- Joined
- Oct 19, 2011
- Location
- Washington DC
Valhalla VintageVerb
What Is It
VintageVerb is a reverb (derp!) plug-in inspired by the hardware of 70's and 80's. It contains 9 algorithms based on different "spaces" and 3 unique coloring modes emulating 70's, 80's and modern sounds. It's also equipped with the typical tool set such as EQ, diffusion, mix, damping, predelay, etc.
How Is It
Reverbs are a dime a dozen and can either enhance a sound/mix or destroy it. Personally, I have never found a particular reverb plugin that satisfied the "sound" or color I was looking for. I've tried the lot of Logic's stock reverbs but IMO they have begun to show (aurally speaking) their age and quite frankly, all end up sounding a bit too "metallic" to my ears after many auditions. I've also experimented with the reverbs found within Komplete 9 which are also good, but lack the type of natural sonic space I desired. After browsing the interwebs and reading several rave reviews about VintageVerb (and having purchased-and praised-Valhalla's UberMod) I took VintageVerb for a test-drive. From the moment I opened the plugin and on a simple snare I was in love...and that was just the default setting! I immediately was able to compare the sound VintageVerb to those hair band reverbs found with the crushing snare drums of many anthems–It was clean, it was deep, and it legitimately sounded organic. I couldn't whip out my credit card fast enough.
Following the minimal GUI style of the other Valhalla plugins, VintageVerb is a breeze to navigate and yet can create some beautiful, complex sounding spaces. The layout of the GUI is intuitive and every knob/option is found on a single (freely resizable!) panel.
The presets really show off what this little unit can do and serve as a great starting point for beginners looking to learn the affect(s) of different settings or for pros looking for inspiration. I ran a multitude of sounds through VintageVerb–drum hits, vocals, guitar, bass, etc. No matter how complex or simple the makeup of the audio signal I sent, I was able to give a nice ambiance to each sound and in some cases, rich over-the-top chamber space. In the event I felt the audio signal was getting lost in the space, I simply used the built in EQ to shape the space and clean up the top and bottom ends.
Verdict
For only $50 (USD) you get an amazing reverb plugin that rivals some of the "big names" that are offering their reverb plugins for double or triple the price. VintageVerb requires nothing more than a simple offline activation via keyfile–no need for the ridiculous iLok, call/response system or "cloud" licensing system. I really can't stop gushing about how sonically pleasing this little plugin is. I would strongly encourage anyone reading this to try out the demo and hear the results with your own ears.
5/5 A truly amazing and affordable plugin that should find its way into every producers studio.
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