11 Best Reverb VST Plugins 2024

Recorded music would not be what it is today without reverb. Various methods and contraptions were employed in early day music production and recording environments to create depth and atmosphere, but now we have all of it right at our fingertips – in convenient, processor-friendly reverb VST plugins that can deliver world-class reverb with the click of a mouse.

But more choice inevitably makes the buying decision harder, doesn’t it? With so many reverb effects out there, which one should you buy? Which one is best? And what can you realistically expect from each plugin?

In this guide, we highlight only the best reverb VST plugins and show you exactly what they can do for your tracks and mixes.

SP2016 Reverb by Eventide – Best Overall

Although we might be biased, we always like to keep an eye on Eventide, as they maintain a strong reputation among musicians and music producers looking to create ethereal, atmospheric effects. Meaning – they have a knack for reverbs, delays, modulation effects, and anything in the same vein.

Eventide’s SP2016 Reverb was dubbed “unique” by record producer Joe Chiccarelli. Mixing engineer Dave Pensado called it an “incredible reverb,” and mixing engineer Mick Guzauski said it was “very close to the hardware unit” and even thought it might be superior to the aforementioned.

The SP2016 was originally created as the first programmable studio rack processor, and this effect can be heard on innumerable hit records by the likes of Adele, Eminem, Mariah Carey, and many others.

This plugin features a natural, distinctive effect with authentic emulations of High-Density Plate, Room, and Stereo Room algorithms (available in Vintage and Modern). Vintage strives to be as close to the original hardware unit as possible, with a vintage sound, and the Modern version uses a higher bit-depth, adds brightness, and gives you more diffusion. And it’s all been designed to emulate real physical environments.

The Position control gives you complete control over how the reverb sits in the mix (closer or further away). You can fine-tune the sound with Decay, PreDelay, Position (as noted), and Diffusion controls. You can filter out frequencies or boost them with the EQ section, and the plugin comes with presets created by the likes of Sasha, George Massenberg, Richard Devine, and others.

Its UI, not surprisingly, takes after the original, classic hardware rackmount unit in many ways. But it is still a breed all its own, and not surprisingly, it’s just a little sleeker too. The red on black scheme is simple, elegant, and balanced, and the controls are not overwhelming.

But how does it sound?

A natural sounding reverb is relatively easy to achieve with the SP2016, but it is possible to create plenty of depth and atmosphere by boosting the controls as well. It’s loved almost universally by its users, but we always recommend hearing it for yourself before deciding. Check out the video below for a demonstration of SP2016 Reverb’s power.

But why is this the best choice overall? Look, we wrestled with this one a bit. We only have the best of the best reverbs in this guide already, so whittling it down to our top choices didn’t come easy. But with so many professionals singing its praise, awesome presets, and a track record of having been used on major artist productions, most are going to be quite satisfied with this choice.

You can get SP2016 Reverb for Windows and Mac at Plugin Boutique.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

LX480 Complete by Relab Development – Premium Option

Based on the illustrious Lexicon 480L, Relab Development’s LX480 is for those who don’t mind spending a little extra to get a very authentic emulation of one of the most well-known, best-sounding, classic digital reverbs ever made.

Songwriter-producer MISCHKE loves its rich, beautiful tones, seven-time Grammy nominated engineer Joe Carrell said it accurately captured the sound of the original, and Producer-engineer-mixer Benjamin Rice called it one of the best 480L emulations available.

LX480 comes with many of the legendary algorithms, including Hall, Room, Plate, Random Hall, Ambience, Twin Delays, and Panorama. But it also strives to improve on the original reverb unit, with higher density algorithms, full stereo image control, improved modulation, and early reflection delays.

The high and low pass filters let you tune out troublesome frequencies, and the dual engine lets you choose from four unique routing modes of the available algorithms: Single, Mono Split, Stereo Split, and Cascade.

All this comes bundled up with an easier to use interface, quick controls, and a customizable display. Its UI design obviously takes after the original. Anyone who has experience with the 480L will immediately know their way around the interface. If not, it may take a little getting used to, but it’s worth the effort.

We like the way the UI looks, with a light grey “console” and red accents. It’s a great example of what a realistic looking design should be. Developers take note if you’re looking for inspiration.

So, if you’re looking for a transparent reverb that sounds smooth and organic in your mixes, you’re going to love this reverb. That said, it’s 100% capable of drenching your tracks with extra wet reverberation if that’s what you prefer. Also watch the review below to see it in action.

With all that said, this reverb commands a top-shelf price. For those who need the 480L sound, well, although there are some alternatives (including the heart attack inducing price of the original hardware console), none of the alternative plugins are going to live up to the quality of the LX480. So, while you might pay a little extra for it, this is the best option for those who need that legendary sound.

LX480 Complete is available for Mac and Windows machines in VST, AU, and AAX formats.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

BLEASS Reverb by BLEASS – Best Budget Option

Although it might be beating a dead horse at this point, when it comes to reverbs, there isn’t a shortage of options to choose from. But all factors taken together, there can only be one best budget option, and while it wasn’t an easy choice, the perfectly rated BLEASS Reverb hits the nail on the head as it gives you excellent bang for buck.

This reverb comes with three stages:

• Input Stage corrects the gain from the input source, sets up early reflection pre-delay, and comes with Low-Shelf and High-Pass filters to tweak frequencies to perfection.
• Reverb Stage comes with a reverb, complete with size modulation, length, and high-frequency dampening controls, along with a freeze toggle button. There is also an X/Y panel, which works as a fine-tuned frequency shifter and waveshaper.
• Ducker Stage is like it sounds – it’s a ducker effect with a compressor side-chained on the dry input (this is great for adding clarity to basses and heavy kicks). You also get a dry-wet controller to give you control over the overall wetness of the effect.

The BLEASS Reverb features a daring UI design. But in this instance, we think it pays off. It’s colorful without being annoying, it’s balanced, and it’s not hard to use.

You can easily achieve a deep and spacious reverb with BLEASS Reverb, and it’s possible to transform your sounds to radical ends using the filters too. It seems especially useful to electronic producers, but it could be used in other ways too. It’s just a matter of experimentation.

Unlike the last two options we’ve looked at, the BLEASS Reverb is not emulating a specific effect, and it’s not going to have vintage character either. It’s still versatile, but this is where it’s unlikely to compare to more premium options.

Get BLEASS Reverb for Windows and Mac at Plugin Boutique.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

Little Plate by Soundtoys

Soundtoys’ Little Plate is a highly rated electromechanical reverb offering the lush tone of a plate verb, except with a bit of a modern touch. Developer Soundtoys went so far as to collect five EMT 140 units they wanted to emulate and brought them to their lab to analyze and create this faithful emulation.

As you’ve surely gathered, Little Plate was inspired by the EMT 140 vintage plate reverb, and developer Soundtoys set out to push this concept to its limits.

Obviously, the controls are sparse, making this an easy-to-use VST plugin. The EMT 140 only allowed for five seconds of reverberation, but Little Plate has an infinite decay time, in case you want your reverb tails to last for a virtual eternity.

The built-in low-cut filter lets you take out the woof and boom of unwanted bass, and the space modulator can add modulation to your reverb tail. Excellent options for vocals, keys, and guitars alike.

Additionally, Little Plate comes with 25 presets that will help you find your sound faster.

As you can see, the user interface is the very epitome of simplicity. For those who don’t like to mess around, and just want a plug and play reverb, this is an excellent option. It bears the appearance of a classic rackmount unit, and while it doesn’t look exciting, per se, it is nicely and professionally put together.

If vintage plate reverbs are your thing, this highly praised VST plugin will give you everything you want and more. To me, it lands somewhere between a transparent verb and a verb with more character, but that seems to have resonated with all users.

You can get Little Plate for Windows and Mac computers in VST, AU, and AAX native plugin formats.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

FabFilter Pro-R by FabFilter

FabFilter’s FabFilter Pro-R was designed as a natural sounding reverb with easy controls. Engineer Liam Nolan loved its look and sound, and producer-engineer Rik Simpson called it a “space plugin,” suggesting that FabFilter Pro-R verb is in its own category.

FabFilter Pro-R also tries to get away from confusingly labeled controls and measurements not everyone (not even every producer) is familiar with. So, they’ve opted for labels like Brightness, Character, and Distance, to help you quickly dial in the exact tones you’re trying to achieve. And the Space control lets you shift between various tuned room models with a matching decay time.

This VST plugin also comes with the innovative Decay Rate EQ function, which lets you adjust the decay time over the frequency spectrum. It does this utilizing parametric EQ bands, which allows for more flexibility. It even comes with a built-in six-band post-EQ.

FabFilter Pro-R also features plenty of FabFilter standards including MIDI Learn, undo/redo and A/B switch, perfectly tuned knobs, Smart Parameter Interpolation (smooth parameter transitions), sample-accurate automation, advanced optimization, interactive help hints, and more.

As FabFilter plugins often do, Pro-R features a sleek and smooth space-age design, having more in common with Star Trek: The Next Generation Enterprise consoles versus old-school, analog rackmount units.

For something that appears so futuristic, though, the reverb it offers is incredibly natural and transparent sounding. On top of that, it’s quite flexible. If a luxurious, smooth reverb is what you’re looking for, you may have found your match.

You can get FabFilter Pro-R for Windows and Mac machines. It’s available in VST, VST3, AU, AAX Native and AudioSuite formats.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

Oxford Reverb by Sonnox

The feature-packed Oxford Reverb by Sonnox claims to offer a “real space sound,” with 120 presets, and a wide range of possible settings and wetness – dry ambiance, open reverberant space, classic hardware style settings, sound effects, and more. You can even build your own sounds from scratch for more customizability.

This stereo modeling reverb features settings for Early Reflection, five-band Oxford EQ, and Reverb Tail. The previously mentioned 120 presets include Rooms, Ambience, Halls, Chambers, and more.

With many tweakable parameters, Oxford Reverb is perfect for the music producer or sound engineer who wants maximum flexibility. For some, it might prove a bit much, but buyers didn’t have any complaints in this regard.

Its UI seems to take after legacy Windows software (think Windows 95). Interfaces aren’t everything, and generally we stress function over form, but in this case, we can’t give the plugin any extra points for its design. On a positive note, it is well-balanced, and it’s not too hard to operate once you’ve played with the settings.

From small, natural sounding artificial spaces to longer, larger reverbs, Oxford Reverb can handle what you throw at it. Natural sounding reverbs are well within its wheelhouse, but if you want to take your settings over the top, that’s an option too.

The one downside of Oxford Reverb is its price point. Most buyers didn’t think it was over-expensive, but also didn’t think it was at the perfect price. Be that as it may, it’s still worth a listen, so check out the video below.

Get Oxford Reverb for Windows or Mac at Plugin Boutique.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

TSAR-1 Reverb by Softube

Softube is a solid developer. They don’t always hit the mark with their VST plugins, but even when they don’t come out on the top of the heap, they usually come up with something great. And, in this case, they may have come up with something nearing perfection.

The Softube TSAR-1 Reverb has received plenty of praise. Producer and songwriter Greg Wells called it his “go-to,” mixer Fabian Marasciullo could not give it enough thumbs up to satisfy his excitement and mixing and mastering engineer Chuck Zwicky said it put “that old black magic in the box,” noting its simplicity and flexibility as major assets.

Unlike many reverb VST plugins we’ve already looked at, the TSAR-1 Reverb isn’t trying to emulate anything. It has a powerful modern reverb algorithm with aliveness and vibrancy, as well as gentleness and dreaminess when you need it, altogether with a natural character. It even claims to be a better-sounding alternative to traditional reverb products, but in that regard, we’ll let you be the judge.

The TSAR-1 comes with a True Stereo Algorithm, versatile functions, and an easy-to-use interface. It’s a great effect for drums, lead vocals, strings, brass, and other instruments. Its simplicity is reflected in the UI design, with five sliders and a couple of switchable options.

You’ve also got 41 presets, as well as controls for predelay, time, density, tone, high cut, early reflections type, early reflections mix, diffusion, modulation, and of course, reverb mix and output volume.

The UI is stunning. They’ve designed it to look exactly like a desktop console, with a realistic looking metal casing design, including sliders and knobs. I’m not sure this makes the plugin any easier to use, but fortunately its control scheme is relatively minimal.

The TSAR-1 was built to add a natural sounding verb to your tracks without affecting the tone of the dry signal. And to my ears, it seems to add a beautiful, natural sounding depth to your tracks. Also watch the video below to see how it sounds to your ears.

Get TSAR-1 for Mac or Windows at Plugin Boutique.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

Revolver Convolution Reverb Native by McDSP

McDSP’s Revolver Convolution Reverb Native has been called “transparent and musical” by macProVideo.com.

This convolution reverb gives you total impulse response control, routable and dedicated EQ, reverb decay crossover network, two sync-able delay lines, and specialized imaging. What that equates to is versatility and flexibility. The impulse response tool gives you the ability to model a variety of reverbs, with a large library of presets.

Its user interface reminds us of “all or nothing,” slick, realistic looking designs of the early and mid-2000s. I don’t think this style of design has been in vogue since the same. The glowing, radioactive green accent is also very much a product of its time. That said, it’s not bad. The interface contains a lot of functions in a small space, but everything is appropriately labeled and categorized.

At the end of the day, though, it’s all about the sounds you can produce with it. And users don’t have any complaints in this regard.

Get Revolver Convolution Reverb Native for Windows or Mac on Plugin Boutique.

Learn more: Plugin Boutique

H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb by Waves

The H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb is excellent value for the money. The much-praised verb is an innovative FIR reverb based on Finite Impulse Response technology, with a deep, rich tone.

H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb lets you tweak the reverb decay envelope well beyond standard linear forms, which helps create a denser reverb that won’t muddy your mix. Analog modeling and drive control give this reverb a luxurious feel (as these options often aren’t available on more affordable gear), and it’s a favorite technique of many a music producer.

Artist presets are also onboard, many created by a variety of leading mix engineers. There are also vintage and modern sounds built-in to satisfy a variety of needs.

Producer and mixing engineer Tony Maserati says this plugin offers the collective functionality of three plugins, producer / mixer / songwriter Greg Wells says this plugin nails the reverb tail, and producer YoungTN said this verb feels a lot more realistic than the stock plugins that come with your DAW.

Altogether, H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb offers resonant filter sweeps, EQ and dynamics module with compression, ducking, and de-essing, ADA analog modeling and drive control, artist presets, buildup timing and shaping, pre-delay BPM sync, support for 5.1 channel surround sound, quick reference button, and a user-friendly GUI.

Overall, this verb has got a great sound. It’s perfect for creating atmosphere in a track without detracting from the performance.

The user interface is also beautifully designed. It is well-balanced, and colorful without being obnoxious. It’s also realistic looking without trying too hard. Given that there are many tweakable parameters, the interface does a great job of segmenting the controls and giving them their own space in the interface.

You can get H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb for Mac and Windows at Waves.

Learn more: Waves

Renaissance Reverb by Waves

Renaissance Reverb is a classic recursive reverb with a warm sound, complete with rich verb tails, 12 reverb types, as well as an advanced early reflection system. The 12 reverb types include Room, Halls, Chamber, Gated, Plates, Reverse, Non-Linear, ResoVerb and EchoVerb. Renaissance Reverb also comes with a dual-band EQ and damping controls.

Also included is a de-correlation for fine-tuning early reflection changes, presets by leading producers and engineers (like Michael Brauer and Eddie Kramer among others), as well as three skin options for the interface – Light, Dark, and Legacy).

The Renaissance series of plugins are known for their quality and are favored by many engineers. Mixing engineer Stuart White said it’s the main reverb he uses on Beyoncé’s vocals, producer / engineer / composer Mike Sapone called it “something special,” and producer / writer / engineer Stew Jackson says he builds his tracks around this verb!

This reverb has a smooth, natural sound that makes it a cut above your average reverb VST plugin.

The plugin’s design feels a little old school and doesn’t convey much of a sense of inspiration. It’s adequate, and it’s easy to use, but it feels like it could have been wrapped in better packaging. That said, it does sound good, and it’s not expensive.

Find Waves’ Renaissance Reverb for Mac or Windows.

Learn more: Waves

Manny Marroquin Reverb by Waves

Manny Marroquin is a Grammy award winning mixing engineer. It’s expected, then, that he would have an ear for how a reverb should sound.

His plugin, a collaboration with Waves, the Manny Marroquin Reverb, is a convolution-based reverb. Waves sought to model six of his favorite software and hardware reverbs in three different room sizes – the best reverbs from his room. Along with EQ and compression, the plugin offers some flexibility for shaping your sounds. Phaser and distortion effects take it way over the top into fun and strange territories.

Producer / DJ / recording artist Mark Ronson said he could sense the very character of Marroquin inside the plugin, producer-engineer Luis Saldarriaga said it was one of the best sounding reverbs in his toolbox, and mix engineer-producer Leslie Brathwaite says the Marroquin Reverb helps him achieve an extra level of dimension.

The graphical user interface is a thing of beauty. I am loving the purple paisley accent on the brushed metal style enclosure. The knobs look amazing, and so does the logo. You can tell it’s trying hard to be as realistic as possible, but in this case, it’s not unwelcomed. The controls layout offers a different flavor than most, but it’s balanced in an entirely different way, and it’s super easy to use.

Overall, the reverb is clean and beautiful. Of course, with the built-in controls, you can create a rather fun, psychedelic effect that’s great for backing vocals, and a variety of other uses. Check out the video below to see what this verb is capable of on clavinet, vocals, and backing vocals.

The plugin is available for Mac or Windows at Waves.

Learn more: Waves

Top Reverb VST Plugins, Final Thoughts

There are many types of reverbs available. Most reverbs will at least create some depth and atmosphere for your tracks. But a professional sounding reverb is often one that’s more transparent and natural sounding. It adds warmth and richness to your tracks without taking away from what you’ve already captured.

As with most things, though, it comes down to taste. What do you like? What works for you? The opinion of others only applies to the extent that they understand your needs. If not, their thoughts don’t count for much. So, be sure to do your own homework and find the ideal reverb for you.

Once you’ve purchased a reverb, commit to its mastery, and you will go far. Happy shopping!