Valhalla Room
It’s grade A class – number one in its division.
ValhallaRoom is a versatile, true stereo algorithmic reverb.
It features twelve original reverberation algorithms (including the latest Dark reverb modes, Nostromo, Narcissus, Sulaco and LV-426), and produces a wide range of natural reverberation sounds. Sounds range from tight ambiences and rooms, through traditional hall and plate sounds, all the way up to vast modulated spaces. The algorithm designs have been influenced by some of the “classic” room simulation boxes, as well as state of the art modern theory.
ValhallaRoom has been designed from a psychoacoustic perspective. Instead of creating a simplified physical model of a simplified physical space, Room generates early and late acoustic energy that provides the spatial and phase cues needed to create an “idealized” room impression.
Updated to version 2.0.5! New Space and Lo Cut controls.
Intel/M1/M2/M3 native Mac builds – ready for Sonoma
Plugin UI
Modes
Overview
Large Room
Medium Room
Bright Room
Large Chamber
Dark Room
Dark Chamber
Dark Space
Nostromo
Narcissus
Sulaco
LV-426
Dense Room
Twelve original reverb algorithims for a wide range of natural sounds ranging from tight ambiences and rooms up to vast modulated spaces.
Designed to emulate big rooms with a wide spatial impression, with smooth “detuning” modulation. Initially, the decay is a bit sparse, but it quickly builds to a high reflection density. The Large Room algorithm has a very exponential decay, with precise control over the frequency balance of the decay over time. There is a slight amount of high frequency absorption that is inherent to the Large Room algorithm, which reflects the effects of air on high frequencies. The modulation in the Large Room algorithm is designed to create a wide stereo image, but without causing random pitch shifts in the decay.
Sparser than Large Room, with a more random modulation. This algorithm emulates a room with walls that are somewhat wider than Large Room – more of a “square” geometry as opposed to the “shoebox” reflection patterns of Large Room. The modulation is more random than Large Room and can cause some random pitch shifts for long decays – which is also a characteristic of many of the “classic” reverb algorithms as found in the early Lexicon boxes.
A lush, shinier-than-life reverb, with deep modulation and a somewhat slower attack. This slow attack time is a characteristic of larger halls but can also be heard in some of the “classic” digital reverbs. The decay of the Bright Room algorithm has more high frequency “air” and “sheen” than the other algorithms – it is fair to say that Bright Room is more “digital” than the other algorithms, in a good way. The modulation in Bright Room is random, complex, and deep, with the goal to provide lush chorusing to any input signal. At some settings, it can sound close to string ensembles, and for long decays, it turns static input sounds into evolving pads.
Smooth decay with consistent high echo density and subtle detuning modulation. This algorithm shares many characteristics with Large Room but has a much more “even” early echo density. Instead of emulating the initial echo sparseness of most rooms, it starts off with a very high echo density, similar to the high echo densities found in echo chambers and similar spaces (I’ve spent a lot of time clapping my hands in multi-story concrete stairwells and listening to the decay). The goal with Large Chamber was to get a sound that was “larger than life,” with the echo density of a small space but the modal density of a large hall.
A departure from the high fidelity path taken by the original 4 reverb modes in Valhalla Room. It is deliberately low-fi, with noisy interpolation, no high frequencies above 11 kHz, and a late reverb that can have a low initial echo density. It also has a wide stereo image, a clear decay with lush randomized chorusing, and sits in a mix quite nicely. An added bonus is that the CPU is significantly lower than the other Valhalla Room reverb modes. This was the first "mode update" in a Valhalla plugin, dating back to summer 2011, and began our tradition of adding radically different algorithms to existing plugins.
Similar to the original Large Chamber algorithm, but bigger and darker, with deeper detuning modulation. Dark Chamber has a fairly even initial echo density. In this way, it is similar to the Large Chamber reverb mode, but with deeper modulation and a much bigger size.
A HUGE dark space, with a somewhat sparser early echo density and deep detuning modulation. Dark Space has a lower initial echo density, and can have a bit of a delay of the onset of reverberation with high settings of Late Size. This also results in a wide stereo image.
Nostromo is the biggest sounding reverb in Valhalla Room, with audible echos at the largest size settings that slowly evolve into a rich decay. Very sparse early echo density, slow density build, random modulation, and wide spatial image.
Narcissus is Nostromo’s little sibling, with an initial denser decay. Narcissus is also the “lightest” reverb mode in Valhalla Room, with a very low CPU hit. Dark, lush, wide, with random modulation that quickly builds into rich chorusing. The little sibling of Nostromo, but it is still big. Designed for low CPU consumption.
Sulaco is Dark. In this case, “Dark” means that the top octave is gone – no audible energy above 1/4 the sampling rate. There probably is some energy if you look at a spectrogram, but it will be at least -100 dB down, so “gone” is a good way of describing things. Dark with lush modulation and a well-centered stereo image. The Late Size control can sweep the reverb from tight rooms to vast echoing spaces
A dark, deep space reverb, with the wide spatial image of Nostromo and Narcissus, but with a much higher initial echo density than either of those reverbs. LV-426 has a somewhat slower attack than the other modes, and has highly diffused random modulation for lush decays.
Similar to Large Room, but with a denser distribution of early echos, and a tone that is brighter while still having the “darkness” of the Dark algorithms. Great for snare drums!
Other Features
Early Reverb
Late Reverb
Modulation
True Stereo
Modern GUI
Resizeable
Color Schemes
Space
Lo Cut
Unique Early reverb section allows user to dial in subtle and short bursts of early reverberation energy, as well as gated reverbs up to one second in length.
The Late section produces natural reverb decays ranging from 0.1 seconds to 100 seconds. The decay can be controlled in 3 adjustable frequency bands.
Both Early and Late reverb sections have adjustable modulation to produce sounds ranging from lush chorusing, to subtle and natural long decays.
Valhalla Room is true stereo. The Early and Late reverb sections are both stereo-in, stereo-out. The spread of energy between the stereo channels can be controlled over time, which helps preserve the input spatial image.
The GUI has been designed for easy navigation, and is inspired by Joseph Müller-Brockmann, NASA control panels, and Sesame Street.
Resizable GUI. Make it really big, or really tiny, or whatever suits you best.
New in 1.5.1: Redesigned GUI! Better use of space, and 2 user-selectable color schemes (Electric Blue and Old School).
New in 2.0.0! Space controls the feedback around the predelay and early reflections. Use it to add natural decay to early reflections, create diffuse echoes, or make long modulated reverbs with the early section by itself.
New in 2.0.0! The Lo Cut control allows the user to reduce the low frequency content of the reverb output.
Overview
Hear it in action
See what people are saying
“A steal for anyone after a versatile reverb or something to complement their convolution collection”
Read More“A natural, rich sounding algorithmic reverb plugin that is almost untouchable at its price point.”
Read More“Everyone needs this. It sounds great and is dirt cheap. The functionality is insane.”
Read MoreSpecifications
Current Version: 2.0.5 (Updated March 15, 2024)
Changes since 2.0.0:
- Fixed Hi Cut recall issue with older DAW projects
- Added code that correctly recalls both High Cut settings for pre-2.0.0 versions and the Hi Cut for version 2.0.0
Changes since 1.6.8:
- New Space control (in Early section)
- New Lo Cut control
- Space preset folder
Changes since 1.6.7 (Mac only):
- AAX updated for Apple Silicon Pro Tools compatibility
Changes since 1.6.5 (Mac only):
- Fixed authorization issue in macOS Ventura and Apple DAWs (Logic, GarageBand, Final Cut Pro)
- Updated installer to remove dependency on Rosetta
- Rebuilt plugins to work in OS X 10.11/10.12 (there was a weird bug that happened when people on those machines updated their iPhones)
Changes since 1.5.1:
- VST3
- Fresh build ready for Big Sur
- Signed & notarized Mac installers
- Signed Windows installers
- 64-bits only
ValhallaDSP plugins are self documenting. Just roll over the controls to read the tool tip on the bottom left of the plugin.
For each plugin, I also write blog posts (see below) with product overviews, tips and tricks. Here are the blog posts for Valhalla Room:
Early Reflections v. Early Energy
Tips & Tricks: Unnatural Hall Reverbs
Tips & Tricks: Realistic Concert Halls
Tips & Tricks: Short Drum Rooms
If you have questions, please head to Support.
Compatibility:
- Windows: Windows 7/8/10
- Plugin formats: 64-bit VST2.4/VST3/AAX
- Mac: OSX 10.9/10.10/10.11, macOS 10.12/10.13/10.14/10.15, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma
- Mac processors: Intel/M1/M2/M3
- Plugin Formats: 64-bit VST2.4/VST3/AAX/AU