reverbs roundup
Using a great reverb plugin is the best way to transform dull and lifeless tracks into more atmospheric and ‘human’ mixes. Reverbs create the sound of a room or space, emulating the reflective atmosphere such a space would impart to a sound recorded within it. They therefore add realism and character, helping to make cold and clinical digital recordings warmer and more emotional. Here, we round up the best reverb plugins to see which ones bring the best character and sound for your money.
In this buyer’s guide, we have reverbs of all budgets and types that deliver the sounds of spaces of all shapes and sizes – everything from real recording studios and concert halls to unreal worlds straight out of your imagination. We’ve included some classics that are still going strong after many years plus the best releases that we’ve encountered more recently.
We also have more advice on choosing between the main two types of reverb – convolution and algorithmic. There’s more info on that difference on the following page. We’ll before reviewing all of our reverb choices in detail over the following pages, so make some space!
Buyer’s advice
What is a reverb?
Reverbs recreate the ‘sound’ of a real or imaginary space. Whenever you sing or make a sound within that space, the environment around you has an effect on that sound. Put yourself in a room and any noise you make will be reflected off the walls, ceiling and floor back at you, with reflections joining forces, mixing and eventually scattering and dying down. This reverberated effect can add everything from a more ‘real world’ spatial sound to huge amounts of reflective atmosphere as the room size gets larger. Think of a cathedral, for example, and your reverb will generate many reflections and long decay times.
Your DAW will almost certainly come with at least one stock reverb plugin, and while it probably delivers decent results, there are now so many great reverb plugins out there – and covering all budgets, from free upwards – that there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider adding more reverb options to your music production arsenal. A new reverb can
