Convolution reverbs are reverb effects which use impulse responses (IRs) to simulate an acoustic space. These are the best freeware convolution reverb effects in VST plugin format for digital audio workstations on PC and Mac.
Convolution Reverb For Mac
An impulse response captures the sound of an acoustic space or an artificially simulated space (when recorded from a hardware reverb unit, for example). Loading an impulse response in a convolution reverb effect will apply the reverb properties of the sampled acoustic space to the processed audio signal. This way, we can simulate recording an audio track in a natural environment (by using impulse responses of outdoor spaces) or mimic the sound of expensive hardware reverb effects.
The user interface is well designed, with the file browser on the right, waveform display on the top, the control parameters on the left, and the spectrum display on the bottom. The user can adjust the pre-delay time and the envelope of the loaded impulse response. The IR can also be time-stretched, which is a great feature to have in a convolution plugin. SIR1 has a fixed latency of 8960 samples and is optimized for low CPU consumption.
The plugin features a selection of impulse responses captured from legendary hardware reverb units such as the EMT 240, AKG BX 20, Lexicon PCM96, and the Bricasti M7. The presets can be customized using detailed envelope and tone control parameters. The user can adjust the pre-delay time, attack/release times, and trim the loaded impulse response. The plugin also features a 3-band tone control and a damping control for shaping the tone of the reverb tails.
Due to its relatively affordable price and well-designed user interface, Fog Convolver is our recommended commercial convolution reverb VST plugin. It comes with a huge library of impulse responses and features a slick user interface with plenty of customization options.
Have you ever wondered what the early reflections of one piece of classic hardware sounds like with tail of another? Or what an iconic stereo reverb would sound like in true stereo? All possible with Reverberate 3. Anybody who wants to breathe new life into their capture library or make something even more special with what they already have needs Reverberate 3.
Fusion-IR processing captures the evolving character of time-varying reverbs using multiple true-stereo reverb streams that are processed simultaneously into a reverb that mixes effortlessly with your music.
Fusion-IRs contain separately sampled early and late reverb components for unparalleled control in a convolution reverb, so you can balance the early and late components of a reverb independently, just as you can on a hardware device.
Many hardware reverbs only apply pre-delay to the reverb tail, which means the reflections are not unnaturally untethered from the dry sound as pre-delay is applied. Usually in a convolution reverb applying additional pre-delay would dramatically unglue the reflections, but in Reverberate 3 you can shift the late tails forwards and backwards in time independently.
A reverb with crossfeed creates reverberation from the left input signal to both left and right output channels, and vice versa. Typically the crossfed channels are delayed, and reduced in level, and may even be subject to some additional filtering.
Reverberate can simulate true stereo reverbs using stereo captures. This is an especially powerful technique when used with reverbs that were never designed with true stereo in mind, dramatically improving their spatialisation capabilities.
Now in Reverberate 3 you can modulate the simulated crossfeed channels bringing them to life in way you may have never thought possible without impacting the essential structure and onset characteristics of the sampled reverb.
The modulation technique used for true stereo simulation adds a dynamic sense of space and airiness to the reverb, but because the direct channels are not modulated it will not impair the true character of the original.
Reverberate allows you to divide a capture into two halves at a point of your choosing, load each into independent convolution engines, and then modulate each half separately creating a reverb brimming with new life and character.
The split modulation and true stereo simulation tools enrich the soul of a captured reverb, but additional spice comes from a comprehensive set of modulated equalisers, delays, ducker and chorus modules.
Such a big step is the perfect opportunity to look at the app again. AltiSpace 2 is a convolution reverb processor with advanced controls. It ships with a large built-in library of IR files of the most interesting vintage reverb devices. Alternatively, you can load in your own impulse responses for endless new timbres.
Then, you can shape the reverb timbres with an EQ, gate, ducking, modulation, and more. Pretty handy is the ability to save all this in presets, so you have tons of new reverbs to choose from. The AS2 Engine is, however, not limited to reverb IRs. You can import any audio sample and use it as an impulse response making the app a versatile sound design tool.
Fog Convolver 2 is a true stereo convolution reverb/processor plugin. This new version has been rewritten and redesigned from scratch, and now features modulation, effects, an impulse response generator, and a lot of improvements.
Convolution works by applying the sonic character of an impulse response to another sound in real-time. You can use Fog Convolver to add reverberation, create special effects, and apply an acoustic impulse captured from audio equipment.
A convolution reverb takes a sample from a real-world space (called an impulse response or IR) and uses this to digitally simulate the reverberation of that space. "Only a convolution reverb can capture the ambience of a real space, or real hardware, and recreate it on a computer," explains Ableton sound designer Christian Kleine. "With a convolution reverb, you can easily access the reverb of many spaces, and still tweak them."
Convolution Reverb also includes a utility for creating your own reverb spaces. The IR Measurement Tool device facilitates the creation of personal IRs. Use it to get a perfect sample from your own hardware or just drag and drop an audio file into the Convolution Reverb device. You don't even need to stick to reverberant spaces. Experiment with a variety of sounds and explore new spaces.
First I do not see any sense in a convolution reverb with some fixed IR's, which cannot be replaced by other individual ones from within the plugin, second I do not see any modifying options, not even a simple hp and lp filter, much less other controls apart for the mix knob, third after some seconds always audio processing stops, especially if selecting another IR and cannot be activated again or the pugin not only crashes my DAW but also my soundcard, so that I have to restart my whole system. (My Intel i7 hexcore from 2021 should not be the problem, I think.).
A departure from the high fidelity path taken by the original 4 reverb modes in Valhalla Room. It is deliberately low-fi, with noisy interpolation, no high frequencies above 11 kHz, and a late reverb that can have a low initial echo density. It also has a wide stereo image, a clear decay with lush randomized chorusing, and sits in a mix quite nicely. An added bonus is that the CPU is significantly lower than the other Valhalla Room reverb modes. This was the first "mode update" in a Valhalla plugin, dating back to summer 2011, and began our tradition of adding radically different algorithms to existing plugins.
Similar to the original Large Chamber algorithm, but bigger and darker, with deeper detuning modulation. Dark Chamber has a fairly even initial echo density. In this way, it is similar to the Large Chamber reverb mode, but with deeper modulation and a much bigger size.
A HUGE dark space, with a somewhat sparser early echo density and deep detuning modulation. Dark Space has a lower initial echo density, and can have a bit of a delay of the onset of reverberation with high settings of Late Size. This also results in a wide stereo image.
Nostromo is the biggest sounding reverb in Valhalla Room, with audible echos at the largest size settings that slowly evolve into a rich decay. Very sparse early echo density, slow density build, random modulation, and wide spatial image.
A dark, deep space reverb, with the wide spatial image of Nostromo and Narcissus, but with a much higher initial echo density than either of those reverbs. LV-426 has a somewhat slower attack than the other modes, and has highly diffused random modulation for lush decays.
Valhalla Room is true stereo. The Early and Late reverb sections are both stereo-in, stereo-out. The spread of energy between the stereo channels can be controlled over time, which helps preserve the input spatial image.
Convolution reverb is an extremely realistic-sounding and useful way to recreate specific acoustic environments. Because of this, convolution effects have become a go-to in audio post-production, allowing engineers to place sound effects and dialogue in a sonic environment that is stunningly convincing.
Algorithmic reverb is probably still the most popular style of reverb plugin, and for many decades, these were the only kinds of digital reverbs available. In a nutshell, they use a series of complex equations to virtually imitate how sound reacts in a reflective space.
This process of convolution can even be used to capture and recreate other forms of reverb as well, such as spring, plate and even algorithmic digital hardware units, potentially making dedicated algorithmic reverbs somewhat redundant for some users.
The plugin itself is free to download and comes with 70 vintage reverb unit IR files out of the gate, making it more useful in the music production realm than in post-production. That is, until you begin adding on expansion packs.
Fusion-IR was created by Liquid Sonics to solve certain limitations of traditional convolution reverb. The system actually captures several IRs of the same space and modulates between them in real time. This is said to give the reverb a more detailed sound, and be more realistic to the way a natural reverb would react in the real world. 2ff7e9595c
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