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11 Best Reverb Plug-ins for Home Studios

Friday January 22, 2021. 06:00 PM , from Sweetwater inSync
Reverb is the glue that holds a mix together whether used
subtly or slathered in heavy layers. Back in the day, reverb options were
limited. You had physical plates like the EMT 140, spring reverbs like the AKG
BX20, and even actual chambers — odd-shaped rooms that were specially built with
reflective walls and outfitted with loudspeakers and microphone arrays — like
Capital Studios’ chambers, which, for isolation from noise from the outside
world, were installed 30 feet below ground! Then, when digital hardware reverbs
like the EMT 250/251 first appeared in studios in the 1980s and 1990s, they had
huge price tags (2–3 times as much as a car) that limited their use to serious
professionals. Thankfully, today’s music creators can choose from an immense
selection of professional-quality reverbs available as affordable software,
many of which emulate the rarefied beasts mentioned above. But, with all of the
options, it can be tough to find the right reverb or reverbs for your home
studio. We talked to home-studio owners at Sweetwater (there are lots of us!)
to find out which reverbs they preferred. Here are 11 of their favorites:

iZotope Neoverb Reverb Plug-inFabFilter Pro-R Reverb Plug-inWaves H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb Plug-inAudio Ease Altiverb 7Eventide Blackhole Reverb Plug-inSoundtoys Little Plate Electromechanical Reverb Plug-inRelab Development Sonsig Rev-A Reverb Plug-inZynaptiq Adaptiverb Reflectionless Reverb Plug-inRelab Development LX480 Complete Reverb Plug-in Reverb Foundry HD Cart Reverb Plug-inUAD Reverb Plug-ins

iZotope Neoverb Reverb Plug-in

iZotope have leveraged their expertise in intelligent software design to provide streamlined solutions for artists, producers, and engineers, reducing a lot of the tedious work needed to make a great mix. iZotope Neoverb takes the Assistant feature found in their popular Neutron 3, Ozone 9 Advanced, and Nectar 3 Plus plug-ins and applies it to a versatile algorithmic reverb. When engaged, Neoverb’s Reverb Assistant employs AI-powered technology to analyze a track and design a custom reverb preset based on user-selected preferences. Choose if you want a realistic reverb or a dramatic reverb with a clear, bright, or dark tone, and Neoverb does the rest. Then, you can either use the preset as is or dig into the software for further customization with options for blending three distinct reverb types manually or by using automation. iZotope Neoverb is ultra-flexible, making it a great choice if you want a single reverb that can do it all and do it quickly!

FabFilter Pro-R Reverb Plug-in

Boasting a sophisticated retina interface, stunningly realistic algorithms, and detailed tweakability, the FabFilter Pro-R is another comprehensive plug-in capable of tackling numerous reverb tasks. Whether you’re adding a natural sense of space to a stripped-down performance or crafting densely textured ambience, you’ll be impressed with FabFilter Pro-R’s pristine sound quality and intuitive controls, which provide ample visual feedback via a real-time spectrum analyzer to assist you in shaping the reverb tones. The FabFilter Pro-R’s many parameters include intelligent stereo width, brightness, character (for adding modulation), and mix control with a lock feature that allows you to surf presets without altering your current mix setting. On top of that, you’re treated to 6-band FabFilter Pro-Q-style control for both the decay rate and post-effect EQ.

Waves H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb Plug-in

A part of Waves’ well-regarded H-Series plug-ins, the Waves H-Reverb takes a hybrid approach, merging top-notch analog emulation with the precision and freedom of digital control. Built around Waves’ revolutionary Finite Impulse Response software engine, the H-Reverb is imbued with the sound of classic hardware reverb units but offers forward-thinking features that make it right at home in contemporary productions. Plus, it boasts one of the most impressive preset libraries of any reverb plug-in with hundreds of presets created by numerous industry-leading mixing engineers. The H-Reverb is a great choice when you don’t quite know what you’re looking for but are sure you’ll recognize it when you hear it! Browsing through its stunning presets, you’re certain to find inspiring sounds!

Audio Ease Altiverb 7

When Audio Ease brought the first iteration of Altiverb to market back in 2001, it was a total game changer that introduced the world to the splendors of convolution reverb. By using sampled impulse responses captured at physical locations, convolution reverbs offer unparalleled realism. Have you ever wanted to hear how you would sound performing in Wembley Stadium or at the Sydney Opera House? With Audio Ease Altiverb 7, you can — and at hundreds of other locations, too! Plus, Audio Ease regularly adds new impulses, which are free to Altiverb users, all accessible via the “New” tab right in the plug-in. On top of traditional performance spaces, Altiverb features a bevy of unique spaces such as airplane cockpits, car interiors, homes, and office buildings — making it a superlative choice for broadcast and film post-production audio.

Eventide Blackhole Reverb Plug-in

So far, we’ve been looking at reverbs that excel at re-creating real spaces or famous hardware algorithmic reverbs. However, the Eventide Blackhole reverb plug-in is an entirely different animal. Based on the “Blackhole” preset from the popular Eventide Space reverb pedal, the Blackhole plug-in is made for conjuring bizarre soundscapes, cascading delay effects, and infinite reverbs. When your track demands an element of chaos or dreamy atmospherics, Blackhole is the right reverb for the job, and its unique ribbon strip, which you can use to blend and morph Blackhole’s numerous parameters, makes it one of the most interactive reverb plug-ins around!

Soundtoys Little Plate
Electromechanical Reverb Plug-in

The most straightforward offering on this list, the Soundtoys Little Plate electromechanical reverb plug-in has simple controls and a huge sound! Meticulously re-created from analyzing five vintage EMT 140 plate reverbs, Little Plate is sweet, dark, and lush. It’s a favorite snare reverb of engineers at Sweetwater working in more organic genres, such as alt country, indie folk, and garage rock. Yet, with Soundtoys’ updated features on the classic plate reverb, including a modulation switch and infinite decay time, Little Plate is also a handy, simple sound-design tool for creating long-tailed impacts and moody synth swells.

Relab Development Sonsig Rev-A Reverb
Plug-in

Relab Development has spent more than a decade focusing on creating time-based plug-in effects that offer the sonic heft of legendary hardware units for DAW-based engineers. Rather than taking its cues from a single device, the Relab Development Sonsig Rev-A reverb plug-in boasts a hybrid design, incorporating elements of several popular units and even adding in the ensemble effect found on the ARP Solina string machine! To appeal to guitarists and bass players, the Relab Development team formatted the Sonsig Rev-A’s interface like a stompbox, with every parameter upfront and accessible — there’s no menu diving needed to get the most out of this plug-in. Detailed and lavish, the Sonsig Rev-A is great for artists who want the ability to dial in a range of rich reverb sounds without fussing around in a complex interface. And it’s purple!

Zynaptiq Adaptiverb Reflectionless
Reverb Plug-in

Like the Eventide Blackhole, the Zynaptiq Adaptiverb reflectionless reverb plug-in provides an alternative to typical reverbs. Eschewing the reflection-based modeling in most reverb plug-ins and devices, Adaptiverb is reflectionless and derives its deep, harmonically rich sound from cutting-edge sound resynthesis techniques, cross-filtering, and reverb pitch processing. This plug-in is a tweaker’s delight and yields entirely unique soundscapes. If your musical approach is centered around designing new, never-before-heard sounds and textures, then Adaptiverb is right up your alley!

Relab Development LX480 Complete
Reverb Plug-in

The second entry from Relab Development on our list, the Relab Development LX480 Complete reverb plug-in is an astoundingly accurate emulation of what is arguably one of the most beloved hardware digital reverb units ever built. Employing the exact same time-based technology that powered the original unit, LX480 Complete presents all of the classic algorithms — the shimmering plates, the resplendent halls, the snappy rooms, and the terrific twin delay. However, Relab Development has made some significant updates, such as continuous controls, more early-reflection delay lines, improved filters, and stereo manipulation, to expand the capabilities of the original unit to meet the demands of modern music makers.

Reverb Foundry HD Cart Reverb Plug-in

The Reverb Foundry HD Cart reverb plug-in also owes its sound to the aforementioned high-end processor on which the LX480 Complete is based. However, HD Cart specifically emulates that unit’s HD/surround expansion cartridge, which included the only algorithm to truly tap the potential on the unit’s dual-board processing. While its high-density stereo mode is certainly impressive, HD Cart really shines when applied to quadraphonic and 5.1 mixes, displaying incredible depth and dimension that will immerse your listeners in a gorgeously rendered ambient environment.

UAD Reverb Plug-ins

Remember the Capitol Studios chambers we talked about? Well, now you can tap into that iconic reverb sound in the comfort of your home studio with UAD’s Capitol Chambers — a stunning re-creation of those idiosyncratic rooms. In fact, UAD offers a drool-worthy selection of many classic reverb emulations, including the EMT 140, EMT 250, AMS RMX16, and more. They are limited, however, to UAD hardware users.

Conclusion

Given the nearly limitless options, selecting the right reverb plug-ins for your home studio can be a challenge. Hopefully, this list of 11 of our favorite reverbs can provide some guidance on some of the best options available to you! If you have any questions about reverb plug-ins or any production software, please reach out to a knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. We’re happy to discuss your musical aspirations and match you to the right creative tools!
The post 11 Best Reverb Plug-ins for Home Studios appeared first on inSync.
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/best-reverb-plug-ins-for-home-studios/
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