![]() The PC version doesn't support a sample rate higher than 96kHz (although arguably there would be little point if it did, especially since internal processing is done at 44.1kHz or 48kHz and Audio Ease have never measured any reverberant energy above 17kHz). However, although the Windows XP Altiverb is currently up to version 5.4.6, there are still some significant differences between it and the native Mac version, although they sell at exactly the same price ($595). I found the on-line IR library well organised and was impressed by its variety and quality. There were initially some issues with existing names that proved incompatible with the Windows XP version, but from version 5.4 onwards Mac and PC users can both download and use the same library files and transport them between the two platforms. One of the few benefits of the five-year wait for Altiverb to arrive on the PC is that the software now has a mature and comprehensive Impulse Response library covering Music Rooms (rooms, studios, halls, churches and cathedrals), Gear (hardware digital, plate and spring reverbs) and Post Production (inside trains, cars, forests, caverns, stadiums, bathrooms, attics and lots more). Currently there's lots of empty space, yet many of the controls are tiny, while the Presets and Impulse Response menus also use tiny text, which is difficult to read and also makes choosing from the drop-down menus a frustrating exercise. However, I do feel that its interface would benefit from a reshuffle. Getting to grips with the interface is made far easier by the optional context-sensitive help window that displays info on each parameter as you use it, and overall I found using Altiverb a very pleasurable experience. ![]() With the exception of Tascam's Gigapulse, I don't think I've seen any PC convolution engine with such effective stage-positioning options before. All hugely increase Altiverb's versatility. ![]() There are also three-band damping facilities and direct/early reflection/tail tweaks, a stage position facility that allows you to change the width and distance of your virtual source, a four-band EQ, and CPU metering and tweaks. Reverb time can be altered over a huge range, from one percent to 150 percent of the original IR, by gain expansion/compression, while Room Size uses time expansion/compression to alter the dimensions of the space. Far from being a gimmick, this pictorial feedback (particularly the waterfall response) helps you choose the most appropriate reverb for a particular application. The Altiverb interface is identical to that of the Mac version, with the same handy display of IR (Impulse Response) waveforms or waterfall response, plus photos and occasionally a spinning virtual-reality movie of the currently loaded acoustic environment. We've already reviewed both the original Altiverb (in SOS May 2002) and the Mac version 5 ( SOS September 2005), which you can read online at so I'll concentrate here on PC-related aspects of the software. However, in May 2006 v5 was finally released for Windows XP users, supporting VST and RTAS formats, so I've been very keen to try it out. For the first three of those years it was arguably the only convolution reverb plug-in around, but until recently PC users could only admire it from afar, as it was only available for the Mac platform. Since its release in 2001, the Altiverb reverb plug-in, from Dutch developers Audio Ease, has gained an enviable reputation for its audio realism. We find out how it stands up to the convolution competition, as well as bringing you the usual crop of PC news and tips. The Altiverb convolving reverb plug-in arrived on the PC platform earlier this year. With a world-class bundled Impulse Response library and a good range of manipulation controls, the PC version of Altiverb is a strong new contender if you're about to buy a convolution reverb plug-in.
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