SP2016 Reverb

In 2012, Eventide’s delicious 2016 Stereo
Room garnered an 8/10 score in
178. That
particular plugin was an emulation of the titular
reverb algorithm from Eventide’s legendary
SP2016 hardware, a 1980s classic with the
distinction of being the world’s irst
programmable efects unit.
Stereo Room and two other ’verbs from the
SP2016 were repackaged in 2004 as the
(£2000+) 2016 Reverb. And the company’s
latest software release, SP2016 Reverb (VST/AU/
AAX), emulates all three of those algorithms –
Stereo Room, Room and Plate – from the original
SP2016, plus the alternative, cleaner ‘Modern’
version from 2016 Reverb (see Space time). Still
with us…?
Old is new
As you might expect, given its old-school nature,
all of SP2016 Reverb’s controls are on the front
panel, with no pop-outs or menus apart from the
preset library (which is huge and includes ‘artist’
contributions from Dave Pensado, George
Massenberg, Richard Devine and Sasha,
amongst others). The Levels section handles I/O
gains, and features the useful Kill button, which
simply shuts down the input when activated, so
you can hear the tail in isolation. At the top, the
Mix and I/O Lock buttons render the dry/wet Mix
and/or I/O levels immune to preset changes, for
consistent auditioning.
The reverb itself is refreshingly light on
parameters, with just four main sliders to get to
grips with. Up to 999ms of Predelay can be
dialled in, and beyond its essential role of
maintaining clarity in the source material by
making space for it before the reverb kicks in,
the slider can also be pressed into service for
short delay efects.
The Decay slider sets the reverb time (RT60)
and runs from a peppy 200ms to an
interminable 100s, while Difusion afects the
density of the tail by altering the ‘latness’ of the
surfaces making up the virtual space. The latter
is one of the most subtle implementations of
said parameter you’re likely to come across, but
it can make a meaningful diference with
transient-heavy material.
The Position control alters the balance of
early and late relections to simulate moving the
source signal towards the front or back of the
room. It has a profound efect on the character
of the sound, making a dramatic diference in
terms of the presence and envelope of the tail.
Lastly, high and low shelving EQ ilters are
onboard for non-surgical shaping of the tail,
ofering gain adjustment of up to -8 to +4dB
cornering at 50500Hz, and -8dB at 18kHz.
The full SP
SP2016 Reverb is a lawless recreation of
Eventide’s timeless hardware, in both its original
and newer incarnations. Those smooth,
expansive, natural-sounding tails still send
shivers down the spine almost 40 years on, and
while all three algorithms are particularly
efective on drums, vocals and guitars, they’re
worth trying on just about any sound.
As for 2016 Stereo Room, that’s still available
for $199, but you’d be mad to not drop the extra
$50 on the full enchilada, especially as that
algorithm is “improved” here. Existing owners of
2016 Stereo Room or Anthology XI can
crossgrade for $99.
Web www.eventideaudio.com
E v e n t i d e
SP2016 Reverb $249
This high-pedigree reverb plugin virtualises three classic
hardware algorithms in Vintage and Modern styles
Verdict
For Still got it!
Gorgeous, super smooth tail
Helpful EQ
Very easy to use
Position slider is brilliant
Tons of presets
Against Crossgrade is a bit pricey
Three of Eventide’s inest algorithms
prove as silky and seductive as ever in this
stunning vintage-style reverb plugin
9 / 1 0
Alternatively
ValhallaDSP VintageVerb
191 » 9/10 » $50
More Lexicon than Eventide, this
stunning 70s/80s-style reverb
belies its miniscule price tag
NI Reverb Classics
190 » 8/10 » £169
Emulations of the Lexicon 224 and
480L reverbs from the same era
SP2016 Reverb’s six algorithms comprise the
Room, Stereo Room and High-Density Plate
of the original SP2016, and the ‘Modern’
versions of the same from 2016 Reverb.
Room and Stereo Room difer in that Room
has a mono input and Stereo Room is, well,
fully stereo. Which to choose will depend on
the nature of your source signal and/or the
space you want to place it in.
Plate emulates a heavy plate reverb
(absolutely beautiful on drums and
percussion). The Vintage version has no
Position, Difusion or EQ parameters.
The sonic diferences between the Modern
and Vintage algorithms are signiicant, with
the former working at a higher bit-depth, and
being noticeably brighter and more difuse.
The algorithms themselves have no bearing
on the value ranges of the reverb parameters,
so you can set the Predelay and Decay times
and lick between algorithms to see which
works best for the job at hand.
Space time
January 2019 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 99
eventide sp2016 reverb / reviews <
CMU264.rev_sp2016.indd 99 11/7/18 4:08 PM