LiquidSonics are back with an all new, all powerful Fusion-IR infused reverb plug-in called Illusion. In their previous products Reverberate, VerbSuite and, most recently, Seventh Heaven, the team at LiquidSonics have time and again proven they know a thing or two about producing great sounding convolution reverbs… but what is Fusion-IR?
Before we get into detail about Illusion let’s start by understanding what LiquidSonics smart Fusion-IR is all about as it is a technology developed by themselves and unique to their products.
Here is what LiquidSonics say about Fusion-IR on their website:
This revolutionary new processing technique captures the evolving character of time-varying reverbs using multiple true-stereo reverb streams that are processed simultaneously. The inputs to the convolution streams are modulated and the outputs fused into a rich, captivating space that mixes effortlessly with your music.
Fusion-IRs contain separately sampled early and late reverb components for a level of mix control never before found in convolution reverbs or sample packs.
The statement “mixes effortlessly with your music” couldn’t be more true. This is a quality I’ve found in all LiquidSonics reverbs, including Illusion.
Mix Test - Illusion Reverb On Drums & Vocals
In this video we put Illusion to work on a drum mix bus and lead vocal track. The overall mix is fairly solid but there’s a sense depth missing that makes the mix sound a bit two dimensional and upfront. Watch the video to hear how a couple of Illusion presets, and some quick tweaks of the controls, transforms the presentation of the drums and vocals into tastefully sculpted ambiences that frame each of the tracks.
Verdict - Is Illusion The Best LiquidSonics Reverb Plug-in Yet?
When I first heard the news that LiquidSonics were about to release a new reverb I thought their work would have been cut out for them to beat their previous product Seventh Heaven, which at the time I praised for sounding amazing. Truth be told, I still use Seventh Heaven regularly in my mixes, though I have one small gripe with it… it takes up nearly 10GB of space for the IRs on my system drive. Illusion isn’t Seventh Heaven, it’s something very different indeed. The UI features a great set of common controls that I found myself fully utilising, unlike other reverbs plug-ins which typically feature pages upon pages of dials that make me feel as though I need a science degree to fully appreciate and exploit. The digital footprint required for Illusion on my system drive is also greatly reduced compared to Seventh Heaven at 500MB. This digital weight saving is down to a new technology in Illusion called “Fusion-IR Synthesis”, here’s what LiquidSonics say about this:
Illusion pioneers a breakthrough approach to reverb simulation known as Fusion-IR | Synthesis.
A suite of highly advanced reverberation technologies synthesise Fusion-IRs to your precise specifications without the use of an external library of sampled impulse responses. Its beauty truly comes from within and it is perhaps the most versatile reverb processor available today.
Like other LiquidSonic reverbs, Illusion makes it easy to get great sounding reverbs sat in a mix. There is a slight hesitation between moving a control and hearing the change but this is a fairly typical behaviour of convolution reverbs. It’s something I got used to quickly so it’s a deal breaker.
The Flux effect is a nice addition as well, though to my ears it does sound quite subtle throughout the range. Part of me was expecting the flux modulation to be more pronounced, creative and chorus like.
If you are a stickler for quality reverbs in your mixes then you have got to consider Illusion. Like previous LiquidSonic reverbs, Illusion will not disappoint.
Pros:
Three EQ modules:
Global EQ
EQ for reflections
EQ for tail
Wealth of presets to get going with
No unnecessary controls, LiquidSonics have given us just the meat and potatoes we hunger for in a reverb plug-in
Tiny amount of hard drive space required compared to previous LiquidSonic reverbs
Cons:
Slight hesitation between adjusting a control and sound changing. It’s something I got used to quickly so it’s not a deal breaker
All in all, Illusion is a serious reverb plug-in for those that take reverb seriously. The sounds of the reverbs are easy to place in any mix and you’ll find that subtle amounts of short room reverbs within Illusion work brilliantly at adding context and depth that, for me at least, suit my style of mixing.
Illusion System Specs
LiquidSonics reverbs are at times quite taxing on CPU resources, but this can also be said about many other top quality reverb plug-ins.
iLok 2, iLok 3 or iLok computer based authorisation
Windows 7 and above
OS X / macOS 10.9 and above
VST 2.4, VST3, Audio Unit and AAX Native plug-in formats
64-bit DAWs are recommended (32-bit is supported)
500 MB hard disk space is required
At least 8 GB of main memory is recommended
A dual core i5 processor or above is recommended
Illusion Pricing & Intro Offers
Illusion is available to buy from the LiquidSonics Store at the introductory price of $169 (RRP $249 from 1 December 2018). Special pricing also available for Seventh Heaven users.
Learn More About Illusion
Visit LiquidSonics for more information and to download the 14 day free trial.