The Search for the Perfect Near Verb: Why Quantec Room Simulator in Logic Pro Almost Became My Go-To

Moving from a hybrid setup to a fully laptop-based production environment has been a journey filled with adjustments, challenges, and new discoveries. One of the biggest hurdles? Finding the perfect in-the-box reverb—something that could come close to the depth, warmth, and musicality of the hardware I’d used for years.

For a long time, I experimented with various plugins, searching for that familiar reverb sound I had grown accustomed to. Some would seem right at first, but after extended use, they lacked the depth or character I was used to hearing. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t quite replicate the sound I knew.

The Endless Reverb Experiment

Over time, I’ve put countless plugins through their paces:

🎛 SSL X-Verb

🎛 Valhalla

🎛 UAD EMTs

🎛 Lexicon PCM, MPX & LXP

🎛 PhoenixVerb

🎛 Various stock plugins

Each of them brought something to the table—and I still use most of them regularly, depending on the session. But none quite gave me that feeling I used to get with the right outboard reverb—until recently.

The Bettermaker BM60: A Reliable Workhorse

For the past year, the Bettermaker BM60—based on Lexicon’s PCM 60—became my go-to. It gave me that familiar, classic space I’d grown up with. I was surprised to learn it’s based on impulse responses, because it still felt alive in the mix—rare for IR-based reverbs, which can often feel static over time.

Then Came Quantec

When Logic Pro introduced the Quantec Room Simulator in late 2024, I tried it out on a whim.

💡 And I was seriously impressed.

The space it created, the clarity, the blend—it had the feel of high-end hardware. It sat in the mix without needing constant adjustment. Musically, it just worked. For a moment, I thought: this might be it. It felt like the final piece of the in-the-box puzzle.

But Then—A Phase Issue

After some extended use, I started noticing a subtle but persistent phase issue—something I hadn’t encountered before. I’m not sure if it was something up with the project or session, but the issue was clearly coming from the Quantec aux. Once I heard it, I couldn’t un-hear it. It knocked my confidence in the plugin slightly—especially when working on finely balanced mixes. Since then, I’ve been more cautious, using it selectively rather than as a default.

Still in the Toolbox

I still rate the Quantec highly—it brings something unique, and I continue to use it on the right projects. But it’s no longer the sole answer I thought it might be. These days, I’m mixing it up between the Quantec, BM60, Valhalla, PhoenixVerb, and UAD’s Pure Plate. Each one has a role, depending on the space I’m trying to create.

Final Thoughts

The search for “the one” may never fully end—but I’m much closer to having a set of tools I trust. And if you’re in the market for a plugin that gets remarkably close to high-end hardware reverb, the Quantec Room Simulator in Logic Pro is still worth your time—just keep an ear out.

🔗 Quantec Room Simulator – Classic Reverb & Space Emulation