Plug in reverb choice?

[The Coastal Path]

I'm currently running Logic Pro X and in addition to Logic's on board reverb plug ins, have Sound Toys Little Plate, a couple of Eventide offerings and Waves H Reverb... but I often feel none of these quite hit the mark for me. Back when I had a TC Powercore, the Lexicon reverb plug in was my go-to choice. So...

I'm composing mostly semi-orchestral and ambient music and I'm thinking to add one more reverb plug in to the collection. On the shortlist:

Valhalla - seems cheap for something well reviewed?
FabFilter Pro R - I've heard lots of good reports and the demos sound good...
Lexicon Native PCM - 600 bucks and ten years old - does anyone use this? Is it worth the investment?

I wondered what folk would recommend if they were to purchase just one reverb plug in?

Thoughts and advice appreciated.

[Jack Ruston]

I think if I were you I would get the Relab subscription. It's 7.99 USD a month, and gets you the TC6000 type stuff, the lexicon 480 and the kush plate.

FWIW I have loads of reverbs, and the ones I come back to again and again are the Relab RS24, Acustica Ebony, exponential R4, and the spring in Modnetic.

[The Elf]

TBH the built-in reverbs of Cubase (particularly Reverence) are good enough for 80% of purposes, but I still turn to Valhallah much of the time, and the Steven Slate VerbSuite Classics are excellent. That's my reverb needs covered!

[Zukan]

Softube's Tsar-1 will give you that Lexicon colour. I have a ton of reverb plugins but end up using Eventide just about every time unless I need the Lex vibe. I have been playing with Hornet's Spaces which cost less than a tenner and that does the trick nicely. I also have Abbey Rd Chambers and Plates and like them for the room modes and mic placement edits. I have Valhalla, Waves IR, T Racks verbs blah blah.....

[Guest]

When I got my Universal Audio Apollo, I got the Lexicon 480 and AMS on special offer - the Lexicon is wonderful. However I still use an outboard old Sony digital reverb that has a sound I really like. You could, therefore, consider an outboard reverb.
All in all, for the music you do I think a Lexicon style reverb would be the most suitable.

[James Perrett]

However I still use an outboard old Sony digital reverb that has a sound I really like.

My first digital reverb was an Ibanez badged Sony MUR-201. There's definitely something about the sound that I haven't found in any other digital reverb. It isn't very reliable these days so I must get around to sampling some of my favourite settings.

[Guest]

However I still use an outboard old Sony digital reverb that has a sound I really like.

My first digital reverb was an Ibanez badged Sony MUR-201. There's definitely something about the sound that I haven't found in any other digital reverb. It isn't very reliable these days so I must get around to sampling some of my favourite settings.

Mine is a Sony HR-MP5 and I have two of them, but the battery is soldered on just above the circuit board so you have to be skilled at soldering to replace it - I have to take it to a repairer. The distortion sound is unusual in that you can put keyboard chords through it and it is as if a clear distortion is added to each individual note, without it ever becoming noise. I also overdrive the inputs and outputs with both effects and EQs in, but each set to dry. This produces a not too hard digital edge which I then bring the level down from way over 0 to about -5.
I also like the sound of the early digital delays but never got one unfortunately.

[The Coastal Path]

Many thanks for the suggestions folk - a few options I'd not considered or previously heard of. I think I will give Relab and Valhalla a whirl and see how they go...

...I'm now also tempted to resurrect my Sony HR-GP5... the one I broke by trying to solder a new battery into after losing all my much tweaked presets... Which I didn't sysex back up (how I don't miss sysex...)

[Aled Hughes]

I use Soundtoys Little Plate and Eventide 2016 Room a lot.

[Watchmaker]

I like the waves Abbey Road plate but ya gotta turn it way down. I tend to use the UAD EMT140 alot lately. Seems to work on most anything. I am pretty tame when it comes to reverb use though. A nice plate seems to be what I'm mostly after and all I can afford is an emulation!

[Bob Bickerton]

My go to reverbs are the UAD Lexicon 224 or EMT 140 but I recently purchased the TC Electronic 8210 reverb plug-in with its bespoke desktop controller.

Two reasons for this purchase; Firstly, I really enjoy the TC 2290 delay from the same range, Secondly, I've always liked TC pedal reverbs.

For some reason, it takes me awhile to get to know, or maybe it's to settle in with, a new reverb but my assessment of the TC 8210 has been positive - so far. In fact I'm currently using it on a choir project and it just seems to be hitting the mark. Fairly clean with a little modulation in this application. An earlier brief exploration indicates that the unit has great flexibility too.

I know it doesn't make any sonic difference but interfacing with the plug-in using the desktop controller is most pleasurable and possibly is an advantage from the point of view of having a tactile way of changing parameters without staring at those parameters on screen - so just leaving it to the ears.

Hopefully it'll be reviewed soon in SOS as I'm curious to know how it compares with some of the higher quality TC hardware units or which I have no experience.

Bob

[CS70]

Very interesting Bob, I normally use mostly convolution reverbs but this with the controller sounds like a great idea, to get thst tactile feel.. and it’s not even crazy expensive.

[Sam Inglis]

I've got tons of reverb plug-ins installed on my Mac, and actually I think lots of them are great if you put the time into adjusting them. The older ones I return to a lot are HOFA IQ-Reverb for chambers and drum rooms, Acon Digital Verberate for short ambiences and LiquidSonics' Reverberate 2 for 'plain' reverbs (I especially like the theatre IRs).

The Valhalla stuff is great, as is Pro-R, but for orchestral stuff (and some superb drum rooms) I really think you should take a look at EastWest's Spaces II.

[Drew Stephenson]

My two 'go to' reverbs are SoundToys Little Plate and Waves TrueVerb. The infinite sustain on the former gives you lots of options for special effects and I find the latter gives very credible 'room' spaces.

[jaminem]

I've pretty much been hooked on the UAD AMS RMX 16 ofr drums since I got it. Its not remotely 'real' but it gets me what I hear in my head (presumably due to the music I love)
Guitars nearly always the UAD AKG BX20, Bread and butter verbs are UAD EMT plate 140 and quite often just the standard Cubase Roomworks plugin.

But then also Soundtoys Echoboy rather than any reverb at all....

[mjfe2]

We're still happy with 2CAudio Aether, though the higher quality settings put insane demands on CPU!

[awjoe]

I used to use Lexicon and Valhalla all the time, but now that I have Fabfilter Pro-R, I find myself using it for most of what I'm looking for. I'd be happy to use Lexicon and Valhalla still - I like them a lot.

[redlester]

This is worth a watch... from last year so not too out of date, the "Reverb World Cup".

https://youtu.be/SM02GXXeHH0

[Dethniteblod]

I should branch out a bit but at the moment I'm only using Vallhalla VintageVerb.

[awjoe]

This is worth a watch... from last year so not too out of date, the "Reverb World Cup".

https://youtu.be/SM02GXXeHH0

Yeah, that was great. My choices were different than his, but both of us arrived at the Lexi in the end.

[dickiefunk]

I highly recommend checking out LiquidSonics products

[Drew Stephenson]

This is worth a watch... from last year so not too out of date, the "Reverb World Cup".

https://youtu.be/SM02GXXeHH0

Yeah, that was great. My choices were different than his, but both of us arrived at the Lexi in the end.

That's interesting. My choices were very different and definitely verged to the R2 and the Valhalla.
Which is kind of good news because, in true murphy's law style, having recommended TrueVerb further up the thread I have now tracked this down as being the plugin that has been causing me a LOT of reaper crashes over the last month. This is enormously frustrating as this has been my go-to room reverb over the past couple of years.
Think it might be time to lob $50 the way of Valhalla and work out which remaining internal organs might be available to market.

Useful thread though!

[mat6066]

Not seen any mention yet of a couple that may suit your needs (which I use and love) - the EMT250, Exponential Phoenix, and the old but still great Waves Rverb.

[R_A]

I reckon it depends how classical your classical music is. If you want a "real classical music" sound Exponential Audio's Nimbus is a good choice (no wafting tail, coupled with exceptionally natural early reflections - makes this a really a beautiful reverb for serious stuff); if you want more of a movie / high budget TV sound Relab RS24 is a good choice. If you want a modern Lexicon sound Exponential Audio's R4 is probably the best bet... Alternatively if you fancy the old Lexicon sound Relab's LX480 is a great shout (I love the Ambience and RHallHD algos on this one).