# Altiverb 7 or VSL's MIR Pro



## dnito (Dec 30, 2011)

I need a convolution Reverb to replace Sound Designer. Clearly their are things that each reverb does that the other doesn't, but I'm wondering if anyone can offer some first hand experience to how the two compare? With the other VSL products I am buying during their holiday sale, the price of MIR would be about the same as Altiverb.

Thank you!
d.

Mac Pro (early 2009)
8 core 2.93 Hrz Xeon
32 GB RAM


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## Dietz (Dec 31, 2011)

Hi d.,

if you really plan for just replacing SoundDesigner, MIR Pro is not what you're looking for. MIR Pro is not primarily about reverb, more about a completely new, holistic approach to spatial mixing. Altiverb and MIR Pro don't have much in common.

You should look into Vienna Suite. VS contains two plug-ins which will do exactly what you're looking for (and then some): VS Convolution Reverb and VS Hybrid Reverb. -> http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/497/1686/1673/115.htm

HTH,

/Dietz


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## Stephen Baysted (Dec 31, 2011)

In addition to the excellent VSL reverbs, do try out QL Spaces too - sounds fabulous.


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## dedersen (Dec 31, 2011)

Also, VSL reverb and Spaces play together quite well. I use the VSL verb to position VSL or other dry instruments on a stage, and then use Spaces for the hall reverb.


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## studioj (Dec 31, 2011)

I have all the reverbs mentioned above except for MIR and I find myself going to VSL's Hybrid Reverb the most. I really love it. Spaces sounds great but its not quite as flexible and i had some weird pre-delay bugs with it. i still use Altiverb for that off mic / in the room / non orchestral sound though but it doesn't have the lush quality you can get from Hybrid. Anyway you can't go wrong with Hybrid and you get a ton of other very useful plugins with the vienna suite.


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## dnito (Dec 31, 2011)

studioj @ Sat Dec 31 said:


> I have all the reverbs mentioned above except for MIR and I find myself going to VSL's Hybrid Reverb the most. I really love it. Spaces sounds great but its not quite as flexible and i had some weird pre-delay bugs with it. i still use Altiverb for that off mic / in the room / non orchestral sound though but it doesn't have the lush quality you can get from Hybrid. Anyway you can't go wrong with Hybrid and you get a ton of other very useful plugins with the vienna suite.



Thanks studio.

A few follow ups, if I may...

- Are you using Altiverb 7 that has the mic positioning feature?
- Besides the bugs, how do you find Spaces limiting?
- Do you use the Hybrid Reverb with VSL's instruments or with others?

I do a lot of non-orchestral music mixing which is why I am considering Altiverb. 

My assumption, and perhaps I am incorrect, is that that Altiverb 7 would provide more options (dif types of reverbs, included IRs, a convolution reverb with a brightness control and mic positioning).

MIR's mic-positioning feature looks truly awesome and and I'd bet is superior to it's competitors, though I fear I may be limited when it comes to non-orchestral music. 

In an ideal world, I'd imagine having MIR and a convolution would be the way to go.


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## EastWest Lurker (Dec 31, 2011)

My go to is a QL Spaces bus for each section and then all the seems go to a little UAD Plate 140. Love it,

That said, I beta tested MIR Pro and if you use mostly dry libraries like VSL and LASS, it is pretty special.


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## dnito (Dec 31, 2011)

EastWest Lurker @ Sat Dec 31 said:


> My go to is a QL Spaces bus for each section and then all the seems go to a little UAD Plate 140. Love it,
> 
> That said, I beta tested MIR Pro and if you use mostly dry libraries like VSL and LASS, it is pretty special.



Thanks East West Lurker.

I am mostly using dry samples as I need flexibility from my sound libraries so that I can do different types of jobs. I also have a small studio so what live instruments I do record have a dry sound as well.

For now, VSL solo instruments and LASS 2.0 are going to be my go-to samples. At a later date I plan on getting some of the other libraries that have that built-in lushness that will lend so well to more specific styles.

PS. I'm getting the UAD 140 plates as well. How are you using it with Spaces?


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## EastWest Lurker (Dec 31, 2011)

dnito @ Sat Dec 31 said:


> EastWest Lurker @ Sat Dec 31 said:
> 
> 
> > My go to is a QL Spaces bus for each section and then all the seems go to a little UAD Plate 140. Love it,
> ...



Simple

Once I have done a sub-mix for i.e strings I change their output to a Logic buss via an aux, so now I can mix the strings with the other sections and preserve all my automation and create stems down the line. I open a send on that aux which automatically creates another aux with another bus input. I insert QL Spaces and use a So Cal Hall Strings patch.

I follow the same procedure for the other sections of the orchestra. Then I either open a second send on all my sub-mix stem auxes and send them to the Plate 140 or bounce them to audio and then send the audio tracks to the Plate 140 for final mixing.

But these are both reverbs and MIR Pro is a different beast. For dry libraries MIR Pro brings a lot to the party. I am not using a lot of very dry libraries so I did not end up getting it, but it s quite an achievement.


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## dnito (Dec 31, 2011)

Dietz @ Sat Dec 31 said:


> Hi d.,
> 
> if you really plan for just replacing SoundDesigner, MIR Pro is not what you're looking for. MIR Pro is not primarily about reverb, more about a completely new, holistic approach to spatial mixing. Altiverb and MIR Pro don't have much in common.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much, Dietz.

I had always assumed that MIR was the "big brother" to the reverbs in Vienna'S Suite, but after checking out the videos I see that I was wrong.

Can you offer some insight into how MIR Pro differs/ expands upon what Vienna Suite's reverbs do? Can you use the Hybrid within MIR or is this pointless?

Happy New Year!

d.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 31, 2011)

MIR is a new generation of processor, as Dietz is saying. It uses...multiple impulse responses, and it's really a new concept of mixing.

MIR works best with VSL's libraries, but it's still pretty amazing with others too.



> I find myself going to VSL's Hybrid Reverb the most. I really love it



^ yup. It just sticks to whatever you run through it, and it has none of the bad things that lousy reverbs have: sparklies, metallic sounds, lousy build-up in small spaces. 

But Altiverb is still great after all these years.

I haven't tried QL Spaces, but the impulses in Play typically have a really nice thick, lush sound. What I've heard is more suited for individual instruments than for a whole mix, but then the halls on EWQLSO always add something nice even if you're using mostly other orchestral libraries in a cue.


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## dnito (Dec 31, 2011)

Is it fair to say that MIR takes the dry (and thus more versatile) samples and breathes a space into them that enables them to be used in larger orchestral settings?


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