Welcome to Spirit Reverb tips, where we'll be getting you up and running in a few simple steps. It is best to get acquainted with the more basic controls before trying to understand the options for fine tuning and unconventional sounds. At the center top of the interface there is a menu called Template Presets. This will cover most of the things a user wants without going into advanced usage. You should start any preset by selecting the desired template from the menu and adjusting from there, saving you the hassle of finding the right parameters for a particular reverb type. The type menu and other parameters will be set to the new settings when the template is selected. For example, to get the most normal spring reverb, select long spring from the template menu, rather than changing the type menu and reverb settings manually. You can then adjust the reverb wet and reverb dry settings as desired. They set the balance of how loud your clean signal is with your reverb, or wet tone.
Reverb Length:
To adjust how long a reverb lasts, adjust the feedback control, but not too high, spring reverbs are best when not at extreme settings. For the setting Type:Digital, a new knob will be visible that sets Reverb Time specifically for the digital reverb generator, which can be combined with the feedback control, or the feedback can be set to 0, which is default for Type:Digital.
Pre-Delay:
Spring reverb types have a natural pre-delay built in, so it is default to set the Pre-Delay knob to 0. Otherwise it will add to the existing pre delay.
HF-Damping:
This knob damps the high frequencies when combined with feedback. Setting it to very low levels is normal.
Depth:
Some spring reverbs are more airy or "reverby", and that effect can be adjusted with this knob, half way is a good balance.
Mono Stereo:
The Audio menu can be set to Mono, Stereo, or Mono to Stereo. Stereo means 2 full channels are processed, Mono to Stereo means one channel comes into the plugin and is split into 2 to get more spread. You can adjust the spread with the knob Stereo Width, that is only visible in that mode.
About Spring Reverb
A spring reverb device, whether part of an amplifier or a stand alone unit, has a spring reverb tank as it's core component. Leaving aside the details, the reverb tank is a metal box with springs inside. The device will vibrate one end of the spring, then pick up the vibrations on the other end. The effect often seems like a combination of delay and reverb. The frequency effects it causes, often called drip or chirp, are the thing that makes spring reverb so unique. Let's imagine a tank with 3 springs in it. The springs will visibly be a little different, because they have different time values, different speeds at which vibrations get all the way across. These delay times are shown in the interface under springs / Spring Time. They can be edited manually, or set to common presets to save the trouble of typing them in. There are 3 switches in the section Spring Active. These turn on and off each spring.
In the mode Mono to Stereo, spring 1 is sent to the left channel, spring 2 is sent to the right channel, and spring 3 is mixed into both as the center channel. The Stereo Width knob can adjust the stereo spread amount.
Classic Spring, Bright Spring, Exaggerated, and Low Exaggerated are all different spring reverb types, each is good for different things. Echoing, Cosmic, and Digital are special reverb effects that can use the same controls the spring reverb to make some creative tones.
How can I get that classic 50s or 60s reverb unit sound, you know the one?
Those old units generally had 2 springs with long delay times. Also there is an EQ mid cut to overcome the naturally heavy mids. Set it to the template Vintage Spring, you may wish to turn down the feedback since old units may not have had long revert tails.
So there are 2 and 3 spring versions, what about 1 spring?
Although it wasn't a popular concept, don't be afraid of 1 spring effects, they are useful effects in their own right with a more distinct echo and drip.