Best reverb plugins

We reveal the best plugins for adding atmosphere and pro polish to your mixes! It's time to make 'space' for these on your hard drive

Using a great reverb plugin is the best way to transform dull and lifeless tracks into more atmospheric and ‘human’ mixes. Reverbs create the sound of a room or space, emulating the reflective atmosphere such a space would impart to a sound recorded within it. They therefore add realism and character, helping to make cold and clinical digital recordings warmer and more emotional. Here, we round up the best reverb plugins to see which ones bring the best character and sound for your money.

In this buyer’s guide, we have reverbs of all budgets and types that deliver the sounds of spaces of all shapes and sizes – everything from real recording studios and concert halls to unreal worlds straight out of your imagination. We’ve included some classics that are still going strong after many years plus the best releases that we’ve encountered more recently.

We also have more advice on choosing between the main two types of reverb – convolution and algorithmic. There’s more info on that difference on the following page. We’ll before reviewing all of our reverb choices in detail over the following pages, so make some space!

What is a reverb?