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Of the many exciting advancements digital audio has given us in the last decade or so, convolution reverb is, in my book, near the top of the list. Convolution reverbs are the latest - and perhaps the last - step in the development of tools that let the engineer create a large, natural-sounding environment for placing detailed and highly-localized audio files.
But what exactly is convolution reverb? According to the venerable Mr. Webster, to convolve a pair of items is to roll them together. Fair enough; convolution reverb is the "rolling together" of source audio and the sample of a reverb. To create the sample itself, engineers take an impulse - a starter pistol or sine wave sweep, for example - and record it in a reverberant space. Afterwards, the impulse is surgically removed from the resultant audio file, and you're left with only the ambience of the environment itself (the Grand Canyon is a classic example). On top of that, the results live up to the concept, whether you're using a hardware convolution unit such as the Sony DRE-S777 or the Yamaha SREV1 (both of which cost upwards of $10,000), or software plug-ins such as Audio Ease Altiverb. Long a Mac plug-in, the software's recent release is a PC version of Altiverb 5 that features competitive pricing at $595. (Altiverb 6 was released this month.) Let's take a look at Altiverb, how it sizes up to the competition, and the applicability of convolution reverb to your audio post work.
Altiverb's main competition, the IR-1 from Waves (Waves offers several different convolution reverbs - visit www.waves.com for a complete breakdown) employs a more traditional interface, with sliders' multiple-point envelope editing. Experienced engineers and newbies who are willing to put in some time will be able to get excellent results from the IR-1. But most users will find Altiverb's GUI more appealing and user-friendly. All of Altiverb's main features, including the stage positioning, tail length, and early reflection controls are accessible from the main screen. A well laid-out explanation of Altiverb's feature set can be accessed by clicking the following link: audioease.com/Pages/Altiverb/Help. So, rather than recite all its features in detail, let's move on with our general inquiry into convolution...