Iconic Instruments SP140

The SP140 reverb is the first effect plug‑in from US company Iconic Instruments. As you can probably guess from its name, it’s based on the EMT 140 plate reverbs that were in common use in studios before digital reverb eventually replaced most of them. Plate reverbs have a neutral character, by which I mean that they don’t suggest a particular type of acoustic space, and their reverb tail also builds up in density much faster than a typical room or hall so there are no obvious early reflections. This tends to makes them a good fit for many types of music production that require a ‘flattering’ ambience. The decay time of physical plates was adjusted using dampers, and in this SP140 reverb plug‑in, that’s achieved using a vertical meter pointer. VST and AU formats are supported as are Mac and Windows hosts, but there’s currently no AAX version. Authorisation is via a serial number that’s issued on purchase.

Just as with a real plate (whose mechanical dampers tended to take out the high frequencies more than the lows), very short decay times sound a bit ‘dongy’ so that’s one tick in the box for authenticity! Unlike a real plate, though, the SP140 has a few handy tricks up its digital sleeve. One such nicety is that the reverb density can be changed (there are five settings) and another is that you can call up five different plates without having to call a removals company! There’s also a helpful concession to the stereo age: the input Send Width can be adjusted so that you can mono the input for a classic plate sound or widen it to bring more reverb separation to stereo sources. The reverb output width is also adjustable, along with its pan position. Large knobs control the wet/dry mix and the amount of drive, which is useful if you want to add a bit of warmth or dirt to the reverb. This can be switched pre or post the reverb engine and has adjustable high and low filters to tailor the sound.

With a traditional plate, there was no pre‑delay facility — if you wanted pre‑delay, you had to tie up a tape machine — but here it is built in with a 200ms maximum delay time. To further shape the reverb there’s a three‑band EQ. This has adjustable frequencies and slopes for the high‑and low‑shelving filters along with a parametric mid that offers full control over frequency, Q and cut/boost.

There’s a decent range of presets here to get you started, but setting things up from scratch is really easy anyway.

Verdict

There’s a decent range of presets here to get you started, but setting things up from scratch is really easy anyway. The five different plates each have their own distinct coloration so, in combination with the variable density, adjustable decay time, comprehensive EQ and the ability to add a bit of dirt, there’s actually quite a lot of scope for shaping your reverb sounds. At maximum density you get the classic plate smoothness whereas at low density settings, the sound becomes a little more spring‑like (without the unwelcome twanging!). If you share an affection for plate sounds but would like a little more freedom in shaping the end result, this plug‑in a is a good choice and it’s not unreasonably priced.