Acon Digital recently decided to update their Verberate 2 reverb and add a space that promises impressive realism. With so many ‘verbs vying for attention, we decided to check out what sets it apart from the rest.
In Summary
Acon Digital Verberate 2 is an algorithmic reverb audio plugin. Its new Vivid Hall mode is time variant and claims a resonance-free sound. An improved decay editor for frequency dependent reverb time brings high/low cut, high/low shelving and bell filters alongside other new features for version 2.
Going Deeper
The final quarter of last century saw a whole raft of studio innovations, with one particular marvel ensuring the mothballing of countless reverb plates and chambers everywhere. The rack mount digital reverberator certainly sounded bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, and earlier boxes’ algorithmic MO has continued to drive many audio plugin reverbs ever since.
Later innovations in powerful, affordable computing paved the way for a number of formidable convolution-based tools that claim the last word in authenticity. That said, for some the algorithmic sound still has uses that trade total realism for a small footprint and system agility.
Acon Digital Verberate 2 Vivid Hall
Acon Digital have been making waves with their suite of audio utilities for Post mixers, however this creative tool is reverb-shaped. With two algorithms at its heart, Verberate 2’s Vivid Hall algorithm sets out to provide the majority of sounds, while its Legacy Hall is still there for aficionados of v.1.
Vivid Hall models random variations with the aim of avoiding chorus or pitch artefacts. This makes it better placed to give more convolution-like realism when simulating the reverberation of real halls. In the video we use two instances of Verberate 2 for realistic ambiences using some of the features new to v.2.
On vocals we demonstrate layered reverb sounds from slower to faster late reverb build-ups using the Bloom control to blend or reveal early reflections. We also treat a piano with a shorter plate flavoured reverb that takes advantage of the Decay Editor; we use this to dial in a shorter decay lower down for a tighter sound before tipping the overall tonal balance of our return using Verberate 2’s Output EQ.
New In Verberate 2
New Vivid Hall algorithm that is resonance free and time variant. Offers a greatly improved decay editor where the frequency dependent reverb times can be sculpted using high/low cut, high/low shelving and bell filters.
New Dispersion effect simulates how high frequency content travels faster than low frequency content in metal plates. Combined with the powerful decay editor, it allows Verberate 2 to model mechanical plate reverbs very realistically.
New Swirl effect creates a chorus-like effect that increases towards the end of the reverb tail, thus creating a vintage and cloud-like reverb tail.
New Bloom control changes build-up time of the reverb as a percentage of room size. The late reverb build-up gets quicker with Bloom values less than 100% and slower with values above.
The output equalizer now allows filter bands to be enabled or disabled and offers high/low cut, high/low and bell filters.
Acon Digital On Verberate 2
Version 2 introduces the new Vivid Hall algorithm that is based on entirely new technology. The early reflections are convincing and the late reverb tail is dense and vivid. Unlike the Legacy Hall algorithm used in the first version of Verberate, Vivid Hall models variations in the reverb tail that can be due to air currents, moving performers or people moving in the audience. By modelling these effects, Vivid Hall is able to simulate acoustical spaces very realistically and without the static stiffness that convolution-based reverb algorithms introduce.
An Algorithmic Reverb For Now?
While the algorithmic wave of the 1980s and 90’s took a while to subside before the convolution revolution, the older technology never went away. Many successful electro-acoustic reverb designs sound more like themselves than like a real space, and on the digital side, up until quite recently the algorithmic sound in this way was no different. Engineers have lauded the tech’s ability to serve up more obvious treatments when needed, but the algorithmic design promises yet more potential. Using a tool such as Verberate 2’s new Vivid Hall confirms this with a lighter system footprint that those with less firepower are going to appreciate.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.