Pro Tools User Digidesign

Reverb One TDM Plug-In

by J. Arif Verner

Digidesign recently introduced Reverb One, a reverb plug-in with a lot to offer. No newcomer to the game, Digidesign's first offering was D-Verb. As to be expected, this new plug-in takes reverb technology to a new level.

Before we dig in, Pro Tools users should know that Reverb One (mono or stereo) uses a whole DSP chip. With a MIX or MIXplus card, a maximum of five Reverb One plug-ins can be used per system. Pro Tools v5.0 (or better) is also required.

Navigating Reverb One's interface is a breeze. Three adjustable graphs take up half of the plug-in window. The Reverb EQ graph is a three-band equalizer (low, mid and high) with adjustable crossover points. Frequency bands cover a range from 60 Hz to 24 kHz. The Reverb Color graph controls the decay times of the frequency bands. Low and high crossover points define the cut and boost areas for the three frequency ranges. Simply move the frequency sliders to the desired location and drag the breakpoints to adjust the gain.

The Contour graph illustrates the reverb's envelope, as determined by the early reflections and reverb tail. Unlike the other two graphs, editing is done with seven on-screen sliders that handle attack, spread, diffusion, predelay and other settings. The same kind of horizontal sliders are also used for the Early Reflection and the Master Mix sections. Values can be typed directly into Reverb One.

Another nice surprise is the addition of a chorus and a dynamics section. These are not standalone applications but rather settings for shaping the reverb decay. I found both effects rather subtle, but they added a nice touch to the sound. Finally, input and output meters round out the Reverb One window.

There is a healthy selection of presets, including Arenas, Plates, Halls, Reflections and Wild Spaces. For the next upgrade, I would like to see a few more gated reverbs. Also missing are inverse reverbs. The overall sound of Reverb One is very rich and smooth. And yes, it is good enough to use on a lead vocal.

Unlike many plug-ins, Reverb One defaults to a 100 percent wet mix setting. Although this makes sense when effects are routed through a console, for the TDM architecture I prefer controlling the mix directly from the software. Hitting the green mix button turns off the 100 percent setting and activates the wet/dry mix control.