BLEASS Spectral Reverb

Name: BLEASS Spectral Reverb
Price: 39 USD
Author: BLEASS

by BLEASS · Reverb · Spectral reverb

Not rated yet

BLEASS Spectral Reverb lets attack, decay and stereo width of the reverb vary by frequency.

It runs as a VST3, CLAP, AU or AAX plugin on Windows, macOS and Linux for $39, with a separate iOS version.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Vocals, Sound Design. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Electronic & EDM, Pop.

Keywords: spectral, wide, ambience, sound design, creative, experimental, freeze, sidechain input, AAX, advanced, AUv3/iOS, cinematic, CLAP, ducking, enhancement, Linux, MIDI-controllable, mixing, pitch-shifting, smooth, pads, subtle, synths, vocals.

What it does

BLEASS Spectral Reverb splits the signal into frequency components so that the reverb's timing and width can change across the spectrum. The developer says it "unlocks new realms of reverberation and ambience effects", and it is aimed more at creative spaces than realistic rooms.

Spectral attack and decay: reverb attack and decay times can vary with frequency, for example shorter in the lows and longer in the highs.
Spectral width: stereo width can also be set around specific frequencies.
Spectral maps: per-parameter curves drawn on a spectral display, from smooth ramps to focused peaks or troughs; one axis sets the focus frequency and the other the curve shape.
Input stage: high-pass and low-pass filters plus gain before the reverb.
Spectral processors: four slots that take any of six modules: Spectral Gate, Harmony Follow, Spectral Ducker, Spectral Enhancer, Pitch Shifter and Frequency Shifter.
Freeze and sidechain: Freeze holds the current tail without adding new reverb, and an external sidechain input is supported.
Advanced settings: block size, hop factor and smoothing controls for the spectral engine; all parameters respond to MIDI CC. There is no built-in modulation.

It ships with factory presets. A demo is available.

Source: BLEASS product page

When to use it

BLEASS Spectral Reverb is the better pick when you want a reverb to behave differently in each part of the spectrum, or to feed its tail through gates, duckers and pitch or frequency shifters. Compared with Pro-R 2, which also offers frequency-dependent decay, it goes further with per-frequency attack and width and the processor slots, but it lacks Pro-R 2's realistic room character and polished EQ. It is more of a sound-design tool than Supermassive or Blackhole: those give huge washes quickly, while this one rewards drawing curves and stacking modules. Unlike VintageVerb, it makes no attempt at a classic hardware sound. It is one of the cheaper creative reverbs.

Best for: ambient tails that bloom or fade differently in the lows and highs, frozen pads, and pitch- or frequency-shifted reverb textures.
Genres: ambient, cinematic, experimental and electronic music, and sound design.
Look elsewhere if: you want realistic rooms and plates (VintageVerb or Pro-R 2) or a fast, one-knob huge space (Supermassive or Blackhole).
Tip: Databroth suggests pairing it with BLEASS Spectral Resonator for more experimental chains.

What producers say

Early coverage welcomes it as a genuinely different, experimental reverb, with the effects of some modules described as subtle.

Databroth praised the "nice and soft" sound, the very long decays, the six spectral processors and the per-bin curves, and found the pitch and frequency shifters good for sound design.
Synth Anatomy called it an experimental reverb that can create "beautifully weirdo stuff".
Criticisms: Databroth found most of the effects "fairly subtle" and depending on the material, and wished the shifters could process the dry signal, not only the reverb. Synth Anatomy noted there is no built-in modulation.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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