Reverb Vst Plugin
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Let’s be honest, there are a lot of plugins available. Figuring out which is best, particularly when “best” is so subjective, is tough. For this article I want to focus specifically on reverb. I want to give you not just my favorite choices of plugins, but also a little bit about application, so that you can figure out what will likely work best for you.
By the way, these aren’t in a “ranking” order, because they all have their place and will be best in some cases but not in others.
Search results showing audio plugins for all operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android), tagged as Reverb. The results are sorted by most popular with KVR members (Data from MyKVR 'Favorites' Group). Page 24 of 24. Closing out our list is Smartelectronix Ambience, which is the most customizable free reverb vst of the six. All the work on this plugin clearly went into the algorithmic design, seeing as the interface displayed in Logic is identical to those presented by Apple’s most basic Audio Units that come packaged with every Apple computer. See also: Best FREE Convolution Reverb VST Plugins At its core, Inspirata is a convolution reverb. Like any other convolution reverb plugin, Inspirata uses pre-recorded impulse responses to simulate an acoustic space’s reverb characteristics.
1. Your Stock DAW Reverb
I just completed a mix for a new signee on a major last week. The feedback was very positive, particularly on my use of reverb. The two primary reverbs that I used on the record: My $3,950 Bricasti M7 (worth every penny!) and D-Verb, the stock reverb from Pro Tools. And I am not the only one. I hang with the top mixers and we talk shop. Stock plugins have their place right alongside the most expensive, flashy equipment in the world.
Favorite use: Kick and snare drums! There’s just something about that slightly trashy tone that makes the D-Verb “Church” preset, set very short, sound awesome on drums. Also, the “hall” set super short and tucked on Trap-style hi-hats is brilliant.
2. LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven
I demo’d this very recently and it’s an instant-buy for me. I am a huge Bricasti fan. Casey, one of the designers, joined me for an interview in my Mixing With Reverb tutorial, and…hold on…I need to calm myself down…ok. So, the one problem with the Bricasti is that it’s hard to own ten of them. I probably would if I could. There have been some attempts to recreate the Bricasti sound, and LiquidSonics has been the first company that I feel has done it convincingly. It’s not the cheapest software in the world, but the quality totally justifies the price.
Favorite use: Uh, Everything. I use the real deal for my lead vocals and/or feature instrument. Everything else I’m a confident in Seventh Heaven. Particularly sweeter melodic elements like piano, acoustic guitar and strings.
3. Lexicon PCM Bundle
While 7th Heaven gets shockingly close to my M7, the Lexicon PCM bundle is literally the spitting image of the 480L. It is the same algorithm housed in both the software and the hardware, with the only difference being the converters and amplification stage in between. The Lex algorithm is simpler and requires a bit more modulation to get a smooth tone, which gives it that signature “sparkly chorusy” sound. And that can be just perfect on a number of sources.
Favorite use: Anything that needs a bit of “magic.” That can be literally almost any source.
4. Altiverb
Altiverb is the leader in convolution reverb. Most reverbs we are discussing are algorithm-based, meaning they use math to turn a source into a reverberant version. Convolution means sample-based, where an impulse is generated through a physical room or device and the resulting tail is used to model the reverb. In other words, someone stands in a room, shoots off a starter pistol and records it. That recording is then used to generate what another sound would sound like if it occurred in the same space. Altiverb is generally used more in post-production for film, but it can be great for adding realistic space to a musical environment.
Favorite use: Anything that needs to sound like it’s in a live space. Drums and ensembles across genres, Classical and Jazz if the space needs augmenting.
5. UAD Oceanway
Now if we want scary realism — the UAD Oceanway is hard to beat. Technically this is a convolution reverb, although the description frames it as “dynamic room modeling.” In my mind, that just means really really good convolution. But whatever it is, the ability to perceive front-to-back depth is crazy realistic in this plugin. I would go as far as to say that this plugin alone comes close to justifying getting a UAD system.
Reverb Vst Plug-ins
Favorite use: Front-to-back imaging! Background vocals, percussion, ensembles and anything that’s meant to sit in the back of the sonic field — this is my immediate go-to. I love that feeling of being able to perceive the physical distance between the front of the stereo image and the back, and I’ll often look for one element in a mix to put back there, just to give my foreground an even greater sense of forwardness.
6. Waves Rverb
Now, I don’t use Rverb a lot. But there are two places where I like it. I like it very subtly on rap vocals. There’s this graininess that can add space while keeping things feeling not-too-polished. And I like it while tracking. This is very important! A lot of artists like to have reverb in their cue sends while cutting vocals — it helps them get into the vibe. With the more latency-inducing plugins, this isn’t really possible. However, Rverb is a pretty good reverb with very little latency.
Favorite use: I just told you. Tracking.
7. FabFilter Pro-R
I am a FabFilter fanboy, for sure. The FabFilter Pro-R is a very clean, open sounding reverb. It’s also super customizable (as are most FabFilter plugins). Now, we don’t always want clean and open. In fact, the Fab Pro-R is frequently the worst choice of verb for the job. But when we do want clean and open, nothing can beat it. Not my expensive outboard. Not a real room or echo chamber or plate. It’s kind of king of the heap in that regard.
Favorite use: EDM. The reverbs coming off of the synths in EDM records always seem to have an unnaturally clean quality. When I need to match that vibe, Pro-R is my go-to without much thought needed.
Of course, there are many reverbs out there. Even the reverbs in NI Guitar Rig can be pretty incredible given the right application.
Reverb Vst Plugin
So, what are your favorite plugins for giving your productions some space and depth?
Reverb Tutorial Playlist
Mixing with Reverb
Reverb Vst Plugin Mac
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Inspired Acoustics released Inspirata Lite, a $199 convolution reverb plugin that is free to download until January 31st, 2021.
Inspirata Lite is a free (for a limited time only) plugin based on Inspired Acoustics’ flagship Inspirata Professional reverb platform. Inspired Acoustics describes Inspirata as an “immersive reverb workstation” that lets the user position the processed audio track in a virtual acoustic space.
At its core, Inspirata is a convolution reverb. Like any other convolution reverb plugin, Inspirata uses pre-recorded impulse responses to simulate an acoustic space’s reverb characteristics.
Inspired Acoustics sampled various real-world acoustic spaces, ranging from large concert halls and cathedrals to small domestic spaces and postproduction studio rooms.
What sets Inspirata apart from most other convolution reverb plugins on the market is the level of control and customization offered by the plugin’s user interface. The user can customize the position of both the sound source and the listener in the simulated space.
The Lite and Personal editions of Inspirata can host up to two sound sources, whereas Inspirata Professional bumps that number up to sixteen. The paid editions of Inspirata also include more powerful controls (such as the Clarity control for adjusting early reflections without changing the decay time), multi-channel support, and a larger convolution reverb library.
Limitations aside, Inspirata Lite packs plenty of power for a free convolution reverb. You’re getting a stereo reverb plugin with a 9 GB library, an intuitive control layout, and a quick browser for choosing the virtual reverb space.
All of this looks excellent on paper. There’s one potential issue with Inspirata Lite, though, and that is the download speed.
I learned about the Inspirata Lite freebie offer three days ago, but I was holding off posting an article about it because I wanted to include a mini-review. Whenever possible, I like to test a plugin first before writing a Bedroom Producers Blog article about it.
However, the download speed for Inspirata Lite and its 9GB convolution reverb library is so slow that I wasn’t able to download the plugin as of yet. The one time the download seemed to have finished successfully, the actual downloaded file was corrupted (due to a download error).
Hopefully, you’ll have more success with downloading Inspirata Lite on your computer. If that is the case, please let me know how you liked the plugin in the comments section below.
I will update this article with a mini-review as soon as I’ve had the chance to test Inspirata Lite in my DAW.
Inspirata Lite is available in VST3, AU, and AAX plugin formats for digital audio workstation software on PC and Mac. Only 64-bit plugin hosts are supported. Inspirata Lite normally costs $199, and it’s available for free download until January 31st, 2021.
More info:Inspirata Lite(64-bit VST3/AU/AAX plugin format for Windows & macOS)
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