>ARVerb is a new audio software company taking inspiration from real-world physics to develop their plugins. Their first full offering, a reverb plugin called Room, is a great example. Some traditional reverb parameters are seemingly omitted from Room’s design in favour of more abstract, macro-like control. This becomes clear once you realise that Room is a physical modelling reverb plugin that simulates an exact real-world room and allows you to place a source at mathematically exact locations within it. On a workflow tip, Room also contains some more advanced features such as automatic level and delay compensation, which promise to support you in making accurate mix decisions.
Settings >
A major part of ARVerb’s ethos is keeping plugins simple, so there are some elementary settings at your disposal that will help you to refine your sound. As well as some rudimentary controls that are commonplace in reverb plugins, Room also has a Lo-Bypass setting that allows you to remove the reverb for audio content below a certain frequency. This is particularly useful in cases where low frequency content is already being processed, or if using Room on a group or send that contains elements which cover the entire frequency spectrum.
Basic setup >
Once you’re familiar with Room’s basic settings, it’s time to give your track some space. First, put an instance of Room on a channel and select a Room Size algorithm. You can then use the Pan Angle and Distance arrows to position the element on a 2D axis. Room lets you position channels from left to right at 12% increments, and front to back at 25% increments. Being able to quickly set elements at differing depths is just one of Room’s party tricks. Then adjust to taste.
Multi-Track setup >
While Room may help create space on an individual channel, it comes into its own on multiple channels with slightly differing settings. Once basic setup is done, click the three lines at the top left of Room and hit Copy to Clipboard. You then load another instance of Room to another channel, click the three lines again and Paste from Clipboard. Adjust the Pan Angle and Distance on the second instance of Room, and you’ll get two parts that sound tied together yet separate.
< Manage presets
ARVerb Room also comes with five presets to get you started. Click the Preset title bar at the top of Room to select a new preset or save your own presets by clicking on the three lines at the top left of Room, then clicking Save Preset. You’ll then be prompted to name your preset. In addition to presets, Room has an A/B button which allows you to store two states of setting within the same instance of the plugin. This allows for quick setting comparisons.
< Emphasising depth
Although Room’s three Room Size algorithms and Distance settings are responsible for controlling depth with
