sonible smart:reverb 2 plug-in: features and spec-based rating

sonible’s smart:reverb 2 analyzes the incoming sound with AI and builds a reverb that suits it. It has a “reverb matrix” that moves between room, hall, spring and plate, and a Distance parameter that changes how near or far the source seems.

A reverb adds the sound of a room or hall to a recording. For vocals, it adds space and helps the voice sit in the mix with the backing track.

In this article we compare smart:reverb 2 with 12 reverb plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Image: from the sonible official press kit

Summary

Among the 12 reverb plug-ins, smart:reverb 2 is rank S. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and S is the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 4.8.

Strengths

• Vocal-friendly sounds (5 points): it has the reverb sounds commonly used on vocals, so it is easy to use on a voice.
• Speed (5 points): clear controls and automatic settings get you to the sound you want quickly.

Who it suits: people who often get stuck setting up a reverb and want a sound that suits the source to be built automatically first.

Main features of smart:reverb 2

AI that listens and matches the reverb

Play the track and press the Learn button, and smart:reverb 2 analyzes the sound and builds a tail that suits its pitch and dynamics. The aim is to keep other sounds from being buried and the reverb from getting muddy. The analysis does not choose the kind of reverb for you; you can adjust how strongly it is matched with Source Adaption.

A reverb matrix that moves between four sounds

Four sounds, Room, Hall, Plate and Spring, sit at the corners of the screen, and moving the control takes you smoothly between them. The spread and decay change gradually at every position. Of the 8 products we compared, only smart:reverb 2 lets you choose a spring reverb.

Distance sets near and far

Moving Distance adjusts, in one control, whether the source feels close or far by changing the balance between the dry sound and the reverb and the tone. Together with Size and Width, you work by feel. In group mode you can set the positions of up to 7 tracks on one screen.

Clarity and ducking keep a voice easy to hear

Raising Clarity makes the reverb quieter only while the original sound is playing, so lyrics are easier to hear. Manual Override adds ducking that cuts the reverb after a set time and adjusts the reverb amount in three bands. There are also modes for effects, such as Reverse, where the tail swells as if played backwards.

Video: “smart:reverb 2 by sonible | the content-aware reverb” (official sonible YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube

Where it is useful

• Quickly building a starting point for a vocal reverb if you are not used to setting reverbs
• Placing a vocal, guitar and synth on separate tracks and setting their front-to-back order on one screen in group mode
• Keeping lyrics from being buried when you add reverb, using Clarity

Rating by criterion

Vocal-friendly sounds: 5 / 5

We check whether it has the reverb types vocalists use most (plate, hall and room).

It has a reverb matrix that moves between room, hall, spring and plate.

Easy to blend: 4 / 5

We check whether you can adjust the reverb so it does not get in the way of the voice and sits well with the backing track.

AI analyzes the incoming sound and builds a reverb that suits it. Raising Clarity makes the reverb quieter only while the voice is playing. Manual Override gives ducking that cuts the reverb after a set time and a reverb amount control for three bands.

Speed: 5 / 5

We check whether it has features that get you to the sound you want quickly, such as automatic settings or controls that work by feel, like distance.

AI builds the reverb, and Distance sets how near or far it feels.

How we score (Reverb plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Vocal-friendly sounds	Whether it offers the reverb types vocalists rely on (plate, hall and room)	Three or more standard sounds to choose from, including plate	Two or more including plate, or several plate models	Two or more standard sounds other than plate	One standard sound	Mainly special-effect sounds
Easy to blend	Controls for blending the reverb into a mix and a voice	Ducking, per-band decay time and reverb EQ are all included	Two of those, or a feature that adjusts automatically to the sound	One or two controls such as pre-delay or EQ	—	Not mentioned on the official page
Speed	How quickly you can reach the sound you want	AI builds the reverb automatically to suit the sound	Easy-to-understand controls, such as distance	Just pick a mode	Standard controls	—

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: adding a natural sense of space to a vocal and blending it into the backing track. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Vocal-friendly sounds" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

smart:reverb 2 screens and images

Image: from the sonible official press kit

Image: from the sonible official press kit

smart:reverb 2 system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows 10 or later / Mac (macOS 10.14 or later)
Plug-in formats	Windows: VST, VST3, AAX / Mac: VST, VST3, AU, AAX
Trial	30-day trial available
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.

Compared with other reverb plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• Pro-R 2: features and rating (rank S)
• SP2016 Reverb: features and rating (rank S)
• VintageVerb: features and rating (rank A)
• RAUM: features and rating (rank B)