Protoverb
by u-he
3.7 / 5     (19 votes)
Win32 Win64 OSX Linux
   
VST AU AAX
Protoverb is an experimental reverb based on the idea of a room simulator.

Most algorithmic reverbs try to avoid resonances or model the reflections of sound from a rooms walls. Protoverb does the opposite. It builds up as many room resonances as possible, modeling the body of air in the room. It therefore does not need to modulate or colour the signal. The result is a very natural sounding reverbration with some interesting features: Long standing frequencies resonate louder, as if the air takes some time to get excited. Multiple instruments don't mash into a diffuse mud, they stay distinct. If you play a short melody, the room seems to repeat a ghost echo of that melody. Those properties are indeed found in churches and large halls, but they're rarely found in conventional algorithmic reverbs.

To achieve this kind of stuff, Protoverb works with loads and loads of parallel, serial and networked delays. By all means, there is no mathematical formula that makes such a structure sound "just right". As with all delay based reverbs, it's down to trial and error, and maybe a lot of luck with random values. Therefore we designed Protoverb to present you with delay lines of random lengths and a random assembly of networking and feedback strategies. Which, if you're lucky and you come across a great setting, you can submit to our website, along with a few details.

To be precise, the small text box at the bottom contains two random entries. The first part depicts the network structure, strategies for a spatial layout and distribution of delay taps, strategies for finding useful delay lengths and so on. The second part is a seed for a pseudo-random number generator which is used to find various parameters, such as average delay length, which prime number to chose (if any) and so on. This text can either be edited by double click, or both parts can be independently randomized with the two random buttons below.

Protoverb is a data mining concept. Instead of spending a few months ourselves, we hope that our community will come up with great settings. As a reward, this plug-in is free, people are encouraged to share their settings and thoughts on the internet, and at some point we'll draw some prizes (details to be announced in January 2016) from the submissions (we'll always draw the first entry of equal submissions, so you can share without fear!)
Downloads
a paranoid user May 07 2024
(5 / 5)
May 07 2024
really nice i love it
potatotek Mar 26 2024
(4 / 5)
Mar 26 2024
It sounds amazing, there's just oneee caveat - there's almost zero treble damping and no way to control it either - and so on longer reverbs the high frequencies just keep lingering on and on resulting in a somewhat overly bright sound. for short chambers and ambiance it is amazing tho, so for that im giving it a high rating of 4/5 :P hopefully one day u-he will make a 'full' version of this prototype, and then it could even rival savant audio stuff IMHO
John Burns Jul 15 2023
(3 / 5)
Jul 15 2023
Very good sounding reverb but it has 2 major issues. 1: CPU usage is about 5 times as much as my other reverbs. 2: This is one of the very few reverbs that don't offer you any control over the frequency balance. Yeah, you can use it as an aux and add an EQ that way but pff, that's more hassle, I'd rather just use a different reverb with built in filters.
The Heavy Machine Jul 24 2021
(5 / 5)
Jul 24 2021
Gotta say I love this plugin. It's really good for giving that roomy kinda feeling to the sound. For a free plugin this is way far better than other procedural reverbs.
John Oct 31 2020
(2 / 5)
Oct 31 2020
Sounds interesting but unnatural
KGM Music Jun 26 2020
(5 / 5)
Jun 26 2020
Got a really cool sound out of it using it with a ComboV organ with reverb and Cathedral setting ...
hey Feb 20 2019
(5 / 5)
Feb 20 2019
this company makes THE BEST repeating THE BEST tape machine > Satine (it's not free but worth every penny). they are really up there when it comes down to sound toys and this free reverb is great example (pretty close to softube's Tsar R reverb).
Hippokopter Jul 05 2018
(3 / 5)
Jul 05 2018
This reverb accomplishes its goal of sounding realistically flawed! Very useful as a creative tool, and it looks awesome too.
Jeno May 03 2019
May 03 2019
Then Give 5 Stars not 3!
Blackcee Oct 24 2017
(5 / 5)
Oct 24 2017
Super!!! Pro-Quality!:D THX! :)
KsoundHomeWorks May 13 2017
(3 / 5)
May 13 2017
Simple + sweet sounding + clean ... All in all ? SUPER COOL <3 <3
Robinson Carvajal Feb 08 2017
(4 / 5)
Feb 08 2017
A very nice reverb! Organic sound and a beautiful GUI but... a very high CPU consumption.
Loris 3mo May 04 2016
(5 / 5)
May 04 2016
This is probanly the best reverb I ever had and heard in 6 years of recordings. You are awesome dear developer !!
cyber_T Dec 27 2015
(1 / 5)
Dec 27 2015
I know "u-he" as a great developer also for free- stuff, but this plugin disappointed me too. The cpu- load is very, very much too high and the reverb quality is just on a medium- level. Many free- reverbs (e. g. the old "omniverb" or the new "TAL reverb- 4") does a better job. Another negativ point: Download comes as a installer version(no DLL) but without a specific uninstaller. You'll have to delete some folders by hand if you don't like this plugin.
fanta1 Dec 24 2015
(1 / 5)
Dec 24 2015
I'm disappointed about the new u-he publishing. It's far away from their product-line. High CPU usage and poor quality.
Akros Dec 23 2015
(4 / 5)
Dec 23 2015
Nice but not the best free reverb... and very high on CPU :(
Anonymous Dec 23 2015
Dec 23 2015
Crashes under energyXT. Works under Tracktion but with very high CPU load. The presets are standard bread and butter effects. To publish it as a "data mining concept" makes no sense to me. There are several better reverbs (e.g. Sanford Reverb or TB Reverb)
Charles Dec 23 2015
(5 / 5)
Dec 23 2015
Not only an eye-catching interface but a fabulous reverb. Excellent Vst.