George Shilling reviews:

tc electronic DVR2 TDM Plugin

DVR stands for Digital Vintage Reverb, which might sound like an oxymoron, but this Pro Tools HD or HD Accel plugin is a faithful recreation of the EMT 250, the first useable digital reverb, designed back in 1975.

EMT are famous for their echo plates, but the 250 was a digital plate reverb unit in a large floor-standing unit with levers on the top, looking more like R2D2 than a studio processor. Only about 250 were built, and originals are highly prized. DVR2 is directly ported from tc’s flagship M6000 digital hardware processor – the algorithm is identical, and presets can be transferred between platforms. There is also a PowerCore version.

The plugin has fewer parameters than many reverb plugins, but a good range of plate-type effects can be obtained, with a lush, warm sizzle, but no prominent early reflections. Rather than recreating a particular type of space, the reverb generated has a rich sounding ambience, suitable for voices and instruments. The six most helpful parameters can be duplicated to a highlighted row at the bottom, but this seems unnecessary in a studio environment, especially as there are only four simple reverb parameters! Predelay extends longer than the original, but Reverb Decay, Lo Decay and Hi Decay controls are identical in increment size and range.

Other controls are labelled Vintage, and adjust how authentic the audio quality is, including filtering and modulation for a more liquid sound. Input Transformer emulation optionally warms the sound, whilst Lo Res mode even adds authentic hiss.

Verdict:

A expensive but useful addition to the reverb arsenal, with authentic 70’s and 80’s digital richness.

Score: 8

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Reproduced with kind permission from George Shilling. Copyright George Shilling.