How to Use Valhalla Supermassive | A Free Reverb and Delay That Sounds Like a Paid Plugin

Valhalla Supermassive is a free plugin.

Even so, it gives you space that rivals paid ones.

This time I explain how to use it and how to apply it in band sound.

ryo

Honestly, at first I thought "it's free, so it's probably just a bonus." After using it, I changed my mind.

What Is Valhalla Supermassive?

It is a plugin that Valhalla DSP gives away for free.

Anyone can download it for free from the official site.

Valhalla DSP official site

Its genre sits between reverb and delay.

It is designed to create "an outsized sense of scale" rather than "realistic space."

It is not a type that recreates real rooms or halls.

It spreads sound through a huge web of feedback delays.

You can make anything from a simple echo to a reverb tail so long it seems endless.

It's free, and it's that capable?

Reader

ryo

Yes. Even next to paid plugins, I felt it holds up. It's the plugin I wished I had installed first when I started home recording.

The Basic Control Panel Explained

There aren't many knobs.

But their behavior changes by mode.

First, get the basic roles down.

At first, try setting Warp to 50% or more.

The delay suddenly turns into a reverb-like texture.

ryo

The first time I turned up this Warp knob, I was surprised by the change in sound. I applied it meaning a delay, and before I knew it, it had turned into a grand reverb.

The Main Modes You Can Use in Band Sound

There are 14 modes in total.

It's hard to remember them all, so I've narrowed it to 6 you can use for band work.

• Gemini: fast attack and short decay. High echo density, the most standard mode
• Great Annihilator: medium attack with a very long decay. Suits lead guitar
• Triangulum: slow attack, with a very long-lasting reverb and repeating echoes
• Hydra: slightly fast attack with a short decay. Echo density changes a lot with the Density setting
• Cassiopeia: sparse echo density at first. After a fast attack, it grows into a rich reverb
• Capricorn: fast attack and short decay. Echo density is one step higher than Lyra

Trying just these 6 is enough to start.

Which would you recommend trying first?

Reader

ryo

At first I wasted time going through every mode in order. If you're starting now, I think the quickest way is to get a feel with Gemini first.

There Are Plenty of Presets Too

Some of you may find building a mode from scratch hard.

In that case, picking from the presets is also recommended.

They are organized by category.

You can search by purpose, such as ECHOES, REVERBS and SFX.

When you find a preset you like, fine-tuning it from there is quick.

Practical Use in Band Sound

For rhythm guitar, use an Aux send, lightly

I don't recommend inserting it directly.

The outline of the dry sound gets blurred.

Send it to an Aux bus and apply it lightly.

For lead guitar, use Great Annihilator

It pairs well with single-note phrases.

The very long decay makes it dreamlike.

For a "wall of sound," use Triangulum

Its feature is a very long-lasting reverb.

Repeating echoes pile up and spread like a wall of sound.

For drum space, use Cassiopeia

It starts as sparse echoes.

After a fast attack, it grows into a rich reverb.

But the low end tends to build up.

Don't forget to apply a low cut with EQ.

Cautions across the whole mix

Keep drums and bass dry.

Send only decorative parts like guitar through the send.

If you overdo it, the band loses its outline.

ryo

I once inserted it directly on rhythm guitar. The whole band got blurred. Since then, I always send it through an Aux send.

About How Light It Runs

The CPU load is quite low.

Even if you stretch the decay time to 100 seconds, it runs lightly.

You can use it with confidence even in songs with lots of tracks.

Bonus | 2 More Free Plugins from Valhalla

Valhalla DSP has other free plugins too.

• Valhalla Space Modulator: a modulation plugin combining flanger and chorus
• Valhalla Freq Echo: an echo plugin that shifts the frequency of the echoes

Both are free.

Try them along with Supermassive.

Could paid plugins build the space even further?

Reader

ryo

Yes, exactly. I was satisfied with free plugins for a while myself. But once I used UAD Paradise Guitar Studio, the texture of my recorded sound changed. It's become something I can't let go of.

For People Who Want to Build Space Even Further

You can enjoy it plenty for free.

But some of you will want to build it up more.

In that case, UAD Paradise Guitar Studio is also recommended.

Fuzz and tape echo are built in.

What you record gets close to a finished sound as it is.

See UAD Paradise Guitar Studio at Plugin Boutique

Summary

Valhalla Supermassive performs like nothing you'd expect from a free plugin.

It works well in band sound too.

Start by trying Gemini mode.

Once you're used to it, take on Great Annihilator and Triangulum too.

ryo

The quality is hard to believe for free, so I can confidently recommend it even to people who've just started home recording. Please try it once.