Bricasti M7
By the early 21st century, you’d have been forgiven for assuming that the emergence of high quality software reverb options would soon render digital hardware virtually obsolete. After all, if we could run reverb plugins in our DAWs then why did we need to spend so much money on pro reverb hardware any more, right?
The story didn’t turn out to be quite so simple. Although it’s undeniably true that the majority of producers now turn to a reverb plugin first whenever they’re looking to add artificial ambience, the hardware reverb hasn’t completely died out. Released in 2007, the Bricasti Model 7 is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t completely dismiss the idea of dedicated digital reverb hardware just yet.
Designed from the ground up with the intention of recreating reverb in a more realistic way than other digital options, the M7 represents a completely contemporary approach to digital signal processing. While convolution reverbs and algorithmic designs both have their advantages, the M7 really provides the best of both worlds: as clean, clear and realistic as the best convolution reverbs while simultaneously as flexible and editable as any algorithm-based unit.
you’d have been forgiven for assuming that the emergence of high quality software reverb options would soon render digital hardware virtually obsolete
If you want to get an idea of what makes the M7 so special, load Samplicity’s impulse responses in your chosen convolution reverb plugin for a taster. Be warned that they certainly don’t come close to the magic of the real thing, but they give you a reasonable idea what to expect in terms of crystal clear, wholly realistic ambience. A £3,000 hardware reverb unit might seem like an extravagance in the era of plugins, but the Bricasti Model 7 shows why you shouldn’t dismiss the idea entirely.
03.00 PM
Excuse me but where is the Midiverb II at? What kind of dance music producer has a room for a plate reverb.
08.34 PM
Lumping the Space Echo in with reverbs seems to be pushing it a bit. It’s a great unit, but…
Also worth mentioning are the dirt-cheap plugins from ValhallaDSP (which borrow a lot of techniques from both Lexicon and Eventide), and the more expensive ones from 2CAudio.
02.34 PM
makes me laugh how people always get so mad at these features. guys, they’re just attack’s choices. if you don’t agree, write down your own list on a piece of paper and look at that instead. it’s hardly as if it’s some kind of official ranking, plus there’s a lot more to read here than just the names of 10 reverbs. maybe if you read it you’d realise they actually mentioned the midiverb AND the fact that most people don’t have room for a plate so should buy the plugin instead.
eric, i kind of agree with your point on the space echo but they are absolutely awesome for reverb as well as delay effects. even the delays are so messy and organic that it isn’t really delay as most people think of it these days. i got to borrow one off a friend for a while and what i actually liked it most for was a short reverb-style effect on vocal samples.
i also agree that the valhalla reverbs are excellent
10.16 PM
This is an unusually random feature from Attack…so few of these devices are really relevant to dance music eg the Lexicon 224…or EMT 140 (a vintage plate!)…’Acoustic space’ followed by a Bricasti! Its just all over the place…and honestly is that really relevant for dance music producers?
Here is my list:
2cAudio Aether
Valhalla Vintage Verb
Valhalla Shimmer
Relab 480
Eventide Black Hole pedal
Strymon Big Sky pedal
Eventide H3000 Rack unit
Roland Space Echo vintage delay
11.44 PM
Strymon Bluesky should’ve been in there