The third addition to Waves’ Magma series offers the sound of not one, but seven of the most popular types of spring reverb. Equipped with a simple set of controls, the aptly named Magma Springs aims to capture the nostalgic spirit and sound of a variety of musical styles and eras.
A 50’s model promises to provide the sounds associated with Memphis Blues records, whilst Twang is said to be inspired by the classic Telecaster and Vox amp combo, whilst also excelling when applied to more modern electronic music. Motor City mode then sets its sights on the sound of classic soul and R&B, and a Classic setting offers a warm sound that can sound similar to a plate reverb. A brighter tone is provided by California, a setting recommended for up-front vocals, whilst Heavy heads in the opposite direction, offering a more subdued tone. Lastly, a Dark Space setting is described as the essential sound of dub.
Thee plug-in features a Drive control, which allow’s the incoming signal to be driven into a virtual valve stage, and the behaviour of the spring section can be controlled with Pre Delay and FDBK (feedback) parameters. Each of the modes can be set to one of three pre-defined lengths using a central toggle switch, and the resulting effect can be shaped further using a two-band EQ section with ±18dB of gain. A Mix control allows the processed and unprocessed signals to be blended, and is followed by a final Output control which offers ±18dB of adjustment. Lastly, the output can be set to stereo, or summed to mono using a two-way toggle switch.
Compatibility
Magma Springs Reverb is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, and Macs running macOS 10.15 and above. It is available in VST, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in formats.
Pricing & Availability
Magma Springs Reverb is available now, and is currently (2 August 2023) being offered for an introductory price of $39.99, reduced from its full cost of $149. It is also included in the Waves Ultimate subscription bundle, as well as the company’s Mercury, Pro Show and SD7 Pro Show bundles.
