Platen
Plate reverb, inspired by studio steel plate reverbs.
Platen is the dense, smooth plate that sits behind a vocal or snare: bright, quick to build and never grainy. Size, gentle Modulation in the tail and separate High Cut and Low Cut keep it out of the mix's way.
The controls
- Predelay
- Time before the reverb starts, 0 to 250 ms: keeps the dry sound clear in front.
- Decay
- How long the tail lasts, 0.3 to 10 s.
- Size
- The plate's size: smaller is tighter, bigger is grander.
- High Cut
- Darkens the tail: lower it so the reverb sits behind the vocal.
- Low Cut
- Clears the low end of the tail: keeps the mix clean.
- Modulation
- Gentle movement in the tail: richer and smoother.
- Width
- From mono to extra-wide.
- Mix
- How much reverb: 15 to 30% on an insert, or put it on a bus at 100%.
Best for
- Vocals: the classic plate
- Snare: bright, short and exciting
- Acoustic guitar and piano: shimmer
- Backing vocals: blend them together
Starting points
Load Platen, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.
Vocal plate
Predelay 40 ms, Decay 1.8 s, Size 100, High Cut 7000, Low Cut 150, Modulation 30, Mix 22%
Snare plate
Predelay 10 ms, Decay 1.0 s, Size 80, High Cut 9000, Low Cut 200, Modulation 20, Mix 25%
Big ballad
Predelay 60 ms, Decay 3.5 s, Size 120, High Cut 6000, Low Cut 120, Modulation 45, Mix 25%
Hints and tips
- Predelay of 30 to 60 ms keeps vocals clear and in front.
- Low Cut at 150 to 300 Hz stops the reverb muddying the mix.
- Use the chain's Drive and Tone to colour the whole chain, and Platen's own Mix for the reverb balance.
Chains it works best in
Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.
- Esscape then Lumiq then Platen: the classic vocal chain
- Fettle then Platen: an exciting snare
- Platen then Pinchroll: plate then echo for big, spacious vocals
Watch out for
- Long Decay with no Low Cut: it builds a wash of low end.
- Platen before a compressor: the compressor will pump the reverb. Put it last.
Platen is free
Like every DigMusiK plugin, Platen is free for registered members: it's part of the platform, so the chains you hand on and send for approval play the same for everyone. Try it in your studio, on your own mix.