10 Popular Reverb and Delay Plugins Not Based on Analog Gear

In the beginning, the only way to add depth to a track was by moving the mic further away from the sound source. Then, engineers discovered they could create a delay effect by manipulating tape machines. Eventually, analog reverb chambers were invented, made from simple plate and spring designs. In the 1970’s, digital effects processors became available, which allowed engineers to simulate acoustic environments.

As technology advanced, these processors became available in plugin form. Although many modern effects processors are based on the designs of the analog processors of yesteryear, there are plenty of original plugins designed to create new, unique effects.

Reverb Plugins

Pro-R by FabFilter FabFilter is a plugin manufacturer based in Amsterdam, who have been making mixing and mastering tools, creative effects and synthesizer plugins since 2002.

FabFilter Pro-R takes a musical approach to reverb and uses non-technical controls like Brightness, Character and Distance to dial-in the perfect tone. Unlike most reverbs which require you to select a reverb type, Pro-R allows you to seamlessly fade between dozens of different environments using the Space control.

In real environments, high frequencies often decay faster than bass frequencies. Many reverbs include a low/high crossover system to adjust the decay rates independently — but Pro-R features a 6-band parametric Decay Rate EQ, which allows you to freely shape the decay rate over the frequency spectrum.

This is an excerpt from a piece I wrote which was originally posted on TheProAudioFiles, read the full article here.

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