The 125th AES Convention in San Francisco was environed by the new PCM96 Surround Reverb and Effects Processor. This new unit carries on the standard set by the PCM96 with 50 (not 49 and a half) new and legendary Lexicon reverbs, delays and modulation effects while expanding the number of presets, configuration options and I/O section. Furthermore, the PCM96 Surround works as a control-only insert or a Firewire streaming audio plugin with Mac VST or Audio Units softwares.

Lexicon has also seen to it that more algorithms have been developed for the PCM96 Surround. These include a new Pitch algorithm and a new Room algorithm. The latter allows you to select reflection patterns to be scaled and equalized while the unit passes audio at the same time. This means instant reversal or reverb combinations in real time.

The PCM96 also makes use of multimode filters throughout the audio flow in order to more precisely shape the reverb without taking away from the Lexicon sound. All the reverbs have an "infinite" switch which allows them to run forever. I assume that the switch can be turned off, but I think the safety for sure of knowing that you can do so kind of ruins the fun and mystique.

With the PCM96 Surround, you also virtually get four machines by actually getting four virtual machines. Each machines can run its own algorithm so that each input signal can be put through a number of algorithm combinations.

The PCM96 will be available as a digital only version featuring six XLR Stereo AES ins and outs or as a digital and analog version that has two DB25 connectors with six-channel analog I/O and another DB25 with six-channel digital I/O. Each version also features MIDI, Wordclock, Ethernet and Firewire.

Fast Features:

• New Parallel Stereo and Surround configurations
• Lexicon’s new Surround Room algorithm, used to generate a vast array of room-related effects for music and post
• New pitch algorithms
• 50 legendary Lexicon® reverbs, modulation, and delay effects
• Two models available:
• Six XLR Stereo AES inputs and outputs
• Two DB25 six-channel analog I/O and one DB25 six-channel digital I/O
• “Hardware Plug-In” feature with Mac VST® or Audio Units software
• Seamless automation and control via Ethernet or FireWire
• Over 2,200 factory presets, including recognizable classics from Lexicon’s immense library of sounds
• External BNC Wordclock input
• Multiple sample rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz
• 32-bit floating point processing
• MIDI in, out, and thru
• 768 user presets
• Large front panel OLED display
• Compact Flash preset storage
• HiQnet™ compatible