Audio Ease Altiverb
One of the biggest innovations in reverb processing came with the development of convolution effects. The process might be a little tricky to get your head around, but the results are undeniably impressive.
Convolution reverbs work by using an impulse response captured from a physical space or a piece of equipment. To create the impulse response, an impulse – essentially a short burst of noise – is played into the space or gear, and the response is captured. Alternatively, a sweeping sine oscillator can be employed. Whichever approach is taken, the resulting impulse response is a snapshot of the acoustic behaviour and frequency response of that space or equipment. This can then be ‘convolved’ with an audio signal in real time. That is, the characteristics of the original source are applied to the audio.
Thankfully you don’t need to understand the process in order to understand the end result: incredibly accurate, crystal clear reverbs which offer unprecedented accuracy when it comes to recreating the acoustic characteristics of real spaces and classic hardware reverb effects such as plates and springs.
There are lots of good options when it comes to convolution reverb. Many DAWs now include built-in convolution plugins as standard, but the cream of the crop is still the original: Audio Ease’s Altiverb plugin. In addition to the extensive range of presets built into most convolution plugins, you can also find impulse responses available to download from a number of online sources, often at little or no cost.
Thankfully you don’t need to understand the process in order to understand the end result
A convolution reverb such as Altiverb may be the most versatile option of all the reverbs on our list. The applications and end results are only limited by the selection of impulse responses you have to hand. The downsides? There are very few, but if we were being picky we’d say an algorithm-based reverb usually offers a slightly more intuitive approach when it comes to editing the effect. The ideal solution? Have one of each for different purposes.
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