Hello there, and welcome back to another plugin review article for you! This time, we will be looking at one of the legendary reverb and effects plugins in the industry by Lexicon.
Table of Contents
In this Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle review, I will introduce you to this industry-standard audio equipment company, Lexicon, and the ultimate effects bundle that offers a huge value for producers and professional and bedroom musicians.
Note that, Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle includes every reverb algorithm by Lexicon in an affordable package and in a plugin format.
Lexicon also offers the Lexicon PCM Total Bundle, which includes the PCM Native Effects Bundle along with the reverb algorithms. This means that if you prefer purchasing all the reverbs and effects, you can go for this bundle.
However, when you go for the Lexicon PCM Total Bundle, you can save a lot! In order to make this choice easier for you, I have spent hours creating some preset walkthrough videos down below, so you can actually listen to what each bundle offers and make a decision!
Important Note:
Just wanted to give you some quick info on the Lexicon topic here. I had initially planned to release this article and wanted to cover the Lexicon PCM Total Bundle with separate demo videos. Lexicon plugins, as well as their most recent PCM hardware units, were widely available on Thomann.
However, when I did a quick check to start working on this content again, I realised that only a single Lexicon PCM96 Surround D. I would understand if the company decided not to release hardware units anymore or limit the production, but I really didn’t get why even plugins are not available anymore.
Although the official website appears to be up and running and you can purchase Lexicon products directly there, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me to invest a lot of my time into this mega article anymore. Therefore, I decided to change the focus to the PCM Native Reverb bundle and provide a quick review of some of the algorithms and just share what I have so far with you.
What Happened to Lexicon?
AEven though there’s no official statement that the Lexicon Pro company has gone out of business, I don’t think they are doing well with the business side of things. I did some research on this topic and found out that some people had problems with activating their plugins and software, as the company did not respond for ages.
It seems like they have been going through hard times. It’s sad to see such legendary companies can no longer sustain their business. But there’s always hope!
Lexicon Company
Lexicon is an American company that specialises in audio equipment and technology, founded back in 1971. Lexicon‘s history even goes back to 1969 when American Data Sciences was founded by MIT professor Dr Francis F. Lee and engineer Chuck Bagnaschi, who were developing digital audio devices for heart monitoring systems.
Lexicon is not just an effect algorithm company; in fact, they also design and develop multi-speaker audio systems for some car models by Rolls-Royce, Hyundai and Kia. In 1993, Lexicon was acquired by Harman.
Lexicon is considered the inventor of commercially available digital delay products and the godfather of digital reverb in the industry. Their first Gotham Delta T-101 delay was released in 1971.
Later on, this was followed by Delta T-102, the first product with the Lexicon brand name! Lexicon was also one of the pioneers in digital reverbs that were commercially available back in 1979 with their products Model 224 and Prime Time. They also released their 480L model, which was the successor of the 224XL, back in 1986. Thomann Guitar Days, 70% OFF!
Next, they released their PCM series, which featured a more compact and affordable model for live situations. PCM-60 was released in 1984, followed by the Lexicon PCM-70, which included multi-effects of a 224XL model with a digital screen.
PCM-70 gained significant popularity and was used by David Gilmour in the songs “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Time” during The Division Bell tour.
During the 90s, Lexicon kept improving and releasing new PCM units, PCM-80 and PCM-90. The beginning of the 2000s was also a very productive year for Lexicon as they released their PCM-96 and PCM-96 Surround, which featured easy integration into DAWs.
Since the 90s, Lexicon has already released the LXP series, which featured more affordable, consumer-level effect units such as LXP-1, LXP-5 and LXP-15II, followed by MPX1. Around the 2000s, this trend was followed by the release of entry-level MX series such as the MX200.
Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle
Could you ever imagine that over 40 years of experience in the audio technologies domain may one day be available to us in a native plugin format? Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle includes everything from the legendary Lexicon reverb algorithms that you would normally find on hardware Lexicon units.
On the other hand, Lexicon PCM Total Bundle features 14 legendary reverbs as well as the effects that come with hundreds of presets created by professionals in an affordable package.
All Lexicon PCM Bundles come as a native plugin package, meaning that they work in every DAW, such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Reaper, and Ableton. Plugins come in VST, AAX, RTAS or AudioUnit formats, so you will not have any compatibility problems.
There’s also a Total Bundle version that features both the reverb algorithms as well as the effects from Lexicon.
Lexicon PCM Total Bundle Features
Lexicon PCM Total Bundle includes 7 legendary reverb plugins and 7 unique effect plugins that come from these separate bundles.
You have not only 14 effects but also hundreds of professionally created presets. Presets can be saved in a DAW-independent format, meaning that you can easily transfer these presets between DAWs without having to worry about incompatibility.
All plugins come in AAX, VST, Audio Unit and RTAS formats so you can use them in any operating system and any DAW.
You can also enable graphical real-time display if you want to visually see the effects working, which is a very cool feature!
Lexicon Native Reverb Bundle
Reverb algorithms that come in this bundle feature Lexicon Chamber, Lexicon Concert Hall, Lexicon Hall, Lexicon Plate, Lexicon Random Hall, Lexicon Room and Lexicon Vintage Plate algorithms.
Lexicon Native Effects Bundle
The remaining Lexicon effects include Lexicon Pitch Shift, Lexicon Multivoice Pitch, Lexicon Chorus, Lexicon Resonant Chords, Lexicon Random Delay, Lexicon Dual Delay, and Lexicon Stringbox.
Hardware or Software?
As you may know, there are still professional audio/sound engineers who may need to get the whole package in hardware, rackmount format. Luckily, Lexicon company is still manufacturing the legendary PCM series, but is limited to PCM92 and PCM96.
If you want to have a look at the Lexicon PCM96, check out the availability at Thomann here.
As you can see, the price of the unit is not so affordable, not only for amateurs but also for professional musicians.
The other units and series that were mentioned in the introduction are no longer available as brand-new. If you still prefer rackmount Lexicon reverbs and effect units, you should be regularly checking Reverb.com. There are dozens of second-hand Lexicon rack gear over there!
However, as they still can retain their value due to they are ultimate gems, you should be ready to pay a lot of money for these old units.
In my opinion, unless you want to build a rackmount setup, you wouldn’t need to collect these. Instead, you should definitely go for plugin versions just like I did!
How to use Lexicon PCM effects?
I recently switched to a hybrid setup where I base my guitar tone on my lovely ENGL E570 all-tube preamp in combination with ENGL Cabloader (which is a digital, IR loader). When I play, practice or record, I always use this setup with my KRK Rokit 5 G4 monitors along with the RME Babyface PRO audio interface.
Currently, I’m using a slightly different setup featuring my tube amps, such as Marshall JVM410HJS, Marshall JVM410H, Marshall SV20H, into a Two Notes Torpedo Captor X SE, Suhr Reactive Load and Two Notes Opus with various speaker cabinet impulses.
This setup is powered by a pair of Genelec 8020 DP monitors and an RME Babyface Pro FS audio interface.
From the TotalMix FX, I set up the guitar signal so that I can hear the dry sound without monitoring (zero latency). When I base this structure on Reaper, I would create a couple of channels for the dry sounds and effects I would be using.
When you use FX tracks (which can be done in any DAW) and feed your guitar signal into these with 100% wet settings, you can actually have the ideal sound setup (for most cases). Your dry guitar signal will not be altered, but will come out 100% wet out of a different channel. Check out the best guitar pickup company, Seymour Duncan here!
Of course, you don’t have to stick to this route every time, but for most time-based effects, it works the best for me. However, sometimes you may want to use a particular effect as an insert effect in your DAW, meaning that you can only hear it while playing if you enable monitoring.
To provide you with the most useful, on-point Lexicon PCM reverb and effects demo videos, I recorded some videos that would include the PCM Native Reverb Bundle reverb algorithms.
Lexicon PCM Native Reverb Bundle Review & Sound Demos
In this video series, I quickly recorded some guitar parts and usually soloed over my simple backing tracks or chord progression so I can show you how these wonderful reverb algorithms sound.
Lexicon Chamber Reverb
Before digital reverb units and plugins became the standard, the echo chamber was the go-to solution for creating high-quality artificial reverberation. These chambers were purpose-built rooms—typically small to medium in size—with hard, irregularly shaped walls designed to maximise sound reflections.
An audio signal was played through speakers in the room, and microphones captured the resulting reflections, producing a lush and natural reverb. When carefully designed and tuned, these chambers delivered an impressively realistic ambience, and many of them are still in use today at renowned studios across the world.
Modern chamber reverb algorithms aim to capture this unique character. They’re known for producing a fast build-up of reflections, high echo density, and a smooth decay without the distracting “slap” of individual wall reflections.
At lower settings, the effect mimics the intimacy of an echo chamber; at larger settings, it resembles a small performance venue with a quick and immersive reverb response. To keep the sound natural, the reverb tails are randomised, giving a rich, organic quality that feels both musical and alive.
Lexicon Chamber Reverb Sound Demo
In the following video, I used my ENGL E570 along with my Fender Stratocaster and recorded a simple chord progression and an improvised solo to show you what the Lexicon Chamber algorithm sounds like.
Lexicon Concert Hall Reverb
Few digital reverbs are as legendary as the Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall algorithms. Celebrated by live sound engineers and studio producers alike, these reverbs are renowned for their ability to recreate the lush, panoramic ambience of large performance spaces.
This particular hall reverb is a modern update of one of Lexicon’s earliest algorithms—an effect that helped shape the sound of countless mixes throughout the late seventies and eighties. Compared to denser reverb types, it leaves more space around the dry signal, adding depth and warmth without overwhelming the source. The built-in modulation is especially distinctive: at subtle settings it adds movement and shimmer, while at higher levels it introduces dramatic pitch-shifting textures. Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
One of the reasons this reverb stood out in pop productions was its animated tail—a decay that feels alive and evolving. While that quality can be less desirable in jazz or classical contexts, it’s a defining characteristic in many iconic recordings.
By design, a hall reverb simulates the acoustics of a concert hall. These spaces are large, often spanning several tens of meters between walls, which shapes how reflections build and decay.
Unlike smaller rooms, halls have a low initial reflection density, meaning there’s little reflected energy within the first 60–100 milliseconds. Reflections then accumulate more gradually, creating a smooth, natural sense of space. The reverberation time is typically longer than in smaller venues, and in most halls, low frequencies linger longer than highs, giving the sound a deep, enveloping quality.
Lexicon Concert Hall Reverb Sound Demo
In the next video, I used my Marshall JVM410H along with my Epiphone SG Custom Ebony and recorded a simple chord progression on my Boss RC-5 looper and an improvised solo to show you what the Lexicon Concert Hall algorithm sounds like.
Lexicon Hall Reverb
Few digital reverbs are as legendary as the Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall algorithms. Celebrated by live sound engineers and studio producers alike, these reverbs are renowned for their ability to recreate the lush, panoramic ambience of large performance spaces.
This particular hall reverb is a modern update of one of Lexicon’s earliest algorithms—an effect that helped shape the sound of countless mixes throughout the late seventies and eighties. Compared to denser reverb types, it leaves more space around the dry signal, adding depth and warmth without overwhelming the source. The built-in modulation is especially distinctive: at subtle settings it adds movement and shimmer, while at higher levels it introduces dramatic pitch-shifting textures.
One of the reasons this reverb stood out in pop productions was its animated tail—a decay that feels alive and evolving. While that quality can be less desirable in jazz or classical contexts, it’s a defining characteristic in many iconic recordings. Music Plugin Deals at Pluginboutique.com
By design, a hall reverb simulates the acoustics of a concert hall. These spaces are large, often spanning several tens of meters between walls, which shapes how reflections build and decay.
Unlike smaller rooms, halls have a low initial reflection density, meaning there’s little reflected energy within the first 60–100 milliseconds. Reflections then accumulate more gradually, creating a smooth, natural sense of space. The reverberation time is typically longer than in smaller venues, and in most halls, low frequencies linger longer than highs, giving the sound a deep, enveloping quality.
Lexicon Hall Reverb Sound Demo
Here I’d like to share a Marshall JVM410H demo video, featuring my Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Ibanez AR300, Ibanez RG565, FGN Boundary Odyssey and Epiphone SG Custom for this video.
I also used my Two Notes Captor X SE, RME Babyface PRO FS, Genelec 8020 monitors and Lexicon Hall Reverb as well.
Lexicon Random Hall
Among the most celebrated digital reverbs of all time are the Lexicon® Hall, Concert Hall, and Random Hall algorithms. Beloved by both live sound engineers and studio producers, they’re known for capturing the sweeping, panoramic ambience of large performance spaces. Random Hall, in particular, offers a gradual buildup of reflections, making it especially well-suited for complex material like orchestral arrangements.
What makes Random Hall unique is the way its reverberators evolve in controlled, random ways. This prevents the unpleasant metallic or “grainy” artefacts that can plague simpler reverb designs. The built-in modulation is often clearly audible, but far from being a flaw, it’s a defining part of the classic Lexicon® sound—adding a sense of movement and life to the reverb tail.
Another strength of this algorithm is its customizable early reflections. Users can shape the amplitude and timing of the reflections, expanding or contracting the overall pattern with the “Delay Master” control and setting its balance with the “Early Level” control. These parameters require some finesse to get right, but when dialled in, they offer a flexible way to match the reverb to the source material.
By design, a hall reverb emulates the acoustics of a concert hall—spaces with wall-to-wall distances spanning several tens of meters. Smaller halls naturally suit smaller ensembles, but the sonic signature remains the same: low initial reflection density, with little energy before the 60–100 millisecond mark. Reflections accumulate more gradually than in smaller rooms, creating a smooth and natural spatial impression. Reverb times tend to be longer, and lower frequencies decay more slowly than higher ones, giving the sound a warm, enveloping quality.
One of the hall algorithm’s charms is its slight irregularity in the decay, which adds a touch of realism. While the modulation may not be ideal in very small rooms or with precisely pitched instruments, in most situations this algorithm shines as a time-tested, musical reverb—a staple of professional mixes for decades.
Currently, I don’t have a video that features the Lexicon Random Hall algorithm, but once I have it, I will be sharing it here with you!
Lexicon Plate
The plate reverb was one of the earliest artificial reverberation systems to make its way into professional studios. At its core, it’s a large, thin sheet of metal suspended under tension by springs. Transducers send an audio signal into the plate, causing it to vibrate, while pickups capture the resulting sound.
The effect creates the illusion of a spacious, open environment, even though the sound is actually being generated by a piece of metal.
Modern plate reverb plug-ins emulate this classic design. They’re characterised by a bright, colored tone with high initial diffusion, making them especially effective on percussion and other instruments that benefit from clarity and presence. Unlike room or hall reverbs, plates are less about simulating a physical space and more about adding a musical sheen that blends with the source. Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
Part of their charm is how they become integrated into the sound itself—thickening and mellowing the original signal rather than simply surrounding it. For many listeners, the “plate sound” is what comes to mind when they think of reverb. It’s a timeless choice that has found a place in nearly every style of popular music.
Currently, I don’t have a video that features the Lexicon Plate algorithm, but once I have it, I will be sharing it here with you!
Lexicon Vintage Plate
The plate reverb is one of the true classics of studio recording. Traditionally, it consisted of a large, thin sheet of metal suspended upright under tension by springs. Audio was fed into the plate via transducers, causing it to vibrate, while pickups captured the resulting reflections. The sound it produced created the impression of a wide, open space—instantly giving recordings a sense of depth and character.
The Vintage Plate plug-in recreates this iconic effect, delivering the same high initial diffusion and bright, colored tone that made plates famous. These qualities make it especially effective on percussion, but its versatility means it can enhance just about any instrument. Unlike natural-sounding halls or chambers, plates are designed to blend into the music itself—thickening and smoothing the dry signal so that the reverb becomes part of the instrument’s voice. For many, this “plate sound” is what reverb means.
What sets the Vintage Plate apart is its balance of heritage and innovation. It carries the EQ refinements introduced in the PCM96 plate while retaining the sonic flavour of earlier hardware designs. The result is a reverb that “speaks” differently, with its own unique input diffusion and even an extra pair of echo voices for added depth. It’s a reimagining of a classic tool—modernised, yet true to its roots—making it a perfect choice for producers seeking that timeless plate warmth with a fresh twist.
Currently, I don’t have a video that features the Lexicon Vintage Plate algorithm, but once I have it, I will be sharing it here with you!
Lexicon Room
The Room algorithm, first introduced in the Lexicon® PCM96, is one of the company’s most versatile reverb designs. Unlike more traditional reverbs, it gives users a remarkable degree of control: reflection patterns can be selected, scaled, and EQ’d in real time while audio is passing through, and the room size can even be instantly changed—or reversed—for dramatic effects.
Like other Lexicon® reverbs, the Room algorithm creates a convincing sense of space, but it does so in a unique way. It’s built around a selectable early impulse response, derived from real-world room measurements.
These responses are grouped into categories such as small rooms, large rooms, and even odd rooms, based on unconventional acoustic sources. From there, parameters allow users to scale, shape, or reverse the response to suit the mix. IK Multimedia Tonex - Cutting Edge Guitar Tones!
The Room algorithm excels in three main areas:
Post Production: While Lexicon® is celebrated for its smooth reverb tails, in film and TV work, the early reflections often matter more. By invoking specific acoustic signatures, the Room algorithm is perfect for dialogue, Foley, and sound effects where realism is key.
Reverbs: Beyond realism, it can also generate larger, more unusual spaces with a character quite different from the “classic Lexicon sound.” A range of presets highlight these possibilities, offering fresh alternatives to familiar hall or chamber styles.
Effects: Thanks to its ability to reverse reflection patterns, the Room algorithm can produce creative sounds like backwards reverb, gated reflections, and other experimental textures. It combines the authenticity of a real space with the flexibility of a true reverb synthesiser.
In short, the Room algorithm bridges the gap between realism and creativity, giving engineers a tool that can handle everything from subtle ambience to bold, otherworldly effects.
Lexicon Room Sound Demo
Here I’d like to share a demo video of my Ibanez RG550 Purple Neon featuring ENGL E570 all-tube preamp, ENGL Cabloader and Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini going directly into my RME Babyface PRO interface, recorded in Reaper with some room and chamber reverbs by Lexicon!
Verdict
Although some people criticise that the plugin versions don’t sound like the hardware units, I must say I really enjoy playing my guitar through Lexicon reverbs, as I explained above.
They all sound very organic to me. The only problem with Lexicon plugins is that I find them very difficult to use. There are tons of controls to adjust so that you can come up with your own presets. However, if you just want to have a simple Lexicon reverb sound, you can also just prefer using the presets.
The preset structure is pretty solid with these plugins. You usually have multiple core presets with tons of variations. So, if you like one of the core presets, you can easily go through the variations of it and find the best one for your taste.
As explained, even though there’s no official statement that the Lexicon Pro company has gone out of business, I don’t think they are doing well with the business side of things. I did some research on this topic and found out that some people had problems with activating their plugins and software, as the company did not respond for ages.
I was initially planning to release this article with all the sound demo videos for you guys, but I realised there was no place to get them except the official website. Therefore, I can not directly recommend that you go and buy their products from their website. If you want to purchase their plugins, I would highly recommend that you first get in touch with them via their contact page. Then, if you receive any reaction, go for it and purchase!
Check out the Lexicon Pro official webpage here
You can also check out other reverb plugins on PluginBoutique.com. Many plugin manufacturers release Lexicon-inspired reverb plugins all the time.
Check out the PluginBoutique.com for Lexicon-inspired reverb plugins here!
Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!
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