10 Best Reverb Plugins in 2024
by The Press Desk
Acon Digital Verberate 2
Acon Digital’s Verberate has been praised for bringing the best of two worlds by putting together the natural feeling of convolution reverbs and the extended tweak ability of classic digital reverbs. Currently on its second version, Verberate introduces the ‘Vivid Hall’ algorithm that according to the manufacturer “adds time variance to avoid the stiffness that plagues convolution based reverbs while preserving the natural high density reverb tails of Verberate 1.” Overall this is a very realistic reverb, which can suit sound design, music and post-production equally well. Acon offers users a stripped down free version of the reverb plugin named Verberate Basic so people can try their Vivid Hall algorithm with no strings attached - and there’s also the Verberate Immersive version for those mixing for immersive formats with up to 7.1.6 channels.
Arturia Rev LX-24
The _Rev LX-24 is Arturia’s take on an all-time classic digital reverb unit: the famed Lexicon 224. This reverb plugin not only aims to recreate the legendary hardware sound, but it also has a lot to offer for the modern producer, notable with its "Advanced View" mode, which offers a more visual approach to its extended features, such as ducking, gate, sidechain triggered effects, pitch shifting - all on a visual editor instead of using the classic hardware sliders and switches for changing parameters. The plugin comes loaded with 100 presets going from the classic all the way to the abstract and also has an inviting price tag when compared to other similar hardware recreations on the market
Eventide Blackhole Immersive
Blackhole Immersive from Eventide inherits all of the praised features from its stereo sibling, but expands its capabilities to offer LCR, Quadraphonic, and immersive formats with layouts of up to 9.1.6 channels. First introduced as an algorithm for Eventide's hardware units, Blackhole is all about cinematic, pitch-shifted and otherworldly reverbs, but it comes with a rather familiar set of controls, including size, mix ratio and feedback, which are placed alongside its proprietary "Gravity" control that gives users the ability to enhance or invert their reverb decay. It also offers slider for seamlessly mixing and transitioning between two different reverb settings, which makes automation moves a lot more interesting. The plugin comes with a 3-band EQ for top, rear and front speakers to be separately processed, while its "Crossfeed" control makes sure your reverb gets smoothly blended in between speakers, making Blackhole one of the most powerful reverb plug-ins right now.
Kit Plugins BB Chamber A
The BB Chamber A reverb plugin is a recreation of the Blackbird Studio A’s reverb chamber, planned by renowned studio designer Tom Hidley, a professional with an extraordinary curriculum that includes the coining of the term "Bass Trap". The studio had Dolly Parton, Greta Van Fleet and Smashing Pumpkins as clients, just to cite a few, and its chamber includes an unusual movable ceiling for changing the room’s reflection time and overall ambience, a pretty cool feature that is included in this plugin on its height slider control. BB Chamber A also features the mic models, their positions and source types along with a four band EQ, low/high pass filters, Neve-flavored saturation and compression. If you’re after that classic studio chamber reverb sound, this is it!
LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven Professional
A meticulously sampled simulation of the Bricasti M7 hardware is something many have wanted for years, and Seventh Heaven Professional does precisely that. Thanks to Liquidsonics Fusion-IR technology, the downsides of convolution-based reverbs are largely surpassed through a proprietary technique that breathes life into otherwise static impulse responses, and gives the user the options that are only found on algorithmic reverbs, such as thorough control over first reflections and reverb tails. It features all the presets from the hardware, including those present in the v1 and v2 firmwares. Since its release, Liquidsonics has further enhanced the plug-in with immersive audio capabilities, including support for Dolby Atmos 9.1.6, taking the M7 to new heights.
Relab VSR REV6000
Relab Development has established a reputation throughout the market mostly because of its high-end reverb emulations and the recently released VSR REV6000 is no exception. Based on TC Electronic’s System 6000, a standard on the film industry, the plug-in faithfully recreates its hardware counterpart, delivering one of the most natural sounding early reflections on the market. The software is loaded with presets for "real life" reverbs such as club, church, parking garage, halls and rooms that can be extensively sculpted to perfection with a wide array of parameters many times absent from the most common reverb engines, such as the ability to tweak high and low early reflection colors, and that's what makes it such a powerhouse for all applications.
Soundtoys SuperPlate
Soundtoys is second to none when it comes effects plug-ins and had been a while since their latest release, reasons that made of SuperPlate not only an exciting surprise but also a product with high expectations to be fulfilled - needless to say the software was instantly embraced by the community. SuperPlate is designed upon five classic electromechanical plate reverb units, but it goes far beyond them. On the front panel we can choose between Tube, Solid State and Clean colorations, set pre-delay, modulation and high/low filters and it also features Soundtoys' trademark "tweak" switch that offers output EQ, modulation rate, stereo width, balance and auto-decay controls, further extending its flexibility. Certainly a great option for a plate reverb sandbox!
Strymon BigSky Plugin
Based on Strymon’s highly praised namesake reverb pedal, this plugin offers all of the twelve unique reverb machines present on the hardware, including its coveted Shimmer, ensuring that DAW users can experience all of the ambient and atmospheric effects from which BigSky got its reputation. Once one of the machines is selected, the plug-in allows users to control time, feedback, tone, modulation, low end and mix amounts, and it is also possible to define the modulation waveform by selecting from swoosh, ramp, reverse, gate, gauss and bounce options. Another very cool feature is the presence of a infinite/freeze switch with a ‘hold’ button related to it for infinite reverb sustain. Although Strymon is mostly associated with effects for guitars, this Big Sky is definitely suitable for producers to fly as well!
Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator Plug-In
The EMT 140 is arguably the most iconic reverberator of its kind, it was used on countless hit records and was present on many of the best studios of the 1970s. However, it had major downsides, most notably it's extremely high price and cumbersome installation and maintenance process. The UAD plug-in does away with all that, providing that unique reverb character on a highly convenient plug-in that faithfully captures the essence of that heavy beast of yesteryear. Not only that, it brings three models of the EMT plates, along with all the amenities we expect from plug-ins, such as dry/wet control, 3-band EQ and modulation control. Currently it's only available for DSP-powered systems, but perhaps there's hope that a native Spark version comes sooner rather than later.
ValhallaDSP VintageVerb
ValhallaDSP's Vintage Verb (or just "VVV") is a crafty piece of software that captured the hearts and minds of the Gearspace community from its initial release in 2012. This is a vibe-rich plugin that comes with fifteen different reverberation options that can deliver basically any classic reverb mode - from metallic-resonant plates to luscious and everlasting halls, and more. Besides all the reverb modes it also features an interesting "Color" parameter based on "decades" (1970s, 80s and so on) which determines the bandwidth and modulation of the processed signal and thus if the resulting sound is brighter or darker. Along with the modes and colors it also features controls over the crucial aspects of reverb such as damping, modulation, early/late reflection amounts, shape and tone. As with all ValhallaDSP plugins, VVV displays a very clean NASA-inspired interface and is offered at an extremely friendly price point.
Closing thoughts
A great cross-section of reverb styles and technologies that shows a diverse, well-populated and competitive market with plenty of reverb sounds for all needs, tastes and budgets, but we live in amazing times when some of the top choices are only fifty bucks. There is very little excuse not to at least demo all of these fine products and see which ones are best for you!
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