The best software reverb

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
djsynchro
Posts: 7471
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:06 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Contact:

The best software reverb

Post by djsynchro » Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:25 am

Is the UAD EMT-250 they ported the original algorhythms to run on the UAD-2's DSP and they modelled the sound of the A/D converters as well.
As used by people like Bruce Swedien who claims it's the "best digital reverb ever made" the original came out in 1976!!!! not even the later revision (EMT 251) is supposed to sound as good. It's another one of those weird things like EMT plates, Cooper Time Cubes etc: Sounds a bit peculiar in isolation but works amazingly well in the context of a mix. It has just one reverb program with just 4 parameters to adjust, it also sports a static phaser and a chorus that are both unlike any chorus or phaser you've ever heard and extremely usable for doing subtle make-stereo/ widening effects.

Image

roach808
Posts: 683
Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:25 am
Location: Tampa Bay, Fl

Re: The best software reverb

Post by roach808 » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:14 am

I've always been a huge fan of the UAD Dreamverb, that thing beats the pants off most verbs I have heard.


Altho i wil rank live's reverb in my top three its very useful when i want a quick and easy reverb on whatever.

Another verb I am a huge fan of is the Korg MDX-E plugin. that verb is killer!

:mrgreen:
roach- the other white meat
Image
http://www.themenacetosobriety.com/blog/
MBP, Live Suite, and lots of nice analogue gear.

leedsquietman
Posts: 6659
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:56 am
Location: greater toronto area

Re: The best software reverb

Post by leedsquietman » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:33 am

The UAD 250 is really great for an algorithmic reverb. My buddy who is a UAD freak (he has 4 UAD-2 quads and most of the plugins) showed me it in use and it was sweet. The new Empirical Labs Fatso Jr UAD plugin was also like - WOW.


Live's reverb is a bit of an acquired taste. I find it difficult to manage in traditional rock/pop tunes with vocals, but it goes OK in electronic synth based instrumental music or if you need a more 'lofi' type sound.


Cubase 5's new Reverence convolution, with the downloadable Acoustica's Bricasti M7 Impulses is awesome. Those impulses in any Convolution are awesome, so if you have Altiverb, Space Designer, Perfect/Pristine Space or SIR 1 or 2, Waves IR-1 etc grab them up, they are really great impulses.

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-prod ... ticas.html
http://soundcloud.com/umbriel-rising http://www.myspace.com/leedsquietmandemos Live 7.0.18 SUITE, Cubase 5.5.2], Soundforge 9, Dell XPS M1530, 2.2 Ghz C2D, 4GB, Vista Ult SP2, legit plugins a plenty, Alesis IO14.

Android Bishop
Posts: 1051
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:03 am

Re: The best software reverb

Post by Android Bishop » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:34 am

verbs I like:

redline, CSR, EOS, Toraverb, Aether

Michael Hatsis
Posts: 1807
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:27 pm
Location: Here and There
Contact:

Re: The best software reverb

Post by Michael Hatsis » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:52 am

hven't tried the UAD stuff yet. Think im gonna end up grabbin it at some point sooooon. Im lovin Aether right now. Thing sounds nothing like any verb i've heard before, unfortunately, it adds quite a bump to the cpu. definitely, me favorite right now.

Pitch Black
Posts: 6712
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2002 2:18 am
Location: New Zealand
Contact:

Re: The best software reverb

Post by Pitch Black » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:08 am

djsynchro wrote:Image
They used to have one at a studio I worked at occasionally in Auckland. We called it The Tardis.

Machinesworking
Posts: 11421
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 9:30 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: The best software reverb

Post by Machinesworking » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:06 am

Altiverb still sounds the best to me. The library is just insane IMO. One of those plug ins that's just out of reach for me price wise though.

mdb
Posts: 220
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 2:59 pm
Location: N. Korea

Re: The best software reverb

Post by mdb » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:29 am

That's easy... Altiverb by Audio Ease

Ableton Live reverb = Garbage
Acoustic Arts = Garbage
Overloud Breverb = Ok, but not great
Waves Trueverb = Shoot me now..
Waves IIR Series = Decent, but the interface...
Wizoo(M-Audio?) Wizooverb = Great, probably my second choice.. I like the width controls a lot
Sonnox Reverb = Decent, but the interface makes me want to use presets.. Way too fuckin technical for my taste in reverbs.. Im not a fuckin Acoustics Scientist here guys.. c'mon
TLSpace = Great, but you got to jump into bed with Lame tools.. So fuck that one..
IK Multimedia CSR = Nice interface, but kinda 80's washy and synthetic sounding... might be good for 80's shit
NI Reaktor = Actually has a nice collection of spacey, vintage sounding verbs that are really neat and fun to work with. I especially love thier spring reverb emulation for that spaghetti western sounding vibe..
TC Works Native Reverb Plus = Simple interface. Really old but still gets some use once in awhile.

I missing a few here and there and I've never had a chance to mess with the UAD one.. so I cant comment on that. Im sure its decent.. But I'm going to guess that it's no Altiverb..
Image

leedsquietman
Posts: 6659
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:56 am
Location: greater toronto area

Re: The best software reverb

Post by leedsquietman » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:00 am

Convolution reverbs are not always the best choice for everything, they definately don't do plates as well as they do rooms and halls. Some Convos are also heavy on the CPU load and some are heavy on latency, so not a tool to be tracking with and to add on at mixdown time. The UAD EMT140 and now the EMT 250 digital excel at plates. Audio Damage's ADverb is also a decent plate reverb for the money.

Those Acousticas Bricasti M7 samples go good with all convolution reverbs including Altiverb.

They are Impulses taken from this little beast
http://www.mercenary.com/bricasti-m7.html
http://soundcloud.com/umbriel-rising http://www.myspace.com/leedsquietmandemos Live 7.0.18 SUITE, Cubase 5.5.2], Soundforge 9, Dell XPS M1530, 2.2 Ghz C2D, 4GB, Vista Ult SP2, legit plugins a plenty, Alesis IO14.

macmurphy
Posts: 1431
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:21 am
Location: Emneth,Norfolk, UK

Re: The best software reverb

Post by macmurphy » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:03 am

Reverberate is a pretty special convolution reverb. It's got some nice modulation options that can really bring a reverb to life. Cheap too at £30.
I'll be trying out Aether soon as i just won it in a competition (i thought i'd take the chance to brag as i haven't won anything since i was a kid) :mrgreen:

tw1nstates
Posts: 1127
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 1:00 pm

Re: The best software reverb

Post by tw1nstates » Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:01 pm

hmm,

interesting how everyone rates the Ik Multimedia verb - I have always found that i'll go back to it, dial in a verb to suit. Come bck to the track a while later and think, what's that awful sounding verb on there - every time it's the Ik Multimedia verb. i always swap out to something altiverb. . .

I miss my powercore for verb :(
I slipped into a daze, whilst I was there I heard the most startling music, it was at once familiar and alien, reassuring and unsettling.
https://soundcloud.com/fearoftherave

Fernando Carvalho
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue May 25, 2004 10:36 am
Location: Bilbao, Euskadi, Spain, Europe
Contact:

Re: The best software reverb

Post by Fernando Carvalho » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:14 pm

Nebula

xuoham
Posts: 276
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2004 1:40 am
Location: okinawa japan / paris france
Contact:

Re: The best software reverb

Post by xuoham » Tue Oct 06, 2009 3:57 pm

epicverb free
r66 €119

morerecords

Re: The best software reverb

Post by morerecords » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:06 pm

But nobody is using the Virsyn REFLECT??? You guys are crazy. Best software verb I have heard in a very long time

polyslax
Posts: 2402
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 11:22 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: The best software reverb

Post by polyslax » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:54 pm

I like Altiverb. As has been mentioned many times, the IR library is just stunning and they release new free IRs each month (buncha nice outdoor IRs just added this month). Pick up some Acousticas IRs for nice EMT and Lexicon emulation and if you're into special fx go visit Spirit Canyon and grab some more IRs.
Image Image

Post Reply