Mini iOS reverb comparision

dendy

Played today a bit with 4 various iOS reverbs. As a results, here are recordings with various lengths, splitted to 3 groups of reverb types based on length (Long, Mid, Short, of course all made with those 4 plugins )

My goal was set them within each group as much close as possible, to be able to compare overall quality ... Of course it is almost impossible set them exactly same, obviously every reverb have different settings, different knobs and at the end different overall sound..

Now, just for fun, here is my result. For now, i will NOT tell you which reverbs they are - just that i assigned numbers completely randomly so it doesn't mean that L1 is same plugin as M1 and S1 ..

Now, it's time for little blind test I'm intereseted in your prefferences Which one is for your ears "best" in each category ?

Edit: I was asked for adding more drum/noisy test sound with a bit different plugin settings (mostly filtered low end to show more mid/high range of reverb tail).

Edit2: Added variant with sampled noise impulse (*_c.wav, can be use in any convolution reverb)

I added everywhere "b" variant which is always same plugin as initial variant (eg. L1 is same plugin as L1_b, S2 is same plugin as S2_b, etc)

Dry test audio:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7vemhf2zjm2rtgy/_dry.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/moca91k17q0pdat/_dry_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vy2saqpsmuc1jy3/_dry_c.wav?dl=0

Long reverbs:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e9gk2cys3wlfv2a/L1.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/r703i5mmfk2t425/L1_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ldokb3rm10u7wns/L1_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4xe4u8nao4edq3a/L2.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jswun83wbupmndo/L2_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wa7l5mti4vupdhp/L2_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/14wrx0th8lf3c5g/L3.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/21xdodxe6ujf45j/L3_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lq4ci1ejc3xeqxp/L3_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zq3y4t41py6fn9k/L4.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qaam3ii3ktfrlu0/L4_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ii1fm55957qntfx/L4_c.wav?dl=0

Mid reverbs:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uhrpak1as3d6uny/M1.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uftt883ognyutt6/M1_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t9p1fdru42ix7bn/M1_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7nkals98yd6q6qd/M2.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jtfo8mzag7hn6ee/M2_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugitfnniww5u13z/M2_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6mslei1fv6h679/M3.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tb4i6qryi9r21z6/M3_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugitfnniww5u13z/M2_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ko36molanxm9eq/M4.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ffs6zqav1jqhaqr/M4_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/viporf0s145m73r/M4_c.wav?dl=0

Short reverbs:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rm3v9t3668tqeb/S1.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wvou5fnd0beq8mx/S1_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/urv7klkpibk4ynj/S1_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8zrep86ibvxkls4/S2.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w5tm264hu72x3i3/S2_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wstcvzwko7pgtq2/S2_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/52n42m107q4k5ha/S3.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b47oow11p60ggpc/S3_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qe5qa7zso7getr3/S3_c.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/imwhkvuwb3l5rct/S4.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/p31vpi7zufhvrxn/S4_b.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i1pukcxbqr0nvma/S4_c.wav?dl=0

Link to download whole package
https://www.dropbox.com/s/krvhpmmj8pgvisw/all.zip?dl=0

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dendy

@tja on request i added more examples with different sound and a little bit diffrenet plugin setings (see description above) ...

maybe it will affect your choices, maybe not Going to bed now, names will be revealed tomorrow ;-)

rezidue

This will be fun thanks @dendy. I’ll run through once home.

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Telefunky

Waiting for what's coming up - me having a hard time to decide between spoiling the party or save @dendy a lot of work.
The rhythmic bell example is a source, that doesn't reveal much about a reverb's quality or even it's character. The sound is very harmonic (in tech terms) with limited bandwidth and it has a rather smooth attack phase.
The most efficient (but also most boring) signal is a (so called) dirac pulse, which is basically a very short click that's tuned to have all frequencies evenly distributed.
You generate the click and record a 100% wet response of the reverb.

This can be misleading in practical use (to choose a reverb), though, because some technically inferior fx-units still melt great with certain sounds.

That's the other aspect of 'reverb quality' it has to match both source and intention.
Best example is number 4, which almost starts to oscillate in the long example, but features a well matching result in the short category. S4 would be the only one I'd put on a track.
All the others have way too much reverb amount, which likely was intended to present each one the best way. If the wet amount gets reduced, then the reverb naturally doesn't stand out as much, but the listening experience might be better. Catch 22...

ps: soory, forgot - the examples were well presented with a lot of care

vitocorleone123

Here's an example of a "fun" reverb comparison - still not using a pulse, in order to keep it fun. I think the results were interesting, too. Especially the winner(s) and how price doesn't necessarily equate to what you think it does.
https://synthtopia.com/content/2018/05/29/reverb-shootout-can-a-50-plugin-beat-a-16000-hardware-effect/

dendy

@Telefunky
The most efficient (but also most boring) signal is a (so called) dirac pulse, which is basically a very short click that's tuned to have all frequencies evenly distributed. You generate the click and record a 100% wet response of the reverb.

I know, it is used as source for convolution reverb ... you would not believe but that was my first intention - but then i decided to something more "normal' - i was afraid that everybody would send me to hell with just noise click wet signal )

As you wish - will evening prepare another example with noise click and 100% web 3-4 hours from now, just wait

Best example is number 4, which almost starts to oscillate in the long example, but features a well matching result in the short category. S4 would be the only one I'd put on a track.

But hold in mind L4, M4 and S4 are each one different plugin
Btw. S4 is also my favourite in "S" category Which is funny because that plugin is actually mentioned more for long reverbs than short

Telefunky

Thanks for explaining - I read twice, but still misunderstood the liner notes.

dendy

still misunderstood the liner notes.

Hm, what exactly ?

Telefunky

just the numbering scheme (same number, same app), but it's not a problem.

vitocorleone123

L1
M4 (tough choice w/M2)
S3

(listening on Beyerdynamic DT880 250 Ohm Special Edition on Focusrite 6i6gen2 headphone 1 with generic Sonarworks DT0-880 250 ohm Edition profile at 90%)

dendy

@Telefunky said:
just the numbering scheme (same number, same app), but it's not a problem.

same number and same first char == same plugin

eg:
L1/L1b - same plugin
L2/L2b - same plugin but different than L1/L1b
... etc

L1/M1 - different plugins
M1/M1b - same plugin
... etc

In each group are 4 plugins (1,2,3,4), each with 2 versions recorded (after i record noise click, it would be 3 examples, like L1, L1b, L1c)

In each group then thise plugins are ordered differently (so first plugin in group L is NOT first plugim in group M or S)

dendy

@Telefunky Added "c" variant, created from single sample noise response, 100% web 0% dry ..

Telefunky

thanks - the last addition reveals a lot about individual operation of the apps:
one comes with a lot of metallic ringing, one is almost smooth white noise, one seems to double trigger, one is rather sparse in it's response.
Differences pops up much clearer than on natural sources - and can be related to individual parameter handling of the apps.
So in real track context they may sound quite different from what the impluse suggests.

dendy

looks like nobody other is interested in guessimg, so here is revealing :-)

L1 NS2 Algoverb
L2 Eos2
L3 Zero
L4 ADverb

M1 Eos2
M2 ADverb
M3 Zero
M4 NS2 Algoverb

S1 ADverb
S2 Zero
S3 NS2 Algoverb
S4 Eos

@vitocorleone123 looks like you hit same reverb in all 3 cases

anickt

I kept hearing 2 that were better sounding to my ear. Turns out they were Algo and Eos.

rs2000

Interesting comparison, thanks @dendy!
It looks to me like it's good to have a selection of different reverbs for different situations

vitocorleone123

Bwhahahaha. I clearly like the smoothness of the NS2 Algoverb! And I don't even have NS2 since I use an iPhone. I did like ADverb as well. Thanks. I think we need more of these on this board - more personally useful than some of the other threads.

Telefunky

@dendy thanks a lot for all the effort, it's a lot of work to do such a comparison
The only one I have from the quartett of candidates is EOS, and I suspected you were talking about that in your comment to the S4 example.
Technically it seems horrible if one listens to the ringing after the pulse signal only, but on that bell source this doesn't really matter because it fits into the source's spectrum.
On a violin the effect would be much less appreciated.

There simply is no 'best' reverb - it depends on input and what's intended with the output. One can't have enough of them, but just might avoid (too many) duplicates.
It was a good idea to include the dry source files.
But it's not needed to go that high in resolution if you have full level sources (the drum hit overshot in the beginning, not shure if that was intended)
Even a 44.1k 16bit file would be perfectly ok in .wav format, while mp3 or similiar formats change the spectral content by filtering/smoothing.