What makes a convolution reverb the best?

[Revelation]

Well my point of this thread is not to argue what is the best, but what makes a convolution reverb the best? Altiverb, TL Space, and Waves IR-1 all give you so much flexibility in changing the size of the room, and a lot of nice features. So it seems that what makes it the best is the testing done. None of the 3 use the cheap and quick ballon test. Waves goes into detail how they used this guy from Italy with degrees in this and that to get very acurate test in all these famous halls.

Is it more of what halls were sampled, or do they have the same halls and one company's reverb sounds better than another's because of their improved method?

I have a PC and could only get the Waves IR-1. I have heard Altiverb and was very impressed with it, but am not as familar with it or TL Space to really give educated slate on them. Any input would be appreciated.

[qtuner]

I'm gonna pick some info out of my brain I haven't thought about since college.

Convolution is a mathmatical formula for calculating the response of a linear system to a given input. According to signal theory, any system output can be calculated for a given input if you know the impulse response of a Linear System. Note the system must be linear in order for this to be true. In the real world most things if not all are nonlinear, but they're really close to being linear in a lot of places, so convolution works. There are 2 challenges with convolution.

1) creating a good impulse and capturing the impulse response
2) it's computationally expensive

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally Posted by Revelation

Well my point of this thread is not to argue what is the best, but what makes a convolution reverb the best?

well ... what makes you think they are the best. I definately disagree. I don't like them at all. And the flexibility you mention I find rather limited. It's almost like a sampler. Yes you can sample the instrument but then what .... like playing a grand steinway piano or playing a sampled grand steinway piano.

It definately has cool aspects about it but in my world things like a sys 6k and a L960 make convolution reverbs look like racing a formula 1 car with a bike. Software wise there's good ones : but it ain't the convolution ones imvho. Things like the eventide reverb for example.

[Revelation]

Originally Posted by C.Lambrechts

well ... what makes you think they are the best. I definately disagree. I don't like them at all. And the flexibility you mention I find rather limited. It's almost like a sampler. Yes you can sample the instrument but then what .... like playing a grand steinway piano or playing a sampled grand steinway piano.

It definately has cool aspects about it but in my world things like a sys 6k and a L960 make convolution reverbs look like racing a formula 1 car with a bike. Software wise there's good ones : but it ain't the convolution ones imvho. Things like the eventide reverb for example.

Sorry I did not clarify myself, what I meant to say is what makes a particular convolution reverb the best out of convolution reverbs. I personally love the TC 4000 more than any other reverb I have heard. I used to like the Lexicon PCM 91, but after 10 years, I agree with George Massenburg on the filtering it does to the music.

[alphajerk]

Originally Posted by C.Lambrechts

It definately has cool aspects about it but in my world things like a sys 6k and a L960 make convolution reverbs look like racing a formula 1 car with a bike..

maybe in your world... but last time i used a sys6k i was wishing i had altiverb.

i think both styles [algo/convo] have their places in production but only a fool would think that analogy holds true. i find things i can do with convo-verb's that just arent able to do with algo-verbs and vice versa.

if i had to pick, ill take them both.

[max cooper]

I think what makes any piece of gear the best is that it makes your ears happy.

I keep trying Altverb and I reserve the right to eat these words in the future, but I haven't kept one in a mix yet. Could just be me. I do enjoy the UA EMT and the Princeton Eventide 2016.

[Ziggy!!]

How it sounds dangnabit!!

I chose Voxengo's Pristine space out over SIR and IR-1 just because it was more open sounding with overall sounded clearer to me when running the same impulses through it.