FabFilter PRO-R Users Manual
Table of contents
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Table of Contents
About FabFilter Pro-R
Overview
Loading presets
Purchasing FabFilter Pro-R
Support
2
Introduction
Quick start
Using FabFilter Pro-R
Knobs
Main controls
Decay Rate EQ
Post EQ
Spectrum analyzer
Full Screen mode and resizing
Predelay, input and output options
MIDI learn
Undo, redo, A/B switch
Presets
Saving presets
How presets are stored
Purchasing FabFilter Pro-R
Entering your license key
Support
Manual installation
VST plug-in versions
License agreement
Acknowledgements
About FabFilter
About FabFilter Pro-R
3
As one of the most used effects in the audio world, reverbs come in all forms and flavors. From IR (impulse
response) processors, to algorithmic models or emulations of vintage classics, you've probably tried them all.
While IR reverbs may sound convincing, they are not very flexible and often so dense that it's difficult to make
them fit in a mix. On the other hand, many algorithmic reverbs are not dense enough, sound artificial or offer
so many technical options that they are simply too difficult to set up.
For us, a high-quality algorithmic reverb should sound natural and 'real', has enough density and still sits in the
mix perfectly without causing undesirable coloration or phase problems. At the same time, it should not confuse
you with over-technical controls and too many options, but must be easy to set up and a joy to work with. With
FabFilter Pro-R, we have aimed to create just that.
Key features
Beautifully designed room models, ranging from small ambiences and rooms to large concert halls and
huge cathedrals.
Carefully developed to easily fit in the mix, without causing undesirable coloration, density or phase
problems.
Gorgeous Retina interface with large interactive reverb display featuring Decay Rate EQ and Post EQ
curves.
Very easy to set up, with comprehensible, non-technical controls:
Stepless Space control, which smartly and smoothly combines the room model and decay time of
the reverb. You can choose from over a dozen carefully designed room models and seamlessly vary
between them, without hearing clicks or unwanted artifacts.
Decay Rate control, changing the overall decay time from 50% to 200% of the current Space
setting.
Intelligent Stereo Width control, ranging from pure mono to true stereo and beyond.
Distance control to adjust the proximity to the sound source in the selected space.
The Character control changes the sound from a clean, transparent decay, to a lively reverb with
4
pronounced reflections and echoes, all the way to an over-modulated chorus-like effect.
Perfectly tuned Brightness knob, affecting not only overall brightness, but also the decay of high
frequencies.
Mix knob with a Lock Mix option, which prevents preset loading from overriding the current mix
setting.
Predelay control via the bottom bar, ranging from 0 to 500 ms, with optional host tempo sync.
Innovative 6-band Decay Rate EQ, with Low/High Shelf, Bell and Notch filters. Compared to the
commonly used low- and high crossover system, the Decay Rate EQ opens a world of possibilities by
giving you full control over the decay rate at different frequencies.
6-band Post EQ to equalize the final reverb sound, with Low/High Cut up to 96 dB/oct, Low/High Shelf
and Bell filters. Together with the Decay Rate EQ, this lets you design reverbs of any style and character.
Real-time spectrum analyzer that also visualizes the decay time at different frequencies.
Full Screen mode, offering a large analyzer display and reverb Decay Rate EQ and Post EQ controller.
Multiple interface sizes: Medium, Large and Extra Large.
Supports common Pro Tools hardware control surfaces.
FabFilter Pro-R is available in VST, VST3, AU (Audio Units), AAX Native and AudioSuite formats (all both 64-bit
and 32-bit), as well as RTAS (32-bit only), for Mac OS X and Windows.
Windows requirements
32-bit: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP
64-bit: Windows 10, 8, 7 or Vista (x64)
VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools
Next: Quick start
See Also
Using FabFilter Pro-R
Mac OS X requirements
OS X 10.6 or higher
AU or VST 2/3 host or Pro Tools
Intel processor
Quick start
5
The installer will copy the FabFilter Pro-R plug-in into the common VST, VST 3, AU (macOS only) and Pro Tools
plug-in folders on your computer. On macOS, the global plug-in folders in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins are used.
In most cases, your host will then recognize the plugin automatically. However, if the instructions below do not
work, see Manual
Cubase
Choose an empty insert slot, for example in the Mixer, and select FabFilter Pro-R from the menu that
appears. To use the MIDI features in Pro-R, create a new MIDI track and set its output to the Pro-R
instance you have just created. (The VST 3 version of Pro-R can be found in the Reverb section.)
Logic Pro
Choose an empty insert slot on one of your audio tracks, instrument tracks or buses and select FabFilter
Pro-R from the pop-up menu. You will find FabFilter Pro-R in the Audio Units > FabFilter section (named
FF Pro-R).
Ableton Live
In Session view, select the track you would like to place FabFilter Pro-R on, for example by clicking the
track name. At the left top of Ableton Live's interface, click on the Plug-in Device Browser icon (third icon
from the top). From the plug-ins list, double-click FabFilter/FabFilter Pro-R, or drag it onto the track.
Pro Tools
Choose an empty insert slot on one of your audio tracks, instrument tracks or buses and select FabFilter
Pro-R from the pop-up menu in the Reverb section.
To begin, just choose one of the excellent factory presets as a starting point. Then experiment with the main
reverb controls to hear the effect they have on the sound. Enjoy!
Next: Using FabFilter Pro-R
See Also
Manual installation
VST plug-in versions
installation instead.
Overview
6
The interface of FabFilter Pro-R is designed to be easy to use while providing all necessary information and
controls. It consists of the following elements:
Main Controls
The top section of the plug-in contains the most important controls for the reverb algorithm: Space,
Decay Rate, Brightness, Character, Distance, Stereo Width and Mix. See Main controls
Reverb Display
The larger bottom section of the interface is the interactive reverb display. See Decay Rate EQ
and Spectrum analyzer.
MIDI Learn
MIDI Learn lets you easily associate any MIDI controller with any plug-in parameter. See MIDI Learn
Predelay
The Predelay button lets you set a delay between 0 and 500 ms for the processed sound. See Predelay,
input and output options.
Input and output options
At the right of the bottom bar, you can bypass the entire plug-in and adjust the initial input and final
output levels. See Predelay, input and output options
Resize and Full Screen mode
The Resize button at the far right of the bottom bar selects between various interface sizes. In addition,
click the Full Screen button at the right top corner of the interface to let Pro-R fill the entire screen. See
Full Screen mode and
Presets, undo, A/B, help
With the preset buttons, you can easily browse through the factory presets or save your own settings so
you can re-use them in other songs. The Undo, Redo, A/B and Copy buttons at the top of the plug-in
interface enable you to undo your changes and switch between different states of the plug-in. Finally, the
Help menu provides access to help and version information. See Loading presets
switch.
resizing.
.
.
, Post EQ
.
and Undo, redo, A/B
Next: Knobs
See Also
Quick start
Main controls
Decay Rate EQ
Post EQ
Knobs
7
It is easy to control FabFilter Pro-R's parameters with the large round knobs. They will light up when you move
the mouse cursor around to indicate that you can adjust them. The moment you move the mouse cursor over a
knob, a parameter value display will pop up, which shows the name and the current value of the parameter.
All knobs support four ways of control:
1. Vertical mode
Click on the center area of a knob and drag up or down to rotate it. The knob reacts to the speed with
which you are dragging, so if you move the mouse slowly, you make precise adjustments.
2. Rotate mode
Grab the arrow of the knob and drag it around. By moving the mouse cursor further away from the
knob while dragging it, you can make precise adjustments.
3. Mouse wheel mode
Perhaps the easiest way to make adjustments is by using the mouse wheel when you hover over a
knob. This mode works for all the knobs and possible panning rings. (On Windows, you might need to
click in the plug-in interface first to make sure it is the active window.)
4. Text entry mode
Double-click a knob to enter an exact value using the keyboard.
Tips
To reset a knob to its default position, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (macOS) and
click the knob once. Note: In Pro Tools, Pro-R uses the default Pro Tools keyboard shortcut for reset:
Alt+click.
To fine-tune a value when using vertical drag mode or the mouse wheel, hold down the Shift key while
dragging or moving the mouse wheel. Note: In Pro Tools, Pro-R uses the default Pro Tools keyboard
shortcut for fine tune: Ctrl+drag on Windows or Command+drag on macOS.
There are several handy shortcuts in text entry mode. With frequency values, you can type e.g. '1k'
to set the value to 1000 Hz, and also 'A4' for 440 Hz, or even strings like 'C#3+13'. With dB values, you
can type e.g. '2x' to get +6 dB (the value that corresponds to two times louder). With all values, you can
also type a percentage (e.g. '50%' will put a knob exactly in the middle position).
Sometimes, knobs in our plug-in interfaces are linked: these be adjusted simultaneously by holding
down the Alt key (Shift key in Pro Tools) while dragging on one of them. For example, an output level
and input level setting of a plug-in could be adjusted simultaneously (in the opposite direction) this way.
Next: Main controls
See Also
Using FabFilter Pro-R
Main controls
8
FabFilter Pro-R offers seven intuitive main controls to control the behavior of the reverb algorithm:
Prominent at the center, the Space knob is obviously the most important control of Pro-R. It smartly and
smoothly combines the room model and decay time of the reverb, ranging from a very small ambience
space (200 ms) to a cathedral-like ten-second reverb. With this single control, you can choose from over
a dozen carefully designed room models and seamlessly vary between them, without hearing clicks or
unwanted artifacts. The decay time varies automatically to match the room model. The yellow time label
in the Space knob shows the current reverb decay time (possibly affected by the Decay Rate setting).
Tip: As a shortcut, you can directly click the room icons around the Space knob.
The Decay Rate control lets you adjust the reverb decay from 50% to 200% of the decay that
corresponds to the current Space setting. This allows you to easily fine-tune a room model to have the
decay that it needs in the mix. The yellow time label in the Space knob will always display the final reverb
decay time, together with the original time and decay rate if not at 100%.
The Brightness knob adjusts the clarity and high/low frequency balance of the reverb. Lower Brightness
values correspond to spaces with more high-frequency absorption. In real spaces, high frequencies are
very easily absorbed, depending on the surface of walls and curtains or objects in the room. The average
room or hall has a pretty dark reverb sound. Therefore, turning down the Brightness a bit often gives you
a more natural and realistic sounding reverb.
The Character control brings life to the reverb sound in various ways. At 0%, the reverb is as
transparent and predictable as possible. Turning the knob up to 50% gradually introduces some
modulation and more pronounced early reflections together with subtle yet noticeable late echoes. From
50% and up, the reverb begins modulating more and more, up to a chorus-like effect at 100% which
works well on vocals and synths.
The Distance knob controls the effect of moving closer to, or further away from the sound source in the
modelled space. At 0%, the reverb sounds as if you are quite close to the sound source, with more
pronounced and brighter early reflections. Increasing the Distance sounds like walking away from the
sound source in the current space, resulting in a longer build-up and a more diffuse tail.
The Stereo Width knob adjusts the apparent width of the reverb sound. It does not just mix the output
signal to mono, but also controls internal stereo linking and channel cross-feeding. Starting at 0%
(mono), increasing the stereo width slowly makes the reverb true stereo. At 50%, channel cross-feeding
is at its maximum: a sound that originates in one input channel, reverberates with an equal amount in
both channels. Increasing the value from 50% up, slowly re-introduces stereo placement, up to a 100%
where channels operate completely independent (i.e. multi-mono). Above 100%, the side signal is
amplified which can be useful to achieve better mono compatibility.
The Mix knob controls the dry/wet balance of the final reverb sound. If you are using Pro-R as a send
effect, you should set it to 100%.
The small Lock Mix button underneath the Mix knob locks the mix setting to its current value while
loading presets, so you can more easily compare different settings. When locked, you can still manually
change the mix or automate it if desired, and the mix value is always saved with your session. If you
change the Lock Mix setting, new Pro-R instances will automatically pick up the new setting.
Next: Decay Rate EQ
See Also
Using FabFilter Pro-R
Predelay, input and output options
Decay Rate EQ
9
Many traditional algorithmic reverbs offer a low/high crossover system to let you change the decay rate of low
frequencies and high frequencies independently. This allows you to make more natural sounding room models:
in real spaces high frequencies often decay quite fast while bass frequencies stick around much longer. Shown
as a waterfall diagram, visualizing the decay per frequency over time, it looks like this:
The effect of a crossover system with lows set to 200% and highs set to 50% of the decay time.
FabFilter Pro-R takes this concept to the next level with the introduction of Decay Rate EQ. With the blue line in
the reverb display, you can freely shape the decay rate over the frequency spectrum using up to six Bell,
High/Low Shelf or Notch curves, opening a world of possibilities to design reverbs of any style and character.
For example, you could extend the decay time at some frequencies while shortening the decay time at other
parts of the spectrum:
Using Pro-R's Decay Rate EQ, you can shape the decay time per frequency using Bell, Shelf and Notch curves...
... which opens a world of possibilities when designing your reverb sound.
10
Creating Decay Rate EQ bands
To add a new Decay Rate EQ band, simply click on the blue Decay Rate curve and drag it up or down.
Dragging at the far left or far right of the display will automatically create a shelf instead of a bell filter.
You can create up to 6 different bands.
To create a notch filter, double-click or Ctrl-click (Command-click on Mac OS X) in the bottom part of the
display.
Note that the blue Decay Rate EQ scale at the left side of the display lights up when you are working with
Decay Rate EQ bands, to separate them from the Post EQ
bands.
Selecting bands
Click the Decay Rate EQ band's dot or the colored area around it to select it.
Click and drag in the display background to select adjacent bands by dragging a rectangle around
them. Note: this selects both Decay Rate EQ and Post EQ bands.
Hold down Ctrl (Command on Mac OS X) and click another dot to select multiple bands. Hold down
Shift and click a dot to select a consecutive range of bands.
Deselect all bands by clicking anywhere on on the display background.
Adjusting and editing bands
Once you have one or more bands selected, the display highlights the shapes of the selected bands. You can
now adjust them all at the same time by dragging.
Click and drag a selected dot to adjust the frequency and decay rate of all selected bands. If you have
multiple Decay Rate EQ bands selected, the rate of all selected bands will be scaled relative to each
other.
Use the mouse wheel to adjust the Q setting of the selected bands, making them narrower or wider.
This works while dragging or when the mouse pointer is above a curve. Alternatively, hold down Ctrl
(Command on Mac OS X) while dragging vertically to adjust the Q of all selected bands.
Hold down Shift while dragging to fine-tune the settings of the selected bands.
Hold down Alt while dragging to constrain to horizontal adjustments (frequency) or vertical adjustments
(decay rate or Q, depending on the Ctrl/Command key).
Hold down Alt and click the dot on an EQ band once to toggle its bypass state (enabling or disabling the
band).
Hold down Ctrl+Alt (Command+Alt on Mac OS X) and click the dot on a Decay Rate EQ band once to
change its shape.
Double-click a dot to enter values in the parameter value display (using the Tab key to step through
Frequency, Decay Rate and Q) or double-click the values in the parameter value display directly. Note
that you can enter frequencies in various ways, like "100", "2k", "A4" or "C#2+13".
Using the parameter value display
When you move the mouse near a band in the display, the parameter value display appears that provides
access to all band parameters.
Click the Enable button in the left-top corner to bypass and re-enable the band.
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