RP-Reverse

The latest in Rob Papen’s ongoing line of
afordable plugin efects is a unique
bufering-and-backwards-playback efect.
RPReverse’s (VST/AU/AAX) worklow and
functionality are a bit tricky to get a handle on at
irst, but in simple terms, the incoming audio is
recorded into a bufer, then played back in
reverse on a parallel channel. There are three
ways to initiate recording: Manual has you
clicking or automating a button for total ‘one-
shot’ control of what gets reversed and when it
subsequently plays back; the Audio option waits
til the input signal level crosses a speciied dB
threshold; and Host simply starts recording with
host playback, retriggering periodically.
The Reverse Time control governs the length
of the record bufer – ie, the time it takes for
reversed playback to start, and the length of the
reversed section – and can be either synced to
host tempo or set in seconds and milliseconds,
up to 60s. Once recording is started, the Hold
knob (also synced or not) sets a gap between
subsequent retriggers in Audio and Host modes.
So, with Reverse Time at 1/1 and Hold at 4/1, for
example, you’ll get one bar of dry signal, which
is recorded into the bufer, then one bar of dry
signal and reversed signal in parallel, then two
bars of dry signal, before that loop starts again.
Yes, it’s head-spinning stuf, but the GUI does
everything it can to make visual sense of the
process, automatically resizing with the Hold
length, and using markers to indicate the timing
of all the events involved. The top waveform
shows the input with a red arrow indicating
recording progress, and the bottom wave shows
the reversed channel with a blue arrow
indicating reversed playback of the recording.
All mixed up
Beyond those fundamentals, the reversed signal
can be faded in and out with the Attack and
Decay controls (0.11023ms), while the Ofset
knob delays the start of recording in Audio and
Host modes by up to 999ms, for tightening up
the timing of reversed transients. Independent
Dry and Reverse signal level controls are in
place, too, with a Mute button for the Reverse.
Given the two-channel nature of the efect, this
is an understandable substitute for the usual
dry/wet mix control, but one thing we found
ourselves wanting but unable to do without
automation was have the two signals alternate
muting, for cutting the Reverse channel cleanly
into and out of the Dry channel, which would be
obviously beneicial with drum loops. All it
would take is the addition of a Mute Dry button
or a switch to toggle muting/unmuting between
the channels.
Flip reverse it
RPReverse isn’t always easy to get meaningful
results out of, largely thanks to the way reversed
material just generally sounds – ie, not
necessarily particularly comfortable on the ear.
With the right source material, though – drum/
percussion loops, synths, keys, guitars and
vocals are all prime candidates – and suitable
care taken over the settings (the ilters are a
very welcome inclusion), the results it delivers
can be anything from funky and groove-
enhancing to evocative and quite beautiful. The
price is undoubtedly right, and the experimental
potential for those prepared to explore its
bi-directional possibilities is considerable.
Web timespace.com
Rob Papen
RP-Reverse £34
Hold a mirror up to your beats, vocals and more with this unusual
plugin efect from the acclaimed Dutch developer
Verdict
For A clever and novel idea
Well thought-out visualisation
Filters and LFO for sound design
Great for vocal spot FX
Against No easy way to instantly lip
between forward and reversed signals
Inevitably unintuitive
It might not be for everyone, but
RPReverse is a well-designed tool for
backwards FX and rhythm design
8 / 1 0
Alternatively
Initial Audio Reverse
NA » NA » £39
Nowhere near as powerful as
RPReverse, but good for reversal
of up to four bars in length
Kilohearts Reverser
NA » NA » €29
Working as a plugin or Snapin
module, this one is also
straightforward and efective
The Reverse section is RPReverse’s main
event, of course, but the plugin also makes a
pretty decent showing in terms of sound-
shaping features.
A pair of resonant 12dB/octave ilters – Low
Pass and High Pass – are preceded by a ierce
distortion stage for overdrive. The Low Pass
can be switched to Comb Filter mode,
bringing a touch of spectacle to proceedings.
Modulation comes in a single LFO that can
run free or be triggered by the reverse
section, synced to host or set manually up to
3.5Hz, and angled to four phase positions (0,
90, 180 and 270º). Sine, saw (up/down),
square and triangle waveforms are joined by
sample-and-hold, and four target parameters
are simultaneously addressed via bipolar
depth knobs: Reverse signal Volume and Pan,
and both ilters.
It’s a useful, concise setup, but an envelope
follower, with the Dry or Reverse signal
selectable as input, wouldn’t go amiss.
Filtering and modulation
96 / COMPUTER MUSIC / August 2019
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CMU271.rev_rpreverse.indd 96 24/05/2019 11:13