Whether a modern-day music producer or an avid analog experimentalist, we all need a touch of reverb to get a professional and well-rounded sound in our mix. As the music industry slowly shifts from hardware studio gear to the computer screen and DAWs, quality reverb plug-ins become even more critical. Thankfully, Sweetwater has a large selection of reverbs that deliver professional performance at affordable prices for industry-leading artists as well as hobbyists. From the classic sounds of Abbey Road’s chambers to the sonorous sounds of outer space, these premier plug-ins are a perfect addition to virtually any musical project. Take a look for yourself!
- Relab Development LX480 Essentials
- Baby Audio Crystalline
- Soundtoys Little Plate
- Waves Abbey Road Chambers
- Eventide Spring
- Waves H-Reverb
- Baby Audio Spaced Out
- Cherry Audio Galactic
- DDMF MagicVerb
- Klevgrand Kleverb
Relab Development LX480 Essentials
If you’re a fan of vintage reverb, then you’re probably picky about it — don’t worry, we are, too. Thankfully, Relab Development’s LX480 Essentials plug-in aims to emulate the definitive plate, hall, ambient, and room reverb effects of the past. Its timing and filter controls are simple and easy to manipulate, allowing you to fine-tune the precise effect you need for any project. Of course, you’ll also get the standard filter, decay, and wet/dry controls. If you find a reverb combination that you can’t live without, then feel free to save and load your builds for use in future musical endeavors. With a wealth of options and included presets, finding a sound you don’t like in LX480 Essentials is nearly impossible.
Baby Audio Crystalline
Learning the ins and outs of algorithmic reverb doesn’t come much easier than with the Baby Audio Crystalline algorithmic reverb plug-in. With a GUI that’s easy on the eyes, you’ll have access to reflection, depth, shape, and clean-up tools, each with straightforward controls. As you work through sparkle, shimmer, size, and damping effects — to name a few — a visual display of your reverb’s sound is presented on the screen so you can watch exactly how your effects are manipulating your tracks. To finalize your ‘verb, Crystalline’s gate tool will close down your effect at whatever rate you choose, allowing sounds that range from droning and ambient echoes to sharp ’80s snare trails and almost anything in between.
Soundtoys Little Plate
Want to take on vintage reverb tones in the comfort of your DAW? The Soundtoys Little Plate electromechanical reverb plug-in flawlessly emulates one of the favorite reverb units of the 1960s. This time, generating rich EMT 140 reverb plate tones won’t take up your entire living room. You’ll have access to all the same decay, mic, and low-cut controls, allowing you to bring the echoes of historical studios directly to your mix. Depending on how long you prefer your reverb to last, the decay knob allows up to the EMT 140’s standard five seconds, but if you’d like even more sustain, then the Little Plate ups the ante with options of up to nearly infinite ‘verb wash. Reinventing antique effects is often a complex and expensive process; Little Plate is the easiest way to corral these coveted tones for yourself.
Waves Abbey Road Chambers
It’s nearly impossible to find somebody at Sweetwater who doesn’t love the Beatles, including fans of modern music production. With the Waves Abbey Road Chambers reverb plug-in, analog enthusiasts and electronic artists will benefit from capturing the spatial sound of the Fab Four’s signature acoustics. From the S.T.E.E.D. setup to the Stone Room of Olympic studios, you’ll have control of every mic and amp location to ensure your sounds are produced faithfully with room for your personal touch. A wealth of accurate filtering and EQ effects lets you finalize the tail end of your sound, producing a reverb that’s both vintage in nature and entirely unique in tonal possibilities.
Eventide Spring
If you suspected the days of spring tank reverb were over, then guess again. With the Eventide Spring reverb plug-in, you’ll be able to tap into the most sought-after reverberations of the timeless surf and garage rock of the past. Better yet, you’ll have access to tension and spring-number controls, allowing you to modify the internal components of your spring reverb’s sound, a feature unique to Eventide’s innovative design. If you’re having difficulty getting started with your tones, then Spring comes complete with a collection of presets to get the ball rolling. The best part? An included ribbon controller in the interface means you’ll have complete control over various presets, flowing between tones with the swipe of your mouse, granting an unparalleled level of movement among your twangy creations.
Waves H-Reverb
If you prefer to get hands-on with your effects, then the Waves H-Reverb hybrid reverb plug-in is the perfect place to start. Not only does this plug-in offer several unique presets, but it also provides an attractive command center for ironing out your perfect reverb tone. You can control decay, input and output echoes, dynamics, dry/wet settings, and more. It even includes an EQ and analog/digital global output utility, guaranteeing that you’ll be able to get the right reverb sound for nearly any project you’re working on. Best of all, H-Reverb is easy to integrate into most major DAWs and features a syncing tempo feature to ensure your delays are right in time. If you fancy tail-end experimentation, then H-Reverb will equip you with enough tools to keep you creating for eternity.
Baby Audio Spaced Out
With the Baby Audio Spaced Out delay and reverb plug-in, adding a celestial scope to your projects becomes a walk in the park. Spaced Out adds two seemingly essential ingredients into your mix: an echo (delay) effect and a space (reverb) wash. Each of these tools is entirely customizable on its own, offering a wide variety of delay tempos, patterns, and textures as well as a trove of professional reverb articulations. You’ll have access to wet and dry controls on a two-axis plane, permitting creations that span the entire spectrum of reverb possibilities. Top everything off with a synced ducker effect and an output-level adjustment knob, and you’ll be lost in otherworldly sustain for hours on end.
Cherry Audio Galactic
While we’re on the subject of cosmic-inspired tones, the Cherry Audio Galactic reverb plug-in is a noteworthy mention. With decay options up to 35 seconds, Galactic makes it incredibly easy to make any instrument — or vocal — sound like it’s surfing the ethereal plane. Galactic’s rate and depth modulation knobs paired with its dampening parameter seem relatively simple, but, when run through pre-delay, decay time control, and optional ducking and EQ effects, Galactic offers a sonic expanse of remarkably authentic ‘verb tone. As easy as Galactic is to maneuver, its selection of over 50 presets is equally simple to browse. It comes in handy when you’re stuck wondering what kind of reverb you’re looking for in a particular track. If long decay or ambient wash is your forte, then Galactic is an option you can’t pass up.
DDMF MagicVerb
The unique appearance of the DDMF MagicVerb reverb plug-in is a testament to its straightforward controls and stunning output. With merely four controls, including gain, length, pre-delay, and a dry/wet knob, MagicVerb stores several possible reverb combinations all within a few simple clicks. For the beginning music creator, MagicVerb’s moving visuals are a lifesaver, offering an on-screen representation of how your parameters are applied in your mix. For veterans, MagicVerb still proves its worth, thanks to several pre-generated effects to expedite your creation process and end producer’s block. Best of all, you’ll be able to create chamber, plate, and digital reverb effects, allowing you to create multiple ‘verb textures in a single plug-in.
Klevgrand Kleverb
Whether you’re looking for a small, medium, or large room to expand your track’s sonic reach, the Klevgrand Kleverb plug-in has it all. Alongside a handy visual representation of your mix’s output, Kleverb features standard and unique reverb controls to grant easy effect access and endless tonal experimentation. Damping, diffusion, and spread controls are available in any of Kleverb’s three reverb modes. They’re all topped off with an impressive pre-delay option should you want a ‘verb with a little extra character. Most notably, Kleverb’s built-in ducker and modulation effects make this plug-in so handy for virtually any production artist. Of course, standard wet/dry control knobs are also present to ensure you’re not going overboard with your creations — well, unless that’s what you want.
Experimentation Is Key
No matter the size or style of your next project, reverb is essential for a professional tone. While finding the perfect effect may not always be easy, experimenting with multiple plug-ins and presets can get you closer to homing in on your signature sound. If you found one of these plug-ins interesting, then give it a shot! Sweetwater offers plenty more affordable options to expand your effects arsenal. If you need help searching, or want a recommendation, then give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.
