The Best Spring Reverb Plugin For That Classic “Boing”

That clanky, drippy, sometimes chaotic sound of a spring reverb is iconic. From surf rock licks to dub reggae snares, it has a character no other reverb type can replicate. And in a metal mix? It can be the secret weapon for adding vibe to clean guitar intros, creating spacey vocal effects, or giving a snare drum a unique, explosive character.

But with tons of VSTs out there, which one is the best spring reverb plugin?

Here’s the thing: plugins are tools. The best one is the one that gives you the sound you’re hearing in your head with the least amount of fuss. It's less about having 15 different spring reverbs and more about grabbing one that gives you the right character and knowing how to dial it in. Some plugins nail the gritty, lo-fi sound of a cheap guitar amp tank, while others emulate the lush, massive sound of legendary studio units.

Let's dive into a few of our top picks that deliver the goods and what makes them killer for heavy productions.

Our Top Picks for Spring Reverb Plugins

Arturia Rev SPRING-636

If you’re after grit, clank, and musical distortion, the Arturia Rev SPRING-636 is a must-try. It’s an emulation of the classic Grampian 636 unit, famously used by Pete Townshend and dub legends. This thing is not a clean, pristine reverb—it's a character piece.

Why it’s great for metal:
That lo-fi character is perfect for creating contrast in a dense mix. Stick it on an atmospheric clean guitar part and it will sound instantly vintage and vibey. Where it really shines, though, is on drums. Send your snare to it and crank the input drive. The preamp will saturate and distort in a really pleasing way before the signal even hits the springs, giving you a trashy, explosive snare reverb that sounds like nothing else.

Actionable Tip:
Use the "KICK" button to simulate kicking the hardware unit. Automate this on a single snare hit or at the end of a fill for a massive, thunderous spring crash that can act as a cool SFX transition. Also, play with the 3-band EQ after the reverb to shape the tone—you can filter out all the low-end mud and just keep the bright "sproing" to help it cut through.

Softube Spring Reverb

Sometimes you just need a straightforward, great-sounding tool that does one thing exceptionally well. That’s the Softube Spring Reverb. It’s dead simple to use but has a ton of flexibility under the hood. You can adjust the number of springs and use the "Tension" and "Shake" controls to add that essential spring chaos.

Why it’s great for metal:
Its simplicity is its strength. When you’re in the zone, you don’t want to scroll through a hundred presets. You want to dial in a sound and move on. It’s perfect for adding a subtle sense of space to a lead guitar without washing it out or for creating those signature drippy effects on clean tones. The "Shake" control is killer for adding a bit of noisy texture to the reverb tail on a vocal throw.

Actionable Tip:
Automate the "Shake" parameter on the last word of a vocal phrase. It will make the reverb tail fall apart in a chaotic, noisy way that can add a ton of dark personality to a screamer's performance.

Universal Audio AKG BX 20

If you’re in the UAD ecosystem, the AKG BX 20 Spring Reverb is the undisputed king. The original hardware was a massive wooden cabinet containing a long, intricate spring system, and it sounds absolutely huge. This isn’t your guitar amp’s spring tank; this is a lush, complex, and beautiful reverb that can sound almost like a plate.

Why it’s great for metal:
For epic, spacious clean sections or atmospheric layers, the BX 20 is magic. It provides a three-dimensional depth that can make a simple arpeggio sound enormous. Because its decay is so smooth, it works beautifully for ballads or the quiet intro to a heavy track. It adds space without the characteristic "boing" being too distracting, allowing it to sit further back in the mix.

Actionable Tip:
The BX 20 has a stereo "M/S" mode. Use it on a stereo clean guitar bus. This allows you to process the mono (mid) and stereo (sides) information differently, creating an incredibly wide and immersive reverb that doesn’t cloud the center of your mix where the kick, snare, and bass live.

AudioThing Springs 2

Can’t decide on just one spring sound? AudioThing Springs 2 is for you. It’s a "greatest hits" collection of spring reverbs, emulating everything from a Fender Twin Reverb tank to weird old Japanese units and even the classic Accutronics tanks. It’s a sonic Swiss Army knife for spring sounds.

Why it’s great for metal:
The sheer variety. You can find the perfect spring character for any source. Need that classic guitar amp sound for a bluesy metal lead? It’s in there. Need a dark, lo-fi mono spring for a vocal effect? It’s in there too. The built-in Baxandall EQ is also fantastic for quickly shaping the reverb tone to fit your mix.

Actionable Tip:
Send your main snare drum to an aux track with Springs 2 on it. Pick one of the shorter, punchier spring tank models. Use the pre-delay to separate the initial snare transient from the reverb "boing." Then, sidechain a compressor on the reverb track to the original snare. This will "duck" the reverb out of the way of the main snare hit, letting it bloom up in the space between hits for a rhythmic, pumping reverb effect.

Pro Techniques for Using Spring Reverb

Getting a great plugin is only half the battle. How you use it is what separates a good mix from a great one. Don’t just slap a spring reverb on a track and call it a day.

The Aux Send is Your Best Friend

You should almost always use your reverbs on an auxiliary (aux) or effects (FX) bus.

Why?

1. CPU Savings: You use one instance of the plugin instead of putting it on multiple tracks.
2. Total Control: You can send multiple sources (like a snare and a clean guitar) to the same reverb to create a cohesive space.
3. Post-Reverb Processing: The real magic happens here. You can EQ and compress the reverb signal completely separately from the dry signal.

Sending a signal to a reverb on a separate track is a form of parallel processing. Modern DAWs have delay compensation to keep everything phase-aligned, but it’s a good practice to be aware of, especially if you start building complex parallel chains. Proper bus processing is a cornerstone of modern mixing, whether you’re working on advanced compression techniques or crafting ambient spaces.

EQ Before and After the Reverb

This is a game-changer.

• Pre-Reverb EQ: Place an EQ before the spring reverb plugin on your aux track. Use a high-pass filter to cut out all the low-end mud from the signal before it even hits the reverb. This prevents the "sproing" from becoming a muddy, uncontrollable "BOOOOM." A high-pass around 200-500Hz is a great starting point.
• Post-Reverb EQ: Place another EQ after the reverb plugin. This is where you shape the reverb sound itself. Find any harsh, metallic frequencies and notch them out with a narrow Q. This is very similar to the surgical cuts you’d make when EQing metal guitars to remove fizz.

It’s All About Your Decisions

Could a pro like Jens Bogren or Will Putney get an amazing sound with your DAW’s stock reverb? Absolutely. Because their mixes are great due to their skills and decisions, not because they own every plugin under the sun.

Plugin Acquisition Syndrome is real. It’s easy to think the next VST will solve all your problems, but the truth is, your mixes will improve faster by mastering one or two great tools than by collecting twenty mediocre ones you barely know how to use.

Find a spring reverb plugin from this list that speaks to you, learn its sound inside and out, and focus on making smart mixing decisions with it.

Want to see exactly how the world's best producers make these decisions in real-time? At Nail The Mix, you get to be a fly on the wall. Every month, you get the raw multi-tracks from a massive song and watch one of our legendary instructors build the mix from scratch, explaining every plugin choice, every EQ move, and every automation pass.

Check out our full catalog of past sessions and see what it’s like to learn directly from the pros who mixed the albums you love.