vst reverb plugins. Are they as good as hardware

Special Interest Groups Audio Processing
1

I am not enjoying applying vst reverb to vocals or acoustic guitar even when using a daw other than Audacity to process in so called ‘real time’.

I freely admit it could be my lack so would appreciate any tips because I don’t like recording or processing through setting upvalues to attain a sound. I’m used to hands on twiddling of knobs on what would now be deemed retro hardware where you can adjust two or more parameters simultaneously until it hits the spot.

But that aside vst reverb doesn’t sound as good or as smooth to me. I’ve tried as many different ones as I can find. But even the so called retro ones don’t cut it for me, I find twiddling a gui knob via the mouse is a rather naff experience.

I’ travel a lot so carting hardware around is not practical.

2

“Anwida DX Reverb Light” free plugin … http://www.anwida.com/download.asp?pt=12 [Windows & Mac only]
comes with presets …

which saves some trial-and-error time.

3

Thanks Trebor nice screenshot, I’ll give it a whirl.

4

What may be unsatisfactory is some reverb VST are mono : the reverb effect doesn’t crossover to the other channel like it would in the real world. With mono reverb you have to take an additional step to mix a little of each channel with the other to make it sound like 3D reality. [ the Anwida reverb VST applies crossover].

5

Thanks I’ll try that when I can get hold of it, I keep getting a 500 internal server error from their site.

6

Well I’ve tried various permutations on the dry master tracks of a song I have also mixed down copy of with hardware reverb added to guitar and vocals. I found a prest that is near as damn it in Anwida (& other rverbs before it).

The end result is best summed up by my wife’s reaction. "I don’t like it now. This new version has lost the sweetness in the voice. The way the vocals sounded on the old version always made me smile, this doesn’t. It appears to walk and talk the same but a quality has gone.

She’s right.

I keep finding similar time and again with various vst plugins.

7

There are literally thousands of reverb effects (hardware and software) ranging in price from free, to $thousands.
Most sound engineers have a few favourites that they like to work with, and a few more for unusual situations.
The important thing is to use reverb that suits the material.

Most reverb effects provide parameters for tweaking the effect. A small shift in one or more of the parameters can make a huge difference to the overall effect. Getting to know a particular effect, how its parameters work and how they affect the overall sound can pay dividends in results.

I don’t believe there is such a thing as “good” or “bad” reverb. A particular effect either enhances the material to which it is being applied, or makes it worse. Sound engineering is as much an art as a science.