Existing users, 
For that kind of money, you can loop your signals through a pretty nice hardware unit for reverb, without bogging down your processor or constantly proving you didn't steal it.
I guess the publisher has calculated he would make more money selling fewer copies at high prices. Those of us without huge recording budgets will learn to live without it.
Altiverb
Convolution reverb audio plug-in.
Version: 6.3.5
$595 for software emulating hardware?
Feedback Type: Commentary
Contributed by: TheRonster Tuesday, July 25 2006 @ 07:23 PM PDT
Product Platform: MacOSX
Used Product For: Have Not Tried
Comments
$595 for software emulating hardware? - walkermedia
Two comments:1. Altiverb is not intended to emulate hardware, but to emulate (or replicate) actual acoustical environments, though there are some hardware emulation algorithms available.
2. Have you HEARD it? Incredible. I was able to rescue a mix with one gorgeous hall emulation that, even taken alone, was worth the entire price of admission. (And I tried running it through some hardware that cost 6 times what Altiverb costs).
It is true that, in some situations, Altiverb is overkill--or not the most efficient solution. Altiverb is processor intensive, so I don't drop multiple instances on individual tracks, etc. But for reverb across a mix, or tracks that really need a beautiful sense of space, I've not heard better. Apply it to a track, then freeze or bounce to free up resources. Sounds killer.
Wednesday, October 04 2006 @ 09:49 AM PDT
$595 for software emulating hardware? - dwgriffi
You don't understand the difference between a digital reverb and convolution software. On one hand, though they were one of the first, everyone else has finally jumped on this bandwagon, so it's not the only game in town anymore (including, incredibly, some decent though very simple free and shareware ones). So, yeah, it's more than $150 and more than the cheaper reverb boxes. But Altiverb sounds heavenly, full of detail, gives you more control than many other options and has been updated to catch the moving target of OSX.Oh, and I forgot: There ain't no $595 hardware reverb unit that's even in the ballpark, soundwise. You're talking twice as much (for less instances) for a closer comparison.
Thursday, October 05 2006 @ 06:21 AM PDT
NOT emulating hardware! - pcreedon
Altiverb is NOT a hardware emulator!!!!!! It places your recorded sound INSIDE an isolation response which has been recorded in a given room or enviroment.Tuesday, November 07 2006 @ 10:10 AM PST
$595 for software emulating hardware? - marcedwards_dotmac
I use Space Designer (part of Logic Pro)... it's a convolution reverb and very similar to Altiverb. I also have a great outboard reverb (TC Electric M3000). I use both all the time.I'll have to disagree with you about the price. A good hardware unit costs way more than USD$600, and for that you only get once instance.
In a side by side comparison, I prefer convolution reverbs to some great hardware units sometime (depends on what you're trying to do).
As for it taking up CPU... that's not so much of an issue these days. Any new Mac can run more Altiverbs than you should really need in one project.
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Wednesday, October 04 2006 @ 08:29 AM PDT