Introduction & Key Features

SSL PlateVerb is your new go-to for enhancing vocals, snare and percussion - a first-class creative plate reverb that adds sizzle and presence, to both enhance and colour instruments that need to stand out in your mix.

Expertly emulating the distinct sound of the classic plate reverb, PlateVerb combines two bespoke SSL-crafted algorithms for Early Reflections and Late Reflections, designed to capture the sonic, mechanical and damping properties of a plate reverb. With a reverb decay time from a subtle 100 milliseconds all the way to 3 seconds for adding depth and dimension, Colour control to alter the harmonic colour of the reflections, and adjustable Early/Late reflection mix control, PlateVerb seamlessly blends classic reverb tones with modern control and flexibility.

Engineered for audio professionals and inspired by the intuitive designs of classic guitar reverb pedals, PlateVerb is a great-sounding reverb that doesn’t compromise ease of use. In addition to fine-tuning the sonic character of your plate reverb using the plate Size and reflection Density controls, advanced features such as Damping, Ducking and Sidechaining allow dynamic control that brings clarity, depth and character to your vocals, snares and percussion – even in dense mixes.

 

Key Features

• Early/Late Reflections Control
  Blend early reflections and late tail for versatile sound shaping.

• Diffusion Adjustment
  Fine-tune the density of late tail reflections.

• Decay and Room Size Customization
  Tailor the reverb decay time and room size for precise spatial effects.

• Damping Controls
  Limit decay in low/high frequencies for a cleaner sound.

• Colour Adjustment
  Modify the harmonic colour to emulate various plate materials.

• Ducking with Sidechaining
  Apply gain reduction based on incoming level, with internal or external sidechain options.

• Advanced Mix Control
  All-in-one control lets you effortlessly blend any combination of wet and dry signals.

• Freeze and Kill Options
  Unique reverb tail manipulation for creative effects.

• User-friendly Interface
  Intuitive design inspired by guitar pedals, for easy navigation and control.

 

Release Notes

V1.0.3 (December 2023)

• Initial release.

 

Supported Platforms and Hosts

For compatibility information about plug-ins, visit the Plug-in Operating System and DAW Compatibility FAQ.

When we release an SSL plug-in, we test it on all Windows and macOS operating systems that aren't End-of-Life (EOL) at the time of release.

The versions listed below are the latest on which we have officially tested the the product.

It is possible for our products to work on platforms outside of this list. However, if your host, host version or operating system is not listed here, we recommend you demo the product before purchase to confirm that it works correctly.

 

Apple Silicon Support

This plug-in is provided as a universal binary for macOS and features native support for Apple Silicon.

Operating Systems

Please refer to the Plug-in OS Compatibility FAQ.

Hosts

• Logic Pro 10.7
• Pro Tools 2023
• Ableton Live 11
• Studio One 6
• Cubase 12
• REAPER 6
• FL Studio 21
• LUNA v1.5

Demo/Trial

To demo this plug-in, you can simply download it from the product page and run it up in your host - the software will guide you through the rest of the process.

1. Download and install the plug-in.
2. Open your DAW/host.
3. Insert the plug-in to commence activation (sometimes this will happen when the plug-in is scanned on startup, depending on your DAW/host).
4. When you see 'Activation is required', click 'Try'.
5. Log into your iLok account and click 'Next'.
6. Select a location to activate the license to, and click 'Next'.

Installation and Download

We recommend using the SSL Download Manager application to to easily manage all SSL plug-in installations all from one place, on both macOS and Windows. In addition to easily installing, uninstalling or reinstalling individual or every SSL plug-in at the click of a button, the SSL Download Manager also provides you with detailed release notes and lets you know when updates are available.

You can also download offline installers for a plug-in from here.

All SSL plug-ins are supplied in VST, VST3, AU (macOS only) and AAX (Pro Tools) formats.

The installers provided (macOS Intel .dmg and Windows .exe) copy the plug-in binaries to the common VST, VST3, AU and AAX directories. After this, the host DAW should recognise the plug-in automatically in most cases. Simply run the installer and you should be good to go. You can find more information about how to authorise your plug-ins below.

Licensing

Visit iLok, Licensing and Activation for guidance in activating your SSL plug-in.

 

Input Section

The input section allows you to set the gain into the plug-in, as well as introducing a pre-delay before applying the reverb.

• INPUT GAIN
  Applies a gain to the input signal.
• PRE-DELAY
  Introduces a delay between the original dry signal and the audible onset of the reverb. Use the pre-delay control to ensure that that the reverb does not overwhelm the initial sound, which allows you to maintain clarity and separation in the mix.

 

Output Section

• MIX
  Sets the blend between the dry and wet signals.
• MIX LOCK
  Lock the Mix control, so that it persists when changing presets.
• OUTPUT GAIN
  Applies a gain to the output of the the signal.

 

Reverb Shaping

The top section of the plug-in contains parameters for shaping the sound of your reverb.

• SIZE
  Sets the size of the plate. Increasing this parameter simulates a larger plate, resulting in a broader and more expansive reverb.
• DENSITY
  Controls how dense the late reflections are. Higher density settings produce a richer, more complex reverb tail, which can add texture and depth to your sound. This is particularly effective for creating a lush, immersive reverb in orchestral or ambient music.
• TIME
  Controls the time it takes for the reverb to die away. Longer times will extend the reverb tail, useful for creating a more dramatic and sustained reverberation effect.
• COLOUR
  Alters the harmonic colour of the reflections, emulating different plate materials. Adjusting this parameter can simulate the tonal characteristics of various plate materials, from bright and shiny to dark and mellow.
• EARLY/LATE
  Sets the balance between the Early Reflections and Late Reflections. Turn counter-clockwise for more early reflections, which helps in achieving a sense of space without a prolonged reverb tail - ideal for percussive and rhythmic elements. Turn clockwise for more late reflections to create a more traditional, lingering reverb effect, which is great for pads, vocals, and atmospheric elements in a mix.

 

Damping

The damping options allow you to 'clean' up the reverb by limiting the decay time in the low or high frequencies.

• LOW DAMPING
  Set the damping in the low frequencies. This effective limits the reverb time in the low frequency range, and you should utilise this to ensure other elements in the mix are not overwhelmed by reverb generated from bass frequencies from the input signal.
• HIGH DAMPING
  Set the damping in the high frequencies. The effectively limits the reverb time in the high frequency range, which can be useful to ensure that higher and potentially unpleasant frequencies don't ring out.

 

Freeze and Kill

Freeze and Kill allow you to build creative effects.

• FREEZE
  "Freezes" the reverb in place, muting the input to the reverb and re-circulating the current audio and letting it ring out. This ideal for creating a sustained, ambient backdrop, almost like a pad sound. It's particularly effective in live performance settings or in studio productions where you want to capture a moment of the reverb tail and use it as a continuous layer. This can be used creatively in electronic music for transitions or to add a unique atmospheric element to a breakdown.
• KILL
  Mutes the input to the reverb, letting the reverb die out naturally. You can use this to create a dramatic effect in a mix, such as muting the reverb during a sudden break in the music or at the end of a song. The Kill feature can be especially impactful in live performances to punctuate the end of a song or section.

 

Advanced Settings: Ducking

You can access the advanced Ducking functionality by clicking the icon in the bottom bar.

The ducker is a dynamics processing tool that reduces (or 'ducks') the level of the reverb when the input signal exceeds a certain threshold. This is particularly useful in mixing scenarios where you want the clarity of the original signal, like vocals or lead instruments, to stand out, without completely losing the ambience and depth that reverb provides. By automatically reducing the reverb level during louder passages and allowing it to return in quieter moments, ducking helps maintain a balanced and professional mix.

• DUCKING ON
  Toggles ducking on and off.
• DUCKING EXT S/C
  Drives the duckers from the external sidechain signal rather than the input to the plug-in. This allows for more creative control of your reverb. You can use another track in your mix, such as a kick drum or snare, to trigger the ducking effect on the reverb. This technique is often used in electronic and dance music to create a rhythmic pumping effect in the reverb, synchronised with the beat.
• DUCKING THRESHOLD
  Sets the threshold above which ducking will be trigged. A lower threshold means the reverb will duck more frequently, useful for tracks with a lot of dynamic variation, while a higher threshold will trigger ducking only during the loudest parts of the sidechain signal.
• DUCKING ATTACK
  Sets the attack of the ducking compressor. A faster attack is useful for immediate ducking, which is essential for tracks where timing and rhythmic precision are crucial, like in percussive elements.
• DUCKING RELEASE
  Sets the release of the ducking compressor. A shorter release time brings back the reverb effect more quickly, which can be effective in maintaining a sense of space in fast-paced music, while a longer release provides a smoother, more gradual return of the reverb.

 

SSL Plug-in Engine

The 'SSL Plug-in Engine' has several features that are available across our entire plug-in range.

NOTE: the available features in a plug-in might be or look different depending on what plug-in you are using, or when the plug-in was most recently updated.

 

Undo/Redo

SSL plug-ins come with a built-in undo/redo stack, in case your DAW doesn't handle this.

• Undo (left arrow) undoes the current action in the history stack.
• Redo (right arrow) re-does the next action in the history stack.

 

Presets

All of our plug-ins ship with carefully designed presets to aid your workflow.

Factory presets are included in the plug-in installation, installed in the following locations:

macOS: /Library/Application Support/Solid State Logic/PlugIns/Presets/[Plug-in Name]

Windows: C:\ProgramData\Solid State Logic\PlugIns\Presets\[Plug-in Name]

Switching between presets can be achieved by clicking the left/right arrows in the preset management section of the plug-in GUI, and by clicking on the preset name which will open the preset management display.

The Preset Management menu reflects the folder structure of the preset folder.

Revert Changes and Delete

• Revert Changes discards any changes to the current preset.
• Delete removes the current preset from the filesystem. Factory and Producer presets cannot be deleted from the plug-in GUI, although they can be manually deleted using the filesystem (Windows Explorer or Finder).

A/B and Copy

• A/B allows you to toggle quickly between two presets. This is useful for comparing between two parameter settings.
• COPY X TO Y is used to copy presets between A/B.

 

Version Number

Click the version number to display more information about the plug-in.

When logging a bug to our support team, always include the full version number e.g. v1.0.13.

 

Advanced Settings (not all plug-ins)

Some plug-ins have advanced functionality. Click the 'Advanced Settings' button to access advanced plug-in functionality.

This will drop the plug-in into 'Advanced Mode', exposing more settings, and allowing you to tweak the 'under-the-hood' behaviour of the plug-in.

 

Scale/Zoom

The scale/zoom menu allows you to resize your plug-in from 50% up to 200%. 

Note that if resizing would cause the plug-in to go offscreen, then this option will be disabled. This is designed to prevent DAW resizing bugs that exist in some DAWs.

You can also right-click anywhere on the background of the plug-in to change the scale.

 

HQ or ECO Mode

Some plug-ins come with a HQ or ECO mode button. When in HQ mode, we introduce extra processing such as oversampling for higher quality, at the expense of more CPU. When in ECO mode, a plug-in will drop into a lower, less CPU intensive and low-latency mode (if possible).

 

Built-in Help

This plug-in features built-in contextual help. To turn this feature on, click the '?' in the bottom right-hand corner. Mouse over elements of the GUI to see some information about the feature.

Click the tooltip to cycle through the pages.