Black Mirror Reverb, Borealis-LE, DuckingSpace: Free Plugins of the Week
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Black Mirror Reverb, Borealis-LE, DuckingSpace: Free Plugins of the Week · Source: Witch Pig
This week’s collection of the best free plugins is all about unusual reverb. Black Mirror Reverb by Witch Pig, Borealis-LE by MNTRA Instruments and DuckingSpace by Sonic Skunk all add something special to everyone’s favorite effect – each in its own unique way!
Witch Pig Black Mirror Reverb
Witch Pig’s latest release is not for the faint of heart! For immaculate simulations of concert halls and cathedrals, look elsewhere. But if you like your reverbs a little dirty and full of character, Black Mirror Reverb could be just what you need.
This free plugin pairs reverb with hard-hitting clipping, bit crushing, and fuzz. With so many options for turning the reverb tail into a pile of rubble, it excels at adding a unique spatial quality to guitars, drums, basses, or even vocals. Glossy hi-res reflections are great, but they can quickly get boring. Sometimes, a bit of crunchy roominess is all it takes to make a sound sit well in the mix.
The controls are also unusual. Instead of traditional reverb controls like size, density, and pre-delay, Black Mirror Reverb has Divide, Reflect, and Shudder knobs for dialing in the perfect reverb sound. Distort adds hard clipping, while Crush reduces the bit rate. Magnify offers a palette of tonal variations depending on the input level. You can also use Black Mirror Reverb as a pure distortion or bit crusher effect by lowering all reverb controls.
Black Mirror Reverb is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU format.
MNTRA Instruments Borealis-LE
Borealis-LE by MNTRA Instruments is a free teaser for the developer’s new Borealis reverb plugin. Featuring one of Borealis’ algorithms, it offers a unique way of interweaving the dry input signal with the wet output. Using an envelope follower and a modulation system, the reverb can react dynamically to the input signal.
According to MNTRA Instruments, the included Sancturary algorithm is inspired by the pyramids of the Pre-Columbian era. You can adjust the size and frequency tilt, and dial in the desired rate of spatial modulation. An equalizer and limiter is also included.
If you like the free Borealis-LE, you might want to consider purchasing the full version, which is currently available with an introductory discount for $59.
Borealis-LE is available for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
Sonic Skunk DuckingSpace
DuckingSpace by Sonic Skunk is a free ducking delay that saves you the hassle of setting up a sidechain to control the reverb level. Lowering the volume of the reverb when the input level is high is a popular technique to ensure that sounds don’t get lost in the mix. With DuckingSpace, you can achieve this effect without any complicated routing.
The right side of the plugin has all the necessary reverb controls: Decay, Size, Modulation, Damping, Diffusion, and Color. There’s of course also a Dry/Wet knob. On the left side, you’ll find two concentric dials for the ducking speed and intensity.
DuckingSpace is a VST3 plugin for Windows.
Looking for more free plugins like Black Mirror Reverb, Borealis-LE, and DuckingSpace? Check out our archive!
Video about Black Mirror Reverb
This might also interest you
