Best reverb plugins

Artificial reverb was invented all the way back in the 1930s. The way they did it back then was playing recordings through speakers in different spaces and recording the sound of the space. By the 50s it was clear that the reverb effect was here to stay.

Fast forward to reverb plugins.

The workflow for using an analog reverb was cumbersome and time-consuming. Thankfully with digital audio none of that is a concern anymore. You have a lot of plugin options to choose from, so matter if you need something affordable and simple or something complex with a lot of presets there’s one for you.

So let’s dive in to some of our favorite reverb plugins and why they made this list!

Best reverb plugin overall: Seventh Heaven Liquid Sonics

Bricasti’s M7 is one of the most gorgeous-sounding reverbs of all time. The hardware quickly became iconic for it’s sounds that have to be heard to be believed. And this is the best M7 plugin of them all.

There are two versions, Professional and Standard. Pro comes with a whopping 236 presets, Standard just 30 – but still more than enough to get you creating right away. Professional also has additional flexibility that Standard doesn’t.

The GUI is sleek and uncluttered. With a few simple controls Liquid Sonics designed it to be as easy to use as possible.  It comes in VST, AU, and AAX formats so there’s almost a guarantee it will work with your system.

Give it a listen and you’ll see why it’s one of the best reverb plugins available.

Most versatile reverb plugin: FabFilter Pro-R

FabFilter is well-known to make some of the most versatile plugins around. Pro-R is extremely customizable, and the reverb sounds are top notch. Everything from the smallest room to the largest cavern is here.

It features some interesting controls like Character, Distance, and Brightness so that you can dial in the most musical reverbs for your productions. These control names help reduce some of the technical confusion that comes with other plugins.

A 6-band EQ is built in, so you don’t have to add an additional plugin to the track the reverb is on. You also get an interface that’s very visual, so not only can you hear but see how it’s affecting the signal.

A unique Stereo Width control gives you a great way to tailor to the reverb for mono or stereo sources to keep muddiness out of the mix.

Best convolution reverb plugin: McDSP Revolver

Convolution reverbs use samples from real acoustic spaces to simulate reverberation of that space. This makes them one of the most realistic reverb types.

There are hundreds of sounds in the library, from rare perfectly designed acoustic spaces to out of this world depth. One of the coolest things about Revolver is you can create your own impulse responses from it!

A sleek interface makes it easy to dial in. The real beauty of it lies in the quality of the impulse responses. There are graphical readouts of parameters like signal flow, impulse response, and how the EQ settings are affecting the reverb.

Best reverb plugin with effects: Waves Audio Manny Marroquin Reverb

Six reverbs and three sizes are included in this signature plugin from Waves. In partnership with renowned mix engineer Manny Marroquin they created a more complex reverb unit with built-in effects that’s not difficult to use.

It has a 3-band EQ as well as distortion and flange, so it can even be used as a modulation effect. 37 presets from other engineers like Tony Maserati and Ross Hogarth give you a versatile set of options if you want to dive right in.

It doesn’t take up many resources from your recording workstation, so you can feel free to use it as an insert or on a reverb bus.

Best plate reverb plugin: Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverb

The EMT 140 is modeled after three different plate reverbs, so it offers three different types of plate sounds. They’re warm, just like the hardware, and provide a very musical reverb that’s easy to use.

It includes controls from the originals like system input filters and mechanical damping. But Universal Audio brought this calssic analog reverb into the digital recording world by adding additional controls in Width, Balance, and Modulation.

There’s a lot to unpack, and it’s got a distinct sound. The GUI looks just like the hardware (with the extra controls). You need to have Universal Audio hardware to use it, but if you do and you’re looking for the best recreation of one of the most useful types of reverbs modeled on classic hardware, this is it.

It’s officially endorsed by EMT, so you know it’s good.

Best affordable reverb plugin: Valhalla DSP Reverb Series

Valhalla designes plugins that are versatile and easy to dial in. Their Reverb series includes multiple plugins. Room provides access to larger spaces, they have a plate reverb, and Shimmer adds pitch shifting to the sounds.

Their most famous reverb plugin is VintageVerb, that give you 20 different modes. These include halls, rooms, plates, chorus and more. Their plugins are also very affordable, so if your money is tight this is the perfect plugin that won’t make you skimp on advanced features.

FAQ

What type of plugin is a reverb?

Reverbs and delays fall under the time-based effects category.

Which reverb is best for vocals?

There are a lot of variables here. Every track, performance, and vocalist are different so it’s really what the situation calls for. Generally on lead vocals you’ll at least have some plate reverb dialed in, maybe some room as well. Reverb effects your tracks in a way that no other effect can and is one of the most useful types of processing.

What is the most transparent reverb plugin?

It’s not really about being “transparent”, it’s more of an issue of how much to use. Most (if not all) plugins let you adjust the wet and dry mix levels so you can dial it in as much or as little as suits the track. You also have an additional level of control with the faders on the send. 

The type of reverb you’re using matters a lot too. Plates don’t sound like halls, small rooms sound (obviously) smaller than large rooms. And if there’s pitch shifting or modulation added it becomes something else altogether.

Should EQ go before or after reverb?

Both methods work, but generally EQ is inserted after the reverb. But you can get some really interesting sounds by EQing first. A lot of reverbs even come with their own set of EQ controls, so you can free up computer resources by not having to add another plugin to the session.