Some people in our community have been asking why we gave ValhallaSupermassive away for free. We thought about it a lot this week and combined our responses. “We” are:
Sean Costello, Sound & Code
Sean is our core algorithm engineer, product designer and sound-obsessed DSP wizard with a luscious reverb beard. In addition to making the Sound, Sean splits customer support with Don and is the voice of Valhalla.
Don Gunn, Sound & Support
Don is Valhalla’s pro audio expert (recording/mixing engineer, producer & musician). He works closely with Sean on product design, handles the majority of customer support, and gives us excellent advice. “What does Don think about that?” is a common question around here, as he is often the tiebreaker.
Kristin Farr Costello, Vision
I co-founded Valhalla with Sean back in the day, and haven’t been able to figure out what my job title is all these years. Until last night! We decided it’s Vision because I focus on philosophy, visual design, and making things happen for Valhalla. And because Sound + Vision is a great description of what we strive to bring. And because we love David Bowie so very much.
OK, back to the topic at hand. Here’s why we gave Supermassive away for free:
It’s a hard time.
- We are feeling it for everybody and we wanted to do something to help. Since we’re not essential workers, this was the best thing we had to give.
- Music is important, especially now, and it’s been hard to focus lately. We wanted to do something to make that a little easier.
- Working on Supermassive helped us deal with our own anxiety and uncertainty. It’s been good to have a big creative project to work on and keep us busy. The week before we launched, Sean finished up the work after a lot of late nights. I tried to get him to take a break and rest a bit. He roamed around listlessly for a few days and said, “I feel like a shark. A sad shark. Got to keep swimming or I’ll sink to the bottom of the ocean.” It’s probably best he’s already back at work on the next new thing.
- It’s been good for us to put down the news and think about space a lot. Turns out space is the place!
Supermassive might be alive.
This may sound weird, but Supermassive has its own creative force. Like a will into being or a kind of certainty about itself. Here’s what we knew going into it:
- It wanted to exist.
- It wanted to be the unruly algorithms Sean discovered and saved along the way.
- It didn’t want to be controlled or shaped. It wanted to stay wild and weird.
- It didn’t want to be a commercial tool or marketing bait.
- It wanted to be given freely to anyone who wanted it.
We listen to – and for – creative flow a lot in Valhalla, so we made Supermassive to spec. And today we are the proud, exhausted, and bewildered human parents of a giant space baby.
We like experimenting.
As somebody once said, “the best way to predict your future is to create it.” The old ways are breaking down, and this feels like a great time to take intuitive risks, let go of old patterns and try something new. Putting our all into Supermassive and giving it freely to support creative exploration is an interesting experiment. It’s the kind of world we want to live in. And so we do!
We appreciate you.
If you downloaded Supermassive or bought any of our other stuff, thank you for being part of Valhalla. We’re grateful for your support and the creative work you’re making. Sending our best in these strange times. We’re here with (and for) you.
Thank you. Just. Thanks.
Best Covid-19 response ever! Thanks.
We TapeOp folks just love your plugs; the sound, the vibe, and the love.
Great post Kristin, been enjoying the heck out of Supermassive.
Big thanks, love to all at Valhalla!
Have only played a short while with this but discovered ome great, clean and clear sounds.This is a wonderful gift ! Thank you.
Wow, what an inspiring message and team, thank you so much guys, I love your reverbs, simply my favorites. Now I will think about this everytime I use them, thank you for the reflection and sensitivity!
Absolutely top class. We don’t deserve you but are so grateful for the inspiration tools!
Hey guys. Been a fan and a user of your plugins for many years. We users appreciate YOU all. Thank you for putting in the hard and creative work and sharing it.
I used SuperMassive on a piece for a podcast I do music for. Automated in real time and made it super trippy. It was the perfect creative vehicle. Thank you!
This is the delay I’ve dreamed of someone creating for years. Thank you SO much for creating and sharing it!
This has made my day. Really nice plugin and thank you so much for letting us have it for free. You guys are th bst.
Wow, More of that love to the world!!!
Thx guys was a pleasent surprise and have been having a lot of fun with it. 🙂
You are the best! Thank you for the endless inspiration <3
So grateful for the sonic joy you all bring bring to my work. Can’t wait to use Supermassive.
Everything about this, and you, has the best feeling. Here’s to the new ways!
So exciting to understand how this plug in came to be! So cool it is alive out there …Thanks for sharing! You guys are amazing❤️
Thank you guys, amazing generosity and kindness. 人
thank you, this is not only a productive tool to use, but an incentive to get out of bed and focus on music making.
A noble move. You get a lot of love from the community, and with gestures like your free plugs, your fair and consistent pricing model, and such pleasantly positively-worded posts like this, you only cement your love. Thank you!
Love it guys. Keep being awesome. And stay safe and healthy whilst doing so.
Supermassive is awesome! Thanks!
Thank you guys. Your’re GREAT.
Thanks !
Fantastic!!!! Awsome!!! Wish you would create a guitar pedal like this. Thanks!!!
You guys are amazing!!! Some of the best tools around and now this. Wow. Thanks for being awesome 🙂
Love you guys even more after this post.
Thank you Sean, Don, and Kristin! Your generosity is very mush appreciated!
Peace
Thank you so much, for your kindness, brilliance, and… vision.
(UberMod owner here. Love it.)
Love VALHALLA! Thank you!
Thank you!
You all are inspiration, thank you so much <3
Be strong guys!, Peace& Love!
<3
All of you are so damn cool! Thank you.
This is an awesome thing you’re doing. I love every plugin I’ve bought from you guys so to get ANOTHER freebie is just plain rad.
Thanks for the hard work and dedication to the world of creating music.
Peace
Very cool guys! Thanks!!!
You’re the best verb people in the universe!
I love this plugin! Thank you
Can’t wait to put it to use on something that it really shouldn’t be use on.
Sending lots of love! Thank you <3
Thank you all so much for this tremendous display of virtuosity and kindness during these difficult times. You have made my day; I have been cooped up for weeks now shielding and have been told I must not leave home before the end of June, so it is gestures like this that renew my interests in composition and sound design, however amateurish they may be.
Again, thank you for this generous and fascinating gift.
Thank you for sharing something positive and helpful to others.
Very much appreciated.
Thank you for the plugin..
Thank you.
You guys are awesome. Perhaps the greatest thing about this is all the sound it will inspire. I wish good things for you.
This makes me want to buy Valhalla plugs I don’t yet own.
This post, in and of itself kinda makes me feel like there’s some hopeful, sweetness, goodness out there etc. Thankyou for sharing this and in general thanks for your wonderful and inspiring work!
Deeply Grateful, Thanks!!
I love your products & philosophy! Looking forward to playing around with SuperMassive.
Thank you for your generous contribution!
amazing.
Your work and attitude are highly appreciated! Thanks a lot for being so altruistically.
You’re amazing! Best reverb plug-in ever (use your Valhalla Room on almost all productions) and now this cool tool 🙂 Thanks!!!
Thank you very much. It will be put to good use.
Love!❤️
Thanks so much for this free Plugin. We are having great fun exploring the space!
Thanks a lot!
Great vibe here ! And amazing plugins that helps so much musicians to make their music sounding better 🙂 Cheers
Thank you! So excited for ‘wild and weird’. Your plugins are beautiful.
Love your products and even more, the way you handle them and obviously life. Thanks a lot!
LOVE VALHALLA
Beautiful attitude and amazing products. Thank you!!!
You Valhalla-people are just great! <3
Huge fan of Supermassive already, really grateful for your hard work!
That is so kind of you guys, Shimmer has already given my work a new dimension which is getting rave reviews, I can’t wait to load Massive. You rock x
I would have paid gladly for Supermassive, but appreciate what you are doing.
I think I might just buy something from you which I havent already, so there’ll be balance in my universe again 😉
Thank you for your heart and work! Love it!
great work, great VALHALLA TEAM, thanks for that and stay healthy
That´s exciting as Vintage Verb is the reverb I mostly use. It has a special quality and is light on CPU.
Valhalla is wonderful company.
On a different subject but one that contains echos from the past, Seán Ó Coisdealbha is the root name for the anglicised Sean Costello. The word Sean in the Irish language means old and is pronounced Shan as in Shantytown. In fact Valhalla´s chief Reverb programmer shares a name with another gifted individual, the great Conamara poet and dramatist, Johnny Chóil Mhaidhc.
I´m looking forward to trying out Supermassive
Thank you for the info on Sean’s name! I passed it along to his mom 🙂
Dear Sean & Valhalla team, thank you for the amazing Supermassive. This is a GREAT gift for creative musicians. Good luck! Greetings from Slovakia! 👏😊🎸
Thank you for sharing your time and talent and for being cool
Love Supermassive : ) I have Shimmer and other reverbs, yet I still yearned for something huge and different, then, as if by magick you released Supermassiv, and for free! Many, many thanks, now eyeing up Delay…
I’m so glad to support your work, thanks to everyone at Valhalla DSP!
Love!
M|M
You guys are so cool you should be illegal. Thanks!
Powerful words and thought provoking. Many many thanks.
Thank you.
Beautifull team !
Thks !
Everything I chuck at this plugin just purrs – soft synths, hardware synths, guitars, my terrible vocals… – thank you so much.
You. Guys. Rock.
Just downloaded it and instantly in love. Thank you sincerely.
thank you! supermassive is so good! i’m already using it a lot.
Thanks, SuperMassive is really great and it’s really uplifting you guys do this for us,
many thanks and your blog is always a great read 🙂
Thank you team Valhalla… Love the philosophy, vision and of course the incredible plug ins
Thank you for this. My first Valhalla product. Heard A LOT about you guys. Looking forward to it.
Thank you thank you thank you 🙂
Valhalla is the best! Always at a Unbelievable price. I almost don’t used anything else. You guys are a small company, but Massive!!
Awesome, thanks <3
Dankeschön – Thanks from Berlin, Germany !
Supermassive thanks to you all.
Supermassive Thank you !!!! Love every preset. Very inspire)))))))
Thank you for giving of your time, energy and creativity in such a selfless way.
Super Massive is unbelievable! So inspiring- can’t stop playing my guitar through it. My new fav after Shimmer. Thanks again for such amazing work!
Just adding my thanks for this wonderful plugin. It’s very generous to let us have it free!
a million thanks for this amazing work!
<3
I’ve loved reading all the comments of grateful musicians everywhere. You’ve done your bit to change and uplift the world at this difficult time. So proud and thankful for your lovely generosity!
B.DeeC.
Love from Hamburg
I already sent an email but then saw this message board. I want to express my deep appreciation to all of the Valhalla team for such a generous and unexpected gesture in making this plug in available for free. As I have played it I have found it complements all my other Valhalla plugin ins. What especially blows me away is the 8 and 16 voice chorus settings that get me into the tri-stereo chorus sound I have been trying to recreate for ages. Very best wishes and peace from Albany Western Australia.
Thank you!
Thank you for a wonderful, vibrant and exciting plugin.
Also, nice to know there are folks out there who are truly living the dream!
Beautiful!
All the best
Thank U guys so much! I love all your plugins!
Had heard alot about your Plugs but too many plugs so little time syndrome is a beast, Finally getting to check it out. Thanks for the good will and generousity!
Thank you so much. Love all your stuff.
Thank you for the kindness, this is such a great response to the troubled times we’re living.
Thanks, for this. BTW, Steve Jobs loved the saying, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it,” but it was coined by Alan Kay at XeroX PARC.
Thank you! Mystery solved.
Thank you to everyone on the Valhalla team.
As a sign of gratitude I will donate the $50 I would have spent to charity.
Pay it forward. Always.
Thank you!
thanks guys
thanks guys for making things better.
A truely amazing gesture and incredible plugin. Thanks!
And *this* is why I think that Valhalla is one of the best. Not only because of their clean UIs, fantastic sounds, but also because they care.
P.S. I love Supermassive. Thank you.
P.P.S. My favorite feature on Supermassive is the CLEAR delay buffers button. Without that, I’m not sure I’d have my hearing anymore because of all the unruly, never-ending, ear-blasting sounds I’ve made.
Thank you from Paris!
Thank you guys a lot. You are amazing
Thank you for the kind gift! I would be happy to donate to a charity you believe in… Please advise.
Thank you!
I’d only ever used your Vintage Verb plugin on my friend’s studio setup. I instantly fell in love with it. It goes on everything (ok, *almost everything). Then I checked out your website and saw the names of some of your presets for the Room Verb: Sulaco, Nostromo, LV-426, and I knew you were my people. Thanks so much for what you do, and keep making great things. -A
It’s too good to be free IMO. Thank you for the beautiful plugin.
What a remarkable statement. I really enjoyed every word with a nice soundtrack Bowie und Sun Ra who are both part in my big Music-Universe.
I hope that people, real people, with love in their heard will be the creators of our future. I really really hope so.
Thanks Kristin. Sean Don and the rest of the “Gang”.
Thank you so much, dear people at Valhalla !!!
Fell in love with your products ever since I got a tip from my great friend/producer MONTE to get myself your VintageVerb plug-in … I think since, I haven’t done a production/mix without it on some channel.
Now I recently got your e-mail regarding the free “Supermassive” and while downloading it, I sat down to read and learn more about your company.
Your comments, ideas, philosophy & general vibe only confirms, what I already felt, while using your plug-in … you guys ROCK !!!
Thank so much for your hard work (also on this new free plug-in), dedication, love for MUSIC and great SOUNDing products, while keeping the surface simple and intuitive – BRAVO !!!
Much love & keep up the great work, Roland 🎸
P.D.: looking forward to start using “Supermassive” & will soon buy more plug-ins @ Valhalla 😎👊🏼
Thanks guys! What a wonderful gift. I enjoy all the products You’ve made over the years.
I’m not going to lie, It’s really hard to stay positive in these chaotic times so thank you for finding solace in this amazing work. It seems like the World is upside down so thank you for spinning it back around.
I’ll make use of this for us sure!
You Rock. Thanks and Love to you all.
Thanks!
LOVE your spaces, vision and philosophy. Thanks Sean, Don and Kristin <3
Hola Kristin Farr Costello te felicito este plugins es lo máximo está genial pero deberías de ir un paso más allá y crear esto mismo en formato pedal de guitarra con el mismo diseño del plugins eso sí que sería grandioso
Your reverbs and delays are some of the bests out there, even compared to reverbs valued in hundreds of $. It is amazing that you give these plugins for free. THANK YOU. You deserve the best
Hi guys!
I’m Pietro from Italy, I wanted to compliment you for your amazing plugins, they sound and look just great and even more they inspire you while you play with them (your hard work has given it’s fruits for sure). I discovered them only recently and I have tried only this one and the chorus, but I will dig more on the others.
I was reading your post about these strange times we’re in so I wanted to say thanks to you, I’m 30 years old (but I will be 29 forever) and I’m a doctor in the emergency during the day and a home studio owner and musician during the night (twice a week the opposite) and when I come home from work, a bit tired these days, I love to make music and the stuff you make and your philosophy just put a big smile on my face! Thanks for what you’re doin’, stay forever like you are, peace!
Thanks for this!
What a great message, and you seem like a wonderful company. I’m only quite new into digital audio recording (though I’ve played the guitar for a good 25 years now :0), so still finding my way with plug-ins etc. Supermassive is one of the first things I installed and I love it – it’s so versatile too, as well as all the weird stuff you can do with it, little bits on a vocal bus can make them sound lush and gorgeous. Just working out which other ones to buy now (definitely the vintage reverb one, but what else?!).
Wow! As someone who spent time creating games for a living (ATV Off-road Fury series) I enjoy creative jobs. I’m now a recording, mixing and mastering engineer. I’m sitting here reading your blog posts quite literally with tears in my eyes. I never wanted to be a part of something more than I do right now!
Thanks for being who you are. I will purchase everything you’ve got and advocate it in my video tutorials on the future as well.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision . .. … …. ….. ……
THANK YOU – so, so cool… I’ve used Valhalla Room for years, it’s beautiful and so are you 😀
Just stumbled upon this! Used your reverb for years on my old TipTop module – fantastic! Thanks a million!
💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾🎵🎶🔊
Some of the best Plug-ins! I’m new to Valhalla, but you have another forever user! I like to reward myself after a big job or to help keep my spirits up. At this pace I’ll have all your licenses in the next few months! Love Supermassive! Its sounds incredible, and guess what!? You absolutely brought joy and helped spark creativity here in my little Brooklyn apartment. Thanks for all your talented and hard work! Cheers!
Supermassive is GREAT! Thanks for making it, thanks for releasing it for free! I’ve been eyeing up Valhalla products for a while as they seem to have a creative flexibility superiority compared with other effects plugins out there. When I found Supermassive I was on the hunt for a new taste of reverb and delay, and I found both in this one package (the free pitch shifting delay is pretty fun too). Tested Supermassive in FL Studio with my Bastl Softpop synth and it turned my weird oscillators into lush jungles 😀 Came back the next day, made an account here, and find myself very interested every plugin you guys make 😀
My fav toy for vocals right now. Much love.
Thank you <3
Hi Valhalla members
thank you so much, for your commitment, your spirit and the products you provide. all high quality here !
I don’t use any other products for delay/modulation and verbs, i need to get Vintage room now, I miss it 😉
best regards
benoit
You do not know at this moment what this gift means, I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart!
God bless you!
Thank you VERY MUCH
All the Best to everyone on the Valhalla team.
omg
This plug in is incredible. One of the best ones I own. You are very good people
Thanks Guys,..For Supporting All Musicians Around The World
💓 thank you!
Thanks a billion guys – Supermassive is amazing … I’m certainly glad it wanted to exist 🙂
I cannot get enough of Supermassive !Best free plugin of all time!?Hopefullyi will get back to work soon to earn some money to actually buy some of your amazing plugs,Thanks for supermassive Cheers.
I also miss Bowie a lot. Love you.
Thank you very much.
Heart work by heart people for people.
Greetings from Germany
Sayayi
Really cool of you! Thank you ever so much!
What a wonderful response. It’s an excellent product and you all seem like excellent people.
You guys are so sweet. Makes me tear up a bit when I realise that everyone is suffering in their own way. Horrible and music is the easiest way to get over real life nonsense. Thanks man. Feeling it here and grateful to you. Going to buy Shimmer and Vintage today.
I really appreciate what great human beings you guys are! Thank you all for this in 2020!
Came across this plugin via Creative Sauce on YouTube. Got a little choked up reading about why you gave it away for free. You are clearly creative people creating things for other creative people for the sake of creating, which is awesome beyond words.
Thank you all. I have been hit pretty hard by this pandemic but once I’m back at my 9-to-5 I will be purchasing, like, everything you’ve ever made.
Outstanding – awesome VSTd it’s free……………………………………
Y’all are all amazing!
Hi, Elwyn here.
SuperMassive props to you guys at Valhalla.
Been playing around with with Freq eq and was blown away by it, I made it into the realm of “spacemusic” thanks to this…
And now I have supermassive to experiment with, free as well!
Big thanks in advance.
🙂
I still can’t believe this amazing plug is free. I’ve used it on every project since I downloaded it. Unbelievably great sounding plug. Thanks Sean and Co.
Your generosity is truly inspiring. Thank You very much infinitely.
much much appreciations, great creations and greater contributions, you guys deserve all the success
A great gesture indeed.
Thank you so much !
Thank you for plugins and your inspiration.
“you’ve done a man’s job sir” (and miss)
That’s the sort of attitude I’d like to see nowadays. I will listen and use Supermassive in a different, more conscious way, now after I read your post about it. You seem to be a very special bunch. Lota love coming from those words.
Stay safe and keep your head up! Thanks for making the most beautiful and lovely plugins in my collection!
Great addition to Valhalla’s bag of tricks. So now I have this on top of your Room. Excellent and Many thanks.
“Thats pretty freekin awesome guys, thanks soooooo much, Legends !!!”
Y’all are unbelievable tysm <3
Great company and great product which I would have been happy to pay for.
I really like all your plugins but i have to say Supermassive may be my new favourite ..and its kinda magical that its free as well .. just what i need thanks so much
Supermassive is, in my opinion, the best plug-in of 2020! Thank you so much for making it free!
I want to thank you… I was so excited by Supermassive and FreqMod that I’ve bought the fantastic VintageVerb and Shimmer on Black Friday no-discount (who cares about discounts if the price is ridiculous compared to quality?)
I’m a Linux user and I need powerful tools to make my own creations, of which I’m practically the only listener for God’s sake.
Your tools work perfectly in wine and don’t put any special concerns on licensing. So I’m a happy customer. I will probably buy all the others when I will have money available, just because your tools are great.
Now, if they will be available on Linux too, I’ll buy them again…
Thank you again,
Fabrizio
Best of luck to you all at Valhalla..I do appreciatte your work and efforts to make me a happy costumer.
Wow, that was heartfelt! Thank You! You guys rock!
I bought a new Valhalla plugin because of how great Supermassive is, and how crazy it is that you guys are giving it away for free.
I have so many delays. Surely I didn’t need another one. But I bought Valhalla Delay because it seemed warranted. 2 great plugs for the price of one, pretty much. And I am so happy with it. What an awesome delay. What a cool thing that I had no idea I would like so much.
Dear Valhalla crew, you rock! I noticed the other plugins where kind of jealous the moment I installed Supermassive. Must have been the awesomeness that came with it and the (deserved) amount of attention I’ve been giving it. Thanks a million for making this a FREE plugin!
I’m super late to this. Just found this, near the end of a year of returning to recording as a way of walking through this season.
But I wanted to add my “WOW, thanks, this is good, words aren’t sufficient, so I’ll try to do right by your generosity and make as beautiful of music as I can with your product and share it similarly freely.”
May the good you all have shared, well, reverberate out and back to you. Peace!
Thank you! When things pick up again imma have to pick up shimmer from you guys!
Downloaded Supermassive yesterday and have been glued to my studio chair all night. Pros: It’s… THE best reverb/delay/space/cosmic… THING ever. Period. Cons: You’ll loose a lot of sleep and end up with a parched mouth. Thank you!!!
When i think reverb, when working in Ableton, I go for the internal reverb for a basic reverb sound. But if i want something to sound epic, Vangelis and beyond, I always think Valhalla. Its only ever Ableton reverb (for lazy convenience) or Valhalla and I have spent hundreds on many famous reverb plugins by Lexicon, Fabfilter, Softube, Sonnox, Eventide, Altiverb, Waves and more. That’s a lot of cash spent on reverb. Yet I always settle on Valhalla and Ableton always, I could have saved some serious money. Valhalla’s big reverbs don’t have that cheap metallic reverb sound that I’m not a fan of that many other reverbs seem to suffer from, Its just clean, big, professional
and expensive sounding reverb with Valhalla. And with Supermassive, here’s an epic reverb for FREE. Could have saved even more money. Thanks team Valhalla.
thank you guys! and stay safe!
Big thnx for everything !..You are really one of the best & will be forever !
it’s free…but i wanted to thank you on the one hand and the other hand, Shimmer is amazing…so i’m very pleased to pay 50 USD for you ! thanks for your free plug and i want to participate to your effort with this reverb added !
You are the best!!! You give me a hope. Regards. Bart. 🙂
What a great gesture – shows the commercial side of our existence in its most human light. Thank you.
Now that’s what’s up! Thank you
Yes yes yes YEAH!! Thank you Valhalla Team. I was looking for “something” wonderful and untamed…SuperMassive.
Now to check out your ROOM Reverb…with a view to purchase.
Hard to believe this is free. Wonderful, inspiring and pretty much essential. Thank you!
Your writeup touched my heart. How much people are putting their effort to establish and do something in life. You guys are an inspiration…
An aging average muso with time on my hands. Decided to get back to a bit of recording – not for the public just for me – and came upon your website. Free? Free! Not often you get something of value for free these post-Covid days so I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for your amazing generosity and spirituality. Karma guys … Karma! Here’s heaps of good vibes coming back at ya! Dimitri from Australia. 🙂