What reverb do you like for great lead sound?
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- KVRAF
- 1612 posts since 18 Feb, 2011 from Salt Lake City, Utah
- KVRAF
- 3462 posts since 17 Sep, 2006 from Fredericksburg, VA USA
Sorry for such a lengthy response but reverb and delay are the most critical studio effects IMHO... Especially on guitar tracks
I've been recording using various DAWs, VSTi and VSTe technologys in my virtual studio since 2005.
I've tested and auditioned most (and there are many!) all the free reverbs. If you can get by with the sonic limitations and minimal parameter control of the freebees, TC Electronics is my favorite in this category. I no longer use these reverbs for anything.
I also have higher quality reverbs... CSR (IK Multimedia Classic Studio Reverb), Eos and Adverb from Audio Damage, and Valhallaroom from ValhallaDSP.
In the early 70s, when I was working in the studio, we had all the analog accoutrements... Ampex and MCI mastering decks, Willi Studer desk and multitrack, Urei 1176LN comp/limiters and Little Dipper, Universal Audio LA2A,
Dolby and Dbx noise reduction, Keypex gates, Eventide harmonizers... racks and racks of ancillary gear. The reverbs were positively killer... an EMT plate (240 IIRC) and an AKG spring units that cost thousands of dollars. Still in its' infancy, digital technology was cutting edge and the PC and internet had not yet been invented.
Today's technology is light years ahead of what we used back then. For me, only one VSTe reverb comes to mind as the closest to emulating the sound of those early studio EMT and AKG units, and that is CSR from IK Multimedia. This is my goto reverb because the sound is extremely complex, effervescent, detailed and rich. I think that most would agree that the best reverbs meld more of a "feeling" to the signal and less of something that the listener actively "hears"... I'd simply call this musicality. I hear Eos, Adverb and Valhallaroom... I can only feel the lush plate, room, hall and inverse models from IK Multimedia! Hall, Plate and Room presets in CSR sound like actual places. By comparison, the other reverbs sound too "digital". I sincerely wish I knew how IK does it! IK Multimedia has invented some brilliant in-house high-tech mojo using their own proprietary tools and techniques to develop incomparable models that are the truly best in the industry!
For my money, CSR Classic Studio Reverb from IK Multimedia is the best value if you want professional sounding reverb with some knockout presets, excellent parameter control and full automation! My jaw nearly hit the floor when I discovered that today, a license for the full-blown download product is available for only $49.00... this is a no-brainier!!
I've been recording using various DAWs, VSTi and VSTe technologys in my virtual studio since 2005.
I've tested and auditioned most (and there are many!) all the free reverbs. If you can get by with the sonic limitations and minimal parameter control of the freebees, TC Electronics is my favorite in this category. I no longer use these reverbs for anything.
I also have higher quality reverbs... CSR (IK Multimedia Classic Studio Reverb), Eos and Adverb from Audio Damage, and Valhallaroom from ValhallaDSP.
In the early 70s, when I was working in the studio, we had all the analog accoutrements... Ampex and MCI mastering decks, Willi Studer desk and multitrack, Urei 1176LN comp/limiters and Little Dipper, Universal Audio LA2A,
Dolby and Dbx noise reduction, Keypex gates, Eventide harmonizers... racks and racks of ancillary gear. The reverbs were positively killer... an EMT plate (240 IIRC) and an AKG spring units that cost thousands of dollars. Still in its' infancy, digital technology was cutting edge and the PC and internet had not yet been invented.
Today's technology is light years ahead of what we used back then. For me, only one VSTe reverb comes to mind as the closest to emulating the sound of those early studio EMT and AKG units, and that is CSR from IK Multimedia. This is my goto reverb because the sound is extremely complex, effervescent, detailed and rich. I think that most would agree that the best reverbs meld more of a "feeling" to the signal and less of something that the listener actively "hears"... I'd simply call this musicality. I hear Eos, Adverb and Valhallaroom... I can only feel the lush plate, room, hall and inverse models from IK Multimedia! Hall, Plate and Room presets in CSR sound like actual places. By comparison, the other reverbs sound too "digital". I sincerely wish I knew how IK does it! IK Multimedia has invented some brilliant in-house high-tech mojo using their own proprietary tools and techniques to develop incomparable models that are the truly best in the industry!
For my money, CSR Classic Studio Reverb from IK Multimedia is the best value if you want professional sounding reverb with some knockout presets, excellent parameter control and full automation! My jaw nearly hit the floor when I discovered that today, a license for the full-blown download product is available for only $49.00... this is a no-brainier!!
D Scarlatti, Dell XPS8700 i7/8gb mem/1tb hd/Steiny UR22/Presonus ER5s/Nektar LX61 kbd ctrlr/Win 10 Pro/S1 4.6/ my music here: https://www.magix.info/us/profile/my-profile/media/
- KVRAF
- 5813 posts since 17 Aug, 2004 from Berlin, Germany
Big leads sounds better with a additional delay before the reverb and sometimes reverb stacking is also needed ("a small room, inside a big room").
For this very big spaces Valhalla Shimmer is a good recommendation (or ValhallaRoom as mentioned from others).
For this very big spaces Valhalla Shimmer is a good recommendation (or ValhallaRoom as mentioned from others).
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Sampleconstruct Sampleconstruct https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=191286
- KVRAF
- 16148 posts since 12 Oct, 2008 from Here and there
The CSR praise above is very much above the top and contradicts my own experience with that Plug-In...I think it sounds rather thin compared to the ususal suspects available today. I haven't touched it in 1,5 years now and just keep it in case I have to revisit old projects.
- KVRAF
- 3879 posts since 28 Jun, 2009 from Wherever I lay my hat
Agree here. It was fine a coupla years ago, but there are quite a few alternatives now that are simply ... richer in sound.Sampleconstruct wrote:The CSR praise above is very much above the top and contradicts my own experience with that Plug-In...I think it sounds rather thin compared to the ususal suspects available today. I haven't touched it in 1,5 years now and just keep it in case I have to revisit old projects.
Still don't understand the question, though, because the only sane answer should begin with: "it depends...". I wouldn't even go with universal recommendations like "vocals need a plate" because... yeah, "it depends".
Get Valhalla Room and be done with it. Best tail for your buck.
That didn't come out quite like I meant it, but you know what I mean.
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Sampleconstruct Sampleconstruct https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=191286
- KVRAF
- 16148 posts since 12 Oct, 2008 from Here and there
- KVRAF
- 5813 posts since 17 Aug, 2004 from Berlin, Germany
Hmm, yes. It's a bit dated reverb IMO with a very dark reverberation. I would not buy it again and have it only for older projects. The developer of the CSR has a better sounding reverb this days (ReLab LX480).Sampleconstruct wrote:The CSR praise above is very much above the top and contradicts my own experience with that Plug-In...I think it sounds rather thin compared to the ususal suspects available today. I haven't touched it in 1,5 years now and just keep it in case I have to revisit old projects.
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- KVRAF
- 5805 posts since 8 May, 2008 from ssssskipping ......... I left you there
A thin reverb could be what your music needs. I like dense reverbs but my music doesn't.
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Sampleconstruct Sampleconstruct https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=191286
- KVRAF
- 16148 posts since 12 Oct, 2008 from Here and there
"Thin" was just an adjective standing for several mediocre aspects of CSR.standalone wrote:A thin reverb could be what your music needs. I like dense reverbs but my music doesn't.
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- KVRAF
- 5716 posts since 8 Jun, 2009
But one thing it does have going for it is the mod matrix - you can make some very interesting reverb effects using that and use the envelope followers to create rhythmic 'bouncy' reverb effects or which respond to the input dynamically, as well as delay-based modulations. That's fairly unusual in a reverb, although you can do similar things in GRM and Ubermod (but not as far as I'm aware in VRoom).Sampleconstruct wrote:"Thin" was just an adjective standing for several mediocre aspects of CSR.standalone wrote:A thin reverb could be what your music needs. I like dense reverbs but my music doesn't.
- KVRAF
- 3462 posts since 17 Sep, 2006 from Fredericksburg, VA USA
Just curious - what item specifically do you find mediocre? If the reverb is thin, it easy to fatten it up with the color control in the advanced mode.
D Scarlatti, Dell XPS8700 i7/8gb mem/1tb hd/Steiny UR22/Presonus ER5s/Nektar LX61 kbd ctrlr/Win 10 Pro/S1 4.6/ my music here: https://www.magix.info/us/profile/my-profile/media/
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Sampleconstruct Sampleconstruct https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=191286
- KVRAF
- 16148 posts since 12 Oct, 2008 from Here and there
Why would I invest any efforts in pimping up a metallic sounding, thin reverb tail if I have so many better lush and spacey alternatives? If I was cast away on an island only with CSR that would be another situation of course....Integratron wrote:Just curious - what item specifically do you find mediocre? If the reverb is thin, it easy to fatten it up with the color control in the advanced mode.
- KVRAF
- 3462 posts since 17 Sep, 2006 from Fredericksburg, VA USA
No disrespect but the plates and the springs in the old EMT and AKG studio reverbs that I referenced were in fact made of a metal alloy with transducers attached... we were listening to (and mixing) the effect that these alloys had on the signal as it was reflected off the boundaries on these metallic objects... as it happens, that's what I like about them and and find CSR to best replicate. Then to be able to accurately model these devices and add the deep editing capabilities and automation to me is mind boggling... with the old analog units you had a send and a return and (maybe) a tweak or two on the units themselves.
You may like something else... I'm OK with that.
You may like something else... I'm OK with that.
D Scarlatti, Dell XPS8700 i7/8gb mem/1tb hd/Steiny UR22/Presonus ER5s/Nektar LX61 kbd ctrlr/Win 10 Pro/S1 4.6/ my music here: https://www.magix.info/us/profile/my-profile/media/
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Sampleconstruct Sampleconstruct https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=191286
- KVRAF
- 16148 posts since 12 Oct, 2008 from Here and there
Sure, whatever works for you or me works for you or me - I still have an EMT 245 hooked up in the studio and do occasionally use it on live instruments, comparing the CSR plate algo to that original sound is a bit...hmmmmIntegratron wrote:No disrespect but the plates and the springs in the old EMT and AKG studio reverbs that I referenced were in fact made of a metal alloy with transducers attached... we were listening to (and mixing) the effect that these alloys had on the signal as it was reflected off the boundaries on these metallic objects... as it happens, that's what I like about them and and find CSR to best replicate. Then to be able to accurately model these devices and add the deep editing capabilities and automation to me is mind boggling... with the old analog units you had a send and a return and (maybe) a tweak or two on the units themselves.
You may like something else... I'm OK with that.