Bassist Amanda Ruzza Finds Unique Sonic Uses for the Lexicon® LXP Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle

Bassist Amanda Ruzza Finds Unique Sonic Uses for the Lexicon® LXP Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle

February 08, 2011

Amanda Ruzza’s open-minded musical approach led her to the Lexicon LXP Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle, used in an unconventional way – as a sonic enhancement to the sound of her 5-string and fretless electric basses. “After installing the LXP reverb plug-in on my computer and quickly dabbling with it to get an idea of what it could do, I immediately used it on some of my previously recorded bass tracks to get some really unique sounds,” Ruzza explained. “By exaggerating some of the levels of its virtual knobs to settings you might not normally use, I was able to create interesting synth-bass solo sounds.”

Born in São Paulo, Brazil to a Chilean mother who loved opera and an Italian father who loved rock and roll, Ruzza developed an eclectic musical ear at an early age. By age 13, she was already gigging regularly in Brazil, and in 2003 began recording and touring with the all-female country band Mustang Sally. She currently performs with her group the Amanda Ruzza Quintet and other artists in the Tri-State New York metro area.

“Generally, bass players tend not to use reverb during live performances,” Ruzza noted. “However, I believe that reverb can be a very effective creative tool in the studio, especially to give a bass solo a bigger sonic space in the mix or to enhance a melody played on a fretless bass and make it sound especially rich and beautiful. This plug-in has really sparked the creativity in my bass playing.”

In addition to adding the LXP reverb plug-in to the sound of her electric basses, Ruzza, like many other artists, engineers and producers, uses the plug-in to enhance the sound of other instruments and vocals. “I use the Lexicon plug-in to completely change some of the synthesizer presets I use in Logic Studio (recording software). I feel like I’ve just added brand-new synthesizer and virtual instrument software to my digital audio workstation.”

“I can hear the fact that in creating this software, Lexicon made sure to keep the sound quality of its very well-respected hardware reverbs intact. Also, the LXP plug-in is so easy to use.”

The PC- and Macintosh®-compatible Lexicon LXP Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle is designed to work with popular DAWs like Pro Tools and Logic, as well as with any other VST®, Audio Unit™ or RTAS®-compatible host. It offers four of Lexicon’s most renowned algorithms – Chamber, Hall, Plate and Room – plus 220 finely crafted studio presets.

Its intuitive user interface provides easy access to key parameters, with a graphical real-time full-color display that illustrates the reverb tail, frequency content and impulse response. Virtual input and output meters provide ready indication of audio levels, and presets can be stored in a DAW-independent format that can be transferred to a different DAW.

Ruzza concluded, “The LXP plug-in sounds amazing, offers good value and is easy to use. As a result, you don’t have to be an ‘A-list’ session musician or big-budget producer or engineer to have access to the same high-quality reverb sounds they use.”

The Lexicon LXP Native Reverb Plug-In Bundle is Native only, and requires iLok authorization. It is currently available at a suggested retail price of $599.95.

For more information please visit www.amandaruzza.com for upcoming performances and other information.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

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