u-he now supports Apple Silicon.
Protoverb is an experimental reverb based on the idea of a "room simulator".
This first version of Protoverb is released as a free "research-ware" plug-in, created to discover more about reverbs.
Most algorithmic reverbs try to avoid resonances or model the reflections of sound from a rooms walls. Protoverb does the opposite. It builds up as many room resonances as possible, modeling the body of air in the room. It therefore does not need to modulate or colour the signal. The result is a very natural sounding reverberation with some interesting features: Long standing frequencies resonate louder, as if the air takes some time to get excited. Multiple instruments don't mash into a diffuse mudd, they stay distinct. If you play a short melody, the room seems to repeat a ghost echo of that melody. Those properties are indeed found in churches and large halls, but they're rarely found in conventional algorithmic reverbs.
Protoverb has limited controls, with most parameters hidden from user control. There are 2 randomise buttons that modify these parameters to encourage user experimentation.
Protoverb
Reviewed By CruftyMcCrufterson
January 17th, 2022
Now with the new preset system update its definitely more useful, and I've always liked some of the sounds.
Read ReviewI know that this plugin is free, and the idea is that it generates random reverbs for research and you vote on them. I'm down with that.
I wanted to like this. I genuinely tried. I was patient, and put in a good amount of time with it. It simply generated too few useful sounding reverbs – in either a practical or creative way– for the time invested. It started to create a snag in the workflow that wasn't overcome by the quality of the end result.
I submitted a number of "Worst Sounding Reverbs" while working with it, so it wasn't a total waste.
While the Reverbs weren't my thing, it offered an opportunity to give back, so...
Thanks to u-he and Proverb for that-
For research! For the community!
In fact, my Proverb rating comprises the one star from each of these groups!
Protoverb
Reviewed By colobelporridge
May 20th, 2018
great reverb. particularly good for reverbs that you want to sound close to the ear. Its hard to fault other than a few more controls would be nice but that might go against the idea of the whole piece.
Read ReviewFYI, this plugin is 64-bit compatible. Hopefully someone changes that in the product description.
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Interesting concept. I can recall reading several interviews/ album breakdowns by some older and contemporary artists discussing how they utilized the "air" of certain rooms and how it affected their overall sound. My Morning Jackets' use of an old church in the middle of summer for Circuital comes to mind; according to them, something about the humid, still air brought out a certain warmth during their live sessions which they couldn't replicate elsewhere. So they ended up recording most of the album, live in that church.
Anyway, yea I'll definitely have to check out this one.
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