epicCLOUDS, Gravity, Nepenthe: Free Plugins of the Week
Welcome to the reverb edition of Free Plugins of the Week! Our picks this week are epicCLOUDS, Gravity, and Nepenthe – three very different reverbs that range from smooth ambience to granular swirls. Enjoy!
Variety of Sound epicCLOUDS: Expansive Soundscapes
epicCLOUDS by Variety of Sound is a free reverb plugin for Windows that reproduces the reverberation characteristics of large, open spaces and natural environments. If you’re a sucker for large, lush, and expansive soundscapes, give epicCLOUDS a try!
According to Variety of Sound, epicCLOUDS uses a very high reflection density from the outset of the reverb tail to deliver soft and ambient textures. You can adjust the Decay time, Tone, and Width, and experiment with the Bloom and Modulation knobs for additional reverb variations. In addition to a level meter, epicCLOUDs offers a stereo correlation display, which helps to monitor how the reverb affects the stereo image.
epicCLOUDS is available for Windows in VST and VST3 formats.
Witch Pig Gravity: Granular Echoes
Gravity by Witch Pig is a completely different beast. This granular reverb uses a high number of distinct echoes, which blend together to form the reverb tail. The plugin’s most unique feature is that you can adjust the length of time it takes to accelerate or decelerate between the divisions of the reverb tail using the Start and End knobs. This creates interesting swirls of delays that impart a unique texture to any audio material.
Moreover, Gravity features a histogram display that provides a visual representation of the granular reverb trails. Think of it not so much as a traditional reverb that emulates real spaces, but more as a unique sound design tool for sonic exploration.
Gravity is a VST3 plugin for Windows.
Amalgamated Signals Nepenthe
This open-source algorithmic reverb is designed to be smooth, transparent, and easy to use. Instead of a network of delay lines, Nepenthe uses a predetermined set of randomly generated echoes to form the reverb trail. The developer says that this helps the plugin run efficiently with modern CPU optimizations.
The controls are simple: You can adjust the decay time and pre-delay, shape the frequency content of the reverb with a pair of tone sliders, and dial in the desired stereo width and dry/wet mix.
Nepenthe is available for macOS and Windows in AU and VST3 formats.
Looking for more free plugins like epicCLOUDS, Gravity, and Nepenthe? Check out our archive!