What is the difference between an AU reverb and a VST3 reverb?

None in the sound: AU and VST3 are two plugin formats. The right choice is the one your DAW loads; a plugin shipped in both formats works in every DAW on Mac.

Which reverb should I choose for vocals?

A plate or a short room, with 10 to 40 ms of pre-delay and a filtered return. For a rap or very rhythmic vocal, keep a short tail (under 1.2 s) and a low level.

Algorithmic or convolution reverb?

Algorithmic computes the space and can be shaped freely (size, length, density); convolution reproduces a real recorded place. In music production, algorithmic is the most used for its flexibility.

Does a reverb plugin slow down a Mac?

An algorithmic reverb uses little CPU. To save processing, use one reverb on a shared send rather than one instance per track, and a native Apple Silicon plugin if your Mac has that chip.

Reverb plugins on Mac: choosing the type, the format and the right settings

4 min read · Updated October 6, 2026

A reverb places a sound in a space: a small room, a large hall, a metal plate or an impossible space. On Mac, it comes as an AU or VST3 plugin and works in every DAW that loads these formats. Here is how to choose the type of reverb, place it in your session and set it so the mix gains depth without getting blurry.

In short

AU or VST3: same sound, only the format your DAW expects changes.
Choose the type of space: room, hall, plate, ambience.
Set decay, size and pre-delay for the tempo and the source.
Filter the return: cut the lows, soften the highs.
Prefer an aux send shared by several tracks.
Shimmer, delay and modulation to go beyond real spaces.

AU or VST3: what matters on Mac

On Mac, plugins come in two main formats: AU (Audio Units, Apple's format) and VST3. The audio processing is the same; only the format your DAW can load changes. Some DAWs only accept AU, others only VST3, many accept both: a plugin shipped in both formats works everywhere.

Also check the architecture: a "universal" plugin runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, without emulation. An algorithmic reverb uses little CPU, but several native instances stay lighter.

Reverb types and when to use them

Room: a room, short and natural, for drums, guitars or a vocal that must stay close. Hall: a large hall, long and enveloping, for pads, strings and ballads. Plate: a metal plate, dense and bright, the reference on vocals and snare. Ambience: a few early reflections with no audible tail, to add air without pushing the sound back.

There are two big families: algorithmic reverb, which computes the space and can be shaped freely, and convolution reverb, which reproduces the response of a real recorded place. For music produced in the studio, algorithmic is the most flexible. Lontana Reverb, NAUPLY's algorithmic reverb, brings five modes (Room, Hall, Plate, Ambience, Massive) in VST3 and AU.

Coming soonFrom a small room to infinite space, in a single reverb.

The settings that matter

Decay sets the length of the tail: 0.5 to 1.2 s for a rhythmic vocal, 1.5 to 3 s for a ballad or pads. A good rule: on a fast song, the tail should die out before the next downbeat. Size sets the perceived size of the space, independently of the length.

Pre-delay delays the onset of the reverb: 10 to 40 ms keep a vocal or a snare in front of its reverb and the lyrics intelligible. Diffusion sets the density: low, you hear distinct echoes; high, a smooth wash.

Send or insert

On an aux send, the reverb sits at 100% mix on a dedicated track, and each track sends the amount it needs. Several sources share the same space, the mix stays coherent and you save CPU. This is the most common method.

On an insert, on a single track, keep the mix low (15 to 35%): beyond that, the sound moves away and loses impact. An insert suits a special effect reserved for one source.

Shimmer, delay and modulation: beyond reverb

A shimmer reverb pitch-shifts the sound inside the reverb loop: it climbs an octave on each pass, for airy pads and textures. A tempo-synced delay often gives a vocal more presence than a big reverb, and a chorus or ensemble widens a sound without drowning it.

The Lontana line follows this logic: Lontana Shimmer for octave pads, Lontana Delay for digital, analog or modulated echoes, Lontana Mod for chorus, ensemble, flanger and phaser.

Coming soonA reverb that climbs in octaves, for pads and textures.Coming soonDigital, analog or modulated: one delay, three characters.Coming soonChorus, ensemble, flanger and phaser in a single interface.

Common mistakes

Too much reverb is the most common mistake: raise the send until you hear the space, then pull it back slightly. A reverb you notice on its own is often too loud in the mix.

An unfiltered return makes the mix muddy: cut the lows of the return (200 to 400 Hz) and soften the highs. Finally, avoid stacking a different space on every track: two or three shared reverbs are enough for most songs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an AU reverb and a VST3 reverb?: None in the sound: AU and VST3 are two plugin formats. The right choice is the one your DAW loads; a plugin shipped in both formats works in every DAW on Mac.
Which reverb should I choose for vocals?: A plate or a short room, with 10 to 40 ms of pre-delay and a filtered return. For a rap or very rhythmic vocal, keep a short tail (under 1.2 s) and a low level.
Algorithmic or convolution reverb?: Algorithmic computes the space and can be shaped freely (size, length, density); convolution reproduces a real recorded place. In music production, algorithmic is the most used for its flexibility.
Does a reverb plugin slow down a Mac?: An algorithmic reverb uses little CPU. To save processing, use one reverb on a shared send rather than one instance per track, and a native Apple Silicon plugin if your Mac has that chip.

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