Which LiquidSonics Reverb?

[dubguy99]

I personally find their whole product line more than a little confusing with a lot of overlap. Ok, so they're all reverbs, there's the pro/inexpensive versions, most are convolution based with some special tech to simulate modulated tails (or did they somehow capture the real modulation via the capture process? Unclear!), and then Tai Chi is algorithmic, but they seemingly acquired that from another company, and some of their convulation tech is different than their other convolution tech but it varies based on the product? Like, huh? That's a lot to keep track of. I'm going to pass on these. Wouldn't even know where to begin.

Reverberate is a convolution verb that allow you to load your own IRs.

Illusion is a general purpose, convolution based verb with algorithmic modulation.

Seventh Heaven is a convolution based emulation based on the Bricasti M7.

HD Cart is an algorithmic emulation of the Lexicon 480's HD cart add-on.

Lustrous Plates is a convolution based plate reverb.

Cinematic Rooms is an algorithmic natural verb.

Tai Chi is an algorithmic general purpose / effect verb.

Pro versions have extra tweak features and surround support.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I personally find their whole product line more than a little confusing with a lot of overlap. Ok, so they're all reverbs, there's the pro/inexpensive versions, most are convolution based with some special tech to simulate modulated tails (or did they somehow capture the real modulation via the capture process? Unclear!), and then Tai Chi is algorithmic, but they seemingly acquired that from another company, and some of their convulation tech is different than their other convolution tech but it varies based on the product? Like, huh? That's a lot to keep track of. I'm going to pass on these. Wouldn't even know where to begin.

Reverberate is a convolution verb that allow you to load your own IRs.

Illusion is a general purpose, convolution based verb with algorithmic modulation.

Seventh Heaven is a convolution based emulation based on the Bricasti M7.

HD Cart is an algorithmic emulation of the Lexicon 480's HD cart add-on.

Lustrous Plates is a convolution based plate reverb.

Cinematic Rooms is an algorithmic natural verb.

Tai Chi is an algorithmic general purpose / effect verb.

Pro versions have extra tweak features and surround support.

You should write their website copy! That's a nice concise summary.

I demoed Tai Chi Professional and was very meh on it. I feel like I've got other colorful, modulated verbs that are more interesting sounding to my ear.

I'm currently checking out Cinematic Rooms and I'm much more impressed. It's clean as a whistle and just sounds so good. I'll go non-Pro on that one.

[zvenx]

Apart from dubguy99 nice summary, just to add, the other company was their company too.
If i recall, one had one owner, the other had that same owner plus another person. And I believe they initial started to do different types of reverbs then there was overlap so they mergef the companies.

https://www.liquidsonics.com/2022/08/11 ... portfolio/

rsp

[alexekki]

Their reverbs are actually pretty straightforward, except for Illusion - which should be retired or updated and given a better focus now given the rest of the portfolio.

Illusion: IR/algo reverb that’s very very tweakable and deep, and maybe sounds between CR and TC? A bit older.

What are you talking about. Illusion is one of Liquidsonic's newest releases (launched in 2018, only older than Cinematic Rooms, which was launched in 2020) and represents the latest tech that the company has on offer: Synthesised Fusion IRs. Meaning that, instead of using a library of recorded IRs, the plugin synthesises IRs on the fly from the parameters you set, which essentially brings you endless possibilities and gives you flexibility you cannot get with recorded IRs. It basically brings the flexibility of algorithmic reverbs to IR-based reverberation.

Lustrous plates is based on the same synsthesised IR concept: There aren't any recorded IRs of plates used in it, the IRs are synthesised on the fly.

Another advantage of this is that the plugins are pretty small, you don't need gigabytes of impulse responses stored in a folder somewhere.

They aren't going to retire Illusion - it's the most advanced reverb they have in the Liquidsonics lineup (excluding the Reverb Foundry reverbs, which are algorithmic). I would rather think they will add Atmos support to it in the future.

[Andreya_Autumn]

Lustruous Plates is probably my favorite reverb ever, for what it's worth.

[yellowmix]

Main reverbs to consider:

Seventh Heaven if you want a Bricasti M7. It is an all-arounder known for early reflections (these determine where a sound is in a space) and a natural but sweetened (read: modulated) tail that "sits in the mix". This means you do not need to do much work mixing it. Pro adds the M7 firmware V2 programs, adding non-linear programs and interiors. You also get more mixing tools like a ducker. This is better than anything else at adding ambience (you don't hear it but it sounds worse without it) to dry recordings.

Cinematic Rooms if you want a room reverb without having to think or work too much. "Room" including ambience, rooms, chambers, halls, large spaces. There is a well-crafted list of programs and tools to shape them. The engine is a hybrid of Fusion-IR and algorithmic. Pro adds surround options, more mixing tools (EQ, dynamics), a bit more modulation and crossfeed options.

Tai Chi is from Reverb Foundry. This company was originally made to differentiate from the LS IR reverbs, since they are completely algorithmic. Since the hybrid LS reverbs, this distinction is no longer clear so the wall was brought down.

Tai Chi Lite is basically "what would an 80s digital reverb be like with the technology and knowledge of today". So there's chorus but it can go from off to M7-style "natural" to wonky and wild. Full adds more chorus options, multiband decay options, dynamics, and more explicit vintage-izing options (bitcrusher, resolution). Note this does rooms from small to huge spaces, and it's particularly good on synthesizers due to the chorus engine. The default program, "Golden Room" became a quick favorite.

More esoteric/specialty:

Reverb Foundry HD Cart is a fully modeled emulation of the Lexicon 480 Surround cartridge. That reverb was introduced in 1986. However, the plugin updates it for modern use, adding chorus, shaping, and mixing tools. It's geared for Atmos and surround applications, but the extra channels can be routed to create denser reverb for stereo applications.

Back to Liquidsonics.

Reverberate 3 if you are a power user and find your stock DAW convo reverb lacking. Or have stereo IRs you want to automatically turn into "True" stereo since that is a one-button press.

Lustrous Plates if you want well-curated and realistically modeled (hybrid Fusion-IR and algorithmic) plate reverbs. Notably, none of the other LS reverbs have plate programs/algorithms except Seventh Heaven as it inherits the M7 plate programs, and Illusion which I'll get to. In addition to modelling frequency dispersion, LS added modulation and shaping options, as well as mixing tools. Surround adds multichannel and more stereo control, like crossfeed and blooming.

Illusion if you want an all-arounder with a quick and more exposed reverb workflow based on a hybrid of well-curated IRs and algorithmic synthesis. It introduced a new model for early reflections that aims for clarity, avoiding phase issues, and their own take on creating dense tails. Differences from Cinematic Rooms: More direct access to the reverb model (CinRoom is abstracted such that you're choosing from "Proximity" and "Pattern" lists) , distinct plate algorithm. Edit: CinRooms is fully algorithmic, Illusion is hybrid algo + IR.

[zvenx]

Nice breakdown, but I do think the CR is all algorithmic.

The Cinematic Rooms algorithm does not use samples or Fusion-IR as in many other LiquidSonics reverbs, but I am pleased to say that using a novel algorithm I have achieved the goal I set for myself.

from:

https://www.liquidsonics.com/2020/06/16 ... b-in-2020/

rsp

[sl1200mk2]

Question: If you don't own any LiquidSonics products and purchase one during this sale do you immediately have any form of additional loyalty discount if purchasing another product? Or would that not become available until the next sale?

Yeah, I'm trying to maximize my buying power and possible discounts. I want to pick up Tai Chi, but would possibly get something else as well if I were able to get an additional discount. Not a huge deal if not, I'd just wait until the next sale or whatever.

[aMUSEd]

Yes you do and it's very generous - I ended up paying less than £30 for the £99 ones as I had so many user vouchers stacked up on top of the sale prices

https://www.liquidsonics.com/upgrades/

[sl1200mk2]

Yes you do and it's very generous - I ended up paying less than £30 for the £99 ones as I had so many user vouchers stacked up on top of the sale prices

https://www.liquidsonics.com/upgrades/

Thank you! Appreciate the info.

[Funky40]

Thanks here to the folks who posted additional infos, vs. these Reverbs.
much welocme vs. to refine my uses with these.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Yes you do and it's very generous - I ended up paying less than £30 for the £99 ones as I had so many user vouchers stacked up on top of the sale prices

https://www.liquidsonics.com/upgrades/

Thanks for the head's up. Had no idea about this. Picked up Seventh Heaven too with an additional discount.

[sl1200mk2]

I've slept on LiquidSonics for a long time, but this BF sale finally pushed me into them (along with the stacked discounts). For my tastes, I wanted more colored options to start with, so I got Tai Chi and then Illusion with the additional 20% off. I hadn't demoed or bothered looking into either of these until this week. Really impressed with both of them, very easy to dial up some beautiful sounds.

I'm fighting myself not to get Seventh Heaven or Cinematic rooms as well, but I've already gone a little overboard with the BF sales.

[plexuss]

I started with Liquidsonics a bit before Seventh Heaven came out. I had a product or two and the discount made getting Seventh Pro possible. From there the stacked discounts reduced the price of a new release to the point of no brainer, $50 +/- range. It's a good win-win incentive for customers.

[Calagan]

These liquidsonics reverbs are a nightmare : the more you buy, the more you want them and the cheaper they are. It's like getting hooked on crack (but with a much more sophisticated hobby).
And the worst is they update the reverbs all the time with more features added, so you like them more and more with time.
A nightmare !