“In the Box” Reverb Choices: Part 1 of 3

There seems to be an amazing number of different reverb options out there on the market today. Some are based off old digital hardware, while others have no real world models. Though many engineers just choose what’s most comfortable for them, or use whatever cracked plugin they have: there are two main ways that these reverbs create their sounds….and they’re not equal.

Convolution, otherwise known as IR (Impulse Response), and Algorithmic (emulation) reverbs are our choices. Every reverb plugin is one or the other, although sometimes it may try to be both. The problem is, the plugin does not explicitly come out and declare itself Convolution or Algorithmic, but there are some ‘tells’ that allow us to make an informed decision.

In Part 2- Convolution explained
In Part 3- Algorithmic explained