Neunaber Audio (pronounced ânew neighborâ) is an Orange County, California, company best known for its effects pedals. However, itâs no ordinary pedal boutique. Founder Brian Neunaber holds two patents, a masterâs degree in electrical engineering, and has developed technologies for several well-known manufacturers. In particular, Neunaber Audioâs reverb pedals are prized among musicians of many playing styles â the sounds are that lush. Donât believe me? Go check out the audio samples for their Immerse Reverberator Mk II pedal. Iâll wait. To my ears, itâs obvious the reverbs are not borrowed from a generic audio cookbook; weâre hearing new programming.
Rather than purchase a pedal (which I am still inclined to do), and a pair of Radial Reamp Stations [reviewed this issue] or their EXTC 500s [Tape Op#100], there is an easier way to use these reverbs in our DAWs. Based on the algorithm in the Immerse⢠Reverberator Mk II pedal, TheWet Reverberatorplug-in works with all popular native formats.
Wanting to ensure the software would provide the quality and fidelity of the original hardware, Brian personally designed and coded the engine.Wet Reverberatoralso comes with expanded controls not found on the hardware, plus all the other benefits of plug-ins, such as perfect recall, and the flexibility to use in as many instances as your host computer can handle.
The two primary reasons I recommend theWet Reverberatorare its ease of choosing settings, and the unique textures available from a custom-developed engine. Most of us appreciate the ability to fine-tune effects, especially time-based ones. However, some titles implement such complex, convoluted interfaces that itâs easy to forget what youâre doing, how you got there, or where you wanted to go in the first place.Wet ReverberatorâsGUI relies on slider controls, facilitating getting sounds quickly while still offering the capacity to tweak each value. Controls are divided into Size and Shape (mix, attack, delay, decay), EQ (tilt and bandpass filters), Damping (by attenuation and frequency), Modulation (if required, LFO, Rate, and Pitch can be adjusted), and finally Fidelity (bit depth and stereo width). A visualizer section in the middle of the controls displays the response curve, intensity, and cascading frequency plot. Itâs uncluttered, intuitive, and updates in real time.
Although we each have preferences for reverberation effects, Iâll share some of my favorite uses forWet Reverberator. First, for a mono room mic, itâs easy to imply the size of the space without the penalty of boxy mud or harsh reflections. Filters and Damping controls kick out undesirable elements with ease. And, since the stereo field slider includes full mono compatibility, I donât have to worry about what is going on when a âverb wants to force a mono-to-stereo result. Backing vocals can be challenging to blend, especially if they were tracked in the same room, with the same mic, and with the same gear and singers as the lead vocal. Splitting singers with multiple instances ofWet Reverberatorlets you make subtle Rate or Pitch changes to each track. Spend a little time tweaking Decay, Tilt EQ, and Damping. Pretty soon, youâve got a multi-dimensional component that supports the lead vocal without disappearing into a flat wall of reverb. And donât get me started on guitar solos. Using your DAWs automation on a 100%Wet Reverberatoraux return during mix can make solos sing on sustained notes while getting out of the way during complex runs. Finally, this plug-in can be one heck of a snare âverb, depending on your projectâs aesthetic.
There is no shortage of good reverb plug-ins out there. But when it comes down to it, most of us rely on a well-known group of usual suspects. Personally, I worry weâre all using the same sounds, the same tools, and the same effects all of the time, turning us into a fast-food version of production. I want something unique. Likewise, there is no shortage of weird-ass reverbs out there â most poorly coded, inefficient, and rarely standing up to the naked scrutiny required of a flagship effect.Wet Reverberatoris an excellent balance of fidelity, usability, and freshness. Neunaber Audio offers a 15-day free trial; I hope you get an opportunity to try it on one of your projects soon.
($49 direct;neunaber.net) -Garrett Haines treelady.com