M-Audio WizooVerb W5 [25/158] Basics

English

4 Basics

In the following chapter we will look at how natural reverberation is cre-

ated and how it can be emulated. Armed with this basic knowledge, you

will be better equipped to understand the explanations of parameters pro-

vided in subsequent chapters.

Methods of Generating Reverb

Until recently there were only few ways of simulating reverberation. Elec-

tro-acoustical methods such as the traditional spring reverb and reverb

plate aside, there are only two processes of practical value that deliver a

sufﬁcient level of sound quality:

❖ Algorithmic reverb (also known as digital reverb): Based on complex de-

lay and all-pass ﬁlter circuits, this method has been used since the ’80s

in all reverb devices and most plug-ins. Algorithmic reverb works in

real time and can be adjusted ﬂexibly, but never sounds entirely natural

even with the most expensive devices and plug-ins.

❖ Impulse response: This procedure is based on the recorded impulse re-

sponse of real rooms. Because the underlying mathematical processes

require oodles of computing power, it has only been in recent years that

computers were powerful enough to generate reverb in real time using

this principle. This breed of plug-in has been around since the late

’90s. Impulse response-driven reverb can sound wonderfully lifelike,

but editing options are very limited, and it requires lots of computing

power.

An impulse response is sort of an acoustical snapshot that captures the sound of a

room. The standard procedure is to send a sine signal through a speaker and sweep

it through the room whose sound you want to capture, and record the room sound

using microphones and digital equipment. Once the sine sweep is computed out of

the recording, the original room sound can be simulated via a set of mathematical

equations far too complex for mere mortals to consider.

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