Reverbs are a must for just about any songwriter, beat maker, music maker. It's true they can be over used at times, but they are such a common tool that I wanted to take a moment to talk about three very good and free reverb VST effects.
Reverb is short for "Reverberation" which basically means the effect of sound bouncing off of surfaces and reflecting back into the listener's ear. It can be used to make dramatic effects like spooky ghost talking or subtler effects like making a performance sound like it's in a small room.
Most of us have heard reverb if we ever sign or make a loud sound in the bathroom. Since bathrooms tend to have a lot of hard surfaces like tile, the sound in this room really bounces around.
First up we have a freeware reverb called SIR1. SIR1 is a reverb device that works with "impulse-responses" (IR). These are data files that contain information about real world environments. For example, you could download an IR recording made at the Hollywood Bowl and use it in SIR1 to get an accurate reverb as if you were playing at the Hollywood Bowl!
Generally, this type of reverb may introduce a delay into your mix, so you will need a host that can compensate for it. This is by far the best sounding type of reverb that exists today. There is a commercial SIR2 that offers zero-latency and more features.
Second on the list is an oldie but a goodie. Often thought to be one of the best all-time free reverbs on the market, we have Ambience. Technically this would be called donation ware since you are free to pay what you think it's worth, whenever you want. If has a nag screen, but otherwise functions perfectly even if you choose not to donate.
Finally, we get to RoomMachine 844. It's a room simulator. This is a very useful reverb for things like drums and vocals where you don't want a long reverb tail, but do want to give the sounds that little extra "oomph" to make it stand out. The room simul;ations sounds very natural. Many people I know use this exclusively for vocals because it does such a great job.
There you go... Three different, useful and free reverbs for you to add to your collection. Have fun!
