Classic Recording Studio Equipment

Vintage Digital

Sony DPS-R7

Sony DPS-R7 Reverberator

The Sony DPS-R7 was the first in a new digital effects line up from Sony, it's success spawned a number of other effects using the same architecture as the DPS-R7. The Sony DPS-R7 is an excellent digital reverb that still stands up today, with it's full bandwidth and excellent reverb algorithms, it is hampered only by it's truly awful interface if you wish to program it.

Details

The Sony DPS-R7 is a top-tier digital reverb unit that incorporates Sony’s advanced digital and audio technology. It follows in the footsteps of the well-received Sony DRE-2000, and Sony MU-R201 earning high praise from users.

Quality-conscious design – A/D and D/A high performance converter
The Sony DPS-R7 converts the incoming analog signal to a digital signal, passes it through various effects, than re-converts it to an analog signal before output. The determinant to the sound quality is the conversion mechanism that adopts the 18-bit oversampling stereo A/D converter and the pulse D/A converter of 40.96 MHz. These account for highly accurate, less deteriorated effects.

User-friendly and comfortable operation
The large size backlit LCD of 40 characters by 2 lines makes it possible to proceed with smooth operation while viewing the operating condition in real time. Moreover, the LCD display incorporates an on-line manual (in English) which displays information required for operation.

Abundant preset memory settings
The unit has a hundred variations of the effects created by musicians, sound mixers and acoustic engineers around the world in its preset memory. This will help you select and replay immediately the desired effects for a particular purpose.

Sound creation of any kind
The EDIT function allows you to modify the presets or to create some individual effects. Besides the preset memory for a hundred effects. the unit has a so-called user memory where you can save up to 256 effects you are going to create. Using this memory allows more varicolored play of effects.

Wide range of effects
The Sony DPS-R7 consists mainly of a reverberation block together with an input block, a pre-effect block, a post-effect block and an output block for signal processing. For Processing signals with stereo-input/stereo-output in the reverberation block, one of 5 types of ST-ST algorithms is available, while the monaural-input/stereo-output processing allows you to take any two types of MONO-ST algorithm.

One of the six types of algorithms can be used in the pre-effect block and one of seven in the post-effect block. By combining these blocks and algorithms used in the blocks, a wide range of effects will be able to be created according to the input source.

Remote control
The remote commander (not supplied) makes it possible to remotely control the Sony DPS-R7.

2 types of I/O connectors are provided
The Sony DPS-R7 has XLR connectors (balanced-type) and phone jacks so that it can be connected to instruments, recording equipment or PA (public address) equipment.

Linkage with MIDI equipment
The MIDI device incorporated in the Sony DPS-R7 can receive program change signals from another MIDI equipment connected so that the Sony DPS-R7 can be controlled by the MIDI equipment connected. Thus, it can function as an effector when connected to digital instruments. In addition, controls from PC‘s or MIDI sequencers are very helpful for composition.

Specifications

Released

Quantization: 18 Bit
Sampling Frequency: 40kHz
Frequency Response: 10Hz-18kHz
Signal to Noise: > 90 dB
Dynamic Range: > 90dB
THD: Below 0.004%

Preset Memory: 100 effects
User Memory: 256 Effects

Dimensions: 482mm x 44m x 320mm
Weight: 4.8kg

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The details provided above are drawn from historical documents like advertising brochures or user manuals. They’re shared without bias or review. This info is given solely for your consideration, helping you gauge its usefulness to you.

Sony DPS-R7 Rear

The Convology XT Plugin is head and shoulders above the rest.  No importing one file at a time.  With the Convology XT plugin, you simply click on the library that you want to explore and then on the right hand side of the plugin, all of the associated files will appear.  This allows the user to quickly A/B which reverbs they’d like to use.  It’s that simple and it’s how plugins ought to react.  It’s a breeze to load library content.

The Sony DPS-R7 Impulse Responses for Altiverb comprise a comprehensive compilation of the classic Sony effects unit’s reverb presets. This collection encompasses 52 reverb patches in total.

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HIGH QUALITY REVERB EATING BATTERIES

by Rene Kirchner

Sound Quality 95%
Build Quality 95%
Usefullness 95%
Mojo/Funk 95%
Reliability 50%

I owned one and miss it! I really love the way Sony built and designed the UI with the alpha dial and the hundreds of parameters to emulate chambers, rooms and artificial what evers….During my ownership: 2008 – 2017, I had to replace the buffer battery (CR2032) three times. And I didn’t purchase cheap or old batteries. That really drove me mad.
You need to ask the previous owner when the battery was replaced the last time. the unit requires 3 Rows in your 19″ rack to be cooled form both sides. Otherwise the display will get issue.

AN EXCELLENT REVERB

by Marcus

Sound Quality 90%
Build Quality 90%
Usefullness 50%
Mojo/Funk 20%
Reliability 90%

This is clean and can be uncoloured. It is the reverb I go to when I want to match or augment a natural reverb already recorded. It can be basically nu-identifiable even on a simply miked acoustic recording. (I have over a dozen hardware reverbs and no others can do this function as well.)

Review

by Anonymous

Sound Quality 90%
Build Quality 95%
Usefullness 75%
Mojo/Funk 60%
Reliability 100%

GREAT UNIT

by Anonymous

Sound Quality 90%
Build Quality 80%
Usefullness 95%
Mojo/Funk 60%
Reliability 80%

I have AMS RMX 16, AKG BX20, A Plate, still this is on every mix since I got it one year ago. Fantastic “real” reverb sound that beats all plugins.

OBVIOUSLY BETTER THAN USING A PLUG IN REVERB

by Miguel

Sound Quality 95%
Build Quality 95%
Usefullness 95%
Mojo/Funk 75%
Reliability 100%

Obviously better than using a plug in reverb. Perhaps a little noisy but nothing important because you can fix it with a good input/output balance. Clean reverb and good early reflections, good presets and a lot of parameters to configure your own user banks.

GREAT REVERB!

by Anonymous

Sound Quality 100%
Build Quality 90%
Usefullness 100%
Mojo/Funk 80%
Reliability 75%

I can remember back in the day when the Sony DPS-R7 was first released dreaming of owning one but they were too far out of reach back then, now prices on these things are falling daily to stupidly low levels, and after trying one in my rack all I can say is get yourself one. Way better than any plugin I have used and build quality is great. Forget about editing as the interface is bloody confusing so just go with the presets as they are excellent.

GREAT REVERB BUT NOISY

by Steven

Sound Quality 95%
Build Quality 90%
Usefullness 90%
Mojo/Funk 70%
Reliability 90%

I really liked the R7, it offered really nice reverbs with smooth tails, a very useful reverb for anyone looking for a good hardware reverb that still stands up today. My only complaints are the user interface once again, plus it was somewhat noisy. Regardless of the specs I found it to be noisier than the older Sony MU-R201, so I kept the later.

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