Universal Audio UAD Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb

What UAD Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb Is For

UAD Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb is a reverb plug-in designed to recreate lush, "alive" spaces typical of late 70s and 80s studio productions. It excels both in mixing and tracking, to place a vocal upfront with a silky reverb tail, widen a snare without harshness, or add volume to guitars, synths, pianos, and pads.

Thanks to its characteristic modulation and progressively dense echoes, it can shift from subtle, musical ambiances to large, enveloping washes while maintaining a realistic sense of depth. It's a go-to choice when seeking a vintage digital reverb that remains easy to fit into a modern mix.

Main Features

An Emulation Designed Like an Instrument

The plug-in is based on the algorithms and control code from the Lexicon 224, using a final firmware version (4.4). To enhance character, the modeling also includes notable hardware elements such as the input transformers and the behavior of early 12-bit AD/DA conversions with gain stepping, contributing to the texture and "studio" feel of the reverb.

8 Reverb Programs + 1 Chorus to Cover All Layers

You get eight legendary reverb programs and one chorus program, capable of processing both single sources (lead vocals, snare, solo guitar) and instrument buses. Programs like Plate and Concert are especially suited for capturing distinctive tonal colors, with controlled brightness and musical modulation that avoids static effects.

Fast Workflow: Essential Parameters in the Right Place

Every parameter from the original hardware is present and accessible via dedicated sliders. The Bass/Mid "split decay" and Crossover settings allow balancing reverb duration across lows, mids, and highs to prevent an overwhelming low end while maintaining a rich tail. The Treble Decay helps soften the high frequencies to place the reverb behind the source without harshness.

To manage rhythmic clarity, the Predelay creates a delay between the attack and the start of the reverb, while Diffusion controls how quickly the echo density builds. Finally, Depth adjusts the perceived distance between the source and the space, useful for shifting from a "close" reverb to a more distant background.

Adjustable Authenticity: System Noise and Hidden Controls

To match historical behavior, a System Noise control lets you enable or disable the hardware's dynamic system noise and certain characteristic artifacts (gain stepping, parameter zippering, and quiescent noise). Opening the additional controls panel gives access to extra settings like input/output gain, Pitch Shift, and a Bug Fix mode (activating/deactivating historical corrections on Hall B and Chorus programs), allowing you to tailor the sound to your aesthetic and session.

Production-Oriented Presets

The plug-in includes presets crafted by renowned Lexicon 224 users (including Chuck Zwicky and Kevin Killen), useful for quickly starting with proven tones: airy vocals, punchy plates, wide halls, or shorter, denser ambiances.

Technical specifications

Type

Full software

Downloadable

Yes

macOS	Catalina 10.15, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13, or Sonoma 14	Interface	dedicated sliders and buttons (exposed hardware parameters)
Windows	Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit editions)	Temporal EQ	Bass/Mid "split decay", Crossover, Treble Decay
Processor	Intel, AMD, or Apple silicon processor	Space and Placement	Depth, Predelay, Diffusion
Programs	8 reverb programs + 1 chorus program	Authenticity	System Noise (enable/disable modeled noise and artifacts)
Modeling Reference	Lexicon 224 algorithms and processor code	Additional Controls	Input/Output gain, Pitch Shift, "Bug Fix" mode (Hall B and Chorus)
Firmware	based on version 4.4	Presets	presets by Chuck Zwicky (Prince), Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel), and others
Modeled Components	input transformers, 12-bit AD/DA conversions with gain stepping