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Description

Step into the world of vintage analog sound with the AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb, a cherished classic in the realm of studio recording gear. Revered for its lush, natural reverb, this effects processor captures the essence of spacious acoustics, making it a staple in professional and home studios alike. Featuring a unique dual-tank design, the BX-20 delivers a rich, immersive sound that enhances any audio track with warmth and depth. Its ability to inject vibrant life into vocals, guitars, and more is unmatched, making it a favorite among audio engineers seeking that iconic reverb tone.

The BX-20 stands out with its spring-based reverb technology, offering a sound that is both authentic and versatile. This iconic piece of gear is perfect for those who appreciate the classic warmth of analog equipment but require a reliable, high-quality performance in modern recording environments. Whether you're looking to add subtle ambiance or create dramatic soundscapes, the AKG BX-20 provides the flexibility and character needed to elevate your audio productions.

Key Features:

  • Dual-tank spring reverb design for lush, immersive sound
  • Classic analog warmth with spring-based reverb technology
  • Ideal for vocals, guitars, and various instruments
  • Robust construction, suitable for professional studio use
  • Versatile controls for precise reverb customization
  • Revered for its natural and authentic reverb tones
METEORSOUNDjp

METEORSOUNDjp

AKG BX20 SPRING REVERB

Video thumbnail for AKG BX20 SPRING REVERB by METEORSOUNDjp

AKG BX20 SPRING REVERB

METEORSOUNDjp

METEORSOUNDjp

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb.

Features and functionality

  • The AKG BX20 spring reverb is praised for creating a vivid, immersive sound, likened to "headlights in a heavy morning fog" once levels are properly set.

    Source
  • AudioThing Springs offers unique configurations with multiple materials and equipment options, providing versatile sound customization beyond typical spring reverb plugins.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners find the AKG BX20 challenging but rewarding, indicating a need for precise level adjustments to achieve optimal sound quality.

    Source
  • Owners of the Arturia Rev-SPRING 636 mention frustration with its installation process, noting it consists of numerous individual files, which can be time-consuming to manage.

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Use cases and applications

  • The BX20 complements vintage synthesizers like the PPG 1002, enhancing their analog warmth and depth in recordings.

    Source
  • Some users achieve a more realistic spring reverb sound by using physical tanks driven by various equipment, like mic preamps and headphone amps, for added depth.

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Comparisons

  • The Arturia Rev-SPRING 636 is praised for its pre-amp saturation, offering a unique character that stands out from other spring reverb plugins.

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  • Pulsar Audio's Primavera is frequently compared to real spring reverb tanks, with users highlighting its ability to emulate genuine spring reverb characteristics.

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Critic Reviews

Universal Audio AKG BX20

soundonsound.com

The Universal Audio AKG BX20 plug-in faithfully revives the classic spring reverb with modern enhancements, offering a rich, organic sound suitable for various instruments. Its detailed emulation captures the essence of the original, with added controls for flexibility, like pre-delay and channel linking. However, its higher latency may cause input processing issues on some interfaces, but it's a non-issue for mixing. Overall, it's a practical alternative to plate reverbs, delivering a big, complex sound that's versatile for studio use.

positive

Review: UAD AKG BX 20 — AudioTechnology

audiotechnology.com

The UAD AKG BX-20 plug-in faithfully captures the lush, dark character of the original vintage reverb, offering a distinctive sound that stands apart from other reverbs. Its unique stereo options and evolving detail in tails make it a creative powerhouse, particularly for guitars and percussive instruments. However, its minimum reverb time of 2 seconds limits its use for subtle applications. Despite this, its ability to transform mixes with expansive textures makes it a worthy addition to any studio, especially for those seeking a reverb with a strong voice and retro charm.

positive

FLASHBACK: Vintage AKG BX20 Reverb Unit | Performer Mag

performermag.com

The AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb captivates with its ability to mimic the acoustic beauty of concert halls, offering a rich, unique sound profile that stands apart from common reverb units. Its dual-channel capability, along with mono or stereo usage, adds versatility, making it a beloved choice in both vintage and modern music production. Though the hardware is rare, the Universal Audio plug-in provides an accessible alternative for those seeking its iconic sound. Overall, this unit is a cherished gem for engineers looking to break the mold and explore expansive sonic textures.

positive

UAD AKG BX20 review | MusicRadar

musicradar.com

The UAD AKG BX20 is a stunningly crafted reverb clone that captures the essence of the original with exceptional quality. Its sound is rich, enhancing UAD's prestige in the realm of vintage gear emulation. With straightforward controls and the ability to work in mono or stereo, it offers great tonal flexibility. The reverb’s ability to create beautiful tails makes it ideal for a wide range of musical applications, from guitars to vocals, and even drums and synths. While it lacks apparent cons, its small feature set belies its versatility, making it a standout choice for any producer seeking high-quality reverb.

positive

New Plugin Review: AKG BX 20 Spring Reverb by UAD — SonicScoop

sonicscoop.com

Review Of UAD AKG BX 20 Spring Reverb Plug-in | Pro Tools - The leading website for Pro Tools users

production-expert.com

5.0 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 2 Ratings

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Artist usage

Add artist
See how Justin Vernon uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Justin Vernon

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Bon Iver

...
Verified via Soundonsound

In this article it says Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) used an AKG BX-20 reverb while recording his last album 22, A Million

See how Squarepusher uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Squarepusher

Bassist, Music Producer

Squarepusher & AFX

...
Verified via Soundonsound

In this Sound On Sound interview (Jumble Sale Studio section), upon detailing and explaining how he made his own spring reverb, he mentions that the AKG BX-15 and AKG BX-20 spring reverb units were also extensively used on the album "Hello Everything". Quote from Tom himself: "The reverb uses four pairs of Accutronics type 1, 4, 8 and 9 springs. The stereo input stages incorporate a soft-clip circuit, high shelving EQ and spring selectors that send the input to a given pair of springs. There are four output stages to which the springs can be assigned. Each output stage has signal invert, volume and pan controls. The springs can be used in parallel or series, where one spring signal is fed into another. The circuit grounding uses star topology. It was used extensively on the album Hello Everything, in conjunction with my AKG BX15 and BX20 reverbs. It is clearly audible at the starts of 'Bubble Life', 'Circlewave' and 'Plotinus'.”

See how Steve Albini uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Steve Albini

Singer, Guitarist

Big Black

...
Verified via Soundonsound

We have a spring reverb tower, the AKG BX20, which in its day was the bee's knees for long reverbs. It was a $5000-10,000 device when it was made, in the late '60s and early '70s. It's about six feet tall and has two spiral reverb springs and it sounds lovely.

See how Air uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Air

Music Producer

...
Verified via Soundonsound

The main reverb on this album is an AKG BX20 they own — they have a BX5 too. It's mono, and it's on every track. Whenever we needed stereo reverb, Jean?Benoît added his Lexicon 200, always using the same preset. No reverb plug?in was ever used!

See how Tim Gane uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Tim Gane

Guitarist, Bassist

Stereolab

...
Verified via EMusician

There's a full list of Stereolab's live and studio equipment, circa 2004, listed in this e-musician article.

See how Isao Tomita uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Isao Tomita

Keyboardist, Music Producer

...
Verified via Nytimes

Toward the end of the century, when Isao Tomita sat down to record the piece, he had before him a thicket that included a Moog synthesizer, comprising (among many other things) a 914 extended range fixed filter bank, two 904-A voltage-controlled low-pass filters, nine 901-B oscillators, four 911 envelope generators, five 902 voltage-controlled amplifiers, a 950 keyboard controller and a 6401 Bode ring modulator; several tape recorders, among them an Ampex MM-1100 16-track and a Sony TC-9040 4-track; two Sony MX-16 mixers; an AKG BX20E Echo unit; an Eventide Clockworks Instant Phaser; two Binson Echorec 2 units; and the electronic keyboard instrument known as a Mellotron.

D

Dave Fridmann

Music Producer

Mercury Rev

...
Verified via Soundonsound

For this, Fridmann favours his EMT 240 'gold' plate, his AKG BX20 spring reverb, the Lexicon 200 and even the Alesis Midiverb II. "There's a couple of presets on there that I love,” he says of the latter. "They crunch up in this really nice way.”

See how Ryan Petersen uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Ryan Petersen

Drummer, Music Producer

...
Verified via YouTube

In the video titled "EPIC HOME STUDIO Setup 2024 | Ryan Petersen (studio tour)" by Andrew Masters on YouTube, Ryan Petersen is seen at 49:53 presenting an AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb in his basement gear room.

See how Jack Shirley uses AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb

Jack Shirley

Music Producer

...
Verified via Theatomicgarden

Listed on Atomic Garden website's equipment page

Album Usage

The AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use AKG BX-20 Spring Reverb, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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