Recording - February 2017 - 57

Once you get used to reverb mixing,
you can start getting adventurous. Clicking
on the Extended Panel button allows you to
select your own impulse, with each reverb
type having many appropriate impulses
to choose from. Once you start working
with the different available IRs, you'll start
to realize the vast power at your fingertips
with a convolution reverb - let alone five
of them!
Additional tools available for your
post-mixing pleasure include a modulator,
a delay line, an algorithmic reverb, an
(over)drive, a compressor, and an endof-the-chain EQ. These are slightly more
difficult to tweak than the convolution
reverbs due to their cramped interface,
the LCD-like screen at the top. But if you
need a little something extra to tie things
together, you may find it here.

In use

I've only had the REmatrix plug-in in
place for a short time and it has already
become one of my go-to reverbs. While
there are plenty of opportunities to use it
for adventurous and experimental purposes
(especially with some custom-made IRs),
I'm finding it to be a strong contender in
more standard environments. For example,
when working on a particularly difficult
multi-miked drum recording, I found that
using REmatrix as a 'glue reverb' was
perfect, since I could be very particular
about the use of EARLY and PLATE to
draw the sound together without having to
accept unwanted room or blurry ambient
tones. Likewise, on a vocal track, I could

take advantage of the 'splash' of a PLATE
reverb without having to compromise on
either the delay time or the stereo width.
The added processors also stood in
place of traditional effects chains that I use
on reverb, with the drive/compressor/EQ
combo helping to solidify many of my
reverb mixes. This is a trio of processors
I put at the end of almost every reverb
anyway (often using very subtle settings to
either open or tighten the reverb sound), so
having them as a part of the plug-in and its
presets is a natural and welcome addition.
But perhaps the killer application of
REmatrix is as an insert effect for guitar. So
often, the right amount of reverb can draw
a guitar into the mix while still helping it
to maintain its role, but the wrong reverb
selection or settings can bury a guitar or
make it sound drastically out of place.
This is where the ease of mixing comes to
the forefront; you can make changes to
the reverb mix until you get the perfect
sound. Whether screaming electric or
fingerpicked acoustic, REmatrix is a
godsend to guitar trackers.

Conclusion

REmatrix is an excellent addition
to my reverb toolkit. It provides the
right mix of excellent presets and
tweakability, providing a lot of pre-built
functionality with simple but effective
editing. It can often be difficult to wrap
your head around the editing functions
of a reverb, but REmatrix will change
your view of reverb editing for good.
You'll love it.

Imagined Spaces

When you extend REmatrix with new IRs, you can get an even broader set of reverb tools for
your mix, an infinite variety of future reverbs and filtering functions. It isn't just a reverb for basic
manipulation and exceptional realism; it can also hold the keys to imaginative sound design.
I found REmatrix to be fantastic in general mixing, but sometimes I found myself wishing
for something, oh, a little more "out there". This is typically the purview of an algorithmic
reverb like Overloud's own BREVERB, so imagine my surprise when I was presented with
Imagined Spaces, a set of convolutions and presets from Overloud that pushes the
envelope of what REmatrix-and indeed, convolution reverbs in general -can do. Imagined
Spaces takes you deep into space with long and highly-diffuse reverbs with all the hiss
and roar of the best algorithmic devices.
Why is this important? Well, many of these musical styles are now widely used in
cinematic contexts, and music-for-video (or games or film) is a growing part of our work.
These sounds are also being infused into everything from rock tracks to EDM ravers, with
huge reverbs providing a gloss that adds dimension to many productions. The Imagined
Spaces reverbs are a perfect supplement to the traditional sounds that come with the
Factory selection, and really turn REmatrix into a first-call plug-in.-DDG

RECORDING FEBRUARY 2017

http://mojaveaudio.com

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