DealsNo matter the genre or style, reverb is a great way to add space and atmosphere to your music. A good reverb plugin, or several are therefore incredibly important to any music producer.
Professional reverbs can be quite expensive, so we've compiled a list of our 10 favorite reverb plugins, for the absolute best reverb sounds you can get for free!
So let's jump into our first pick, so you can start creating big and massive reverb sounds!
Our picks for the 10 best free VST reverb plugins:
- Valhalla Supermassive
- TAL-Reverb 4
- Voxengo Oldskoolverb
- u-He Protoverb
- Acon Digital Reverb Solo
- CloudSeed
- Dragonfly Reverbs
- OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov
- Smart Electronix Ambience
- Variety of Sound Epicverb
Contents
Valhalla Supermassive
Valhalla are mad scientists when it comes to reverbs and spaces. From their incredible VintageVerb and Room, to the experimental UberMod, everything Valhalla makes is super high quality and they sound unlike anything else.
Supermassive is their Free Delay/Reverb plugin, which is their newest addition to the Valhalla line. Made for massive reverbs and delays, Supermassive will blow you away with reverb clouds, feedback loops and out of this world delays.
Supermassive is easily, the best sounding free reverb we've ever used. The UI is also very appealing, but while it looks simple, the controls understate the capabilities of Supermassive.
That being said, there is one drawback to Supermassive, and that is, well, that is' just massive. This can make it more situational, and we rarely find ourselves using Supermassive when we want something more subdued.
TAL-Reverb 4
TAL software are known for professional quality freeware plugins and synths, such as the TAL BassLine, Dub series and NoiseMaker. The TAL-Reverb-4 is an updated version of their awesome free Reverb.
Reverb-4 is an old school Plate reverb, reminiscent of the 80's. Awesome on vocals, Reverb-4 is one of TAL's best plugins. In fact, it sounds great on anything, from synths to drums and vocals, Reverb-4 is one of our go-to Plate verbs.
TAL-Reverb-4 is also really well-optimized, and won't eat up your CPU, much like it's previous versions. Comparing to the previous iterations, the Interface has gotten noticeably cleaner and the plugin itself has become more flexible.
With control over multiple reverb algorithm parameters, such as reverbn diffusion, room size and modulation, Tal-Reverb-4 can be suited to fit a variety of production scenarios.
TAL makes some of the best freeware out there, and their reverb is no different. It's really worth your time!
Voxengo Oldskoolverb
While it can look quite outdated, Oldskoolverb is still one of the best free reverbs around. Voxengo are well-known in the freeware world, with tons of other effects and synths available.
Oldskoolverb is probably their most popular plugin however, and it's easy to see why. It's a simple, no-bullshit reverb, that offers great sound quality and tons of functionality
Offering 18 different reverb modes, Oldskooverb is capable of small, large, room hall, plate and other reverb types.
In addition to this you also get 5 extra reverb modes, which you can combine with your other reverb settings, to create entirely new and unique reverbs.
Oldskoolverb is deceptively awesome, it let's you know what it does when you first look at it, but somehow it's still surprising, what Oldskoolverb is capable of
Oldskooverb can be your main reverb, it can easily cover most of your basic Reverb needs. Truly one of the best free reverb plugins available.
U-He Protoverb
U-He are one of the most well-known names in professional digital audio. From their incredible Diva and Hive synthesizers to effects like Twangstrom and Satin, U-He software is as famous as they come.
What most people don't know however, U-He has a solid library of freeware plugins. One of these is Protoverb.
Protoverb originally started as an experiment, by a U-He developer, to gather data on wat makes reverb algorithms sound good.
The general idea of Protoverb is to randomize your model and delay algorithms, to find a reverb that sounds great, and then use the send code button, to share your patch info and feedback with U-He.
Even though it's an experiment, Protoverb has been designed to give you great reverb tones straight out-the-box. Since a lot of the reverb tones you get are quite experimental, Protoverb is an awesome way to get entirely unique and interesting reverbs.
You can also control the decay, and dry and wet of your reverb, to make it fit your music better. The actual reverb experiment is over, but Protoverb is still very much available from the U-He website.
Acon Digital Reverb Solo
Reverb Solo by Acon Digital is probably the simplest reverb on our list, in fact, it's pretty much a one-knob plugin.
Made in collaboration between Acon Digital and Reverb.com, Reverb Solo is made to be a foundational reverb. It gives mixes a sense of space, which can be a solid groundwork for the rest of your reverb work later on.
Reverb Solo is super simple to use, and provides a bright, almost slap-back like reverb sound, to place your audio in a small room, with an intimate sound. That being said, you can crank Reverb Solo up to very long, dark reverbs that make your audio buried in deep space.
We always love plugins that are super simple to use, but are powerful and useful. Reverb Solo is one of those plugins. Pop it onto an audio channel and just add some space, super easy!
Cloud Seed by Low Profile
Cloud Seed is a free algorithmic reverb plugin by Low Profile, made for endless spaces, modulating echoes and tons more.
Less of a mixing utility, as it is a creative effect, Cloud Seed can turn any signal into massive, lush and evolving pads. Not only that, you can easily recreate natural spaces, like rooms and halls.
Reminiscent of legendary reverb machines, such as the Lexicon 224, Cloud Seed doesn't try to recreate any hardware reverb. Despite this, however, Cloud Seed still somehow manages to capture the tone and character of vintage 80s reverb effects.
That being said, Cloud Seed is kind of limited to huge spaces and massive reverbs. Smaller rooms and tighter reverbs can feel strained, when compared to their intended, massive spaces.
Probably one of the go-to reverbs for a huge 80s reverb sound, any sound designer or producer will be happy to have Cloud Seed. That being said, Cloud Seed is built with C# and C++, so it sadly only works on Windows-based machines.
Cloud Seed can also be quite CPU hungry, so you probably won't use this on all channels. Cloud Seed is super unique, and we love it for sound design, you probably will too!
Dragonfly Reverbs by Michael Willis
The Dragonfly Reverb bundle by Michael Willis is easily the best free reverb plugins bundle. Offering 4 different Reverb plugins, the Dragonfly Plate, Room, Hall and Reflections, the Dragonfly bundle can cover most of your reverb necessities.
Dragonfly Reverbs have a very characteristic and uniquely warm character. These are great for most reverb applications, but we love tuning these up to larger spaces, with a high setting on the wet.
Perfect for vocals, pads, keys and anything else, Dragonfly Reverbs are pretty much freeware essentials. You likely won't get much more out of free reverbs, than you will with the Dragonfly bundle.
The interfaces of these plugins are super easy to use, just choose your reflection, dial in the width and size, filter it to where you like it and you're done. However, unfortunately, on newer Mac models, they have this weird sizing issue.
Each plugin comes with many different algorithms and reflection types, for even more choice.
If you've been mostly using your DAW stock reverb for everything, consider picking up the Dragonfly bundle, it's free and will expand your musical spaces tenfold
OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov
OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov is quite a capable reverb plugin. While the original OrilRiver looks quite dated, Version 2 has updated the UI to where it looks almost as good as it sounds.
Easily able to compete with tons of other commercial reverb plugins, OrilRiver is a no-brainer. With tons of control, OrilRiver offers a lot of customizability, while having a top-notch sound, which makes it stand apart from other free reverbs.
OrilReverb isn't going to blow you away with it's experimental capabilities however, and is more suited to the basics, which it does extremely well.
The reverb is very light on the CPU and has 12 different reflection types, to mimic room acoustics, such as halls, rooms and more.
OrilRiver is entirely free, so it's worth picking up. It's not the most incredible reverb we've ever heard or used, but if it's the first one you're getting, you won't be disappointed.
Smart Electronix Ambience
Ambience by Smart Electronix is nowhere near a new player in the free reverb market. That being said, it still very much manages to impress with its reverb tails and full sound.
Ambience is a specialized reverb, made for gigantic spaces and cosmic reflections. The reverb sound of Ambience is nothing short of inspiring. The detailed controls also help to customize your reverb to be exactly the way you want it to sound.
While it used to be considered a CPU hog, modern machines have absolutely no issues running multiple instances of Ambience in one project.
The UI is definitely quite dated and would do well with a refresh. The plugin window isn't re-sizable either and can be quite small especially when viewed on a 4K screen.
That being said, if you can look past the UI, you'll get one of the coolest free reverbs you can get right now. Lastly, Ambience has been compiled to work on 64-bit Mac OS systems, but is unfortunately only available in a 32-bit version for Windows users.
Variety of Sound Epicverb
Variety of Sound, best known for their free Saturation plugins, have released the awesome Epicverb. This freeware reverb VST plugin can stand on its own, when compared to commercial, and professional Reverbs, with its great sound and customizability.
Epicverb can do anything from tiny room reverbs, to ambient shimmers and big epic reverb tails, the name really does not disappoint. It manages all this without sounding overly complex and muddying up your mix.
The control you get over your reverb sound is also quite extensive, allowing for the usual reverb time and pre-delay adjustments. In addition to this, you can also adjust the room reflections, dampening, or tune-up your reverb further with an equalizer and amp.
Overall, Epicverb is one of the best free reverb plugins you will ever use, with a gorgeous, rich and warm reverb sound.
Epicverb is quick and easy to use, provides an awesome reverb tone, and is useful for more than just one job. The Variety of Sound Epicverb deserves to be on a list of the best free reverb VST plugins.
Finishing Up
To recap, these are our picks for the 10 best free reverb vst plugins:
- Valhalla Supermassive
- TAL-Reverb 4
- Voxengo Oldskoolverb
- u-He Protoverb
- ACON DIGITAL REVERB SOLO
- CloudSeed
- Dragonfly Reverbs
- OrilRiver by Denis Tihanov
- Smart Electronix Ambience
- Variety of Sound Epicverb
Whether you're looking for tight room space, or gigantic, cosmic delayed reverbs, there's plenty of choice in the free reverb VST world.
From early and late reflections to experimental algorithms and detailed controls, you can get the most out of your music without spending any money. So download the free reverb plugin of your choice, or get all of them, you won't regret downloading any of them!
Toms is a music producer & DJ, born and raised in Post Soviet Latvia. Currently based in Brighton, Toms has had over 6 years of experience with all things production and in that time, he's done a tonne of cool stuff! He's played multiple festivals, had experience in the field with mixing & mastering and even become a freelance journalist in the music industry.
Toms currently creates music under the alias Sovereign. Producing music that's intimate and subtle, while full of edge and energy, the young producer combines the artistic sounds of Trip Hop artists like Massive Attack, with the energy and youthfulness of producers like Flume, Jamie XX and Yaeji. You can check his stuff on Soundcloud.
