The Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb was a dedicated digital room simulation device based on the original Quantec QRS algorithm from 1982. Rather than presenting reverb as an obvious effect, the Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb was designed around the natural, unobtrusive ambience that had made the original QRS highly regarded in professional production. The source material describes the QRS as having become more than a popular tool for pop music production, with particular importance in classical music production, chamber music and movie postproduction, where natural room simulation was required instead of artificial echo.
The Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb carried forward this emphasis on realistic ambience, but did so in a more compact and commercially practical form. Earlier Quantec room simulators relied on dedicated hardware because the full QRS algorithm could not previously be adapted to commercially available signal processing chips. By the time the Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb was developed, signal processing chips had advanced considerably, with the source noting that their capability had tripled within the previous five years due to progress in manufacturing technology.
To make the Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb possible on a commercial signal processor, the QRS algorithm was carefully streamlined. The original Room Size parameter was removed as part of this optimisation, reducing the processing capability required while retaining the core Quantec approach to natural room simulation. The unit used a Motorola DSP 56009-80MHz processor, allowing Quantec to offer a genuine Quantec room simulation device at a lower price than had previously been associated with the company’s dedicated systems.
The Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb was available in several versions. The 2402/F included operating elements integrated into the front panel, while the 2402/R was a blank panel unit intended for remote control only. The 2402/F/S and 2402/R/S versions added speed selection, described as varispeed at up to 54kHz. This version structure allowed the Yardstick system to suit different working environments, from front-panel operation through to remote-controlled installations.
Control options for the Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb were also flexible. The unit could be operated from the front panel on the 2402/F version, by Commander 1220, or by MIDI. The Commander 1220 could be connected directly by RS-232 cable on the rear panel of all devices, or by front-panel RS-232 connection on the 2402/R version. Remote control signals could also be distributed through one or more 1-to-8 multiplexers using the Quanco RS-232 Octopus 1226, including hierarchical arrangements.
For MIDI operation, the source material states that included interfaces or plug-ins covered Emagic Sound Diver adaptation and Steinberg Cubase, with the Cubase support described as being in preparation. This indicates that the Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb was intended not only as a standalone digital room simulator, but also as a device that could integrate into computer-based MIDI studio workflows of the period.
The Quantec Yardstick 2402 Digital Reverb therefore represented a more accessible implementation of Quantec’s room simulation technology. It was not presented as a general-purpose artificial echo device, but as a digital ambience processor built around the character of the original QRS algorithm, with a focus on natural room simulation for demanding music and postproduction applications.
Features
- Based on the original Quantec QRS algorithm from 1982
- Designed for unobtrusive and natural room simulation rather than artificial echo
- Intended for pop production, classical music, chamber music and movie postproduction
- Streamlined QRS algorithm adapted for commercial signal processing hardware
- Motorola DSP 56009-80MHz processor used for the QRS algorithm
- Original Room Size parameter removed as part of the streamlined Yardstick implementation
- 2402/F version with operating elements integrated into the front panel
- 2402/R version with blank panel for remote control operation only
- 2402/F/S and 2402/R/S versions with speed selection and varispeed up to 54kHz
- Operation available from the front panel on the 2402/F version
- Commander 1220 remote control support
- MIDI control support
- Rear-panel RS-232 Commander 1220 connection on all devices
- Front-panel RS-232 Commander 1220 connection on the 2402/R version
- Remote control signal distribution via Quanco RS-232 Octopus 1226 1-to-8 multiplexers
- Emagic Sound Diver adaptation included for MIDI operation
- Steinberg Cubase support listed as in preparation
