Reverb is one of the most important tools for audio engineers. It’s an audio effect used on every mix you’ll ever hear.

Best convolution reverb VST plugins Free: SIR Audio Tools SIR1 (Windows) LAConvolver (Mac) These free simple convolution tools are capable of loading great sounding impulse responses. That’s the beauty. All available as Windows VST and Mac VST/AU. More info and download here. Knufinke Sir1 Convolution reverb. I listed the SIR1 as the best free convolution reverb plugin in my The 10 Best Reverb Plugins In The World post here, and I still haven’t found a better one yet. If you like Altiverb or Wizooverb but don’t have the budget, this is.

There’s so many reverb plugins out there. Deciding which one to use is a big challenge. And sifting through hundreds of plugins can sap your creativity pretty quick.

Free VST downloads: OldSkoolVerb (Reverb by Voxengo) - FreeverbToo (Gate reverb by Sinusweb) - REV-B (Graphic reverb by Samsara Cycle Audio) - TAL-Reverb-4 (Vintage reverb by Togu Audio Line). NuSpace Audio released the Rivera VST Plugin as a free plugin for a hybrid reverb effect available for Windows. Riviera is a hybrid algorithmic-convolution reverb plugin for modeling specular. Free VST Plugins are one of the most exciting things about mixing. In the past it was impossible to imagine that so many quality tools could be available at no cost. Today there are more great free plugins than ever before, but the freeware scene is always changing. How can you know which free VSTs. Best Convolution Reverb Plugins For Music Production In 2020 (Also FREE) Convolution reverb plugins are useful for both music and audio post-production engineers. Which plugin you choose depends on your area of specialization and budget. Here are ten options for you to choose from: 10. WizooVerb W5 Convolution Reverb. Manufacturer: Wizoo More.

But if you know your way around the different types of reverb plugins, you’ll have head start on choosing the right tools to create the perfect ambience to enhance your mix.

Here’s a primer on the different styles of reverb and the 15 best reverb plugins for each reverb type.

Electromechanical reverb

In the early days of audio, engineers discovered they could use transducers to create vibrations in a piece of metal.

These vibrations could be captured with an electromagnetic pickup like the kind used in electric guitars.

This led to the development of two main types of electromechanical reverb—spring reverb and plate reverb:

What is spring reverb?

Spring reverb takes advantage of the unique behaviour of a coiled spring. The transducer is fitted at one end of spring and the pickup is at the other.

Spring reverb has a darker, edgier character that can vary widely from spring to spring. It’s often found in classic guitar amplifiers.

Using spring reverbs will give you a sploshy, metallic reverb with lots of character.

Best spring reverb VST plugins

Free:Hotto Spring Reverb

Hotto Spring Reverb is a free, no-nonsense spring reverb that’s effective and easy to use.

Spring reverb has a darker, edgier character that can vary widely from spring to spring.

Cheap:Aegean Music Spirit Reverb

Aegean Music Spirit Reverb is an affordable and authentic way to get spring reverb onto your tracks. It also includes other tone shaping effects like delay and tube preamp emulation.

Convolution Reverb Ableton

Pro:PSP Springbox

Using spring reverbs will give you a sploshy, metallic reverb with lots of character.

PSP Spring Box has a ton of control to dial in your perfect spring reverb sound. It can go from realistic vintage spring reverb to seriously weird textures.

Where to use it?

Spring reverb is at home on electric guitars, but you can use it anywhere where you need a grittier flavour of reverb.

What is plate reverb?

Plate reverb is the main style of reverb from the golden age of analog recording. It’s created by exciting metal with a transducer just like spring reverb.

However, giant metal plates are required to create high quality plate reverb, so today these devices are expensive and rare.

They’re well loved for a reason though. Plate reverbs create a very recognizable sound that blends well into a mix and doesn’t overpower the dry signal.

Best plate reverb VST plugins

Free:TAL Reverb 2

TAL Reverb 2 deserves to top the list of best free reverb plugins. It’s a fantastic sounding reverb that’s modelled on a plate but can go from natural and realistic to lush ambient textures.

Plate reverbs create a very recognizable sound that blends well into a mix and doesn’t overpower the dry signal.

Cheap:VallhallaDSP ValhallaPlate

ValhallaDSP makes some of the best value-for-money reverb plugins. Sean Costello’s plugins are widely respected in the pro audio community despite their low price tag.

ValhallaPlate is a fantastic, inexpensive way to get into plate reverb.

Pro:UAD EMT 140 Plate

Universal Audio is the top name in vintage emulation and their plugins run on a dedicated hardware platform.

Their loving reproduction of the classic EMT 140 tube plate reverb is a smash hit. It’s incredibly authentic and sounds eerily close to a real plate.

Plate reverb uses

Vocals, snares, or anywhere else you need an even sounding reverb with smooth early reflections and distinctive character.

Algorithmic reverb

Algorithmic reverb uses digital trickery to create reverb. It usually works by using many cascaded digital delay lines to create the illusion of acoustic reflections. The earliest electronic reverb devices were algorithmic, so many of the classic sounds we associate with studio reverb were created this way.

Algorithmic reverbs aren’t always realistic since processing power was so limited in the early days. But they can still create a desirable and characteristic reverb sound that works in tons of mixing situations.

Best algorithmic reverb VST plugins

Free:Smartelectronix Ambience

Smarteletronix Ambience was one of the first quality free reverb plugins on the scene. And it’s still a great option for dreamy, ambient, algorithmic reverb.

Cheap:VallhallaDSP VintageVerb

Valhalla VintageVerb is a versatile algorithmic reverb with vintage style modes to simulate the frequency and sample rate limitations of 70’s and 80’s hardware reverbs.

Algorithmic reverbs aren’t always realistic since processing power was so limited in the early days. But they can still create a desirable and characteristic reverb sound that works in tons of mixing situations.

Pro:UAD Lexicon 224

The UAD Lexicon 224 is a painstakingly accurate replication of the classic vintage hardware. The original Lexicon 224 was one of the first readily available digital reverb units introduced to studios in the late 1970’s. It’s responsible for so many classic reverb sounds from that era.

Algorithmic reverb uses

Algorithmic works best for Synth pads, effects, or anywhere else you need a stylish, enveloping reverb.

Convolution reverb

Convolution reverbs create ambience through a mathematical process called (wait for it) convolution. Free vst effects mac.

These reverb plugins use Impulse Responses to create their effect. Impulse responses are made by measuring the reverberation of a real space with a microphone and a specialized tone called an impulse.

Algorithmic works best for Synth pads, effects, or anywhere else you need a stylish, enveloping reverb.

The impulse response is a sonic profile that the plugin uses to apply its specific reverberation characteristics to your sound.

To put it simply, convolution reverb lets you use the ambience of any real world space inside your DAW.

Hot tip: Convolution can also be used to model things like speaker cabinets for electric guitar.

If you have an all purpose convolution plugin, you can use IRs of speaker cabs to get a convincing sound when you record amps direct.

Best convolution reverb VST plugins

Free:SIR Audio Tools SIR1 (Windows) LAConvolver (Mac)

These free simple convolution tools are capable of loading great sounding impulse responses. That’s the beauty of convolution! They may not be the most full featured plugins out there, but they can totally get the job done.

Cheap:Liquid Sonics Reverberate Core

Liquid Sonics Reverberate Core is an effective, inexpensive convolution reverb solution. It has the ability to load and tweak parameters of any impulse response.

Pro:Audio Ease Altiverb

Audio Ease Altiverb is the gold standard for studio convolution reverb. Its powerful convolution engine and IR collection are capable of creating extremely realistic and compelling acoustic spaces.

Convolution reverb uses

Close mic’d instruments or wherever you need natural, realistic sounding spaces. Convolution reverb is a great choice for acoustic instruments like strings and piano.

Non-linear reverb

There’s a few classic reverb sounds you might know that I haven’t covered yet.

I’m talking about special effects like gated and reverse reverb. These sounds are all examples of “non-linear” reverb.

Electromechanical, algorithmic and convolution reverbs all attempt to model real spaces—with varying degrees of success. Even though some examples are quirky and not at all realistic, they still have a “linear” decay.

Convolution reverb is a great choice for acoustic instruments like strings and piano.

That means the reverb rings out with the normal, uniform decrease in energy that would happen a real acoustic space.

Non-Linear reverbs throw that idea out the window. They’re the classic reverb “effects” from the 80s like gated and reverse reverb.

Best Non-linear Reverb VST Plugins

Free:Longsound MicroVerb VST

Longsound MicroVerb VST is an emulation of the Alesis Microverb hardware unit. This entry-level hardware reverb is known for its three non-linear presets, which sound pretty weird in all the right ways.

Cheap:ValhallaDSP VintageVerb

We’ll have to give this one to Valhalla VintageVerb again for its fantastic nonlinear algorithms.

Pro:UAD AMS RMX16

The hardware AMS RMX16 is another early digital reverb that has been painstakingly modelled by Universal Audio. It’s nonlinear presets are responsible for many of the gated reverb sounds on recordings from the 1980’s.

If other verbs are sounding just too…normal, try a non-linear style for a change of pace.

Non-linear reverb uses

Use non-linear reverb to create psychedelic special effects. If other verbs are sounding just too…normal, try a non-linear style for a change of pace.

Early reflections

You need a sense of space in your recordings for them to sound natural and inviting.

That’s why reverb is an essential element of every mix. And to use it properly, you have to know your tools.

So to recap:

The best reverb plugins are…

Whether you’re adding a realistic ambience to an acoustic guitar, creating a cavernous space for a synth pad or just trying to nail that classic 80’s gated snare, knowing which reverb to reach for is key.

Plate, spring, convolution, algorithmic and non-linear reverbs all have helpful applications in your music.

Try any of the plugins from this list see how the how the different types work for you.

Download Impulse Response Expansion Sets for Max for Live’s Convolution Reverb device!

I was just trying to learn more about convolution reverb when I stumbled upon a mother load of IRs! Turns out Ableton has a bunch of highly recommended IRs and I happen across a ton more! Happy days are here at last.

LINKS

• Check out Plugin Deals __ CLICK HERE
• Check out Sample Pack Deals __ CLICK HERE

If you don’t have the Max Convolution reverb device yet, but have the Live 9 suite, go here to download the Max Essentials free device pack! The pack comes with a boat load of IRs and a number of other great devices as well.

*There are also other convolution reverb vsts out there if Max isn’t for you.

What is Convolution Reverb and Impulse Response (IR) Samples?

A Convolution Reverb consists of a recorded sample (called an Impulse Response or “IR”) of an acoustic space to excitation from a signal such as a sweep tone, starter gun, or snare drum crack, and the effect on the space of that signal after it has been removed and usably transformed by the convolution processor. Convolution reverbs essentially record and process the reverberant behavior unique to a real acoustic space. /piano-vst-plugin-best-free.html. – bhphotovideo

Where can I find Expansion Packs ( impulse response samples )?

Now that you know what you are looking for a simple google search will lead you in the right direction. Here are what I have found.

• Joshua Casper [free] – 2oo HD/HQ synthesized IRs

1. Echo Thief [free] – IRs from out-of-the-way spaces from all over North America. 90 unique spaces: caves, skateparks, stairwells, underpasses, glaciers, concert halls, and more.
2. Echochamber [gone away] – a selection of hardware and DSP IRs from a mixing/mastering studio. The site is in German, I think, but the zip files are clearly labled.
3. Fokke van Saane [free] – an eclectic IR collection spanning from classic hardware reverb units to the engine of a Mercedes. Radios, inside a mouth, factories, small chruches and lots more.
4. Dubbhism [free] – as the name implies, these IRs are tailored to dub. Featuring vintage spring, plate, hall, and other reverb units.
5. FFS Percussive Echoes – a free selection of IRs designed specifically for drums, from sound designer Diego Stocco.
6. Samplicity [free / paid] a couple free packs

NEW UPDATE

• Open Air Library [gone away] – very detailed records of the recording equipment and areas. Also, previews of voice & drums
• Propellerhead Software’s List – a massive list on its own!
• Voxengo – a few unique resposes

Where do I put the files once I have them?

Watch this short video tutorial. Essentially you can just drag and drop. All the heavy lifting;). However, for the Max device, if you would like the IRs to show up in the two drop down menus you need to put them in the right space and there are a couple ways to organize.

Here is a short tutorial on working with the impulse response files and where to put them so they show up in the preset menus!

File Pathway to the IR folder.

Documents -> Ableton -> Factory Packs -> Max for Live Essentials -> Max Audio Effect -> Convolution Reverb -> IRs

How can I record my own unique Impulse Responses?

If you want to collect your own IRs, you can use the IR Measurement Device (included with the Max for Live Essentials Pack). With adjustable settings for capturing audio and generating either impulses or sweeps, the IR Measurement Device makes it easy to make an IR out of anything in your studio.

Impulse Response Measurement Device

Mac Users IR Installation Instructions for Max’s Convolution Reverb Device

Best Convolution Reverb

If you’re on a mac, go to the location you described above (*Documents -> Ableton -> Factory Packs -> Max for Live Essentials) . Then right-click on the maxforliveessentials pack and choose “show package contents”. Then go into Max Audio Effect>Convolution Reverb>IRs. If you put your IRs in the IR folder, they will show up in the Convolution Reverb Pro device’s drop down menu inside Live.

Convolution Plugin