MicroFX Shimmer

Name: MicroFX Shimmer
Price: 39 USD
Author: Heavyocity

by Heavyocity · Reverb · Shimmer reverb

Not rated yet

MicroFX Shimmer is a reverb from Heavyocity's MicroFX line that adds octave-shifted shimmer for bright, modulated ambiences.

It shifts up, down or both, and an XY pad blends shimmer and tone; it costs $49.

Best for: Guitars, Keys & Synths, Acoustic Instruments, Sound Design. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Pop, Rock & Indie.

Keywords: shimmer, bright, dreamy, electric guitar, piano, sound design, pads, strings, pitch-shifting, cinematic, CPU-light, evolving, mixing, room, spacious, wet.

What it does

MicroFX Shimmer is Heavyocity's shimmer reverb, aimed at bright, modulated, ethereal washes on guitars, pianos, pads and strings. It mixes a pitch-shifted delay into the reverb, and an XY grid can animate the shimmer amount and tone over time.

Octave modes: UP, DOWN and BOTH, using the internal pitch shift to build more complex textures.
Space controls: Size sets the room dimensions and Decay the tail length.
Modulation and Dynamics: Modulation adjusts depth and speed for a moving, chorused tail; Dynamics gives further shaping of the sound.
XY grid: X sets the Shimmer Blend, bringing in the pitch-shift delay, and Y sets Tone, which shapes damping and brightness.
Animation: up to 15 nodes can be drawn into a path so the shimmer and tone evolve on their own.
Presets: 21 presets in Static and Animated categories.

It is also part of the MicroFX Collection with Obscene and Filter, and a free trial is available.

Source: Heavyocity product page

When to use it

MicroFX Shimmer is the better pick when you want a shimmer wash fast and want it to move on its own. Compared with Valhalla Shimmer, it has far fewer controls but adds the drawn XY animation and a mode that shifts up and down at once. It is much narrower than Supermassive or Blackhole, which cover many kinds of huge ambient space, and it is not a general-purpose reverb like VintageVerb or Pro-R 2. Choose it as a dedicated effect for one job rather than as your main reverb.

Best for: ethereal guitars, pianos, pads and strings, and swelling transitions in score and sound design.
Genres: ambient, cinematic, post-rock, pop and electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you want deep shimmer settings or an everyday room and hall reverb; Valhalla Shimmer goes further on the first, VintageVerb or Pro-R 2 on the second.

What producers say

Buyers and early reviewers rate it well, though detailed user feedback is scarce.

Plugin Boutique users rate it 4.5 out of 5 from 22 ratings.
Sample Sound Review gave the MicroFX Collection 5 out of 5, praising Shimmer's bright, ethereal reverb for expansive, otherworldly soundscapes.
CPU and workflow: the same review found the plugins light on CPU with a minimal learning curve.

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $39 (regular $49)
Best Service: $49
Heavyocity: $49

Tutorials and reviews

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