Can I do better than Altiverb?

[Ialsoeathummus]

I'm about to take the plunge and buy Altiverb. It will be my only reverb plug-in besides stock reverbs in Logic 8 and will be used mostly for pop and rock production.

I also have a few decent Lexicon 480 impulses that I found on an IR blog, but that's pretty much it.

This is a stretch of my budget so I want to make sure I'm doing it right. Is there another reverb under $600 that could be a better choice?

[Literecordings]

I like my Altiverb a lot. On my older system I used Waves, but like the Altiverb more. For me it just sounds less artificial.

[TonyBelmont]

It's still the best!

[Ialsoeathummus]

Are there any applications where you find that Altiverb does not work well?

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

Are there any applications where you find that Altiverb does not work well?

It comes with a bunch of IR's... you can usually find something for any application (that needs reverb).

[mixmixmix]

I've been using Altiverb for 2 years. I've upgraded from Powercore VSS3, hoping it will give me some depth. It did not.

Then I got ART Multiverb (hardware unit) - better, than pcm 70 - much better. Never looked back.

Altiverb sounds better than any other softverb, but if you can AB it with good hardware unit - you will hear better depth and space - much easier and enjoyable to mix as well.

You can get decent mix with it, but it will not be as good as if you used hardware for the same mix.

in your budget go for Lexicon, Yamaha, Sony, Roland verbs.

Ask experienced engineers who don't sell software / gear, or Tony Maserati when his endorcement deal with
Waves is over.

Peace

[Ialsoeathummus]

Originally Posted by mixmixmix

Then I got ART Multiverb (hardware unit) - better, than pcm 70 - much better. Never looked back.
Peace

This costs $10 on ebay. So you're saying that a $10 hardware reverb sounds better than altiverb? Very interesting.

Anyone else have thoughts?

[Dan]

Originally Posted by mixmixmix

Then I got ART Multiverb (hardware unit) - better, than pcm 70 - much better. Never looked back.

Peace

That is a pretty bold statement. Get your flame suit on.

Anyhow, I dig Altiverb, and there are many impulses available.

[Studio507]

I completely disagree. I had the opportunity to try out a shiload of reverb units when I was selling gear for a living and the plugs sound as good as hardware untill you get get to the Eventide Eclipse/Lexicon mainframe level...the PCM series sound good but not enough to spend the extra $ IMO.

[gussyg2007]

Altiverb is amazing ,if you use top notch ir's
i have some dogs bollocks 480l responses and it really does sound the muts nuts . as tony say's "still the best "

[davidperetz]

1. for me Nebula reverb's are the best ITB. they have more space and dimension than all other known convolution. the only problem is that the best hardware unit's haven't been samppled to nebula, yet. but it will happen

2. Behringer V-Verb - coast less than a plugin and it will not sound like an 480 or 250 but it will sound a whole lot more like a Reverb than altiverb. and a good one.

[norbury brook]

Why not try SIR 2 its true stereo and cheaper than Altiverb,get some IR form the forums here and your good to go,the included ones are very good too :-)

MC

[beatspin]

I have not found any software reverb that can beat it..

I did use stock Cubase and Waves IR reverb, and then got myself
Breverb and Altiverb, and I gotta say what an amazing plugin.

I do have to add that I am no engineer, just a producer, But proffesional engineers I know and have worked with has Altiverb as their favorite.

[intolerance]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

This costs $10 on ebay. So you're saying that a $10 hardware reverb sounds better than altiverb? Very interesting.

Anyone else have thoughts?

MOST outboard reverbs in my experiences sound better than softverbs. Check eBay for some midline TC or Lexicon boxes, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you patch one in.

[intolerance]

Also, if you'd like to go soft, the new Redline Reverb is epic for the money. I have them all, and for $99, it's as good as any of the big players. I want to say it's a convolution box filled with all the Lexicon Impulses. Not sure, but that's what it sounds like to me. Great stuff!

[cane creek]

i manage to scrape by using TC classic , Overloud Breverb and UA plate 140 , i have no desire to buy another reverb plugin

[henge]

Reverberate + Acousticas = easy heavenly verb!

[Acousticas]

Hi,

Between Altiverb, SIR2, TL Space, IR1, Revolver, Space Designer etc. They all sound as good as the impulse response you feed it with. Altiverb has the largest stock impulse response library of them all which is a good starting point and justifies the higher price tag.

Where the convolvers vary are their tweakable Parameters, efficiency, price, compatibility, IR Library & browsing capabilities.

Altiverb is good at all above except the price tag which is, unless found cheap on eBay, the most expensive of them all. TL Space & Revolver are RTAS only so unless you are using protools as your main DAW they are out of the question. Nevertheless, both are very good at what they do. Latter is difficult when handling importation of 3rd pty. IRs but features the most luxurious set of parameters of them all. The rest of them are x-daw compatible, beside Space Designer which is Logic only. That leaves the competition, if you're looking for a wide range of compatibility, to Altiverb, IR1 & SIR2. All three are fine convolvers but Altiverb should prevail as it features the best IR browser of all convolution reverbs. At least IMO.

There are other choices like Reverberate, Pristine Space, Nebula etc. To get comfortable with your choice I suggest you demo some of them and then make up your mind. AFAIK, most of them are "demoable"

Good Luck

[mikeroephonics]

Originally Posted by henge

Reverberate + Acousticas = easy heavenly verb!

I do reverb on a buss send this way:

> Reaverb (did you mean ReaVerb, henge?) + Acousticas EMT 245 IRs (soooo nice!)
> IIEQ for tonal shaping
> ReaDelay for small delays around 15-50ms (depends on the song)

- Mike

[davey boy]

I think that if money were tight I'd just stick with Space Designer (and I own and use bother Averb and SD). I've recently found a bunch of great free irs that I can load into each. One set is pcm90 irs. I A/B'd some presets with my real pcm91 and was very impressed. Unless of course you want Altiverb's IRs then go for it. Also, if you do add irs to it's library they show up in Averb's browser without any converting.

I'm demoing the Redline Reverb plugin which is way cheaper and sounds great!

[Animus]

Save yourself some money and get Liquid Sonics Reverberate and some some of the excellent Acousticas Lexicon impulses.

[BKAudioRentals]

you can always rent Alitverb..

I <3 it...
but if i can use a 960L I prefer that

[mOjO FET]

Try Aether reverb. Best algorithmic reverb IMO.
Or Nebula, one of the best ITB AND it's much cheaper.

br
Michael

[bmdaugherty]

They just released an update to altiverb that is supposed to reduce the memory requirements by 30-50%! Feels snappier to me too...

[henryrobinett]

I love Altiverb. I also use my PCM 91. Since I mix a lot in 96k I haven't been using it that much. Even when I was always in 44.1, I tended to use Altiverb for my main reverb and the 91 was specialty.

[jaffa]

I have a PCM 70 (version 2) a PCM 80 and a TC M3000 for hardware reverb and also Altiverb.

I have some impulses of the PCM 70 version 2 and if ANYONE (other than Bob Katz ) can tell the difference between the hardware and software - or more to the point you can tell which is the better reverb - well you've got better ears than me. Is the hardware warmer? The answer would have to be obvious for me to justify having even more hardware in my rack to take the place of the many instances of reverb I could have in my mixes (if needed!) using Altiverb. Quite honestly, it isn't obvious.

I've used the PCM 70 recently for outboard delay, I still say I can hear the difference between Echoboy for instance and a good hardware delay.

Steve

[DaveC]

I've always wondered how IR's are sonically different at higher sampling rates,
as opposed to algorhytmic reverb plugins. Is there a benefit of processing IR-reverbs at higher sampling rates?

[Animus]

Originally Posted by mOjO FET

Try Aether reverb. Best algorithmic reverb IMO.
Or Nebula, one of the best ITB AND it's much cheaper.

br
Michael

imo Ariesverb is the best native reverb ever and rivals my hardware verbs. Try it! I can't really use convolution anymore.

[mOjO FET]

Ariesverb is more like a multieffects unit and the reverbs are indeed great. I took another listen at their demo examples and I must say, impressive.

take a listen.

AriesCode Home


Michael

[Mark III]

Originally Posted by davidperetz

1. for me Nebula reverb's are the best ITB. they have more space and dimension than all other known convolution. the only problem is that the best hardware unit's haven't been samppled to nebula, yet. but it will happen

What he said, can't go wrong with Nebula3, it's the best for everything (bar compression).



Cheers.