Posted on Mar 28, 2019

Eventide SP2016 Plug-in Review
Long-Term Test
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Eventide recently debuted a plug-in version of their innovative SP2016 reverb unit that originally premiered in 1982 and made quite an impact. A few emulations of this unit have hit the market in the past, including one from Eventide themselves that focused on a single reverb type, but this is the first entry that features all three of the original reverbs. The original SP2016 was noteworthy for many reasons. Not only because it was Eventide’s first reverb unit, but it was also the first hardware unit to feature replaceable EPROM chips that could be “plugged-in” to change the algorithms. Thus, the concept of a “plug-in” was born. We spent considerable time testing this plug-in with five of our evaluators, their impressions are in quotes below.

Mick Guzauski Eventide SP2016 Review Copyright 2018 FutureMusic - Internal Stereo speakers

The SP2016 got a groundswell of support from the top engineers of the day including, Jack Douglas, Alan Sides, George Massenburg and Mick Guzauski who all loved what it brought to their productions. These engineers found that the SP2016 could do much more than just reverb effects, thanks to the eleven available plug-in slots. Wild panners, thick chorus, flangers, long delays and even some synthesis effects were available to users at the time. However, the SP2016 was known for its reverbs and in that vein, Eventide focused strictly on that effect for this modern software plug-in.

“Eventide nailed this recreation of the SP2016…”

Our five reviewers all stated they felt “Eventide nailed this recreation of the SP2016” from the “minimal controls to how the company fused the vintage and modern versions of the Room, Stereo Room and Plate reverbs.” This is important to note, the SP2016 includes models of the original SP2016 hardware with lowered bit-rates and an edgier sound, as well as modern versions of the same effects that are “more expansive, detailed” and “creamier” then their vintage equivalents.

Eventide SP2016 Plug-In Features:

» Three Reverb Types:
— Room: Your no-nonsense, no-frills ambient room. A mono effect with stereo outputs. The extreme Pre-Delay range makes it possible to use this effect for reverberant doubling and single echoes.
— Stereo Room: Recreates the ambience of a large concert hall, with very clear, natural reverberation.
— Hi-Density Plate: Plate-type reverb with dual pickups simulating the effect of a bigger, heavier plate. This reverb allows you to make vocals, guitars and percussive instruments appear much bigger and brighter than they actually are.
» Includes a variety of presets including some by Dave Pensado, Richard Devine, Joe Chiccarelli, Sasha, George Massenburg, The Butcher Bros., Buda & Grandz, Erin Tonkon and others.

While the SP2016 was known for adding that “special sauce to drums, vocals and guitars” in the 80’s, you’ll find that “this plug-in can work on other source material and in your experimental effects chains.” There are only a handful of parameters to deal with and no submenus or hidden, fold out advanced controls to bog you down. Two of our reviewers were quite pleased with this “minimal approach,” which allowed them to “efficiently dial in their effects.”

Eventide SP2016 PlugIn Parameters Copyright 2018 FutureMusic - Internal Stereo speakers

The three parameters on the SP2016 that will ultimately have the most impact on your sound are the Position, Decay and the EQ. Least effective is the EQ which assists in shaping the tail of the reflections to a degree. Decay is in the form of a slider that goes from 200ms to a “miniseries-long” 100 seconds and is tuned by the Diffusion, a dedicated control that affects the shape of the room. Finally, Position is the “magic” that will “add a certain drama” and “multidimensional sound to you productions if you let it breathe” and “don’t bury it in the mix.” This controls how the reflections sit in the mix, whether in front of the listener or behind. Ramp it forward to create more dynamics and presence or dial it backwards to “make it haunt the track” with only the unique character that the SP2016 possesses.

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Conclusion

The SP2016 is a fabulous choice if you’re looking for the special Eventide reverb that defined an era, or want to push some Deep House or Minimal Tech boundaries with the killer Position function. Highly Recommended.