Download the original 4-page catalog for the EXR Exciter circa 1979:
If someone who was involved with the development of this product could please write-in and end the debate on these things: what exactly does this device do, processing wise? The catalog has an intense quasi-scientific account of human perception (going so far as mention Autism), and no real explanation of WTF this thing is actually doing besides some selective harmonic distortion addition, which jibes with my experience of similar products from Aphex. EXR dude, the ball is in yr court…fill us in…
12 replies on “Snake Oil or Holy Water?”
Wiered. Haven´t heared of this one. Looks interesting. Great find. 🙂
Regards
Sebastian
I remember this unit from way back. I think the advertising copy guys got carried away with ‘over-processing’ the relevance of the unit in audio work. LOL! Aphex rules, and Peavey has some nice units too. Cheers.
Aphex does rule….
Well it use to.
Rode Microphones bought the rights to the company a few years ago.
Hmmmmmm…. here I am, the former president of EXR, wondering what to do with the one remaining EXIV prototype in my basement before I move. I agree, the now deceased Jim Cassily got a little carried away with that explanation above!!! Talk about over thinking it! I am not a tech person, but the EXR used 180 degree phase cancellation in the mid-range where distortion tends to build. By cancelling out that distortion, the listener could hear more of the highs and lows. In a concert or recording studio situation, the effect was, when A-B’d, as if someone was throwing a heavy quilt over the speakers when the unit was shut off. Some people claimed it was simply an EQ boost, but that was not it at all.
I left the audio industry years ago and went into interior design, so please no heavy tech questions! If anyone cares to hear about the lawsuit with Aphex story, I can share some of that one.
this is grt melanie, thank u, and grt explanation of the technology. I wonder if there is a plug-in that does this same thing nowadays? c.
I would like to hear that story, and what did you do with the prototype?
I had one these units, used it in FOH when running the PA or in my guitar rack when playing. I also used it for mastering field recordings. I was sad when one of the functions failed, and finally one channel failed. I still have/use two EXIV’s. These put Aphex to shame.
I know that my boss from Sound Unlimited Systems in North Hollywood California was using the EXR SPI in the early 1980s for dance nitery business (disco) prior to moving to the Aphex Aural Exciter.
I actually did see a working EXR SPI in one of his original club systems from around September 1982.
Here’s what the ex-owner/president of Aphex says:
“It was a multi pole high pass filter. When that output was added back to the full signal it created a comb filter effect. Initial impression was increased presence but very quickly people realized that there were parts of the spectrum missing.”
And he DOES know technical things, in the greatest detail. And he had the best engineers. So many, many classic hit records were recorded using or mastered using the Aphex Aural Exciter for decades & so few people know. Which is still selling after nearly 40 years.
The EXR is absolutely audio quackery, pure snake oil. Hardly surprising their admitted “not a tech person” ex-president (now interior designer) doesn’t even know how it works.
If you want to lose huge chunks of your music, use an EXR. Its not a serious piece of gear.
I acquired a unit (as featured in the photo) in the mid 90’s from a guy who owed me some$$. I never had even fired it up. Then a tech who came to the studio to commission our new Amek console noticed it and said he knew a guy in Chicago who would buy it without question. He was an R&B producer and supposedly used these EXR units on practically every track he recorded. So just to confirm it passed signal prior to agreeing to sell it I randomly chose to insert it on a kick drum track. Not something usually associated with exciters. The result was incredible! Though I occasionally used it on other sources, it became my secret regarding how I achieved such great attack on my kick drum in mixes. I used this technic on a majority of recordings for the years that followed, including major label releases. No other exciter or enhancer processors were capable of producing the same effect. Including any model from Aphex. A couple years ago one channel finally failed, then this past November it was stolen from a storage unit in Escondido, CA along with 90 % of my recording gear. I’d purchase another one of the same model if available.
Musician for 50 years, Studio engineer since 1994, Degree in electronics. Bud’s comments are the more real world experience. I never disliked a piece of equipment because of its design per say, I always look at equipment for what it is, a TOOL, and how it sounds to ME. Been a president of a multi-million dollar gaming operation as well and my job was to manage directors and managers(people), not know every nuance of their expertise. Not that it doesn’t help! Bottom line, now I have to go check it(EXR) on a kick track to see what it does before I let it go. you never know. I once had a very well known music recording industry figure (published)tell me vintage Quad Eight channels sounded like a wet blanket draped over your speakers. He sold me 4 MM61 channels for $175.00 dollars apiece. After a proper recap and cleaning, they are arguably the best sounding preamps(and deal) I have ever heard including Neve, Electrodyne, Amek, or anything else. Everyone I know in the industry agrees with me. Point being, usefulness is in the ear of the listener. I never dreamt of trying the EXR II on Kick…my Bad! I’ll let you know…
Bud, I have 2 or 3 of these if you really need one. They also pop up on ebay periodically.