MasterVerb 7

Name: MasterVerb 7
Price: 129 USD
Author: Wave Arts

by Wave Arts · Reverb · Algorithmic hall and plate reverb

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MasterVerb 7 is Wave Arts' algorithmic reverb, with Hall and Plate algorithms and separate control of early reflections and late reverb.

Dual 3-band EQs, a ducker, an envelope for gated and reverse effects and tempo-synced delays are built in. It sells for $129.

Best for: Vocals, Drums, Acoustic Instruments, Keys & Synths, Mix Bus. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: hall, plate, algorithmic, ducking, spacious, gated, reverse, room, drums, tempo-synced, vocals, cathedral, CPU-light, ping-pong, AAX, beginner-friendly, bus processing, chamber, full mix, hi-fi, mix bus, mixing, simple, smooth, warm.

What it does

MasterVerb 7 is Wave Arts' algorithmic reverb, designed to create "pristine-sounding spaces" with smooth decays free of artifacts. It pairs two reverb algorithms with a separate early reflection engine, plus built-in ducking and envelope effects.

Two algorithms: Hall, for spaces of various sizes, and Plate, for dense plate reverberation, with independent Size and Decay controls.
Early reflections: eight reflection patterns covering halls, rooms, plates, chambers, echo, cathedral, nightclub and ping-pong.
Tone: two 3-band EQs, one for the early reflections and one for the late reverb.
Ducking compressor: turns the reverb down while the foreground sound plays, so it stays clear of the dry signal.
Envelope processor: shapes the reverb's level over time for gated and reverse reverb effects.
Delays: beat-synced delay times.
Displays: EQ curves, time response and a 3D frequency response, in a normal or detailed view with hi-DPI scaling.

Current version: 7.03. A free trial is available.

Source: Wave Arts product page

When to use it

MasterVerb 7 is a solid pick for natural rooms and halls when you want the early reflections and the tail under separate control, with ducking and gated or reverse effects in the same window. Compared with FabFilter Pro-R 2 it has a more traditional, parameter-based layout and fewer modern extras, but it covers the same clean, uncoloured ground. Unlike Valhalla Room, it offers named early reflection patterns such as cathedral, nightclub and ping-pong. It also has far less vintage colour than Valhalla VintageVerb, which suits it to acoustic sources more than synth pads.

Best for: natural rooms and halls, depth and placement on vocals, drums and acoustic instruments.
Genres: general purpose, including acoustic, rock, pop and post-production.
Look elsewhere if: you want lush modulated or vintage-coloured reverbs (Valhalla VintageVerb) or huge ambient washes (Valhalla Supermassive or Eventide Blackhole).
Tip: use the early reflection engine on its own for subtle depth around a source; users rate it the plugin's strongest part.

What producers say

The few user reviews, all of older versions, praise the early reflections, ease of use and low CPU, with mixed views on the reverb tails.

KVR users rate it 4 out of 5 from 1 review (version 5, 2008), calling it "the best ER engine" the reviewer had heard in a VST reverb, with a warm sound, a clear 3D display and low CPU.
Sweetwater buyers rate it 3.5 out of 5 from 1 review (Pro Tools 11 era): easy to use, low DSP and good value, with a fine hall and dense plate.
Criticisms: the KVR reviewer found the Hall and Plate tails less smooth than the reflections and missed width and positioning controls; the Sweetwater reviewer rated it below Spaces.

Where to buy

KVR Marketplace: $129
PluginFox: $129

Tutorials and reviews

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