Neunaber Audio (pronounced “new neighbor”) is an Orange County, California, company best known for its effects pedals. However, it’s no ordinary pedal boutique. Founder Brian Neunaber holds two patents, a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and has developed technologies for several well-known manufacturers. In particular, Neunaber Audio’s reverb pedals are prized among musicians of many playing styles – the sounds are that lush. Don’t believe me? Go check out the audio samples for their Immerse Reverberator Mk II pedal. I’ll wait. To my ears, it’s obvious the reverbs are not borrowed from a generic audio cookbook; we’re 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, The Wet Reverberator plug-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 Reverberator also 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 the Wet Reverberator are 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 it’s easy to forget what you’re doing, how you got there, or where you wanted to go in the first place. Wet Reverberator’s GUI 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. It’s uncluttered, intuitive, and updates in real time.
Although we each have preferences for reverberation effects, I’ll share some of my favorite uses for Wet Reverberator. First, for a mono room mic, it’s 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 don’t have to worry about what is going on when a ‘verb 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 of Wet Reverberator lets you make subtle Rate or Pitch changes to each track. Spend a little time tweaking Decay, Tilt EQ, and Damping. Pretty soon, you’ve got a multi-dimensional component that supports the lead vocal without disappearing into a flat wall of reverb. And don’t get me started on guitar solos. Using your DAWs automation on a 100% Wet Reverberator aux 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 ‘verb, depending on your project’s 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 we’re 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 – most poorly coded, inefficient, and rarely standing up to the naked scrutiny required of a flagship effect. Wet Reverberator is 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.
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