If you like your reverbs to venture beyond the classic plate or spring, the Hollow plugin by Sinevibes is an invitation you won’t be able to resist.
Reverb is an essential tool for creating space in a mix and gluing disparate elements together to create cohesion. But beyond these practical concerns, reverb can provide alternative rhythmic textures and otherworldly ambience. This is where a plugin like Hollow excels.
The plugin provides a range of parameters (some conventional — like pre-delay, size, and decay) and combines them with a few that are unique to Hollow. This combination makes for a singular reverberant experience and a pretty wild ride.
The single-screen user interface of Hollow isn’t intimidating (in fact, the orbs indicating the nature of the reverb is quite intuitive), but what it conceals under the hood definitely is. With 24 delay lines, 32 filters, and a giant feedback network, it’s no ordinary reverb.
While it’s capable of more conventional tones (the presets on this plugin are super-helpful), the real fun is had when you go on tangents, pushing reverb tails beyond all recognisable limits. Much of this can be achieved in the Reverb section of the plugin, but the Unison section also deserves a mention.
Unison is where the four phase-shifted sine oscillators do their magic. It gives users a chance to modulate reverb and delay tails. This lends the plugin — which is already is quite a beast — another crucial dimension.
Hollow is a very hands-on plugin, which speaks to its inherent musicality. With nothing but a dry 808 drum loop, I was able to conjure up all kinds of ethereal soundscapes, industrial sound design, and a collection of rhythms that I simply wouldn’t have been able to imagine by myself. There are also built-in lag filters, meaning you can click and drag — or automate — without any distracting clicks and pops.
On a synth, I was able to dial in tasteful alternative harmonies and drones alongside arpeggios and melodies, delivering additional atmosphere to an otherwise clean and sterile tone. All in all, Hollow is a tool that’s capable of unlocking inspiration, especially if you lean toward electronic production.
For all the details, head over to Sinevibes.
