Are you looking for the absolute best Reverb VST Plugin for your music productions? Well it depends on what style, tone and mood you are after. Authentic halls for orchestral music, or deep and lush reverbs for pads and synths? Perhaps a classic, vintage plate reverb for vocals?
Hello Composers! =)
– Mike here, and I have good news for you. I have compiled a list of Reverb Plugins that won the poll for “Best Reverb VST” in my Professional Composers Facebook Group (you can join too).
1. Valhalla Room
ValhallaDSP has risen up the last years as one of the most popular developers for Reverb plugins. This one is a true stereo algorithmic reverb, with twelve original reverb algorithms.
ValhallaRoom has been designed from a psychoacoustic perspective. Meaning the focus is not to create a natural “real” room sound, but rather to design and craft “the perfect room tone” for your particular need.
2. EastWest Spaces
Spaces is a convolution reverb, meaning it is based from real recordings in actual spaces. This will give you kind of a fingerprint of the room tone it was recorded in.
There are many convolution reverb plugins on the market, but EastWest has dedicated the main focus of this plugin on halls, scoring stages and rooms that works great for cinematic, acoustic and orchestral music.
3. Altiverb
The undisputed king of convolution reverbs. Why? Because the range of “impulse responses” (which is the room tone fingerprints = presets) is incredibly vast!
This has made the reverb not only a favorite for many music composers and producers, but even more so perhaps by audio engineers for media productions like movies, games and TV-series.
4. Valhalla Shimmer
Like Valhalla Room, Shimmer is an algorithmic reverb that is focused on ethereal rather than real.
It has been a favorite for many composers and producers for adding that “lush room sound” that really adds depth and space..and well “shimmer”.
5. Fabfilter Pro-R
Fabfilter is a developer that really shines when it comes to “user control” and very detailed features in their plugins. And their reverb “Pro-R” is no exception.
For example: They have dials for brightness, character, distance…and even stereo width! Unusual, and interesting to say the least.
6. Valhalla VintageVerb
Another Valhalla Reverb on the list? Well, that’s what the composer community voted for haha. Anyway, this VintageVerb is different in the sense that the focus is to emulate those amazing vintage hardware reverbs from the 70s and 80s.
As with all Valhalla plugins, the interface is very simple and easy to use. However, this clearly has been influenced by the neon light days of music history.
7. Slate VerbSuite Classics
Slate already has a good reputation for their vintage hardware emulations of compressors, channel strips, eq’s etc. And their VerbSuite Classics adds to their excellent portfolio.
The unique thing about VerbSuite Classics is that it includes a wide range of hardware reverb emulations. All with a very nice looking and easy to use interface.
8. Soundtoys Little Plate
Soundtoys Little Plate is probably the easiest reverb plugin you’ll ever use. But sometimes, simplicity is exactly what you want.
And if you need a very nice sounding plate reverb, this is definitely worth to try out.
9. Lexicon PCM Native
A bundle of classic Lexicon hardware reverbs that made their way into software. They have favored sliders over knobs in their user interface, which I must say I personally prefer.
You get lots of options with this range of reverbs, and very detailed control over the shape and sound of the room tone.
10. UVI Spark Verb
This is not the ordinary reverb plugin, but rather focus on sound design and room tone exploration.
With features like parameter lock, randomizer, pitch modulation and the visual preset voyager…this plugin gives you the power to create unique new spaces.
11. UAD EMT250
This is a classic reverb, which is even reflected in the user interface. It actually has levers, instead of sliders and knobs!
The EMT250 was introduced in 1976, and has become one of those icons in the music production world.
The downside with this plugin, as with any UAD plugin, is that you need the UAD hardware to be able to use it.
12. Waves H-Verb
This reverb is based on something called “FIR” (Finite Impulse Response reverberation technology).
Compared to standard convolution reverbs, the H-Verb will give you more control over shaping the reverb tail (decay).
It even gives you an EQ and dynamics module for compression, ducking and de-essing.
13. Softube TSAR-1
TSAR-1 is actually not an emulation of classic, vintage hardware. The interface is stunning, and very easy to use.
This is a true stereo reverb without any crazy deep sound design features. This is a unique and modern reverb algorithm that focus on a high-end, clean and detailed room sound.
Summary – Best Reverb VST Plugins
Let’s sum up the list again, and I have included links for you to each respective reverb plugin:
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Valhalla Room
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EastWest Spaces
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Altiverb
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Valhalla Shimmer
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Fabfilter Pro-R
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Valhalla VintageVerb
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Slate Verbsuite Classics
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Soundtoys Little Plate
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Lexicon PCM Native
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UVI Spark Verb
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UAD EMT250
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Waves H-Verb
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Softube TSAR-1
Good Luck finding the Best Reverb for you
– Remember that most developers have a trial version that you can take advantage of before you buy. And also remember, that there will never be a “perfect” reverb plugin that works for every single instrument, sound and style.