Review: Smart:reverb 2 by Sonible

Josh Turvey is back with another comprehensive review, this time taking a detailed look at sonible’s AI-powered reverb plugin; smart:reverb 2.

Summary

Sonible’s smart:reverb 2 is an algorithmic reverb that harnesses the power of machine learning to deliver an experience that is innovative, intuitive, and highly effective. Its comprehensive feature-set guarantees versatility across mixing and sound-design disciplines, and breathes new life into the process of working with reverberation.

Pros:

• Excellent implementation of machine learning and “intelligent” features.
• The interface is well-designed and intuitive.
• The Distance Grid is both innovative and practical.
• Four, high-quality reverb algorithms that can be combined and blended in creative ways.
• Multiple features/modes that suit mixing and creative workflows.

Cons:

• A wider range of selectable Profiles would be useful when analysing the source audio. This could further enhance the plugin’s ability to tailor the reverb engine.
• Deeper control over the four reverb algorithms would elevate the sonic potential of the plugin.

Intro

Founded in 2013, Austrian-based developer Sonible were early pioneers in the development of ‘smart’ plugins that embraced the use of artificial intelligence (AI)—predominantly to assist in the music production and mixing processes. Sonible has remained at the forefront of this technology since their inception, establishing a reputation for excellence that has seen them collaborate with industry titans such as Focusrite, whilst expanding their catalogue of highly regarded plugins and hardware. Their unique and forward-thinking approach attracted the attention of Audiotonix, who acquired Sonible in 2023, partnering them with the likes of Solid State Logic (SSL), Allen & Heath, and Slate Digital, all of whom continue to operate independently at the time of writing.

Described as being a “content-aware reverb”, Sonible’s most recent release—smart:reverb 2—harnesses AI to create bespoke reverbs that augment and enhance the source material. Placing their “vast audio experience and user-oriented focus into developing AI-assisted audio plugins”, smart:reverb 2 represents another step forward for the Sonible brand. Below, we explore some of its most notable features.

Design & Features

The plugin features a slick, one-page layout that places its most important functionality directly in front of the user. The minimalist interface is well-designed, and strikes a nice balance between ease-of-use and advanced functionality.

It’s divided into the following five sections:

1. Header (Blue Box): Accesses smart features, plugin states, presets, and settings.
2. Reverb Settings (Red Box): Contains reverb parameters and an interactive matrix that blends between four, classic reverb algorithms (Room, Hall, Spring, and Plate).
3. Distance Grid (Green Box): Positions processed instruments from Front (Dry) to Back (Wet) in the mix. It’s also capable of adjusting the Size and Stereo Width of the reverberated signals.
4. Spectrogram (Purple Box): More than just a visual representation of the reverberated signal, the Spectrogram features multiple modes that enable users to manipulate the signal across the time and frequency domains.
5. Footer (Yellow Box): Important global settings relating to the plugin.

Groups and Inter-Plugin Communication (IPC)

In addition to smart:reverb 2’s AI-driven functionality, one of the plugin’s defining qualities centres on its excellent implementation of Inter-Plugin Communication (IPC), which essentially enables users to control and edit multiple instances of the plugin from one window.

The advantages of IPC will be covered in more detail throughout the review, but it’s important to highlight that Sonible have ensured this feature is easy to implement via the use of Groups, which can be found in the Footer (see image above—purple box).

So long as smart:reverb 2 is loaded onto a track, users can add that audio signal to any of their custom Groups directly within the plugin. These are created and managed by selecting the aforementioned button—as demonstrated by the image below (green box).

Once a Group has been created and populated with tracks, users can reap the benefits of IPC by controlling the reverb settings for multiple sources from any instance of smart:reverb 2. This is an incredible time-saver that has the potential to greatly improve one’s workflow, mainly by helping to position and balance multiple reverberated signals from one central location.

Header

Situated in the Header (see image below), the Profile Selector (red box) is the engine that drives the plugin’s smart features. Working in tandem with the Learn button (yellow box), these two parameters “listen” to the incoming audio source during playback and adapt the reverb engine to best represent the original source.

The resulting reverb is completely customisable, so users have total control over the reverb algorithm and the plugin’s settings. Crucially, this feature is simple to implement, only requiring users to choose the option that most closely matches their audio source from the profile selector, before engaging the Learn button and restarting the playback of their project.

Whilst the plugin can be used without this feature, its purpose is to sculpt the reverb to the tonal characteristics of the source, thus preventing the reverb tail from clouding or masking the natural timbre of the unprocessed audio signal. Additionally, using the Learn parameter impacts IPC and influences tracks within the same Group (discussed previously) by reducing frequency masking between the individual reverb tails. The strength of this influence can be controlled by the Source Adaption parameter located in the Footer (discussed later in the review).

Lastly, the plugin also features eight preset slots that can store various reverb States (blue box). This makes it easy to compare different reverb settings without needing to load another instance of smart:reverb 2 onto the same channel.

Reverb Settings

The main reverb settings (see image below) are split between two panels: the algorithm matrix (red box), and the parameter controls (yellow box).

The matrix features four, classic reverb algorithms (Room, Hall, Spring, and Plate) that can be seamlessly combined. The algorithms sound fantastic, and Sonible has ensured that all tracks within the selected Group are visible on the matrix (see the white, numbered dots) for quick and easy editing. The contextual parameter controls adapt to the currently selected track, with options for:

• Size: The size of the simulated reverb space.
• Distance: This acts like an advanced Dry/Wet control that impacts the perceived distance from the listener.
• Width: The stereo spread of the reverberated signal.
• Colour: Changes the tonal character of the reverb, emphasising either the high or low frequencies.
• Clarity: Controls the emphasis of the Dry signal in relation to the reverb (Wet).

It’s also possible to select multiple tracks within the matrix (see image below—orange boxes). This enables users to edit their reverb settings simultaneously, with the parameter controls depicting the relative settings for each selected track (yellow box).

One area that could be enhanced concerns the lack of customisation over the four algorithms. Tweak-minded users may feel underwhelmed by the omission of different Room, Hall, Spring, and Plate types, but this will likely not be a hindrance for most users.

Overall, this panel furnishes the user with multiple options to customise their desired reverb effect, prioritising simplicity without sacrificing functionality.

Distance Grid

The Distance Grid (see image below) closely relates to the previously discussed Reverb Settings, offering a unique and innovative way to view and edit the tracks within the selected Group.

Users can position their tracks from Front (red box) to Back (yellow box). Whilst this is a modernised take on the common Dry/Wet mix parameter found in other reverbs, it also impacts other elements of the reverberated signal, such as pre-delay. In addition to manipulating the distances of grouped tracks according to taste (blue box), this panel also provides convenient access to the Size and Width parameters located in the Reverb Settings.

The Distance Grid is both novel and effective; its visual depiction provides an elegant solution to working with reverb, expertly assisting in the mixing process.

Spectrogram

As with the Distance Grid, the Spectrogram (see image below) offers an informative way to visualise and manipulate the reverb tail.

The Mode selector (purple box) contains four options: Normal, Reverse, Infinite, and Bounce, thus providing ample opportunity for creative experimentation and sound-design. The Manual Override function (blue box) disables the plugin’s learned behaviour, enabling users to independently control the Tail Cutoff (red box) and Frequency Weighting (numbered yellow dots). Both features can yield creative and corrective benefits, so the inclusion of this functionality greatly expands smart:reverb 2’s utility:

1. Tail Cutoff: Essentially reverb ducking; users can define the fade out time of the reverb.
2. Frequency Weighting: Allows users to emphasise or attenuate the reverb’s frequency according to definable bands.

Additionally, the Spectrogram provides a Mono Below option which prevents sub frequencies from being processed by the reverb, thus helping to preserve the clarity of the overall mix.

Finally, the Spectrogram also displays multiple track selections simultaneously (see image above). It should be noted that it’s not possible to edit the Manual Override settings, which can only be accessed when selecting individual tracks. As demonstrated by its flexibility and adaptability, the Spectrogram is another excellent element to the plugin that’s brimming with creative and functional potential.

Footer

The Footer (see image below) is home to some important global features. As previously discussed, users can create and manage track Groups (blue box), but they can also control the strength of the plugin’s learned behaviour using the Source Adaption feature (green box).

This is a nice touch that provides additional flexibility when working with the plugin’s smart features, as it can be used to increase or decrease the frequency masking of grouped tracks. The ‘Wet’ parameter (yellow box) disables the dry, input audio and only outputs the reverberated signal. Since it’s primarily designed for parallel processing on auxiliary and return channels; it should be noted that the Distance Grid is automatically disabled when this mode is engaged.

In Use

Given its extensive functionality and the seamless implementation of its intelligent features, smart:reverb 2 excels as a mixing plugin—especially when inserted directly onto individual tracks. This is bolstered by Sonible’s intuitive and pragmatic execution of IPC, which superbly compliments the Distance Grid and helps to minimise frequency masking between different instruments within the same Group. The ability to morph and blend between four, popular reverb algorithms ensures that smart:reverb 2 can be applied to virtually any audio source, further underscoring its credentials as a mixing workhorse.

Sonible has also taken steps to ensure that the plugin functions without its “smart” features, meaning that users aren’t forced into reinventing their workflow. This level of adaptability is a considerate touch that will likely endear users to the plugin, especially while they become acquainted with its features. It also greatly expands smart:reverb 2’s versatility by maximising the plugin’s creative potential, and allowing users to deploy it on auxiliary tracks for traditional, parallel-processing setups.

Taking all of this into consideration, smart:reverb 2 represents the best of what modern plugins strive to offer: it delivers a user experience that’s easy to implement, sonically pristine, diverse in its use and application, and richly rewarding.

Finally, smart:reverb 2 also features a comprehensive onboarding tutorial (see image above) that can be accessed via the settings, so newcomers will have no trouble acclimatising to the plugin’s unique workflow and its various features.

Conclusion

Considering the deluge of reverbs that inundate the marketplace, it is a joy to discover that there’s still room for innovation and surprise regarding plugins of this nature. Sonible has crafted a tool that honours the time-worn techniques and traditions of classic, studio reverberation, whilst ensuring that it is equipped to handle both modern and future workflows.

Far from being a gimmick, the optional use of AI functions as a genuinely useful sidekick that assists in the essential tasks of customising reverb tails, preserving the tonal characteristics of the source audio, and simplifying the mixing process. With smart:reverb 2, Sonible has crafted a standout reverb plugin that has the potential to positively augment both mixing and creative workflows.

Technical Info

1. Simple download, installation, and authentication process. A Sonible user account is required, and users have the option to use either iLok, or Sonible’s authentication.
2. Mac & PC are both supported: VST, VST3, AU, and AAX.
3. Comprehensive documentation is provided as a downloadable PDF.
4. CPU usage is well optimised, but multiple instances of the plugin can be process-heavy. For this reason, it’s best used on audio tracks during the mixing process.

Disclaimer: This review was conducted on a MacBook Pro M4 Pro with 48 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD (macOS Sequoia 15.5). User experience with the reviewed software may vary with different technical specifications.

Alternatives

Sonible’s smart:reverb 2 is unique in its approach and execution. The following selection won’t serve as direct substitutes, but they are excellent, modern alternatives that deserve consideration:

1. Utopia (ADPTR Audio)
2. Equinox (iZotope)
3. Dimensions (Softube)

Thanks, Josh! Those interested in smart:reverb 2 can give it a try with a 30-day trial. The plugin is currently on offer for a discounted price of $79 USD (regular #129 USD) as part of an End of Summer sale at the sonible store and from retailers such as Plugin Boutique and AudioDeluxe. This offer expires September 22nd, 2025.

Josh Turvey is a musician, producer and an avid plugin enthusiast. He provides online, 1-2-1 tuition for guitar and music production for NoiseQuest.