IK Classic Studio Reverb vs. ArtsAcoustic Reverb

[Suntower]

We've been comparing ArtsAcoustic Reverb with IK's CSR Reverb. Until now, we have been pretty much only using the reverbs in UAD-1, the Voxengo convolution reverb and the reverbs that come in Samplitude.

Until we started demoing these, we'd almost forgotten how much we missed that Lexicon sound. I think both products have done a great job. As much as I LOVE the EMT 140, there is something about the Lexi that is just -magic- on voices and pads.

Here's my question. And I know this may be sort of unfair.

We very much prefer the flexibility of ArtsAcoustic Reverb. It does a LOT of things that IK CSR doesn't. -However- a couple of us (me included) are impressed with the 'shimmer' in the IK CSR presets. I was wondering if anyone tried both and knew what I was talking about. If so, do you have any suggestions on how to tweak ArtsAcoustic towards that type of sound?

We'd really -like- to choose the ArtsAcoustic based on features and I'm pretty sure it -can- match the sound of the CSR, but based on the presets, the CSR really does have the truer Lexicon sound.

Can anyone give me some tips on making the ArtsAcoustic match up better with the CSR hall sounds? Or should we simply forget it and just give in and get the CSR?

Any suggestions would be -most- welcome.

---JC

 

[lhama]

Here's my very limited noobisch comment. I tried the demos of both and really tried to work with them in differet scenarios.

They are very different. AAR is perfect for those very long beautifull \"I AM A VERY BIG AND BEAUTIFULL REVERB\" settings. CSR seems more like a \"normal\" reverb, but I like the workflow better, and it sits better (or more easy) in a mix than the AAR, unless it was that BIG swooshing sound I was going for.

I went with the CSR for being more what I needed.

 

[Suntower]

I agree. AAR is -very- impressive. In fact, I -wanted- to pick it, but I could never get tweak it to sound the way I wanted. Side by side? It always sounded better than CSR.

BUT, in mixes, CSR sounded better to me out of the box with less tweaking.

--JC

Here's my very limited noobisch comment. I tried the demos of both and really tried to work with them in differet scenarios.

They are very different. AAR is perfect for those very long beautifull "I AM A VERY BIG AND BEAUTIFULL REVERB" settings. CSR seems more like a "normal" reverb, but I like the workflow better, and it sits better (or more easy) in a mix than the AAR, unless it was that BIG swooshing sound I was going for.

I went with the CSR for being more what I needed.

 

[Jeraz]

JC, thanks for bringing this up. I didn't even know about either of these reverbs until this thread.

Last night, I hooked up a really good commercial CD player to my Mackie Big Knob, so that I could play commercial CDs direct to my monitors, bypassing the PC completely, and instantly A/B with my mixes.

I put on a Michael Hedges Aerial Boundries CD, and compared it with an acoustic guitar Sound CheckI was working on (playing with compression/EQ/Reverb, etc.)...one of the things I found hardest to emulate (and couldn't, whether it was lack of skill or the right reverb) was a certain smoothness of that reverb in that recording...it seemed \"glued\" to the guitar transients, and VERY smooth/velvety.

I am going to check out the CSR.

 

[Eddie Macarthur]

check out wizooverb w5. it's algorithmic reverb is Extremely smooth, and it also does impulse reverb and is bundled with high definition 5.1 impulses (and JRR shop were seliing it an a really low price with w2 stereo version included for free).
ed

 

[Suntower]

You're most welcome. There is a quality unique to -all- 80's digital reverbs, from Lexicon/Eventide right down to the el-cheap-o Alesis ones that is completely different from impulses or EMT-140 or -whatever-. It's grainy, fizzy, airy, sparkly way (have I used enough totally meaningless adverbs yet?) I can't say it's 'realistic', but when I hear my voice through one it makes me -want- to sing.

The CSR captures this quite well IMHO.

For me, a good reverb, like a good room, makes you feel like you can really play/sing.

I can also happily report that, unlike previous crappy problems I've had with IK products, CSR has been totally problem free.

Gotta go. Now that I praised it so much, I'm pretty sure, it'll start dying in the next 1/2 hr.

---JC

JC, thanks for bringing this up. I didn't even know about either of these reverbs until this thread.

Last night, I hooked up a really good commercial CD player to my Mackie Big Knob, so that I could play commercial CDs direct to my monitors, bypassing the PC completely, and instantly A/B with my mixes.

I put on a Michael Hedges Aerial Boundries CD, and compared it with an acoustic guitar Sound CheckI was working on (playing with compression/EQ/Reverb, etc.)...one of the things I found hardest to emulate (and couldn't, whether it was lack of skill or the right reverb) was a certain smoothness of that reverb in that recording...it seemed "glued" to the guitar transients, and VERY smooth/velvety.

I am going to check out the CSR.

 

[lhama]

...I'll just add a little to this thread. The CSR is 4(!!!) wonderfull tools, which really works well in the mixes I've been doing lately.... I think I have found a important element in MY kind of sheen/gloss.....

I actually use the plates setting a lot along with the 140....

BTW...Is it bad to have three reverbs on the same vocal track?

 

[Jeraz]

I bought the CSR. I am adjunct faculty for a local community college (in addition to my day job) so I got it for $209, full academic version...a no-brainer.

Won't see it for five days or so, but I have a few days left on the demo...

 

[Eurocide]

BTW...Is it bad to have three reverbs on the same vocal track?

No, not at all if each defines its own space and the reverb amount is set carefully. E.g.: strong short ambience for a close sound, a light room as general definition together with the instruments and finally a low, soft plate with a long pre-delay to create wide space.
Also different panning and narrowing/widening the stereo depth should be considered for each reverb.