Valhalla Supermassive: The Modes

ValhallaSupermassive is based around different configurations of delay lines. These configurations are referred to as “feedback delay networks” or FDNs, as the signals are mixed together in various ways before being fed back into the inputs.

Valhalla Supermassive’s Feedback Delay Networks

Feedback Delay Network (image from https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/cfdn/Feedback_Delay_Networks.html)
Feedback Delay Network (image from https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/cfdn/Feedback_Delay_Networks.html)

The feedback delay networks in ValhallaSupermassive are more complicated than the above image and tend to combine feedforward and feedback techniques. The sonic results are reverbs and echoes with different attack, sustain and decay characteristics.

The particular FDNs in Supermassive don’t fit into the standard “room/hall/chamber/plate” categories of conventional reverbs, so we have given the algorithms names of celestial objects.

Which Valhalla Supermassive Mode is Best for . . .

To select the different algorithms in Supermassive, just click on the name of the active MODE:

Valhalla Supermassive Mode Control

This will bring up a popup menu with the list of Modes:

Valhalla Supermassive Modes

A quick rundown of each Mode:

Gemini Mode: For Smooth Reverbs

This is the most “conventional” of the Supermassive modes. It has a very quick attack time, and a natural exponential decay. With the DENSITY parameter at maximum and WARP at 50% or more, you can get very smooth reverbs from Gemini. Turn down the DENSITY control, and the reverbs will become less dense as they decay away, which is nice for pointillistic effects.

Hydra Mode: For Lush and Complex Reverbs

This mode has a relatively fast attack time, and a very lush and long exponential decay. The Hydra mode is very sensitive to the DENSITY parameter. With DENSITY at 0%, Hydra can sound like a fairly simple echo. Turn up the DENSITY, and the echo density rapidly increases towards a complicated reverb/echo structure. The modulation can be very lush in Hydra.

Centaurus Mode: For Slow Fade In and Out Reverbs

A mode with a slower attack time, a shorter decay time, and a bit of “sustain” to the reverberation. The attack time in Centaurus is tied into the FEEDBACK parameter, with higher feedback values resulting in a faster attack (and longer decay). This slower attack can be used with lower values of WARP to create echoes that slowly fade in and out. Turn up the WARP parameter, and you have a reverb that slowly fades in, and hangs in space for a while.

Sagittarius Mode: For Sonic Mass (i.e. Echoes that Fade In Slowly and/or Massive Reverbs)

A reverb/echo with a VERY long attack time, depending on the setting of FEEDBACK. With FEEDBACK settings less than 70%, Sagittarius will slowly fade in, and fade out over a similar time period. Turn up FEEDBACK higher, and things will fade in more quickly and decay more slowly. Sagittarius can be viewed as having a fair degree of sonic “mass” or inertia: slow to get going, slow to go away. It is perfect for creating echoes that fade in over time, or massive slabs of reverberation with higher WARP values.

Great Annihilator Mode: For Super Long Decay Times

Similar to Centaurus, but MORE MASSIVE. Slow attack with a fair amount of predelay, and super long decay times.

Andromeda Mode: For Even Longer Decay Times

A supermassive variant of the Sagittarius mode. Very slow attack with a fair amount of predelay, and decay times that can range into thousands of seconds.

Lyra Mode: For Spacey Echoes that Gradually Fade Away

A more compact celestial object. Quick attack time, long decay time, and very low echo density. Even with DENSITY at max, Lyra spends a lot more time in the “echo” domain than the “reverb” domain. This can be really nice for spacey echoes that gradually diffuse over time.

Capricorn Mode: For Pointillistic Reverbs and Lush Chorus Effects

A larger version of Lyra. Quick attack time, long decay time, and a medium size bowl of echo density. Useful for pointillistic reverbs, as well as for lush chorus effects.

Comments (13)

  • esides

    thanks for making the world bigger and better…have just downloaded Supermassive 🙂

    Reply
  • Kib

    Really thank you for this beautiful gift <3

    Reply
  • benoit

    Dear Sean

    thank you very much again for a superb plugin, i’m the proud user of many of your plugins i use on every record.

    hope your ok and will continue on this way.

    best regards

    Reply
  • AM

    Wonderful freebie! SuperMassive thanks to Valhalla DSP! <3<3<3

    Reply
  • Bobby

    Merci Sean !

    Reply
  • Terminal61

    You Guys Rock!!!

    Reply
  • Matt

    Thank you very much for this! I have multiple paid Valhalla plugs, but these freebies are great, too!

    Reply
  • Jay

    Hi Sean,

    Thank you so so much. Love the celestial names and it’s great to experiment with various modes. Is Gemini the mode you would use to approximate the Clouds algorithm ? Or does that need pitchshift ?

    Reply
  • thank you very much for all the awesome work – as far, as i am concerned, all of your designs are brilliant!!

    Reply
  • Ferj

    thanks so much, this has been a god send for recent music making.

    Reply
  • Wigald

    Thank u very much 4 another great tool (like usual..). Greetings from Germany.

    Reply
  • Fernando

    Thank you for great work, all plugins are really good.
    Downloading…. 🙂

    Reply
  • Goi Kopher

    Greetings!!! and Congratulations for a big work.
    All plugins are magnificient, and give us a new way in the musical space.
    Thanks a lot for your dedications and hard work.
    We want More.. please…:-)

    Reply

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