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Kurzweil may be not be a household name when you think of outboard effects. However, the seasoned engineers at Kurzweil have a long, celebrated history of programming some of the finest synthesis algorithms ever to be crunched by a microprocessor. More recently, they've brought their expertise to bear on the KSP8, a multichannel processor released two years ago. The KSP8 offered a dizzying amount of variety, flexibility, and programmability. It was also considered pricey by project studio standards, which is where Rumour and Mangler enter the picture. These two units are stocked with scaled- down versions of many of the same effect algorithms found in the KSP8, but at a price that puts them on par with a decent plug-in package.
As you might expect, some corners were cut to bring Rumour and Mangler in at $649, but that doesn't mean these boxes are dumbed down. Quite the contrary. Let's explore.
OVERVIEW
Rumour and Mangler comprise a subset of KDFX algorithms found in the KSP8 and K-series synths; reverbs and delays are Rumour's focus, while modulation, dynamics, lo-fi, and filter effects form the foundation of Mangler's repertoire. There's a bit of cross-over between the two units - you'll find some 'verbs and delays in Mangler, and a selection of compression and flange/chorus programs in Rumour. In total, there are 192 effects presets each; an additional 64 memory locations are available for user settings.
Signals are processed in stereo or dual-mono (if you need surround, you'll have to pony up for a KSP8), and can be patched in via 1/4" balanced jacks or S/PDIF on coax. Analog and digital outs are always active, so you can feed two separate destinations. This is useful in certain situations: Use the analog outs to drive a headphone amp, so you could "play" an effect while tracking, for example. But you could print the effected performance into a DAW without having an extra stage of analog-to-digital conversion.
Analog connections are switchable between -10 and +4 operating levels; the switch is located on the rear, which could be difficult to get to, depending on your setup. (I'd prefer switching levels via software, to avoid digging behind my gear, but I suspect software switching may have been cost prohibitive.)
I don't...