Best reverb for CPU overhead vs. quality balance?

[Uncle E]

I personally think Freeverb is one of the best sounding reverb plugins around. My biggest problem with it, is it's lack of features and flexibility. Why don't you like it? Is it because it's free?

Well, SIR's free & I certainly don't have a problem with it. The problem with Freeverb is the density, it takes up way too much room in a mix & clouds the actual music. Furthermore, Freeverb doesn't provide the same kind of 3 dimensional depth that you get from the Powercore or convolution reverbs.

I can appreciate that density may be something you're going for with ambient music. A good plate reverb (like the one in the UAD-1) will add density that sounds like resonance, an extension of the instrument. To me, the density added by Freeverb doesn't sound like an extension of the instrument, it sounds like white noise.

[John Vulich]

I can appreciate that density may be something you're going for with ambient music. A good plate reverb (like the one in the UAD-1) will add density that sounds like resonance, an extension of the instrument. To me, the density added by Freeverb doesn't sound like an extension of the instrument, it sounds like white noise.

Yeah, like I said, reverb really depends on the genre and with Ambient music it's a major component. I think your observations are very astute. In some ways I see reverb as being an instrument in itself.

BTW, Sinus' FreeverbToo has a width control which greatly adds to the stereo imaging of the freeverb model.

[adydub]

Thanks for all the replies. I should probably reiterate - this thread is NOT asking for what your fave reverb is. If CPU hit wasn't an issue, I'd be convolution all the way! What I'm interested in is what strikes the best balance between sounding NATURAL and UNCOLOURED for the lowest CPU hit.

So far the consensus is that WaveArts and Sonitus verbs seem to hit the spot for this better than anything else out there.

Unfortunately because I'm on the road with my laptop most of the time, POCO/UAD aren't options for me in this instance. That's not to say there isn't a place for the UAD1 back in the studio!

Happy to be pointed in the right direction of other threads covering this specific aspect of VST verbs, but when I do a forum search for 'natural reverb, low CPU' I'm getting nothing back.

[fritzman]

Then the fact that I have a life outside of KvR must be the reason that I missed so many of these "best reverb" threads.

No, it just means that you don't know how to use the forum search properly.

Come on John,

what do you know about my abilities? Nearly nothing. You won't force me to use this forum the way you think I should use it. This is real life, man.

I'm really grateful that I discovered MagRev through this thread. Did you try it?

Yeah, I tried it... it sucks ass.

Alright. that's your taste. No problem.


Have fun, FRitz

[Seus Hawkins]

adydub>> As I recall they are only useable in FL, but some of them have been converted to vst. Unfortunately not the reverb. Only their Parametric equalizer, stereo enhancer and delay 2. http://www.pluginspot.com/

Regards

[fritzman]

Thanks for all the replies. I should probably reiterate - this thread is NOT asking for what your fave reverb is. If CPU hit wasn't an issue, I'd be convolution all the way! What I'm interested in is what strikes the best balance between sounding NATURAL and UNCOLOURED for the lowest CPU hit.

Hi adydub,

sure you're asking for opinions about fave reverbs. Your question was really vague so are the answers.

You wrote:
"Any thoughts on the most natural/uncoloured sounding reverb for the lowest CPU hit?"

This is not more specific than all these answers here. What are your refences for "most natural/uncoloured sounding"? What is a low CPU hit for YOU?
And my straightest answer is: There isn't a reverb plugin that will satisfy you when having your given recommendations.

Here we go.


Best wishes, FRitz

[CANE CREEK]

maybe you should be looking at a TC powercore or UAD-1 , and get quality reverbs without the CPU hit , leaving you more power to handle those juicy softsynths & romplers that are on the market

[Artie Fichelle]

In my music the reverb is 50 % of the sound. Based on a Mac, I've used the Audio Ease "Altiverb" on all the songs on the BACH Reloaded CD, that will hit the stores in late September.

If you don't believe what a reverb can do, take an excellent (classical) recording and apply a bad room on it. IT will sound bad - because the room sounds bad.

The point is: any convolution reverb can only be as good as the rooms previously recorded. And that's why "Altiverb has not been pushed out of the market by DAW that include a convolution engine for "free". And it is very CPU effficient (I have a Dual G5 with 2.5 GRAM).

Artie Fichelle

I personally think Freeverb is one of the best sounding reverb plugins around. My biggest problem with it, is it's lack of features and flexibility. Why don't you like it? Is it because it's free?

Well, SIR's free & I certainly don't have a problem with it. The problem with Freeverb is the density, it takes up way too much room in a mix & clouds the actual music. Furthermore, Freeverb doesn't provide the same kind of 3 dimensional depth that you get from the Powercore or convolution reverbs.

I can appreciate that density may be something you're going for with ambient music. A good plate reverb (like the one in the UAD-1) will add density that sounds like resonance, an extension of the instrument. To me, the density added by Freeverb doesn't sound like an extension of the instrument, it sounds like white noise.

[kilroy]

Have a go with some delay lines and you might find that approach gets you sorted without slopping on something that, in the end, may just sound like some roaring noise going on in the background.

Seriously, it is amazing what a little delay will do. Waaaay cleaner, more control, more creative, can be positioned more precisely, do not have the tendancy to fog up your soundfield...





...does not perpetuate these reverb threads, that apparently everyone seems to abhor yet are seemingly unable to resist reading.

[friteuse]

The point is: any convolution reverb can only be as good as the rooms previously recorded. ...

Well, that's the point and that's why I don't like the convoluters: they don't sound as good as the previously recorded rooms/reverbs. I compared the Yardstick IRs that are shipped with Altiverb with the original hardware unit that I own. The difference is HUGE.
Sorry, but no convolution reverb can replace any algorithmic or real verb. Just like no sampler can replace any analog (modelled) synthesizer.

Back to topic: for a good balance between cpu load and quality I would consider Trueverb or RVerb from Waves. The are not too cpu hungry and are very easy to use, not that big sound but also not that bad sound... there are free ones that might sound better, but I always found they eat lots of cpu...

[jplanet]

Only read the first and last pages of this thread, very surprised there is no mention of Roomverb M2. I have Powercore and I still like to use Roomverb on a lot of things. Very easy on CPU compared to most others, and a very musical sound.

[ugo]

im far from any sort of reverb expert like some of the guys here, but i just bought silverspike's R2 from ttoz. when trying the demo yesterday, the things that impressed me the most about it were:

- the sound was smooth, bright and clear (no mud, no metallic trashcan)
- good number of parameters, but pretty easy to use
- cpu hit was not too bad on my AMD 1.6ghz

i think rob was the only other one to mention R2 in this thread, but if you havent tried it yet, you might want to give it a shot.

-ugo

[adydub]

Hi adydub,

sure you're asking for opinions about fave reverbs. Your question was really vague so are the answers.

You wrote:
"Any thoughts on the most natural/uncoloured sounding reverb for the lowest CPU hit?"

This is not more specific than all these answers here. What are your refences for "most natural/uncoloured sounding"? What is a low CPU hit for YOU?
And my straightest answer is: There isn't a reverb plugin that will satisfy you when having your given recommendations.

Here we go.


Best wishes, FRitz

I'm sure you're right in that I could have been a lot more specific.

However, I think most of the answers have been really useful and helpful to me. The suggestions of Sonitus, Wavearts and Silverspike are all in exactly the right area.

My comment about avoiding the thread becoming a 'my fave verb' type thing was when people started talking about how much they like convolution verbs. Me too, but I'm not sure if convolution reverbs count as low CPU hitters!

[adydub]

Have a go with some delay lines and you might find that approach gets you sorted without slopping on something that, in the end, may just sound like some roaring noise going on in the background.

Seriously, it is amazing what a little delay will do. Waaaay cleaner, more control, more creative, can be positioned more precisely, do not have the tendancy to fog up your soundfield...

Yeah, I'm also a big fan of delays. As you say, cleaner and less cluttered in many situations. However, I find with certain instruments, usually sample based acoustic sounds, there's a need to put them into a beleivable acoustic space that a delay can't quite do.

I have found that with less percussive instruments I can still get space from a delay, but for pianos etc. I do need a proper verb.

[fritzman]

My comment about avoiding the thread becoming a 'my fave verb' type thing was when people started talking about how much they like convolution verbs. Me too, but I'm not sure if convolution reverbs count as low CPU hitters!

OK,

gotcha!


Have a nice sunday, FRitz