8 Best Free Reverb VST Plugins 2024
If there's one thing you can do to help your music connect with your audience, it's to make it seem even more real. That's exactly what reverb processors were made for. These plugins bring your virtual sound stage to life by providing a feeling of illusionary space to your tracks and channels.
In this post, we'll walk you through the top reverb plugins on the market right now, detailing what makes each one so special.
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Contents
Best Free Reverb VSTs For Guitar
ampLion (with inTone 2 Solo) by Audified
AmpLion Free is a stripped-down version of ampLion Pro. It includes an ultra-precise reproduction of a 5-channel valve guitar amp and two guitar cabinets with mic placement, all of which are derived from the Pro edition. Audified said that they didn't want to compromise on sound quality, so they're offering you a free taste of the Pro version's impressive sound, but with fewer settings. Here are the features included with the free version:
- A valve guitar amplifier (MesaBoogie Dual Rectifier) with five channels.
- 2 guitar cabinets with microphone placement
- Metronome with intelligence
- Standalone program with a sophisticated audio player and an advanced recorde
- A plugin module.
The fact that ampLion Free includes an ultra-precise 5-channel preamp simulation, as well as two speaker cabinet simulations with microphone placement selection, is fantastic. It means that it provides a set of restricted but effective tools for enhancing your guitar's tone. It can be used as a standalone module for live performance, learning, and rehearsing, or as a plug-in module to improve your guitar recordings.
This free amp plugin comes with a reverb dial for the head, hence being on this list. For a classic guitar reverb, this would be an excellent choice. When combined with inTone 2, which is a mixer that comes with tons of loaded effects, including reverb, it provides even more choices for how to shape your reverb.
Download (inTone 2 Solo): Audified
Download: (ampLion Free): Audified
Convology XT by Impulse Record
Convology XT is a no-latency convolution reverb plugin that includes a collection of 70 free vintage reverb impulse responses. Additional reverb IRs may be found by purchasing the Complete Convology XT Vintage Library (€320) or smaller individual IR packs from Impulse Record. External impulse responses in the WAV file format can also be loaded into the plugin. Convology XT's file browser may access any audio file on the computer's hard drive (or handheld device).
- Every preset at your fingertips
- Loads any third-party Wav or AIFF files
- Incredible flexibility
- Zero latency
- 70 impulse response files included FREE
- Vintage convolution
When it comes down to the user interface, it has all of the basic and sophisticated controls that one would want when working with impulse responses. The start time of the loaded IR file, the attack and release times, decay and pre-delay, as well as the gain and mix settings, may all be adjusted by the user. Using the built-in LFO module, the loaded file may be reversed or manipulated. The user interface isn't resizable, however it's large enough to operate comfortably on today's high-resolution screens.
Zero latency, “Scale” features of Stretch and Decay, EQ, PreDelay, Stereo, and 3D Chorusing—everything you'd expect from a world-class plugin and more (can either emulate early DSP gear, or be applied to vocals and instruments). Reverse, Mono to “outside your speakers,” Stereo Width, and more. The simplicity of use when dialing in a specific sound is, arguably, the plugin's most notable feature. Simply go to any area of the library, then to the unit and file you want, and you'll be ready to go.
Importing one file or folder at a time is no longer a factor. Keep your lead vox in your DAW as you audition reverb and effects on the fly to get the perfect environment and space—you may navigate to any area of the 2,965 preset collection and any piece of gear while auditioning IRs. Want to preserve your IR, EQ, and PreDelay settings, for example? Simply save it and find it under “User” presets later. Do you require an IR from another library, or perhaps one that you have written yourself? Simply select “File Browser” and locate what you’re after.
The simplicity of use of Convology XT's plugins and file browsing with a large vintage collection of genuine world-class impulse response files is what makes it so appealing. Convology XT is fast becoming an industry standard, and it's a no-brainer with 70 impulse response files, some of which are spring reverbs which are perfect for a vintage guitar sound, included in this completely free plugin. Get your free copy right now!
Amplio 2 by VSTZone
Amplio is a tool for enhancing dull and monotonous sound. It's a three-band equalizer with variable bands and multiband effect modules. Although the plug-in was created to enhance drum patterns, it is strong enough to be used on any sound. Soft Limiter will avoid any clipping on the final output if the reverb effect is routable to any of the three bands.
The new version of the plugin includes several refinements, including better optimization and smaller file size (with up to a 12% reduction in CPU usage, according to the developer), a completely redesigned graphical interface (which, by the way, looks amazing), and a brand new multi-band noise gate with a simple AR envelope. Amplio 2 now contains a better-sounding reverb module as well as a number of critical bug improvements.
The features of the new version are as follows:
- The new multiband Noise gate with envelope settings will allow you to completely transform your beat and create something completely unique.
- Complete revamp of the user interface, resulting in a quicker load time and reduced file size.
- Controls have been improved. On all controls, you can now use the right mouse click to establish default values and the double right mouse click to set the value to zero. While dragging, hold shift to enhance sensitivity for better value adjustments.
- On the frequency splitter, there are no more overlapping band control points.
- Improved Fixed wet/dry mix with reverb
- Saturation of the low band is now operating properly.
- Soft limiter has been improved to function better with the distortion module.
- Control the stereo field with the new multiband stereo balance module – a useful tool for balancing the stereo field.
Amplio has evolved into more than simply a basic equalizer, despite its initial description as a 3-band parametric EQ. A saturator, harmonic exciter, and spatial enhancer are all included in each band, of course. As well as a reverb effect that can be applied to one of the equalization bands. But now, it has so much more to experiment with.
This plugin sounds excellent on guitar and bass tracks, so the reverb effect produced by this plugin is something you’ll find useful, that’s a given. This becomes even more apparent when you consider the fact that it comes loaded with all other kinds of features to shape your tone.
The only downside with this plugin is that it’s only available for Windows in VST format.
Download: VSTZone
Best Free Reverb VSTs For Vocals
Ambience by Smartelectronix
Ambience is another highly flexible reverb VST plugin from Smartelectronix that matches the quality and sound design of the greatest commercial reverbs on the market.
The Ambience plugin is a “classic” free VST due to its exceptional quality and variety of helpful presets and features.
It also has several unique features, such as a gate and a highly helpful and logical hold function. The reverb will freeze at its current sound when you hit the hold button, retaining it endlessly until you press it again. This is great if you want to make a luscious pad out of a plucked string, a hihat, or ambient vocal textures.
Features include:
- Presets: There are a plethora of high-quality presets provided!
- Dry: Gain of unprocessed (direct) sound. Set this to -inf to apply Ambience as a send effect.
- Wet: The amount of sound that has been treated.
- The amount of time it takes for the reverb echoes to go away.
- The dimensions of the room. It's worth noting that a long reverb duration and a tiny environment don't mix well. A small room size should be matched with a short reverb duration for natural sounds, and vice versa.
- Pre-Delay: The amount of time that passes between the direct sound and the first echoes.
- Width: From mono (0%) to wide stereo (100%). You'll probably want this one 100 percent of the time.
- Quality: You may trade off reverb quality for CPU use with a slider. High-quality content demands the use of a lot of CPU. If you set it really low, you can get some interesting results.
- This button generates a new variation of the same room. If you're annoyed by any irritating echo or ringing in the reverb, press this button a few times until you discover a version you like. If it still sounds bad, try increasing the Quality as well.
On top of all that, there's a dampening component that determines how the reverb's character evolves as it decays over time. Control the decay length of the bass and treble using it. Bass and especially treble fade faster in regular spaces than the mid range.
In terms of the EQ section, it's like placing a large equalizer on the reverb. Indeed, that sounds wonderful. It's primarily handy for taking out bass that would otherwise make the reverb sound muddy instead of airy, which is the tone most users are after when it comes to vocals.
Gating is a characteristic that's worth mentioning. This part should be skipped if you want natural reverb. Otherwise, if you're feeling adventurous, you may use this one to have the reverb reflect the audio input's dynamics. If you want to keep your beat while yet having a really wet reverb, this is a good option.
Hold and Diffusion are the last key attributes we'll go over in detail. When you hit Hold, the reverb will remain frozen at its current sound until you release it. The Diffusion knob, on the other hand, modifies the sound in a subtle way. It's especially evident in small spaces.
This plugin has so much versatility that you can use it on anything to get a nice reverb sound from it, but it especially shines on vocals when bussed over to a separate track. That way, you have more control over the level of reverb and how much of the dry vocal is coming through, to capture a nice space without losing too much clarity.
Download: Smarteletronix
OldSkoolVerb by Voxengo
OldSkoolVerb is a freeware AAX, AudioUnit, and VST algorithmic reverberation plugin for professional streaming, sound, and music creation applications. This plugin uses a “traditional” stereo reverb algorithm that is both technically and musically sound. It also creates a crystal clear spatial representation that fits in well with the rest of the mix.
With OldSkoolVerb, you have access to a wide range of reverbs, from plate reverb to room reverb to hall reverb.
Below you can see some of its features:
- Plate reverbs, room reverbs, and hall reverbs
- 5 different reverb settings
- Editor for reverb mode
- Processing in stereo
- Processors with a 64-bit floating point number
- Manager of presets
- History may be undone or redone.
- Comparisons between two options
- Hint messages in context
- All sample rates are in favor.
- There is no processing lag.
- Color palettes for the UI
- User interface that may be resized
- Support for Retina and HighDPI
Non-percussive and soft-attack sounds, such as voices, piano, and pad sounds, are best suited for this plugin. But you could always try it on some other instruments and see what sounds you can come up with.
Supermassive by Valhalla
Without mentioning Valhall's newest plugin, Super Massive, this list would be incomplete. It was published in 2020, at the height of the epidemic. It features a very basic and straightforward user interface. But don't be fooled by the layout's simplicity. This beast is capable of producing vibrations that are absolutely and utterly divine.
It includes all of the effects found in the same company's Freq EQ, plus a few more. The Freq EQ has seven knobs, but the Supermassive has ten. Here are the new Supermassive knobs:
- A width knob that controls the delay's width inside the stereo field.
- The intensity of the feedback knob above it is controlled by the Density knob.
- There is a modulation section that allows you to set the modulation level as well as the depth of the modulation.
The fact that it can be used as both a delay and a reverb is something that truly sets it apart from the competition. This is due to the 12 modes available, each of which has a variable attack time. The slower ones have a sound that is more akin to a conventional delay, whilst the slower ones have a lot more of a reverby sound.
Overall, this plugin is amazing and can be used on almost any project you can think of. Try it on a basic one-shot sample to see how it transforms into something completely different. Use it to round out the mix or increase clarity with shorter delay periods on voices. This plugin is so flexible that you'll almost certainly find a purpose for it.
Download: Valhalla DSP
Best Free Reverb VSTs 64 Bit
Protoverb by U-he
There aren't many free reverb plugins worth downloading. There are exceptions, and one of them is Protoverb. So I decided to put it through its paces for you this week. Other (paid/free) plugins from the firm have been discussed in past articles and will most likely be featured again in the future. They're absolutely fantastic.
Protoverb's goal is to provide users control over their sound by allowing them to create presets utilizing the plugin's reverberation engine. It will take some trial and error. Or if you’ve a little luck and patience when experimenting with randomized parameters that’ll also work too! But the audio community will undoubtedly produce some fantastic sounding patches that you`ll be able to knick, adjust and use to your heart's content.
So, how do you use Protoverb to simulate different rooms?
There are two options. The first choice is to click one of the two RND buttons and hope for the best (the first button will randomly alter the reverb's sound characteristic, while the second will randomly alter the delay structure). The second option is to manually enter the data by double-clicking the text field and typing your own string of text. In actuality, it appears that the easiest approach to generate new presets is to experiment with randomness until you find something that sounds nice, then modify the reverb using manual input.
Fill out the form and hit the SEND CODE button in the bottom-right corner of the GUI to send your preset to U-He. You have the option of sending your best reverb settings or informing them about the worst settings and/or problems. Enjoy yourselves playing around with the crazy effects that can be obtained using this 64-bit plugin!
Protoverb might not contain all of the features we'd want, but the ones it does have are really fascinating and will appeal to people who enjoy experimental music. They are capable of replicating both tiny and huge spaces, but I believe what sets them apart from other reverb plugins is their use of random algorithms.
Download: U-he
OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov
OrilRiver is currently the greatest freeware reverb VST plugin available. It's a flexible, feature-rich, and great-sounding stereo reverb effect that compares well to some of the greatest commercial reverbs available. It is our go-to reverb effect in most mixing situations, capable of creating stunning hall reverbs as well as mimicking the reverberation of smaller spaces.
Aside from enhanced cross-platform compatibility, the upgraded version expands the EQ knob range (from -24 dB to 12 dB) and contains two brand new skins as well as a PDF user manual. Besides that, the plugin has remained unchanged. Most notably, for a reverb plugin, the CPU use is still extremely low (around 4 percent per instance on our test machine). OrilRiver provides high-quality room and hall reverb simulation with a large variety of configurable sound engine settings, despite the fact that it doesn't need any CPU power. The controls are simple to comprehend and the user interface is straightforward.
- There are 12 different versions of the early reflections.
- There are five different reverb tails.
- For the wet signal, a 3-band equalization is used to help produce different colors of virtual space.
- 64-bit floating point signal processing is used internally.
- Sample rate ranges between 44100 and 192000 Hz.
- There are two graphical user interfaces.
With the latest version, you will also get new skins. Crimson Merry, a brilliant GUI designer who previously created the free Cassette Drums drum machine package for the Bedroom producer's Blog, created the new OrilRiver skins. The plugin may be downloaded for free directly from the KVR Audio product page, which is listed below. It comes in the form of a ZIP package including all of the files needed for manual installation.
Download: KVR Audio
Top Free Reverb VST Plugins, Final Thoughts
One of the most important aspects of the mixing process is reverb. You can't get the sense of distance in music without reverb. As you can see from this post, each reverb has its own qualities, and each plugin has its own set of capabilities. Some individuals claim that paid plugins are superior to free plugins, while others are adamantly opposed. The latter is demonstrated in this essay. Premium plugins are definitely amazing, but free plugins may be just as helpful. It all boils down to personal choice in the end. I hope this post aids you in selecting the best reverb plugin for your needs.
P.S. Remember though, none of what you've learned will matter if you don't know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Want to learn how to do that? Then get our free ‘5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career' ebook emailed directly to you!