Lexicon PCM92 Reverb / Effects
Lexicon·Model PCM92·lexicon-pcm92
Photos
Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate above stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.
About the Lexicon PCM92
The Lexicon PCM92 is the touring continuation of the Lexicon legacy that gave the world the 224, 480L, and PCM81 — lush, lead-vocal-defining reverbs that have shaped the sound of live shows for forty years. Two channels of true-stereo processing, AES/EBUThe pro standard for stereo digital audio over an XLR cable — balanced, so it runs much farther than consumer S/PDIF. + analog I/O, and the iconic Lexicon hall, plate, and chamber programs that engineers reach for on lead vox and drum room sends. Expensive, indispensable on high-end FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. rigs.
The PCM92 is Lexicon's touring-grade flagship reverb, and it carries real weight behind that title. The lineage — 224, 480L, PCM81 — isn't marketing copy; those boxes defined what a large hall or warm plate sounds like on a live vocal for forty years, and the PCM92 continues that algorithm work in a single 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. package. You're buying it for the reverb character: the way a Lexicon hall breathes around a lead vocal without masking intelligibility, or the way a plate settles under a snare without turning to mud. This is a dedicated effects processor, not a multi-effects Swiss army knife, and that focus is exactly the point.
Practically speaking, the PCM92 covers its bases for a professional touring rig without drama. BalancedCarries the signal on two wires and cancels whatever noise both pick up — why mic cables can run hundreds of feet hum-free. XLRThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. analog I/O plus AES/EBUThe pro standard for stereo digital audio over an XLR cable — balanced, so it runs much farther than consumer S/PDIF. means it drops cleanly into either an analog or digital signal chain — useful when your console's aux sendsAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. are analog but your stage snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. is already running AES. At 18 watts nominal draw and 240mm depth, it won't stress a standard 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. slot in a shallow IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. or FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. rack. Ethernet control opens the door to recall and remote parameter changes from a laptop or console integration, which matters when a quick hall pre-delay tweak between sets isn't something you want to do from the front panel in the dark.
Pick the PCM92 if you're carrying a high-end FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. or monitor rig and reverb quality is non-negotiable — think touring with artists where the lead vocal reverb is a signature sound, not just ambience fill. At $3,499 it demands that level of justification. If you're renting a club backlineThe band’s on-stage instrument gear — amps, drums, keys. What a venue or festival sometimes supplies so you can travel light. rig for a weekend run or building a utility effects loop where any quality plate will do, a PCM96 or a used TC Electronic M-One sitting in the same slot will free up significant budget for everything else. This box earns its rack space on ridersThe document attached to a booking that lists what the band needs — inputs, monitors, power, backline (and the green-room snacks). where the engineer has an opinion about reverb, and everyone in the room knows it.
In the rack
- Route the PCM92 on a dedicated aux sendAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. from your console specifically for lead vocal and keep a second aux for drums or keys — splitting the two channels across different sources lets you run independent tail times without chewing up another rack unitThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one..
- Use the AES/EBUThe pro standard for stereo digital audio over an XLR cable — balanced, so it runs much farther than consumer S/PDIF. path when your console supports it: you eliminate one analog conversion stage and keep the clock domain consistent, which is audible on long pre-delay programs where jitterTiny timing wobble in a digital clock. Enough of it smears detail and stereo image — why serious rigs care about clocking. can smear the attack of a return.
- Save and name your show-specific programs to user banks before load-in; the factory presets are a starting point but you'll dial in hall size and pre-delay to the room on day one, and losing that work at the next power cycle is a painful reset.
- Ethernet control is worth patching even if you don't plan to use it regularly — having remote recall available means you can snapshot a reverb state mid-show from FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. without touching the rack, which matters in festival changeovers where the rack may be locked in a case road-side.
Two-channel touring reverb. The "lead vocal hall" preset has been on more records than half the catalog.
I/O Ports (8)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analog In L (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Analog In R (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Analog Out L (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Analog Out R (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| AES/EBU In | AES3 XLR | input | digital audio | — |
| AES/EBU Out | AES3 XLR | output | digital audio | — |
| Ethernet (control) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
- Power (IEC) (IEC C14)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
