Wave Alchemy Radiance v1.0

About Radiance

The legendary sound of mechanical plate reverb – revived and reimagined for the modern era.

Faithfully capturing the sound of seven unique vintage EMT-140 plates, Radiance brings this iconic sound into the present day by combining advanced DSP and sound shaping with detailed modelling.

Instantly add vibrance to your music and go between deep haunting vocals, crisp tight drums or bright airy guitars with ease.

Available now as an AU, VST3 and AAX plugin for macOS and Windows.

A Legend Reimagined

Before the EMT 140 reverb was released in 1957, the only option for musicians and engineers to capture a realistic sense of space in their music was to record in a bigger room or use echo chambers.

By using an 8×4 foot sheet of metal in a solid wooden box engineers were able to recreate a sense of space in a brand new way that became known as Plate Reverb. This distinctly analogue process meant each and every plate reverb has its own sonic fingerprint.

Some were darker, some were brighter, some were longer and others were shorter. With this in mind we travelled to numerous top studios around the world to find the seven most iconic examples of this legendary Plate Reverb Sound.

Radiance is a sonic encyclopedia of classic plate reverbs from the past 60 years.

7 Vintage Plates

Because no two 140 plates sound the same, we set about finding the seven most unique sounding examples of this classic reverb at various studios around the world.

Chosen for their distinct qualities, we modelled each one in exquisite detail and usefully named them after their immediate sonic character.

From dark and moody, to beautifully vibrant and airy, Radiance’s plate models cover a wide sonic spectrum.

Modern Control

Going far beyond a typical emulation, Radiance gives you quick and easy access to powerful modern features that often require multiple plugins, complex routing and considerable time.

Take the iconic 140 plate sound to new dimensions with rich modulation, ducking, mid / side EQ, gating, dual-band stereo width, transient shaping, reverb character modes and much more…

The Plates

From deep and weighty, to lush and airy, Radiance’s seven plate modes model some of the most sought after plate reverb sounds in existence.

Air

Some original EMT-140s came equipped with an internal input filter that could add perceivable brightness and reduced low end. The Air model uses this technique to create a bright and airy reverb sound which is ideal for adding a sense of space around vocals, strings and drums.

Classic

Modelled on a plate from a major studio with a world-famous owner. This specific plate can be heard on countless hit records, with a near endless list of pop and rock classics. With a very even sound, this plate delivers a rich and balanced tone.

Clear

Hidden away in a studio that doubles as a rehearsal space for a famous country and rock band that has been releasing music for the past 38 years. The Clear plate is similar to the Classic plate, with a brighter top and deeper bass for a crystal clear sound.

Crisp

A converted mono to stereo plate, Crisp delivers a distinctly bright and short sound. With a shortest reverb time of just 400ms this is the tightest and shortest plate we found anywhere. Perfect for bright slap back, modulated chorus effects and tight gated drums.

Dark

Modelled on a Plate living in one of the most beautiful studios in the world, the Dark model is the ultimate plate sound for deep and rich reverb. Whether looking for lush vocals or low mid ambience that sits effortlessly into a mix, Dark is the deepest plate reverb we found anywhere.

Tube

The Tube Plate once lived in a world-famous studio that was used on countless records by the royalty of 70s rock. Sitting tonally between the Classic and Dark Plates, Tube is heavily coloured by its tube electronics for a weighty sound with just the right touch of high end sparkle.

Vintage

Nestled away in the machine room of a modern recording studio we found a restored Plate reverb with a distinct mid forward sound. The perfect compliment to the Classic reverb sound, Vintage features a smooth top end and moderate bass which sounds great when collapsed with Radiance’s phase coherent mono mode.