The Best Convolution Reverb Plugins for Huge Metal Mixes

Let’s cut the crap. You can have the most brutal guitar tone, the punchiest drums, and a bass that shakes the foundation, but if it all sounds like it was recorded in a cardboard box, your mix will fall flat. Space is a critical, often-overlooked ingredient in modern metal production. It’s what separates a demo from a professional-sounding record.

And when it comes to creating realistic, believable space, convolution reverb is king.

Unlike algorithmic reverbs that use mathematical equations to simulate a space, convolution reverb uses an Impulse Response (IR)—basically a sonic snapshot of a real-world location or piece of gear. Think of it like this: an algorithmic reverb pretends to be a cathedral, while a convolution reverb is the cathedral, captured and ready to be used on your tracks.

But here’s the thing we always talk about at Nail The Mix: the tool itself is only half the battle. Does it matter which convolution reverb you use? Yeah, to a point. Some have better workflows, and some come with legendary IR libraries. But what matters more is knowing what you’re trying to achieve and how to dial it in.

Let’s dive into some of the best convolution reverb plugins on the market and, more importantly, how to use them to make your mixes sound massive.

Industry Favorites: The Go-To Convolution Reverbs

Audio Ease Altiverb 7

If there's an "industry standard" for convolution reverb, Altiverb 7 is it. The price tag is steep, but you're paying for the library. It is, without a doubt, the most ridiculously comprehensive collection of impulse responses ever created. We’re talking everything from the cockpit of a 747 to legendary Amsterdam concert halls and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Why it’s great for metal: Realism and options. Want to make your drums sound like they were recorded in a massive concrete warehouse? Altiverb has that. Need the authentic sound of a vintage EMT 140 plate for a vocal? It’s in there. The visual browser makes it easy to find the exact space you're imagining.

Actionable Tip: For an epic drum room sound, send your snare and toms to a bus with Altiverb. Load up one of the "Parking Garage" or "Warehouse" IRs. Use the built-in EQ to roll off some of the low-end mud below 100Hz and some of the fizzy highs above 8kHz. This keeps the reverb huge without cluttering the mix.

LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven Professional

The Bricasti M7 is a legendary piece of hardware reverb, famous for its lush, smooth, and incredibly three-dimensional sound. But since most of us don't have a spare $4,000 lying around, Seventh Heaven Professional is the next best thing. It’s a dedicated M7 emulation that brilliantly captures the sound and soul of the original hardware. While technically a hybrid combining convolution and algorithmic tech, its core is based on Fusion-IRs, making it a top-tier choice.

Why it’s great for metal: Vocals and leads. The plates and halls in Seventh Heaven are gorgeous. They can add a professional sheen and depth to a lead vocal or a guitar solo without making it sound washed out or obviously "verb'd." It excels at creating that expensive-sounding space that just sits perfectly in a mix.

Actionable Tip: Put Seventh Heaven on a vocal bus. Choose one of the "Vocal Plate" presets. Dial in about 30-50ms of pre-delay. This creates a small gap between the dry vocal and the start of the reverb, which dramatically improves clarity. The vocal stays in your face, but the reverb gives it a sense of space. Need more tips on vocal processing? You'll find them in our sessions catalog.

Waves IR-1 Convolution Reverb

The Waves IR-1 is a true workhorse. It’s been around for a while, and tons of producers have it in their plugin folder from one Waves bundle or another. It might not have the flashiest GUI, but its library is packed with classic spaces, including impulse responses from legendary venues like Wembley Arena.

Why it’s great for metal: It’s a straightforward, no-BS tool that gets the job done. It’s light on the CPU and has a solid collection of useful rooms, halls, and plates. It's also incredibly easy to load your own third-party IRs, making it an endlessly expandable tool.

Actionable Tip: Use IR-1 to create a subtle "room mic" effect for DI guitars. Find a "Small Studio Room" impulse and blend it in very low underneath your main amp sim tone. This can give sterile-sounding DI guitars a bit of life and air, making them feel more like a real, cranked amp in a room.

Logic Pro’s Space Designer

Don't sleep on stock plugins. Seriously. If you’re a Logic Pro user, you already have an incredibly powerful convolution reverb at your fingertips. Space Designer comes with a massive library of high-quality IRs and allows for deep customization of the reverb envelope and tone.

Why it’s great for metal: It proves the point that it’s the mixer, not the plugin. In the hands of a skilled engineer, Space Designer can go toe-to-toe with the paid options. You can achieve professional, massive reverb sounds without spending a dime. Plus, loading your own IRs is a drag-and-drop affair.

Actionable Tip: Use Space Designer for creative sound design. Find an IR of something non-musical, like a "Metal Sheet" or a "Tunnel." Send a single snare hit or a guitar chug to it, crank the wet signal to 100%, and bounce it to audio. You can then reverse this audio file to create a killer riser or swell effect leading into a chorus or breakdown.

The Real Secret: It’s All About the IRs

Here’s the deal: the convolution plugin is just the player. The Impulse Response is the sound. You can load the same IR into Waves IR-1, Space Designer, or any other convolution reverb that can act as an IR loader, and it will sound fundamentally the same.

This is where you can get creative without breaking the bank. There are thousands of free and paid impulse responses out there. Hunt them down. Collect them. Experiment.

• Find IRs of vintage spring reverb tanks for guitars.
• Grab IRs of old, weird digital reverb units for a retro vibe.
• Use a guitar cabinet IR as a reverb (yes, really!) for a bizarre, filtered effect.

Your IR library is your secret weapon. The plugin you use to play them back is secondary.

Practical Application: Making Reverb Work in a Dense Mix

Okay, you’ve picked your plugin and have a library of IRs. Now what? Just slapping a "Large Hall" on everything is a recipe for a muddy, washed-out disaster. Here’s how the pros use it.

The Art of the Reverb Bus

Don’t put reverb directly on individual tracks. Instead, set up an auxiliary bus (or a few of them) with your reverb plugin set to 100% wet. Then, use the "sends" on your individual tracks to send a portion of the signal to that reverb bus. This gives you way more control and saves CPU.

EQ and Compress Your Reverb

Your reverb is its own instrument—treat it like one.

• EQ Before: Sometimes you only want a certain part of a sound to trigger the reverb. Use an EQ before the reverb plugin on the bus to cut out problematic low-end from a kick drum or harsh highs from a cymbal.
• EQ After: This is the classic move. Use an EQ after the reverb plugin to shape its tone. The "Abbey Road" trick is a great starting point: use a high-pass filter to cut lows up to 200-500Hz and a low-pass filter to cut highs down to 5-8kHz. This makes the reverb add space without adding mud or fizz.
• Compress It: Place a compressor after the reverb to control the dynamics of the reverb tail. This can bring up the sustain of the reverb or clamp down on it to keep it from washing over the next phrase. To learn more about the fundamentals, check out our guide on how to use an audio compressor.

It’s You, Not the Plugin

Plugin Acquisition Syndrome is real. It's easy to think the next VST is the missing piece of the puzzle. But the truth is, a pro mixer like Jens Bogren, Nolly Getgood, or Will Putney could get a killer mix using the stock plugins that came with your DAW. You can see our full list of Nail The Mix instructors to get an idea of the talent we're talking about.

Their mixes are great because of the thousands of decisions they make, not because they used Altiverb instead of IR-1. They know why they’re reaching for reverb, what kind of space the song needs, and how to shape it to fit perfectly in a dense, aggressive mix.

That’s the knowledge that truly makes a difference. And it’s exactly what you get to learn when you watch these producers mix real songs from bands like Gojira, Lamb of God, and Periphery from scratch. If you’re ready to learn the techniques—not just the tools—then you’re ready to Nail The Mix.