VertiVerb VRS23

Name: VertiVerb VRS23
Price: 69 USD
Author: Audiority

by Audiority · Delay · BBD echo and reverb (Dynacord VRS 23 style)

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VertiVerb VRS23 simulates the Dynacord VRS 23, an early-80s BBD echo and reverb unit.

It models the BBD bandwidth loss and NE570 companding and adds tempo sync and ducking, for $69.

Best for: Guitars, Vocals, Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Rock & Indie, Lo-Fi, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: BBD, analog delay, 80s, dark, ducking, lo-fi, tempo-synced, vocals, electric guitar, synths, mixing, resizable UI, sound design.

What it does

VertiVerb VRS23 is Audiority's "faithful simulation" of the Dynacord VRS 23 Vertical Reverberation System, an early-80s unit that built echo and reverb from 10 BBD chips in a cascaded matrix. The hardware's reverb structure was designed to avoid the boxy "cellar effect" of earlier units, giving an odd blend of delay and reverb.

BBD echo and reverb: bandwidth narrows as the delay time increases, as on the hardware, so longer settings get darker.
Companding: internal companding via an NE570 simulation.
Main controls: delay time with a 4-range delay time switch, regeneration (feedback) and modulation.
Trimmers: feedback and clock trimmers for tweaking the circuit.
Studio extras: tempo sync, ducking, pre and post gain, mix control and a resizable interface.

The current version is 1.0.1 (November 2023). A demo is available; in demo mode the plugin outputs 3 seconds of silence every minute.

Source: Audiority product page

When to use it

VertiVerb VRS23 is the pick for one specific, dark sound: the smeared mix of BBD echo and reverb from an early-80s Dynacord unit. Compared with EchoBoy and Valhalla Delay, it has far fewer styles and modes, but it goes deeper into one circuit, down to clock and feedback trimmers. Unlike Galaxy Tape Echo, which models tape, it models bucket-brigade chips, so the character comes from the BBD chips rather than tape. Next to Audiority's own Dark Memory, it leans more towards reverb-like diffusion than distinct pedal repeats.

Best for: dark, lo-fi BBD echoes and short, grainy reverbs on guitars, vocals and synths.
Genres: rock, lo-fi, ambient, synthwave and other vintage-inspired music.
Look elsewhere if: you want clean digital delays or many delay modes in one plugin; Valhalla Delay or Timeless 3 are more flexible.

Where to buy

Audiority: $69
Plugin Boutique: $69

Tutorials and reviews

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