Reverb 4 / Reverb iOS

Installation and user manual

Contents
2 Setting up the software for first use....................................................... 3
2.1 Installation on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) ................................................ 3
2.1.1 Installing the software .......................................................................................... 3
2.1.2 Configuring your host program / DAW ................................................................. 3
2.1.3 Activating a license ............................................................................................... 3
2.1.4 Installing updates .................................................................................................. 4
3 User interface common controls ............................................................ 5
3.1.1 Controlling Knobs and sliders................................................................................ 5
3.1.2 Sliders.................................................................................................................... 5
3.1.3 Draggers / nodes ................................................................................................... 5
3.1.4 Lasso ..................................................................................................................... 5
3.1.5 VU meters ............................................................................................................. 5
3.1.6 Tool bar ................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.7 Hamburger menu .................................................................................................. 7
3.1.8 Editor settings dialog ............................................................................................ 7
3.1.9 Program manager ................................................................................................. 8
3.1.10 Export programs in the program manager ........................................................... 8
3.1.11 Import programs in the program manager ........................................................... 9
4 TB Reverb 4 / Reverb iOS ....................................................................... 10
4.1 User interface ....................................................................................................... 10
4.1.1 controls area ......................................................................................................... 10
4.1.2 EQ tab ................................................................................................................... 10
4.1.3 Decay tab .............................................................................................................. 11
4.1.4 Gate tab ................................................................................................................ 11
4.1.5 LFO tab .................................................................................................................. 12
4.1.6 Shim tab ................................................................................................................ 13
4.1.7 Expert settings panel............................................................................................. 14
4.1.8 Multi-channel support .......................................................................................... 14

2 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
2 Setting up the software for first use
2.1 Installation on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)
2.1.1 Installing the software
The software will/should be installed in the locations given in the table below.

Operating Folder(s)
system
Windows C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2\ToneBoosters\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ToneBoosters\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins\ToneBoosters\
C:\Program Files\ToneBoosters\

Mac OS /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/ToneBoosters/
/Applications/ToneBoosters/
Linux No automatic installer provided. Recommended locations for manual installation:
VST plugins: ~/.vst
VST3 plugins: ~/.vst3

2.1.2 Configuring your host program / DAW

After installation of the trial/evaluation plugins, you may have to inform your host program about the presence
of new plugins. Most host programs require you to provide the folder where plugins are installed.
• Consult your host program manual how to configure plugin folders. On Windows, make sure you add
the following VST scan path to your host program settings if not already present:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST2\
• Refresh and/or re-start your host program to allow it to scan for new plugins on your computer.

2.1.3 Activating a license

To run software in registered mode without demo limitations you can acquire an activation code in the
ToneBoosters online store. The activation code is sent by email after purchase and consists of a long
alphanumerical string that should be copied into the designated field when opening a plugin from within a host
program. The user interface that has the entry field for your email and an activation code is shown in the figure
below. Make sure that the email address entered is the same as the email address used for purchasing the
software.

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 After entering your email and the activation code in the designated fields, click on ‘Activate’ to activate your
license. Alternatively, without a valid activation code, you can try the plugin in demo mode.

2.1.4 Installing updates

Simply download and run a more recent software installer from [Link] to update.

4 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
3 User interface common controls
3.1.1 Controlling Knobs and sliders
The various knobs and sliders on the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of the plugins can be controlled by left-
mouse clicks (for switches) or left-mouse drags (for rotary controls and sliders). The following key combinations
apply that modify the behavior of the GUI elements:

3.1.2 Sliders
• Drag up/down or left/right to change the value
• Hold 'Shift' for fine-control micro edits
• Double click to reset to the default value
• Click on the numeric value to allow manual entry of values trough the keyboard.

3.1.3 Draggers / nodes

• Drag left/right or up/down to change the position and value

• Hold 'Shift' for fine-control micro edits
• Double click to reset to the default position
• Use mouse wheel to change the rotary value (for example the Q value)
• Hold 'Control' to allow for vertical movement only
• Hold 'Alt' to allow for horizontal movement only
• Left mouse click to activate (if supported)
• Right mouse click to de-activate (if supported)

3.1.4 Lasso
Some plugins may provide a lasso function to select multiple draggers/nodes and move them all simultaneously.
To activate the lasso, drag around the nodes you want to capture. To release the lasso, click once outside the
lasso range.

3.1.5 VU meters !"#$%&%'()"*'+),)+'-./)0,)1'

$2'34)'+"/3'5'/)6-21/
Plugins equipped with VU meters will typically show
both peak and RMS levels in the same meter. The VU
meters will show two segments with slightly different
colors. The lower segment is the RMS (root-mean- 78'%)3)0'-9'6&00)23'()"*',"+&)
square) value; the peak value is shown by the upper
segment. Peak hold values will be shown numerically <40)/4-+1'/+$1)0'=6+$6*'3-')23)0'
and by two horizontal lines in the meter. RMS levels are 2&%)0$6"+',"+&)>
unweighted and computed with a 400-ms time
constant.
78'%)3)0'-9'6&00)23':!;',"+&)
Click on the VU meter to reset the peak hold value (if
supported).

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3.1.6 Tool bar
ToneBoosters apps and plugins have a common tool bar at the top of the user interface.

The tool bar shows the plugin version number, and will also indicate if a newer version is available. The second
row contains the following tools:
• Program selector: clicking on the program selector can trigger one of two different actions, depending
on the app/plugin’s architecture:
o For plugins/apps that can hold multiple programs simultaneously, a dropdown menu will
appear that lists all programs currently loaded. Click any of them to switch between currently
loaded programs.
o For plugins/apps that can hold only one program at a time, a preset manager will appear to
browse and load programs from disk (factory or user programs).
o Double click on the program name to edit it.
• A/B toggle to quickly toggle between two configurations (A and B). This toggle button can be used as
follows:
o Click on the A/B toggle switch to activate configuration A.
o Modify any plugin parameter that you would like to be set for configuration A.
o Click on the A/B toggle switch to activate configuration B.
o Modify any plugin parameter that you would like to be changed for configuration B.
o You can now quickly switch between configurations A and B by clicking on the A/B toggle
switch.
• Undo. This will undo previous changes. You can also use control-z or command-z.
• Redo. This will redo changes that were undone previously. You can also use control-y or command-y.
• Copy. This will copy all current parameter settings to the internal clipboard. You can also use control-c
or command-c.
• Paste. This will copy the settings in the clipboard to all parameter settings. You can also use control-v
or control-v.
• Load. This will bring up the program manager to browse or load a program.
• Save. This will bring up the program manager to save the current program.
• Scale factor for the user interface
o Click to open a drop-down menu with commonly used scale factor settings;
o Double click to enter a numerical value.

6 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
3.1.7 Hamburger menu
The hamburger menu opens up a drop-down menu with various options.
• Editor settings: open a new dialog to change a variety of editor
settings
• Audio/Midi settings: open a panel to set up audio and midi inputs
(only when opened as app; not available when opened as plugin)
• Import / export xml program: import or export the current
preset/program as xml file using the native file browser. You can use
these exported xml file to import presets on other computers or
platforms.
• Import / export xml program bank: import or export all currently
loaded presets/programs as xml file using the native file browser. This
option is not available in plugins that only have one preset slot in a
preset bank.
• Deactivate license: remove your license from the current computer.
Only available if software licenses were activated. Not available on iOS.
• Fullscreen mode: switch to fullscreen mode. This option is only available on macOS and Windows.
Programs and program banks are imported and exported as xml files. XML files are intended to be cross-platform
compatible, e.g. a program (bank) exported on iOS can be imported into the desktop version of the same plugin
and vice versa.

3.1.8 Editor settings dialog

The editor settings dialog holds a variety of configurable settings that determine how a plugin editor behaves
and interacts with the mouse.
The top half of the panel has settings that apply to all (current and future) instances, and includes setting a color
theme, a maximum font size, and select triggers related to mouse button and mouse wheel interactions.
The lower half of the panel allows you to save, load and delete default program(s) and the editor size for new
instances when created in your digital audio workstation. If the ‘Load’ and ‘Delete’ buttons are disabled, no
default program(s) and editor size were saved. Lastly, an experimental option to enable or disable (GPU)
hardware acceleration is provided. It is recommended to use the default value for optimum performance.

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3.1.9 Program manager
The program manager allows you to load, categorize and browse preset and user programs. The two columns
on the left allow you to select a library and a category as filters; the resulting set of available programs will show
up in the 3 columns on the right.
• Click a program to load it, while keeping the program manager open.
• Double click a program to load it and close the program manager.
• Use the Exit button (cross in the right top corner) to exit the program manager.
• Use the Ok button to close the program manager.
• Use the Cancel button to close the program manager and revert to the program that was loaded prior
to opening the program manager.
• Use the up/down buttons to navigate to the previous or next program in the list.
• Use the Name button to rename a program.
• Use the Category button to change the category of a program.
• Use the Library button to change the library name of a program.
• Use the Delete button to delete a program.
• Use the search text entry at the top to filter the list based on a text query.
• Drag a program to a different category or library to move it (this does not work with factory libraries)

3.1.10 Export programs in the program manager

The program manager can export all currently visible patches in one single zip file. You can use this zip file for
backup or to share programs with other users.
• To export all patches, click on ‘All’ in both the Library and Category selectors. Then click on Export to
export all patches visible in the list.
• To export one library only, select the Library, select ‘All’ in the Category selector. Then click on Export
to export all patches from the selected library.
• You can make any selection using the Library and Category selectors and text search query method to
create a subset of patches. This selection can then be exported as one zip file.
• When you click on Export, you will be asked where to store the zip file with the patches on your
computer or mobile device.
• Export will maintain the library and category structure of the exported programs.

8 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
3.1.11 Import programs in the program manager
Use the Import button to import a zip file containing patches that was created using the Export programs option.
• Click on Import to select a zip archive stored on your computer or mobile device.
• After a short analysis time, you will see how many patches were found in the selected zip file.
If you are importing programs that cause a name conflict (e.g. having the same combination of library, category
and program name as programs already saved), you will be asked how these conflicts will need to be handled:
• Click Ok to overwrite existing programs with the
imported programs;
• Click Merge to automatically create a copy of an
imported program if there is another program with
the same name that was already present.
• Click cancel to abort import of programs.

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4 TB Reverb 4 / Reverb iOS
4.1 User interface
4.1.1 controls area

Control Purpose
Decay Adjusts the simulated room decay time. The numerical values indicate the reverberation time (T60).
Freeze Freezes the reverb signal creating a continuous loop until released.
Density Adjusts the density of the reverb. A higher density corresponds to a dense reverberation. A low
density corresponds to a very sparse reverberation tail like random or flutter echos.
Depth Adjusts the depth, e.g., the ratio between early reflections and late reverberation. A value of 100%
corresponds to late reverberation only. A value of 0% gives early reflections only.
Dry Sets the dry output level.
Wet Sets the wet (early reflections and late reverberation) output level.
Width Sets the spatial width from mono (0%) to maximum width (100%).
Delay Sets the initial delay of the late reverberation.
Compress Sets the amount of dynamic compression applied to the reverberation.
Mute dry Global parameter to disable the dry output for all programs
Eco mode Run the reverb in eco mode, for reduced CPU load
Analyzer Enable or disable the spectrum analyzer, which will show the direct and reverb contributions of the
output by different colors / curves.
Dry-wet Enable the padlock button to switch to locked dry and wet level settings for all programs. Disable
lock the button to switch to program-dependent dry and wet level settings.
Dice icon Click the dice icon to apply random reverberation settings. This allows you to quickly dial in
completely different reverb settings for creative exploration.
• LFO, modulation, gating and shimmer settings will not be changed with this feature.

4.1.2 EQ tab
The EQ tab (shown below) allows you to shape the spectrum of the reverberation. The tab shows a level
expressed in decibels as a function of frequency in Hz. The tab contains 4 equalizer (EQ) sections visualized by
the four circles (nodes). Each section contributes to the overall frequency spectrum.
• Drag the node around to change the frequency and gain of each node.
• Use the mouse wheel to change the bandwidth (quality, or Q factor) of each node.
• There are two peaking equalizer filter, one high-pass filter, and one low-pass filter.
• Double-click on the node to reset it to its default values.

10 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
 When one node is selected, a small popup window will appear that allows fine-tuning of parameter values. The
small popup menu has a slider for frequency (F), gain (G), and quality (Q). Double-click on these sliders to
manually enter numbers.
The solid line in the tab shows the overall curve which consists of a sum of the contributions of each individual
equalizer section.

When one or more parameters of a node is modulated using the integrated LFO, the effect of the modulation
is shown in two ways:
• The response curves will change over time corresponding to the modulation effect, and
• The node itself will display the frequency, gain and Q offset (if available) using disks around the node.
• The disk on the left moving up and down shows the modulation offset for the gain
parameter.
• The disk at the top (moving left or right) shows the modulation offset for the
frequency parameter.
• The disk on the right (moving up and down) shows the modulation offset for the Q
parameter.

4.1.3 Decay tab

The decay tab allows one to change the decay (or reverberation time) as a function of frequency. This works
quite similar to how the EQ tab operates. Drag the various nodes around to modify the reverberation time.
• The decay tab has one low-shelving filter, one high-shelving filter, and one peaking filter.
• A value of 1.0 indicates that at that particular frequency, the reverberation time is equal to the one
specified by the ‘Decay’ control. In other words, the vertical axis represents a multiplication factor.
• A value smaller than 1.0 (say 0.5) indicates a smaller reverberation time (1.10 seconds if the
multiplication factor equals 0.5). Similarly, a value larger than 1.0 equates to a larger reverberation time
than the ‘Decay’ control.
• When one node is selected, a small pop-up menu appears for fine editing of the corresponding
parameter values.

4.1.4 Gate tab

The ‘Gate’ tab allows to enable gating, peaking and ducking. In the left-top part of the ‘Gate’ tab, a mode selector
determines the mode of this module:
• Disabled: in this mode, the gate is not active.
• SC monitor: in this mode, the output of TB Reverb v4 consists of the internal side-chain (SC) input only.
This side-chain input consists of a downmix of all input signals, with a band-pass filter applied to it. The
band-pass filter can be modified by changing the filter response in the filter response graph.
• Gate input: in this mode, the input to the reverb will be gated (e.g. attenuated) when the internal side-
chain level is below the gating threshold (see below).
• Gate output: in this mode, the output of the reverb will be gated (e.g. attenuated) when the internal
side-chain level is below the gating threshold (see below).

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 • Duck input: in this mode, the input of the reverb will be gated (e.g. attenuated) when the internal side-
chain level is above the gating threshold (see below).
• Duck output: in this mode, the output of the reverb will be gated (e.g. attenuated) when the internal
side-chain level is above the gating threshold (see below).
• Limit input: in this mode, the input of the reverb will be limited (e.g. attenuated) when the internal side-
chain level is above the gating threshold (see below).
The various modes have very distinct influences on the sound of the reverberation. In general:
• Gating will reduce reverberation levels when the side chain input is relatively quiet. In other words,
reverb is mostly audible when the side chain input is very active.
• Ducking will reduce reverberation levels when the side chain input is relatively loud. In other words, it
will keep reverberation out of the way and only become active if the side chain input is relatively quiet.

The two VU meters just below the mode selector can be used to set the threshold of the gating/ducking stage:
• The VU meter on the left visualizes the detected (side-chain) input level. The slider on top of that VU
meter sets the gating/ducking threshold.
• The VU meter on the right visualizes the attenuation applied by the ducking/gating mechanism.
The four sliders at the bottom of the ‘Gate’ tab provide means to change the gating amount, and the attack,
release and hold time:

• Amount sets the maximum attenuation applied by this module. In other words, a value of -25 dB will
ensure that the gate/ducking attenuation will never be below -25 dB.
• Attack sets the time the gate/ducking mechanism respond to input onsets. For a short attack time, the
gate/ducker will respond quickly to onsets in the (side-chain) input.
• Hold sets the time that the attenuation is being hold constant following the attack phase.
• Release sets the time that the gate/ducking mechanism recovers from an onset when the input signal
level is relatively low.

4.1.5 LFO tab

The LFO tab provides means to modify a wide variety of reverberation parameters as a function of time. This
process is driven by a low-frequency oscillator (LFO).
• Select the LFO waveform to enable the LFO section. A wide variety of waveforms is provided.
• The graph just below the LFO waveform selector shows the waveform. The dot moving along the
waveform shows the current value of the LFO.
• The phase control allows offsetting the waveform in time (forward or backward).
• Period determines the duration of one cycle of the waveform expressed in beats (if supported by the
host program). If your project runs at 120 beats per minute (BPM), and the period control is set to 1
beat, the LFO will cycle through the waveform 120 times per minute.

12 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025
 • Strength allows one to change the amplitude (strength) of the LFO waveform.

The LFO destination table contains a list of parameters that can be modified by the LFO. In the example above,
the ‘Mix: Dry’ LFO destination is set to 11%. This means that the dry output level is increased by 11% if the LFO
waveform is maximum, and it is decreased by 11% if the LFO waveform is minimum.
• Every LFO destination can be varied in strength. A positive value in the LFO destination table will
increase the parameter with an increase in the LFO waveform. Similarly, a negative value in the LFO
destination table will decrease the parameter with an increase in the LFO waveform.
• There are 3 groups of LFO destinations:
o Mix: these LFO destinations influence mixing parameters (dry, wet, width levels) and
reverberation delay.
o EQ: these LFO destinations modulate the equalizer node frequencies, gains, and quality
parameters in the EQ tab.
o T60: these LFO destinations change the T60 reverberation node frequencies, gains and quality
parameters in the T60 tab.

4.1.6 Shim tab

The Shim tab allows for configuration of ‘shimmer reverbs’. This class of reverberation algorithms integrate a
high-quality pitch shifter within the reverb module itself to that new frequency components are generated as
the reverb tail develops over time. This can create exceptional soundscapes and evolving reverberation
progressions.
TB Reverb 4 features two independent pitch shifters shown on the left side of the GUI when the ‘Shim’ tab is
selected. Each pitch shifter has a ‘Shift’ parameter, which denotes the pitch shift amount in semitones, and a
‘Level’ parameter, which controls the output level of the pitch shifter.
The shimmer module can operate in two modes:
• Forward: in this mode, the input signal passes each pitch shifter only once (feed-forward topology).
• Feedback: in this mode, the output of the pitch shifter is fed back into the input of both pitch shifters
to apply a recursive pitch shifting.
The equalizer graph in this shimmer mode allows to set an equalizer curve for the pitch shifters. The equalizer
curve is shared (e.g. the same curve is applied to both pitch shifters).

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4.1.7 Expert settings panel
The expert panel allows specific settings for the room size, room geometry, modulation
depth and modulation frequency. When these options are disabled, they are
automatically derived from other parameters such as the decay time, the density, and
others. The expert settings panel allows you to override the automatic settings.
• Size represents the size of the environment. It will influence the late
reverberation modal density, and how quickly the reverberation will build up.
A larger room requires more time to build up the reverberation.
• Geo(metry) determines the geometry of the environment. A low value
represents an ideal, shoe-box hall or room, while a higher value represents
more irregularities and cavities in the room, which cause a less regular
reverberation tail. For values close to 100% and a long reverberation tail, you
can even hear reverb tails from other (simulated) rooms bouncing back and forth into the reverb.
• Depth sets the modulation depth of the reverberation tail, to simulate rich, chorus-like reverberation.
• Freq sets the modulation frequency.

4.1.8 Multi-channel support

The VST3, AAX and AU versions of Reverb 4 can produce multi-channel output. Please ensure that the channels
provided by the host to the plugin obey the following channel order:
• Left front
• Right front
• Center
• LFE
• All side, rear, and top surround channels
In addition, 4-channel audio is supported to allow processing of Pro Logic (LRCS) an quad (L, R, Ls, Rs) formats.

14 © TONEBOOSTERS 2010-2025