FabFilter Pro-R 2 -> Released Thursday November 2, 2023

[DizzlerMusic]

I just tried the demo and they cleverly redesigned(some parts) of the UI to make it all look shiny and new, when in fact, most buttons do the same as in Pro-R1 and there is actually not much new stuff that would justify a 50$+ upgrade price (at least for me).

And the IR import is completly useless imo.You cant "further tweak the IR" because it sounds nothing like it. Its like dragging a real world instrument sample into synplant 2 and use the low quality synthesized remake of it, instead of the high quality real sample that you already had to begin with.

They should have just implemented a convolution option to use the actual IR´s and then the option to convert them if you wanted to further tweak them. But i guess thats too much to ask for a 170$ reverb.
Whats also seems too much to ask for is drag and drop for the IR´s in 2023(i really hope its only not working for me,they cant forget sth that simple like drag and drop, right? ).

[plexuss]

Just demoing now. For me I think the new features are worth the $60USD upgrade price. But even better will be $45 during a sale, presumably.

Gate and ducking work great and expand on the capabilities of R1.
The IR processing is cool, I like the processing visualization and the audio results are good. This really expands R2 a lot.
Vintage and Plate sound good also and it's nice to have a few different reverb flavours.
The Thickness control is useful and adds more versatility.
etc.

Not a bad list of new features for $45-60 upgrade:

Two brand-new reverb algorithms: Vintage and Plate
Added optional Speakers setting for Decay Rate and Post EQ bands in surround/immersive layouts
Added mid/side and L/R options for Post EQ bands
Impulse Response import convert to Pro-R2 settings
Added Thickness, Ducking and Auto Gate controls
Decay Rate control, changing the overall decay time from 25% to 400% of the current Space setting Freeze button
Resizable interface, full screen mode and customizable scaling

Preset browser, with support for tags, favorites and easy searching and filtering
Added output level metering and optional piano display scale

Full immersive / Dolby Atmos® functionality, with channel layouts up to 9.1.6.
Stereo, mono and immersive/Atmos® plug-ins available

Note about IR import:
Impulse Response import
Pro-R 2 is a 100% algorithmic reverb, but offers the unique possibility of interpreting recorded impulse response files of actual spaces and halls and converting them to settings that will match the characteristics of the particular space.

Of course, the results will never match perfectly, but will certainly be 'ballpark' and, after some optional tweaking, offer you a great and fully customizable substitute for an IR reverb.

Screen Shot 2023-11-02 at 8.01.52 PM.png

[jamcat]

There’s no ER.
Predelay is for convenience.
Size is absolutely an acoustic property.
Distance is as well.
Brightness is as well.

Well first of all I'm talking about standard reverb effect parameters. Not every reverb uses all of them, or they may call them something different. They may also have additional parameters that have nothing to do with the physics of acoustics, such as "spin."

Yes, size is an acoustic property, but a size of "80%" means nothing in the real world. 80% of what, exactly? How do I get a 10m x 20m x 5m room out of that? Why isn't that even a consideration in this type of legacy reverb design?

Distance, again, is meaningless. Is this the depth of the room, or the distance of the source audio from a particular part of the room, or from the listening position? Or something else?

Brightness probably correlates in some way to density of materials and how acoustically reflective they are. Once again, the problem here is there is no real-world context when it is parameterized.

Predelay is actually not for convenience. Predelay is a function of the distance of the reverberant surfaces of the acoustic space from the receiver (listener/mics) relative to the distance of the sound source from the receiver. The reason predelay makes a space sound bigger, is because it's taking longer for those early reflections to reach the listener after the initial direct sound. Like echoes in a canyon.

[Jac459]

Just demoing now. For me I think the new features are worth the $60USD upgrade price. But even better will be $45 during a sale, presumably.

Gate and ducking work great and expand on the capabilities of R1.
The IR processing is cool, I like the processing visualization and the audio results are good. This really expands R2 a lot.
Vintage and Plate sound good also and it's nice to have a few different reverb flavours.
The Thickness control is useful and adds more versatility.
etc.

Not a bad list of new features for $45-60 upgrade:

Two brand-new reverb algorithms: Vintage and Plate
Added optional Speakers setting for Decay Rate and Post EQ bands in surround/immersive layouts
Added mid/side and L/R options for Post EQ bands
Impulse Response import convert to Pro-R2 settings
Added Thickness, Ducking and Auto Gate controls
Decay Rate control, changing the overall decay time from 25% to 400% of the current Space setting Freeze button
Resizable interface, full screen mode and customizable scaling

Preset browser, with support for tags, favorites and easy searching and filtering
Added output level metering and optional piano display scale

Full immersive / Dolby Atmos® functionality, with channel layouts up to 9.1.6.
Stereo, mono and immersive/Atmos® plug-ins available

Note about IR import:
Impulse Response import
Pro-R 2 is a 100% algorithmic reverb, but offers the unique possibility of interpreting recorded impulse response files of actual spaces and halls and converting them to settings that will match the characteristics of the particular space.

Of course, the results will never match perfectly, but will certainly be 'ballpark' and, after some optional tweaking, offer you a great and fully customizable substitute for an IR reverb.


Screen Shot 2023-11-02 at 8.01.52 PM.png

Interresting review mate, thanks.

[Jac459]

I really like it. Will use the demo for 30 days and then upgrade during BF sale. Timing should work out pretty well, I think Fabfilter always do the BF sales in December.

I think I'll do the same ...

[mgw38]

It is worth mentioning that most immersive reverbs are ridiculously expensive. Eventide released their immersive version of Blackhole for $500 (without an upgrade option) a few days ago. Pro-R 2 just includes the immersive functionality as an added feature.

[kidslow]

I just tried the demo and they cleverly redesigned(some parts) of the UI to make it all look shiny and new, when in fact, most buttons do the same as in Pro-R1 and there is actually not much new stuff that would justify a 50$+ upgrade price (at least for me).

And the IR import is completly useless imo.You cant "further tweak the IR" because it sounds nothing like it. Its like dragging a real world instrument sample into synplant 2 and use the low quality synthesized remake of it, instead of the high quality real sample that you already had to begin with.

They should have just implemented a convolution option to use the actual IR´s and then the option to convert them if you wanted to further tweak them. But i guess thats too much to ask for a 170$ reverb.
Whats also seems too much to ask for is drag and drop for the IR´s in 2023(i really hope its only not working for me,they cant forget sth that simple like drag and drop, right? ).

Helpful review. The IR feature is what caught my attention. Is there any other reverb out there in that lane? Hopefully we'll see more innovation along these lines in the near future. Fabfilter does seem to attract copy cats.

[DashOfLime]

I just tried the demo and they cleverly redesigned(some parts) of the UI to make it all look shiny and new, when in fact, most buttons do the same as in Pro-R1 and there is actually not much new stuff that would justify a 50$+ upgrade price (at least for me).

Vastly improved UI.
Two new algorithms.
Dolby Atomos.
The IR import thing.
Thickness
Ducking
Auto Gate
Freeze
Decay Rate EQ

Yeah such a small list. Cant f**king believe the nerve charging $50.

This place kills me.

[Jac459]

I just tried the demo and they cleverly redesigned(some parts) of the UI to make it all look shiny and new, when in fact, most buttons do the same as in Pro-R1 and there is actually not much new stuff that would justify a 50$+ upgrade price (at least for me).

Vastly improved UI.
Two new algorithms.
Dolby Atomos.
The IR import thing.
Thickness
Ducking
Auto Gate
Freeze
Decay Rate EQ

Yeah such a small list. Cant f**king believe the nerve charging $50.

This place kills me.

I think the person precised "at least for me" showing that it is his view only in regard of the product. Are you upset of people having their own opinions?

From a buyer standpoint I think it is natural to look if you buy a product "one-off" or a product with a full service overtime.
For example if you buy kilohearts, arturia or UVI, you are purchasing a product that will stay supported and relevant with new features overtime for free.
It has value.

When you buy fabfilter you buy a good quality product but that won't particularly evolve over time except for bug fix.

There is nothing wrong about that but you can't blame people to take that into account in their buying decision.

[jules99]

Christ! I hate Dan Worrall's voice... He sounds like that moaning robot from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Plus, he always sounds completely bored.

That said I love FF and will upgrade immediately.

You'd think there is a general consensus on things. Like how Dan's not only one of the most trusted, but most liked voices in YouTube music production. Given how much and how often he has been praised by so many, if you read the comments to most of his videos in the last ten years. You'd think that.

General consensus as in reading online comments of brainwashed people who can’t find their own authentic self and so they follow other brainwashed people because they don’t have their own opinion and all they can do is to join the previously brainwashed people who had been building upon the initially brainwashed people creating an infinite loop of brainwashed people?

Sorry this has nothing to do with Dan Worrall or Pro-R2. I just had a philosophical moment.

Maybe touch some grass?

[Jac459]

Maybe touch some grass?

He he he.

[PieBerger]

Maybe touch some grass?

Is grass Apple Silicon native? Asking for a friend

[Ploki]

There’s no ER.
Predelay is for convenience.
Size is absolutely an acoustic property.
Distance is as well.
Brightness is as well.

Well first of all I'm talking about standard reverb effect parameters. Not every reverb uses all of them, or they may call them something different. They may also have additional parameters that have nothing to do with the physics of acoustics, such as "spin."

Yes, size is an acoustic property, but a size of "80%" means nothing in the real world. 80% of what, exactly? How do I get a 10m x 20m x 5m room out of that? Why isn't that even a consideration in this type of legacy reverb design?

Distance, again, is meaningless. Is this the depth of the room, or the distance of the source audio from a particular part of the room, or from the listening position? Or something else?

Brightness probably correlates in some way to density of materials and how acoustically reflective they are. Once again, the problem here is there is no real-world context when it is parameterized.

Predelay is actually not for convenience. Predelay is a function of the distance of the reverberant surfaces of the acoustic space from the receiver (listener/mics) relative to the distance of the sound source from the receiver. The reason predelay makes a space sound bigger, is because it's taking longer for those early reflections to reach the listener after the initial direct sound. Like echoes in a canyon.

80% of size means someone lowered rt60 for 20% with acoustic treatment.

Distance is distance of source from the pickup.

Frankly it works so well I actually used it for post production once to make realistic footsteps

Predelay is also simply used in mixing context to make some space on attacks regardless of actual physical size.
I said it’s there for convenience because adjusting size also adjusts predelay a bit.
Size in ProR is a single knob that switches between many parameters.
Size “8 sec”
And size “4sec” + 200% sounds different because “size” isn’t only decay.

[audiouser720]

Maybe touch some grass?

Is grass Apple Silicon native? Asking for a friend

As long as Dan Worral narrates it, yes

[bmanic]

Christ! I hate Dan Worrall's voice... He sounds like that moaning robot from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Plus, he always sounds completely bored.
...

You aren't the only one, he always sounds so condescending to me. Don't know if he actually is, since I have never met the guy, but yeah I can't watch his tutorials either.. But many if not most seem to love it.
rsp

Christ!!! I'm not alone! Good to hear there are at least a few of us oddballs about.

Well, having met the guy several times I can tell you he is one of the most down to earth genuinely friendly people I've ever met. So whatever condescending tones you hear when he talks, may be worth exploring, possibly while standing in front of a mirror and contemplating your own voice.