Tritik has released Irid, a shimmer reverb effect with three tunable voices.

Irid is typically priced €49, but you can get it for €29 during the 40% OFF intro offer. The offer ends on July 31st, 2020.

Shimmer Me Timbers

By definition, a shimmer reverb is a reverb effect with a pitch-shifted tail in the feedback loop. Tritik expands on this concept by providing three tunable shimmer reverb voices instead of just one. This opens a world of possibilities for creative sound design, from generating lush harmonized reverbs to all sorts of grotesque atonal drones and anything in between.

See also: Free Music Production Software

Invented by Brian Eno and popularized by U2’s Edge, a shimmer reverb is most often used to provide an electric guitar with a sense of lush grandeur and ambiance. Granted, chances are you’ll occasionally hear a breath of shimmer reverb on a vocal or a piano, but it’s generally regarded as a shoegaze guitarist’s effect.

Irid tends to change all that. The plugin’s extended feature set makes it a rather versatile effect, one that could quickly become your favorite “secret weapon” in the studio.

Easy Does It

Although Irid adds some complexity to the basic shimmer reverb concept, the plugin is fairly easy to use. You don’t have to be a synth geek or a mad scientist with a knob twisting diploma to figure out the ins and outs of Irid’s control layout.

Each voice has a separate volume level control and a cheeky “reverse” button that will time-reverse the reverb signal. The plugin also features the standard feedback, size, and diffusion control parameters that you’ll encounter in almost any reverb effect. A syncable pre-delay control is included, too, along with the wet and dry signal volume controls for adjusting the balance between the input signal and the reverb tail. You can use a pair of filters to shape the reverb’s tone.

Irid features a pair of pitch shifters and a frequency shifter.

The main attraction, though, are the reverb tuning controls. The plugin features two pitch shifters and a frequency shifter. The pitch shifters have a range of -1 octave to +2 octaves, and the frequency shifter goes from -100 Hz to +2000 Hz. Being that the reverberated signal itself generates the tunable voices, it’s easy to figure out how much sound design potential lies in Irid’s triple voice setup.

Another convenient feature is the Freeze function. Use it to freeze the reverb in time for those long, never-ending drones and soundscapes.

Visual Minimalism

Again, you can do some fairly complex stuff with Irid, but the plugin never feels complicated to use. The interface is beautifully minimal (if that’s your thing), using only two colors and a flat 2D design. The control layout is intuitive, and it’s easy to figure out which parameter does what without ever touching the manual.

As is always the case with Tritik plugins, the interface is resizable, and it can fit any type of computer screen. Also, the large knobs and sliders totally make it touchscreen-friendly, which is always a nice bonus in this modern-day and age. There are some rumors that the next generation of Macbooks will feature a touchscreen on the main display, so there you go.

It’s Shimmer O’Clock!

I’m always on a lookout for effects that will serve as a source of inspiration when my well of sound design creativity dries out. Irid perfectly fits that profile.

Tritik provided a handy collection of presets to help new users get started with the plugin. You get four sets of factory presets (Classics, Echoes, FX, Textures) and a set of designer presets provided by the likes of Audilepsy, Richard Devine, and emptyvessel. But presets aside, Irid is one of those instantly playable effects that invite you to experiment and create custom patches. Irid can deliver sounds that are lush, glitchy, heavenly, or dystopian. It truly is the type of tool that every sound designer should have in their arsenal.

If you have an hour to spare in the studio, fire up your DAW, load Irid on a synth channel, and start sampling all the crazy drones and pads you come up with. Seriously, chances are you’ll come up with at least a few inspirational sounds for future projects.

The Conclusion

Irid is a lot more than a simple shimmer reverb. If you’re into creative sound design, definitely check it out. The software is compatible with VST, VST, AU, and AAX hosts on PC and Mac.

Priced at €49, the plugin is a reasonably good deal to begin with. However, until July 31st, you can take advantage of the 40% OFF intro offer and spend no more than €29 for your copy of Irid. That’s an opportunity not to be missed.

More info: Tritik Irid (40% OFF until July 31st, 2020)

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