Eventide UltraReverb Software User Guide

: June 16, 2024
: Eventide

Table of Contents

Eventide UltraReverb Software
Product Information
UltraReverb
Signal Flow Diagram
Preset Bar
Conclusion
Documents / Resources

Eventide UltraReverb Software

Eventide-UltraReverb-Software-product

Product Information

Specifications

Manufacturer: Eventide Inc.
Model: UltraReverb
Part Number: 141237
Revision: 6
Trademark: Eventide is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc.

Welcome

Welcome to the user manual for the UltraReverb product by Eventide Inc. This manual provides detailed information on the usage and controls of the UltraReverb plugin.

About This Product

The UltraReverb is a powerful reverb plugin that offers a wide range of controls and settings to shape your audio. With its intuitive interface, you can create various reverb effects to enhance your sound.

UltraReverb Signal Flow Diagram

The signal flow diagram visually represents the audio path within the UltraReverb plugin. It illustrates how the audio signal passes through different stages and controls.

Reverb Controls

The Reverb Type control allows you to select the type of reverb effect you want to apply to your audio. Choose from a variety of options to achieve the desired reverb sound.

Decay Time

The Decay Time control adjusts the length of the reverb tail.
Increase the value for a longer decay time or decrease it for a shorter decay time.

Room Size

The Room Size control determines the virtual size of the reverb space. Increase the value for a larger room size or decrease it for a smaller room size.

Glide Rate

The Glide Rate control adjusts the rate at which the reverb parameters change over time. Increase the value for a slower transition or decrease it for a faster transition.

Mod Depth

The Mod Depth control controls the depth of modulation applied to the reverb effect. Increase the value for a more pronounced modulation effect or decrease it for a subtle modulation effect.

Mod Rate

The Mod Rate control determines the speed at which the modulation effect occurs. Increase the value for a faster modulation rate or decrease it for a slower modulation rate.

Lo-fi

The Lo-fi control applies a lo-fi effect to the reverb sound.
Increase the value to introduce distortion and artifacts or decrease it for a cleaner reverb sound.

Pre-delay

The Pre-delay control sets the time delay before the onset of the reverb effect. Increase the value for a longer pre-delay or decrease it for a shorter pre-delay.

Pre-delay On/Off

The Pre-delay On/Off control enables or disables the pre-delay effect.

Diffusion

The Diffusion control adjusts the diffusion of the reverb sound.
Increase the value for a more diffused sound or decrease it for a less diffused sound.

Diffusion On/Off

The Diffusion On/Off control enables or disables the diffusion effect.

Early Ref Level

The Early Ref Level control sets the level of early reflections in the reverb sound. Increase the value for a louder early reflection or decrease it for a softer early reflection.

Early Ref On/Off

The Early Ref On/Off control enables or disables the early reflections effect.

Tail Level

The Tail Level control adjusts the level of the reverb tail. Increase the value for a louder reverb tail or decrease it for a softer reverb tail.

Tail On/Off

The Tail On/Off control enables or disables the reverb tail effect.

Graph Shows

The Graph Shows control determines what the EQ graph displays.
Choose from various options to view different aspects of the EQ settings.

EQ Positions

The EQ Positions control allows you to select the position of the EQ band within the frequency spectrum. Adjust the positions to target specific frequency ranges.

High

The High control adjusts the high-frequency range of the EQ.
Increase the value to boost high frequencies or decrease it to cut high frequencies.

Mid

The Mid-control adjusts the mid-frequency range of the EQ. Increase the value to boost mid frequencies or decrease it to cut mid frequencies.

Low

The Low control adjusts the low-frequency range of the EQ.
Increase the value to boost low frequencies or decrease it to cut low frequencies.

Frequency

The Frequency control sets the center frequency of the selected EQ band.
Adjust this value to target specific frequencies for shaping your audio.

Gain

The Gain control adjusts the gain level of the selected EQ band.
Increase the value to boost the selected frequency range or decrease it to cut the selected frequency range.

Bandwidth (Q)

The Bandwidth (Q) control determines the width of the selected EQ band.
Increase the value for a narrower bandwidth or decrease it for a wider bandwidth.

Levels Section Input

The Input control adjusts the input level of the UltraReverb plugin.
Increase the value for a higher input level or decrease it for a lower input level.

Output

The Output control adjusts the output level of the UltraReverb plugin.
Increase the value for a higher output level or decrease it for a lower output level.

FAQ

Q: How do I install the UltraReverb plugin?

A: To install the UltraReverb plugin, follow these steps:

Download the plugin installer from the Eventide website.
Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
Launch your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software.
Scan for plugins in your DAW’s plugin manager.
The UltraReverb plugin should now be available for use in your DAW.

Q: Can I use the UltraReverb plugin in Pro Tools?

A: Yes, the UltraReverb plugin is compatible with Pro Tools.
It supports AAX format, which is the native plugin format for Pro Tools.

Q: Can I use the UltraReverb plugin on macOS?

A: Yes, the UltraReverb plugin is compatible with macOS.
It supports the Audio Units format, which is the native plugin format for macOS.

Welcome

About This Product

UltraReverb plug-in is a powerful audio engineering plug-in for Avid AAX, Apple Audio Units, and Steinberg VST formats.
Just like the original Pro Tools TDM version, UltraRe-verb brings you the best reverb effects from our most prestigious hardware products and combines these with full multi-effect capabilities all within a single plug-in. UltraRe-verb features:
Nine Reverb effects: Hall 1 & 2, Chamber 1 & 2, Room 1 & 2, Plate 1 & 2 and Ambience
Dual delays for echo effects that can be moved before or after the reverb
Pre-EQ and post-EQ – Independent, three-band parametric equalizers for shaping the audio before and after the reverb and delays
A Movable Compressor provides dynamics before or after the reverb
Lo-ﬁ effect
Unique Snapshots allow you to quickly store, recall, and automate up to 32 presets
Graphical EQ interface for intuitive tone shaping
Complete automation support

UltraReverb

The UltraReverb user interface is a compact yet intuitive environment that uses consistent conventions throughout.
It should take you no time at all to effortlessly navigate through each part of the plug-in.
UltraReverb is comprised of the following discrete components, which collectively or individually provide you with a robust and precise tone-shaping and frequency-manipulation environment.
Reverb Controls
EQ Controls
Lo-Fi
Levels
Delay Section
Compressor Section
Snapshots

Signal Flow Diagram

Below are block diagrams depicting the signal ﬂow of UltraReverb. Figure 3.2 shows the overall plug-in structure whereas Figure 3.3 shows the inner workings of the Reverb block.
Dotted lines signify that the presence of the block is dependent on a parameter being On/Off or Pre/Post.

Reverb Controls

Derived from such ﬂagship effects processors as the Orville™ and Eclipse, UltraReverb produces the highest quality reverb effects available from Eventide.
An extensive set of useful parameters is offered to give you the freedom to create the sound you need, quickly. Each of these parameters is detailed below.
Reverb Type This pull-down menu allows you to select among the various types of reverb algorithms.
Each type has a unique flavor of Diffusion, Early Reflections, and Reverb Tail.
These internal settings are automatically applied upon loading a Type.
Decay Time The overall reverb decay time can be set using this slider. Also referred to as RT60, the decay time is the time it takes the reverberated sound to decay to a level 60dB down from its original level.
Room Size The perceived size of the reverberant space is determined by this parameter.
It affects both the Diffusion and the Reverb Tail (see Figure 3.3).
Due to the structure of our reverb algorithms, a pitch change can be heard when manipulating this control.
The amount of shift is determined by how long the Decay Time is as well as the setting of the Glide Rate control.
You can use this control as a special effect by automating it and varying its values swiftly.
Glide Rate This is the time it takes the Room Size to glide to its new setting.
When used with Room Size, a pitch gliding effect can be created, and even automated as part of the music.
Mod Depth This parameter controls the amount, or level, of reverb modulation that is present in the reverb. The modulation is applied to the Reverb Tails module in the signal flow diagram (see Figure 3.3).
Mod Rate When used in conjunction with Mod Depth, Mod Rate sets the speed of reverb modulation. Reverb modulation effectively adds a slight detuning to the sound, causing it to sound different every time a sound is passed through.
Lo-fi The Bit Reducer is provided as a special effect, offering that sought-after ”vintage digital” sound. The higher the value, the grungier it gets. As Figure 3.2 illustrates, Lo-fi occurs after the Post EQ but before the Post Compressor.
Pre-delay Pre-delay provides additional delay before the Diffusion, Early Reflections, and Reverb Tail. When Pre-delay is set to 0ms, you may still notice an audible delay before the onset of reverb.
This is because both Diffusion and Reverb Tails have a slight built-in delay. Consider turning both Pre-delay and Diffusion Off if you desire instantaneous Reverb.
Pre-delay On/Off Turning Pre-delay Off is not the same as turning Predelay to 0ms. The Reverb Tails block (see Figure 3.3) has a built-in delay whose value depends on the selected Reverb Type. Turning
Pre-delay off will eliminate this built-in Tail delay in addition to bypassing the Pre-delay module.
Diffusion The Diffusion parameter sets the overall reflectivity of the chosen space. Higher Diffusion settings will cause the reverb to sound more dense and lower settings will give the perception of more discrete reflections.
When Pre-delay is turned off, you may still notice a slight delay before the onset of reverb. This is a result of the Diffusion. The larger the size, the more delay will result from Diffusion.
Consider turning Diffusion Off for instantaneous reverb.
Diffusion On/Off Turning Diffusion off is not the same as setting Diffusion to 0.
Setting Diffusion to 0 will result in more discrete reflections, whereas turning Diffusion off will bypass the diffusor altogether.
This is an important tool for crafting custom reverb environments.
Since Diffusion adds an increasing amount of delay as Size increases, consider turning Diffusion off if you desire an instantaneous reverb despite a large Reverb Size.
Early Ref Level This sets the overall level of the Early Reflection path of the reverb algorithm (see Figure 3.3).
Early Ref On/Off Turning Early Reflections off is equivalent to setting Early Ref Level to -infinity.
Tail Level This sets the level of the Reverb Tails path of the reverb algorithm (see Figure 3.3).
Tail On/Off Turning Tail off is equivalent to setting Tail Level to -infinity.

EQ Controls

UltraReverb comes complete with two independent and fully parametric equalizers, referred to as Pre-EQ and Post-EQ. There are also shelving filters available for the reverb tail as well as the dual delay lines.
All four of these filters have their controls conveniently grouped within a single graphical interface with editable parameters as described below.
Because these four groups of equalizers are available simultaneously, they are also displayed together in the EQ Controls section. To edit one of these groups of EQ, simply select it for editing by clicking the button next to the text under the Graph shows area.
As each is selected, its EQ curve is given focus by highlighting the associated colored line, bringing it to the foreground. To change the filter settings, use the number boxes below the graph. Note that some EQ parameters are not available all the time.
The Reverb EQ does not offer a Mid-filter section, nor does it have adjustments for bandwidth as they are high and low shelving filters. The delay EQ does offer a Mid-filter section with an adjustable bandwidth.
Graph Shows Use these four buttons to select one of the four EQ sections for editing. On/off buttons are located on the right of each EQ section, allowing you to completely bypass any of the different EQ sections.
EQ Positions Pre-EQ is located after the pre-compressor but before the delay and reverb.
Delay EQ is located in the delay lines.
Reverb EQ is located in the Reverb Tail.
Post EQ is located after the delay and reverb but before Lo-fi and post compressor (See Figure 3.3)
High This row of parameters affects the high band filter section.
Mid This row of parameters affects the mid-band filter section. Not available for the reverb filter.
Low This row of parameters affects the low band filter section.
Frequency Use these parameters to set each band’s center frequency.
Gain Use these parameters to set the gain or attenuation that occurs at each band’s center frequency.
Bandwidth (Q) These parameters determine the range of frequencies that are affected by each band, effectively setting the shape of the filter.
The bandwidth is equal to the frequency setting divided by Q.
Therefore, higher values create a more ”notched” filter while lower values affect a broader range of frequencies.
To set the Pre- and Post-EQ’s Low and High bands to a shelving function, set the parameter to its minimum value.

Levels Section

This section offers the necessary wet/dry balance controls as well as the ability to add up to 24 dB of gain through the product.
Input This parameter allows you to adjust the signal level in this plug-in. The mark in the meter display indicates -12dBfs of signal while the clip indicators will come on at -0.2dBfs. Up to 12 dB of gain is provided to recover low-level signals.
Output This parameter sets the final output level of the plug-in. The mark in the meter display indicates -12dBfs of signal while the clip indicators will come on at -0.2dBfs. Up to 12 dB of gain is available.
Mix This parameter sets the overall balance of the wet (affected) signal to the dry (original) signal.

Delay Section

As mentioned previously, this plug-in offers two independent delay lines with filtering.
Use them as straight delays or add filtering for use as echo effects. Delays can be routed pre-reverb, post-reverb, or completely bypassed using the on/off switch in the top right corner of the delay section.
The 6 parameters are defined below in groups of two (left and right) to reduce redundancy.
Delay Pre/Post/Off Pre or Post determines whether the delayed signal is added to
the signal path before or after the reverb algorithm. It is never in series with the reverb, only added in parallel before or after (See Figure 3.2). Turning the delay off is equivalent to setting Delay Level to -infinity.
Left/Right Time These two parameters set the amount of delay time in each channel of delay. If Tempo is off, this time will be displayed in milliseconds.
If Tempo is set to Sync or Manual, the Time parameters are displayed as note values. The maximum delay time is 1 second regardless of Tempo mode.
Left/Right Level These parameters adjust the overall level of each delay.
Left/Right Feedback These parameters set the amount of audio that is fed back into each delay.
Also known as regeneration, feedback controls the number of repeats that are heard when a signal is fed into it.
This parameter offers a range of -100% to 100%. Zero percent results in no feedback (only one repeat), while higher numbers produce an increasing amount of feedback.
Negative numbers produce a feedback signal that is 180 degrees out of phase.
Tempo This drop-down menu allows you to sync the delays to a tempo.
Setting Tempo to Off disables tempo sync and delay time is controlled in milliseconds. Setting Tempo to Sync sets the delay tempo equal to the plug-in host’s tempo.
Setting Tempo to Manual allows you to manually set the tempo for the delays by changing the BPM value to the right of the drop-down menu.

Compressor Section

A fully parametric and movable compressor is offered via the Compressor section. Compression can be routed pre-reverb, post-reverb, or completely bypassed using the on/off switch in the top right corner of the Compressor section.

Compressor Pre/Post/Off

Pre or Post determines the compressor’s position in the signal path. Preplace the compressor immediately after the Input Level.
Post places the compressor immediately before the Output Level (See Figure 3.2). Off bypasses the compressor.
Threshold Threshold sets the level at which gain reduction begins to take place. Signals that pass above the Threshold value will begin to have their gain reduced by the amount set via the Ratio parameter.
Ratio The Ratio parameter sets how much gain reduction will occur for every dB of a signal level above the Threshold. The range is from 1:1 (no compression) up to 100:1. To create a hard limiter, set the Ratio to 100:1 and the Knee parameter to 0dB.
Gain This parameter allows you to increase the compressor’s output level to make up for the level lost due to gain reduction.
Attack This parameter determines how fast the compressor will react to signals above the Threshold.
Release This parameter determines how fast the compressor will react to decreasing signal levels.
Knee The Knee determines a region above the Threshold where the gain reduction transitions from 1:1 to the Ratio setting. As the input signal crosses the Threshold and moves through this window, its gain reduction is increased up to the Ratio value.
Key The Key allows you to select the audio signal that controls the amount of compression. Selecting Comp Input uses the input to the compressor as the key.
Plug-In Input uses the dry input to the plug-in as the key. Sidechain Input uses an external source as the key.

Snapshots

UltraReverb incorporates our unique Snapshots feature that allows you to quickly and easily load, save, and even automate up to 32 of your favorite Reverb ”scenes.” They’re very much like presets, but you can load them directly from the plug-in panel.
This means that you get the live performance functionality offered by our high-end hardware processors directly in your DAW.
Loading To load a Snapshot, simply click on any of the numbered buttons at any time. The entire Reverb plug-in panel will change to reflect the settings stored in the chosen Snapshot. The name of the loaded Snapshot will be displayed in the text box above the number pad. And, so you know what you’re loading before you click, move the mouse over any of the 16 numbered buttons to reveal its name. You can choose from the bank of 16 Current or 16 Global Snapshots by first clicking on the tab at the bottom of the Snapshots area.
Saving To write or overwrite one of the Snapshots, simply command-click on any of the numbered Snapshot buttons and it will instantly be stored. Note that Current Snapshots are associated with a specific preset, so while command-click will write your settings to a specific Snapshot location, you must additionally save the preset in the preset menu to permanently store your changes. This extra step is not required for Global Snapshots since they aren’t tied to any specific presets. Command-Click will add that Snapshot to your UltraReverb/Presets/Snapshots/
directory and it will instantaneously be available from any UltraReverb preset. There’s no undo, so be very sure before you overwrite a Global Snapshot.
Renaming Click once on the name in the entry box, and it will be selected for editing. Type up to 16 characters, hit return and the Snapshot has a new name. In the case of Current Snapshots, remember to save your preset as well.
Revert Revert gives you the freedom to return to the effect settings you were working on before you loaded one or more Snapshots.
It’s very much like compare, except that you can load a gazillion Snapshots, and still get back the same parameter values that you had been editing before loading Snapshots. You’ll notice that as soon as you click on a Snapshot button, the Revert button glows to indicate that you can press it. Click on some other Snapshots. It’s still lit. If you click on Revert, it goes out and you’re back to the original edits you’d just been working on.
You’ll also notice that the selected Snapshot button goes out as soon as you change a parameter’s value. This is to indicate that you are no longer listening to a Snapshot.
Global vs. Current There are two kinds of Snapshots, Global and Current. Both are grouped in banks of 16. Global Snapshots are accessible from any preset in any instance of the UltraReverb plugin in any DAW session on your hard drive. Use these to keep your 16 favorite reverb effects readily available. The Global Snapshots are stored in a directory at the same location as your Preset directory. (/Documents/Eventide/UltraReverb/ Snapshots). Any change to Global Snapshots will be effective immediately. Remember, there’s no undo for Global Snapshots, so be very sure before you overwrite one. The Current Snapshots are a little different because they are saved within the currently loaded preset. If you make a change to the Current Snapshots you’ll need to save the Preset for your changes to be permanently stored within the Preset.
Proper Snapshot Hygiene Snapshots can be very powerful in use, but knowing how they work will help ensure that your UltraReverb Snapshots load and sound right every time. So, if you want to load a Snapshot-specific to that preset, load it from the Current bank. If you want to build yourself your favorite 16 and use them everywhere, use the Global Snapshots. If you want to copy a cool Current Snapshot into the Global bank, simply load it from the Current tab first, then command-click on the desired Snapshot button from the Global tab.
Restoring Global Defaults If you need to restore the factory Global Snapshots at any time, simply run the plug-in installer again, as it will place the default Global Snapshots back into the Snapshots folder.

Preset Bar

Located at the top of the UltraReverb Plug-In, the Preset Bar lets you load and save presets, along with several other features.
When UltraReverb is installed, a library of settings is placed into the /Music/Eventide/ UltraReverb/Presets folder (Mac) or the /Documents/Eventide/UltraReverb/Presets folder (Windows).
These presets have a .tide extension and can be saved or loaded from the UltraReverb preset bar in any supported DAW.
In many DAWs, there is an additional generic preset bar that saves DAW-specific presets to a separate location.
We recommend saving your presets using the Eventide preset bar to ensure that your presets will be accessible from any DAW.
You can also create sub-folders inside the preset folders if you wish.
Load/Save Use these buttons to load and save your presets in .tide format.
Compare Click to toggle between two different settings for the plug-in.
This is useful for making A/B comparisons.
Mix Lock Starting in version 2.0.5 UltraReverb includes a Mix Lock button for flexible preset browsing. When Mix Lock is illuminated, the current Mix value will remain unchanged as new presets are loaded.
This is especially useful on an effect return track where the mix should always be set to 100.
Info Click this button to open this manual.
Settings Click the gear icon to open a drop-down menu with scaling settings for changing the overall size of the plugin.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoy the UltraReverb plug-in and put it to good use in all of your mixes.
Please be sure to check out Eventide’s other native plug-in offerings for more unique and interesting effects.
For further questions or support, head over to the user forums.
Copyright 2022, Eventide Inc.
P/N: 141237, Rev 6
Eventide is a registered trademark of Eventide Inc.
AAX and Pro Tools are trademarks of Avid Technology. Names and logos are used with permission.
Audio Units and macOS are trademarks of Apple, Inc.
VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Eventide Inc. One Alsan Way Little Ferry, NJ 07643 201-641-1200 www.eventide.com