What's your preferred reverb plugin?

[Taino]

Like i said... plugin. I used Timeworks, Sonitus, Lexicon Pantheom, Waves Trueverb, Cakewalk, Soundforge, Glaceverb and never i have been 100% satisfied with any of those.

What's your preferred reverb plugin?

[WFTurner]

Voxengo's Pristine Space Light (http://www.voxengo.com/product/pspacelt/)

http://users.zoominternet.net/~wfturnermusic/sonarlogo1.jpg
My Other Favorite Forum (http://forum.cakewalk.com/tt.asp?forumid=5)

[squealie]

While on this subject, what plugin offers the classic GATED REVERB like the old Alesis and Lexicon boxes had?

[kylen]

Concerning the early reflection component on the larger topic of reverb(s) I'm currently working out with Wave Arts Panorama (algorithmic) and Voxengo Pristine Space (convolution).

Panorama explicitly allows for HRTF settings but both tools feature the facility to set early reflections in a binaural manner (assuming stereo impulses in P.S.) which simulates some of the the normal combing that our own heads encounter out in 3D open space.

I'm using those to rebalance some live mixes where one channel was a feed straight off the board from close-mics and the sound is all up front and in your face - you know what I mean...

[rhythminmind]

waves IR-1 my fav so far

[alfonso]

This one:

http://www.sonictimeworks.com/p_100.php

and this one:

http://www.sonictimeworks.com/a_100.php

two different algos of the same family, these 2 plugs have no rivals to my ears, in any platform.

They only run on CWA Scope software though...

[Will Chen]

SIR available free here:

http://www.knufinke.de/sir/index_en.html

I've tried a few different verbs and this one is my fav with TrueVerb a very close second.

[Kiwiburger]

www.artsacoustic.com for an extremely versatile algorithmn reverb. The GUI on this is fantastic, and I wish all plugin makers would take note.

Convolution reverbs are useful, and SIR is as good as anything else, if you have the same impulses. Obviously some of the expensive ones have exclusive libraries which might make them worth the purchase.

Other high quality algorithm plugins are:
R66 - capable of gorgeous Lexicon-ish effects, dog to program
PSP Easyverb - don't let the easy interface fool you, it can sound great
Princeton 2016 - took me a while to appreciate this - it's a Room reverb. As soon as you make it sound like a hall or big space, the sproing, oing, oing will annoy you. Or maybe not. But for small rooms it's very good, even at 100% wet.
Silverspike R2 - excellent early refelections, not so keen about the tail, but very useful.

[seaneldon]

i've been using the UAD-1 Reverbs exclusively. Dream Verb is awesome, and the Plate reverb in my Ultra Pack is unbelievable.

[Kiwiburger]

Originally posted by squealie
While on this subject, what plugin offers the classic GATED REVERB like the old Alesis and Lexicon boxes had?

A few, like the excellent freebie Magnus Ambiance, have gating built in. But, I highly recommend that you use a seperate gate plugin if you really want this effect. Maybe a midi gate, if its midi triggered, or an audio gate. That gives you the ability to control the shape and duration much more accurately.

[maxmartin]

I use an impulse response reverb plugin called "SIR". It's freeware and sounds amazing (depending on the IRs you have).

I would really recommend it. I use it everytime i work on sounddesign.
When it comes to mixing i use an outboard Lexicon PCM91

[Bluewater]

Originally posted by maxmartin
I use an impulse response reverb plugin called "SIR". It's freeware and sounds amazing (depending on the IRs you have).

I would really recommend it. I use it everytime i work on sounddesign.
When it comes to mixing i use an outboard Lexicon PCM91

So do you add reverb to individual tracks and then again to the whole mix durig mixdown?

[blue2blue]

I've used just about every type of reverb except a true chamber and, aside from actual ambient reverb, I've never been completely happy with any of them.

I was so reverb starved by my skimpy rig in the 80s -- I started off using the 'verb from my guitar amp I was so hardup for 'verb, later migrating to an Orban spring unit that was pretty, well, springy... or maby sprongy -- that, when I got my first digital verb (an Alesis Microverb around the late, late 80s) I went nuts for a while and eventually decided reverb -- at least noticeable reverb -- was usually fairly annoying. Still, you generally need some to hold the typical overdubbed multitrack 'together' sonically and to that end I gathered a number of mid-priced digi-verbs from Lexicon, Alesis, Digitech (the old TSR24), etc. I think I have 6 multi-boxes gathering dust (but I have 3 of them in my main rack, just to be on the safe side).

My collection of verb plugs is more limited (I don't do cracks). I have the Lex Pantheon, which I initially didn't like (too 'creamy') but that I'm warming up to as I explore more subtle uses of it, some CW/Sonar 'verbs, the Edirol Sonitus verb that comes in the plug package that shipped with Sonar 4PE, which I really like for the control, and a number of sometimes quirky, often kind of cool in a spot-use kind of way free plugs.


What I'd really like to get a hold of would be a good spring guitar reverb simulator plug... (that sounds like an unattainable grail, to me, since I'm one of those stick in the muds who doesn't think guitar amp sims don't sound anything like amps)

Don't get me wrong, I seldom try recording DI, typically using my Blues Jr or my Lexicon Signature 284 'recording head' (it has an analog speaker sim that doesn't sound like a speaker but is better than nothing -- and the digital sims I've heard)... but the spring verb in my Blues Jr is absolutely unusable because of the noise in that impedance-mismatched circuit (my guess as to the cause, it sounds like a pit of snakes and the snakes that aren't hissing at the top of their lungs [or whatever organ snakes have] are humming at multiples of 60 Hz. Never trust anything from Fender with a power chord. But then, again, I hate the sound of most guitar amps even worse and the BJr is tolerable except for that freaking 'verb noise issue.)

[maxmartin]

Bluewater:

No...not really.
I use e.g. some Reverb on distant sound effects as a sound design reverb.

After the playback is finished and all instruments are recorded i go to mixdown on a console where i use the PCM91 for Vocals etc. or whereelse i need it

Never use reverb on the main stereo signal

[Kiwiburger]

Never say never.

[rhythminmind]

i'll say never when it comes to reverb on a full mix..

[Kiwiburger]

I'm sure many extremely famous mixing and mastering engineers would disagree with you.

[rhythminmind]

I'm sure thats true.. It's just something i'd never do.. theres just a few things i'd almost never want verb on..

i rarely would want verb on Hat's, bass, kick, ect.. only for drastic effects/transitions.. even if i did want verb on them it would still be on a aux send..

i know i should say "never say never" but verb just something i just hate hearing to much of.

[Kiwiburger]

I think it's a given that any reverb over a mix would be hi-passed and lo-passed to remove the mud and sizzle.

A lot of people like to use a single reverb over a mix to give the sense of a unified space. Obviously depends on the genre. And doesn't have to left on all the time.

[Kiwiburger]

What I'd really like to get a hold of would be a good spring guitar reverb simulator plug... (that sounds like an unattainable grail, to me, since I'm one of those stick in the muds who doesn't think guitar amp sims don't sound anything like amps) Grab yourself a free copy of SIR (you might need a VST wrapper to go with that). Then download the free spring reverb impulses from www.echochamber.ch

While your at it - grab some of the free guitar cabinet impulses from www.noisevault.com I too am fairly unhappy with DI guitar and amp modeling, but try out the free Marshal amp from www.simulanalog.com, and run that through SIR with a cabinet impulse, or maybe a spring reverb impulse.

Or - I haven't tried it yet - but the free Boogex from www.voxengo.com comes with a convolution processor so you can do amp sim and convolution in one plugin. I'm generally a big fan of Voxengo stuff, otherwise I wouldn't normally suggest something I haven't tried yet.

Amazing what's free in PC VST land ...

[ArrMatey]

the problem with loads of those plugins is that they only work for VST-related programs. I don't know many of those for protools LE or such. :(

[maxmartin]

Kiwiburger: SIR is great! The new version features an EQ now too.
It's quite simple to use and there are not many knobs and faders to fool around.

But sometimes things just sound good. Without the need to change everything.


I think it would only work with VST. It's some German guy who developed the plugin and doesn't charge anything.

[TonyCrazyMan]

Just to let you know, I am doing a comprehensive reverb test lab in my studio today, where I'm testing many reverbs, including a few of the best rated reverbs I've found on the web!

I will of course report the test results here later and post sound clips... :)

[Geoff Grace]

Someone should mention Altiverb, so I guess it will be me:

Altiverb (http://www.audioease.com/Pages/Altiverb/AltiverbMain.html)

Best,

Geoff

[synthetic]

I think the reverb effect you want is "nonlinear," not gated. It's similar, but the classic AMS, Lexicon and Alesis reverbs had a nonlinear effect. It's different that just adding a gate to the output of a room. As far as plug-ins with that effect, I have no idea. But's it's a cool sound.

[synthetic]

I'm surprised that there are no impulses of the AMS RMX floating around. "Nonlin" and "Ambience" were very popular reverb programs in the 80's.

[rhythminmind]

i think everyones still hiding/denying there 80's reverb abuse..:rolleyes:

[TonyCrazyMan]

Hi!

I've been busy the whole day experimenting with and testing different reverb plug-ins. I tested the following reverbs:

- UltraFunk Sonitus FX Reverb R3
- Sir (Impulses: Lexicon PCM Series, Lexicon 480L, Lexicon 960, Spring Reverbs, Alesis Microverb 2 & 4, Quantec Yardstick, UAD Plate Reverbs)
- Princeton Digital 2016 Stereo Room VST
- Waves TrueVerb
- Waves IR-1
- Waves Renaissance Reverberator
- Steinberg Nuendo Verb3
- DSP-FX StudioVerb

The goal was not to find the most versatile and well equipped plug-in, my goal was to find the most natural and beautiful sounding reverb! I reached the goal!

First of all I'd like to mention that besides these reverbs I've tested a lot of other reverbs as well (including for instance TC Electronics, Cakewalk), but now that I've tested quite many different reverbs I can say that the sound quality between different reverbs vary pretty much and the reverbs mentioned above are among the better reverbs on the market in terms of the quality of digital software based reverbs. One reverb unit that I haven't tested is the AltiVerb, people say it sounds amazing, but I can really not say anything about it since I've not tested it. What I also found out during this test period was that many of the sounds of the reverb itself are quite the same between different units, but there are differences:

- Stereo and/or dynamic wideness
- Tail modulation

The better these two properties were, the more natural the reverb felt and sounded.

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****Test result****

1.Waves IR-1
2.UltraFunk Sonitus FX Reverb R3
3.Sir (Impulses: Lexicon PCM Series, Lexicon 480L, Lexicon 960, Spring Reverbs, Alesis Microverb 2 & 4, Quantec Yardstick, UAD Plate Reverbs)
4.DSP-FX StudioVerb
5.Steinberg Nuendo Verb3
6.Princeton Digital 2016 Stereo Room VST
7.Waves Renaissance Reverberator
8.Waves TrueVerb


8,7 Waves TrueVerb, Waves Renaissance Reverberator

These reverbs can be useful. They have a lot of features, however, if you have sensitive ears like I have you will feel that these reverbs don't sound so beautiful. But if you're really good at tweaking you might dial in a rather beautiful reverb if you're lucky. But don't expect any top notch quality.

6 Princeton Digital 2016 Stereo Room VST

The Princeton Digital 2016 Stereo Room was clearly much better sounding than both the Waves Renaissance Reverberator and the Waves TrueVerb. By tweaking the Fine Stereo preset you would end up with a quiet stereo rich reverb sound, useful in many different situations. Actually this reverb topped my list at first. I thought there was something interesting about the sound of this reverb. But the problem with this unit was that almost all presets sounded the same, which in combination with the rather limiting editing features made me realise that the unit is capable of a couple of good sounds before you have to start tweaking among very limited features. But because of the sound quality it took the sixth place.

5 Steinberg Nuendo Verb3

I was a little surprised when I tested the Steinberg Nuendo Verb3. It had a pretty simple user interface but a few very good reverbs. When I compared it with the Princeton I thought it was a little better sounding, which in combination with more variations between presets made me realise that Steinberg Nuendo Verb3 takes the fifth place. Steinberg might be underrated when it comes to the quality of the effects they make! They have the knowledge of making great sounding effects! So give Steinberg a second chance if you think they cannot make good sounding effects!

4 DSP-FX StudioVerb

If I would have rated the user friendlyness this unit would have not been on the fourth place. The effect is outside the sequencer window, that is good if you have several monitors, but it's a nightmare if you have only one monitor. Also, the DSP-FX StudioVerb user interface looks rather old. But, do you know what? It sounds great! I almost thought that the DSP-FX StudioVerb would win the test, but after comparing the top 4 units over and over again I realised that it would be unfair to rate it higher. It was mostly in the stereo department where I thought it was not top notch. But this unit is really useful and worth trying. You might like the sound of it!

3.Sir (Impulses: Lexicon PCM Series, Lexicon 480L, Lexicon 960, Spring Reverbs, Alesis Microverb 2 & 4, Quantec Yardstick, UAD Plate Reverbs)

Actually I was playing with the Sir pretty much. I had a lot of impulses I wanted to try out. Some impulses sounded really good, so I got the feeling that with the right impulses this unit might really be very useful! Yes SIR!

2.UltraFunk Sonitus FX Reverb R3

Actually I was not really sure about the quality of this unit's reverbs. I was feeling it was "common sounding" at first, but as the time went by and I was comparing the top 4 over and over again I started to like this effect more and more. Even though it was rather simple and had quite typical reverb sounds I figured out it had a good modulation tail and the width feature was acutally quite useful! So it was smooth and useful, great! I needed to ask a friend too to take a listen, even though I was pretty sure it was not the number one I had to see if I'm being too negative about the potential in the sounds of this unit. But I was not the only one that thought it was not worth the first place. But this effect is actually very good sounding when you compare it with other reverbs on the market.

1.Waves IR-1

Awesome! The Waves IR-1 is really sweet sounding! No matter what sound type you play this unit is actually really sweet to have in the mix. Why is it so good? Because it sounds natural! It is quiet and thin, but it is there and it makes a huge difference in the mix! It sounds like you would be outside a calm night and shout. That's what I call a nice reverb! The Waves IR-1 is also impulse based so you can import new impulses, for instance the Lexicon 480L. I bet those impulses would sound awesome too in the Waves IR-1. Even though the UltraFunk Sonitus FX Reverb R3 and the Sir had many great sounds, I didn't find any as natural sounding as the reverbs in the Waves IR-1. It is the best of those I tested!

Finally I thought I had to post a small demo sound sample of it since you are so curious about what it sounds like on a record if you haven't heard it, so here is a short peace of Twin Peaks I recorded with my keyboard for this. The reverb is lying directly on the stereo outputs, no other reverbs are in the mix. Thanks to the quality of this reverb, it can be on the main stereo outputs without problems. This reverb is so thin, though, that some of it dissapears because of the bitrate being only 160 on this mp3 file. (I had to make it small enough to fit a floppy)

Waves IR-1 Plate Reverb - Twin Peaks (http://www.digitalsoundplanet.com/Members/000177075_000011920_proj.mp3)

[rhythminmind]

i agree with the IR-1..

i think the reason for it being the best is do to it's quality impulses (96k 32 bit) .. they were made with great gear in great spaces... sir could be great but most free impulses are kinda sketchy ..

i'm using the IR-1 but i just hate using waves stuff... i have something against the waves loader.. i tried converting the waves impulses but wavelab didnt like them, even as raw files.. i got it to make a wavform but it had digital crap in the being of the files.. i think waves impulses have meta data in the files that mess up the conversion..

[greendoor]

If you want great non-linear reverbs, they really have to be tweakable in context. The only decent non-linear VST algorithmn reverb I know of is at www.artsacoustic.com This raises the bar for VST plugin algorithmn reverb.