units come with a three month warranty on parts and labor. A custom Switching Power supply is included.

AVAILABLE SIZES:

While we tested and built these in all different sizes, we found this exact size to be optimal for today’s studio environment. It’s also a much more palatable size format than a 10’ EMT, yet sounds just as good in our opinion. However, as you can see in the very last photo, I also build smaller format versions for home studios if need be. They are also about $1500 cheaper but they do have their own sound as you’d imagine (and about a 1-2 second shorter delay time). I can build these at any size you require however this size tested optimal in both output and sound quality.

SHIPPING AND PICKUP:

Pickup Is greatly preferred as this is 3’x6’ and will require crate delivery at a very high cost to you. It will be insured for 100% of the value but safety cannot be guaranteed and it may arrive out of tune and need manual adjustment so again, pickup or delivery ($$) is highly recommended. For these reasons, all sales are final. Full added worry-free reverb insurance is included on our dime.

Any questions please ask. Thanks for looking.