Spring reverb: what is the state of affairs in 2023?

[perpetual3]

i have the U-He spring also and it is very nice, but Arturia one can get real distorted and nasty, just delicious

Yeah I love it.

[perpetual3]

Never heard of those mixwave plugs. Surf spring good for dub springs?

They're really good, and you don't have to buy the bundle with the amp sims to get the FX. You can just buy the standalone FX, which is nice. Though be warned: the harmonic tremolo disappears in mono. Seems the way they coded it has zero mono compatibility, which makes no sense because harmonic tremolo was a mono effect in most amps. But we're talking about Spring reverb, not harmonic tremolo (I only mention it because the one plugin includes both).

You know, I never used those on anything other than Guitar and Rhodes, but they'd probably work. Give them a demo and let us know.

Thanks!

[kidslow]

Arturia one is the best sounding for me

I have it in the fx bundle, but haven't used it, but I'm working on changing this as not all Spring verbs are the same.

Dub music foundations (Lee "Scratch" Perry) and Pete Townsend are two names that keep popping up for this one.

Here's some fun info on the Arturia Spring 636, based on the Grampian Reverberation Unit Type 636

https://soundgas.com/features/grampian- ... -type-636/

What I have read is Lee Perry used a Grampian 636 when he was recording at Black Ark. Not sure if he continued using one in the later recordings he did with On-U. Is Arturia the only 636 model plugin?

Fuse Audio has a free emulation of the Grampian 666, apparently made for the BBC Radiophonic workshop. Worth a download. Can get nasty. https://soundgas.com/resources/grampian ... -type-666/

King Tubby favored a Fisher SpaceXpander K-10, which has no emulation that I am aware of. When I get around to collecting hardware tanks, that would be where I start.

[sakarik]

Black rooster ro-spr has been okay, it was on sale sometime in the summer. I think the U-He is the only plugin version in which you can actually play the "actual" springs in dub style with your "hand" (didn't test it though, a bit out of my budget perhaps.. )

[foosnark]

I used to have a Koma Field Kit FX with a couple of spring tanks. I once managed to tweak Twangstrom so that in an A/B test, I was unable to tell whether I was running my signal through a real tank or the plugin. I sold the hardware.

More recently I grabbed a Dreadbox Hypnosis. I haven't tried to do the A/B test with it -- to me the flavor on that unit is less about pure spring reverb, and more the combination of modulated predelay with the spring, plus the chorus/flanger and hybrid delay sections.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Twangstrom is my favorite of the algorithmic springs, but honestly, I think convolution-based sounds better/more authentic. You'd think, "springs are highly non-linear devices because they're frigging springs moving around and therefore, IR's will never do them justice" but they actually lend themselves really well to IR's. They're also apparently difficult to model well. I've heard Sean Costello pretty much say as much a few times when asked, and my own experiences of just owning a ton of spring plugins confirms. The best ones (in terms of sounding like a real spring) seem to all be convolution based. To my ears anyway.

[jamcat]

I think the U-He is the only plugin version in which you can actually play the "actual" springs in dub style with your "hand" (didn't test it though, a bit out of my budget perhaps.. )

GSi TimeVerb-X
https://www.genuinesoundware.com/?a=showproduct&b=46

https://youtu.be/DNvY_u_pqO0?si=0AsZWkCTnPFzNrP4
The video is a little annoying because he never shows off the “HIT ME!” feature. Though there is some nice feedback demonstrated.

Of all the spring reverbs I’ve tested, TimeVerb-X is one of the less disappointing ones. u-he sounds like an OK plugin reverb to me, but it’s not convincing as a real spring at all. The attack is all wrong, to start with.

If you haven’t tried Physical Audio Dual Spring, you’re missing out on the only one that can really stand up in a direct comparison to a real spring tank. I found TimeVerb-X was second best, but you can still tell it apart from a real spring in direct comparison. Though in a mix, probably not.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

If you haven’t tried Physical Audio Dual Spring, you’re missing out on the only one that can really stand up in a direct comparison to a real spring tank.

Tried it and passed.

Seriously, everyone who isn't going to whine about iLok should go to Mixwave's website and check out the Benson Tall Bird reverb plugin. Then compare to other algorithmic springs. If you can get them sounding really close, do let me know what plugin and how.

Note: I suspect but don't know for a fact that Benson is convolution based. Note: these guys do sales. I wouldn't buy a $90 convolution-based spring plugin, but it is damn good.

https://www.mixwave.net/collections/plu ... -tall-bird

[jamcat]

It’s definitely convolution based. They say as much on the website.

“Accuretly modeled by using proprietary convolution response techniques”

I hope their modeling is more accurate than their spellcheck.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I hope their modeling is more accurate than their spellcheck.

[jens]

double post

[jens]

I have most of the ones recommended here and to me especially the Arturia and U-He ones don't behave like a typical spring reverb - they just don't.

If I want that sound I use PSP Springbox instead - that one nails it ok...

thing is: (unlike most plugins) a real tank reacts dynamically to the input-gain (it gets brighter, "splashier") - iIrc Sascha (Eversmeier) denied that this is the case, but it is.

[plexuss]

I have a close relationship with spring reverbs, real ones. In terms of plugins I really like Spirit Reverb https://aegeanmusic.com/spirit-reverb . I have many of the other like twangstrom, arturia, waves, overload, audiothing, etc.

[kevinsparks]

Judging by the prices of all these plugins, you might be better served getting a Danelectro spring reverb pedal. Real springs take on a life of their own if you lay into it. That's something I haven't heard in any plugin yet. The Danelectro is great and affordable.

But as far as plugins go, Softube is fine but kinda bland, Arturia is my favorite because it offers 8 different spring devices, and the Fender spring pedal in Amplitube is pretty good but the ui is not ideal for just one effect. Honorable mention goes to Hornet, whose sound is so incredibly unrealistic that it's kind of its own unique thing.

[aMUSEd]

I have a close relationship with spring reverbs, real ones. In terms of plugins I really like Spirit Reverb https://aegeanmusic.com/spirit-reverb . I have many of the other like twangstrom, arturia, waves, overload, audiothing, etc.

I like it too but it seems to be abandonware