R4 User Guide

R4
Welcome to R4 from iZotope. R4 is an easy-to-use stereo reverb with the ;lexibility to ;it into many sorts of mixes--music of all
sorts, foley, FX, dialog--and it comes with a large assortment of built-in presets to get you right to work. R4 is a ‘character reverb’
with a fat sound that’s just the thing to make a track stand out.. But add the new warp and dynamic features—along with
expanded EQ and early re;lections—and you’re suddenly in a whole new world. R4 can work in any of the following formats:
• Mono
• Stereo
• Mono to Stereo
R4 User Guide March 16, 2019
Table of Contents
1. System Requirements ............................................................................................................................................5

1.1. Mac.....................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.2. Windows .............................................................................................................................................................................5
2. General Requirements ...........................................................................................................................................5

2.1. iLok .....................................................................................................................................................................................5
3. Supported Plugin Formats ..................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1. Mac.....................................................................................................................................................................................5
3.2. Windows .............................................................................................................................................................................5
4. Installation and Removal ........................................................................................................................................6

4.1. Install the iLok License Manager ........................................................................................................................................6
4.2. Make sure you have your license authorization ................................................................................................................. 6
4.3. Run the Installer .................................................................................................................................................................6
4.4. To Uninstall .........................................................................................................................................................................6
4.5. Where things go on the Mac ..............................................................................................................................................6
4.6. Where things go on Windows............................................................................................................................................. 6
4.7. Logfiles ...............................................................................................................................................................................6
5. Walkthrough ........................................................................................................................................................... 7
5.1. Tooltips ...............................................................................................................................................................................8
5.2. Loading Presets .................................................................................................................................................................9
5.2.1. Keywords ................................................................................................................................................................... 10
5.2.2. Presets ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
5.2.3. Tip for quick auditioning ............................................................................................................................................. 12
5.3. Search ................................................................................................................................................................................13
5.3.1. Refining your search ..................................................................................................................................................14
5.3.2. Search rules ............................................................................................................................................................... 16
5.3.3. Synonyms ..................................................................................................................................................................16
5.4. The Meter Area................................................................................................................................................................... 17
5.5. The Tempo Area ................................................................................................................................................................. 17
5.6. The Freeze Area................................................................................................................................................................. 18
5.7. Output and EQ Controls ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
5.8. Processor Threshold ..........................................................................................................................................................19
5.9. Scaleable Display ............................................................................................................................................................... 20
5.10. Basic Controls ................................................................................................................................................................... 21
5.11.Edit Subpages ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
5.11.1.Note about Knobs .....................................................................................................................................................22
5.11.2.Reverb Attack ...........................................................................................................................................................23
5.11.3.Reverb Tail ................................................................................................................................................................24
5.11.4.Early Reflection.........................................................................................................................................................25
5.11.5.Warp .........................................................................................................................................................................26
5.11.6.Chorus ......................................................................................................................................................................27
5.11.7.Gate ..........................................................................................................................................................................28
5.12. Compare and Reload ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.13. Settings stored with job ...................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.14. Global Parameters ............................................................................................................................................................. 30
5.15. Getting Version Information and help................................................................................................................................. 31
5.16. Update Notification............................................................................................................................................................. 32
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6. Saving Sessions ....................................................................................................................................................33
6.1. Settings stored with session................................................................................................................................................ 33
6.2. Missing User Presets in a Session ...................................................................................................................................... 33
7. Editing, Saving, Importing and Exporting ...............................................................................................................34

7.1. Editing ................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
7.1.1. Editing by Knobs ........................................................................................................................................................34
7.1.2. Editing by Typing Values ............................................................................................................................................34
7.1.3. Editing by Switches ....................................................................................................................................................34
7.1.4. Editing by Buttons ......................................................................................................................................................34
7.1.5. Editing by External Controller....................................................................................................................................34
7.1.6. Special treatment of Mix parameter ........................................................................................................................... 34
7.1.7. A word about preset format: Don’t use the workstation’s preset manager................................................................. 34
7.2. The Store Page ..................................................................................................................................................................35
7.2.1. Storing a preset you’ve created ................................................................................................................................. 35
7.2.2. Making changes to an existing user preset ................................................................................................................36
7.2.3. Deleting a preset ........................................................................................................................................................37
7.2.4. Exporting presets ....................................................................................................................................................... 38
7.2.5. Importing presets ....................................................................................................................................................... 39
8. The Algorithms and their Parameters .....................................................................................................................40

8.1. Reverb for Newbies ...........................................................................................................................................................40
8.2. Description of the Algorithm and its applications ................................................................................................................40
8.3. Parameter Descriptions ......................................................................................................................................................41
8.3.1. Mix..............................................................................................................................................................................41
8.3.2. Predelay ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41
8.3.3. Predelay Tempo Mode ............................................................................................................................................... 41
8.3.4. Reverb Time............................................................................................................................................................... 41
8.3.5. Trim ............................................................................................................................................................................41
8.3.6. Early Level ................................................................................................................................................................. 41
8.3.7. Reverb Level ..............................................................................................................................................................41
8.3.8. Input Filt Freq ............................................................................................................................................................. 41
8.3.9. Early Filt Freq............................................................................................................................................................. 41
8.3.10.Tail Filt Freq ..............................................................................................................................................................41
8.3.11.Input Filter Type ........................................................................................................................................................42
8.3.12.Early Filter Type........................................................................................................................................................42
8.3.13.Early Modulation....................................................................................................................................................... 42
8.3.14.Tail Modulation ......................................................................................................................................................... 42
8.3.15.Reverb Filter Type ....................................................................................................................................................42
8.3.16.Reverb Type ............................................................................................................................................................. 42
8.3.17.Diffuser Size ............................................................................................................................................................. 42
8.3.18.Diffusion....................................................................................................................................................................42
8.3.19.Envelope Attack ........................................................................................................................................................43
8.3.20.Envelope Time ..........................................................................................................................................................43
8.3.21.Envelope Slope ........................................................................................................................................................43
8.3.22.Reverb Delay ............................................................................................................................................................44
8.3.23.Reverb Delay Tempo Mode ......................................................................................................................................44
8.3.24.Tail Suppress ............................................................................................................................................................44
8.3.25.Key ........................................................................................................................................................................... 44
8.3.26.Tail Recovery ............................................................................................................................................................44
8.3.27.Reverb Size ..............................................................................................................................................................45
8.3.28.Xover Frequency ......................................................................................................................................................45
8.3.29.Low-Mid Balance ......................................................................................................................................................45
8.3.30.Damp Frequency ......................................................................................................................................................45
8.3.31.Damping Factor ....................................................................................................................................................... 45
8.3.32.Tail Width ..................................................................................................................................................................45
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8.3.33.Early Width ............................................................................................................................................................... 45
8.3.34.Early Time ................................................................................................................................................................45
8.3.35.Early Slope ............................................................................................................................................................... 45
8.3.36.Early Pattern............................................................................................................................................................. 45
8.3.37.Warp on/off ............................................................................................................................................................... 46
8.3.38.Threshold (Warp) ......................................................................................................................................................46
8.3.39.Knee (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................................. 46
8.3.40.Compression (Warp) ................................................................................................................................................46
8.3.41.Limiter (Warp) ........................................................................................................................................................... 46
8.3.42.Attack (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................................46
8.3.43.Release (Warp) ........................................................................................................................................................46
8.3.44.Cut (Warp) ................................................................................................................................................................46
8.3.45.Overdrive Type (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................. 46
8.3.46.Overdrive XOV (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................. 46
8.3.47.Drive (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................................. 46
8.3.48.High Passthru (Warp) ............................................................................................................................................... 46
8.3.49.Word Size (Warp) ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
8.3.50.Warp Trim (Warp) ..................................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.51.Chorus Type (Chorus) ............................................................................................................................................. 47
8.3.52.Chorus Rate (Chorus) ............................................................................................................................................. 47
8.3.53.Chorus Depth (Chorus) ........................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.54.Early Rate (Chorus) ................................................................................................................................................. 47
8.3.55.Tail Rate(Chorus)..................................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.56.Density Rate (Chorus) ............................................................................................................................................. 47
8.3.57.Density Mod(Chorus)............................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.58.Gate Threshold (Gate)............................................................................................................................................. 47
8.3.59.Gate Hold (Gate) ..................................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.60.Gate Cut (Gate) ....................................................................................................................................................... 47
8.3.61.Gate Clamp (Gate) ..................................................................................................................................................47
8.3.62.Gate Recovery (Gate) ............................................................................................................................................. 47
9. Getting Help ........................................................................................................................................................... 48

9.1. iZotope Website .................................................................................................................................................................48
9.2. iLok Website .......................................................................................................................................................................48
9.3. Public Forums ....................................................................................................................................................................48
9.4. Known Problems ................................................................................................................................................................48
10. Updates ..................................................................................................................................................................48
11. Tech Notes..............................................................................................................................................................48
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1. System Requirements
1.1. Mac
These plugins require an Intel-based Mac running OSX 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later. It does not run and will not be supported
on older version of OSX. It has not been tested on non-Apple hardware (hackintoshes). While some users may have success on
other system variants, those systems will not be tested or supported by iZotope.
1.2. Windows
These plugins may be operated on Windows 7, 8 or 10. Windows Vista and XP are not supported.
2. General Requirements
It is recommended that you use a multicore CPU with a clock speed in excess of 2 GHz. For processing of higher sample rates
(especially 192-384K), something closer to 3GHz is a good idea.
It is recommended that you have at least 4GB of RAM in your system. The more RAM, the better.
It is strongly recommended that your monitor have greater than 1024 x 768 pixels.
2.1. iLok
A second-generation or third-generation iLok (iLok2 or iLok3) is required to operate these plugins. iLok is a product of Pace and
may be purchased directly from www.ilok.com or from any music retailer. No form of non-iLok licensing is available or under
consideration. That includes host-based licensing.
3. Supported Plugin Formats

3.1. Mac
• Audio Units 64-bit
• VST 64-bit
• VST3 64-bit
• AAX 64-bit
3.2. Windows
• VST 64-bit
• VST3 64-bit
• AAX 64-bit
The core features of the plugins are available in every format. Some extended features (such as ProTools GUI automation) may
only be available in certain formats.
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4. InstallaCon and Removal
4.1. Install the iLok License Manager
The iLok License Manager may be downloaded from www.ilok.com. Even if you already use the iLok, it’s always a good idea to
verify that License Manager is up-to-date. Please be sure to install or update License Manager before installing R4 . But before
doing so, please check any read me ;iles in your installer package.
4.2. Make sure you have your license authorizaCon
When you purchased these plugins (or decided to test a demo version) you will have received a license key (a long sequence of
digits). That key must be entered into the License Manager and dragged to the appropriate iLok. Alternatively you may have
received a message that your authorization is already waiting for you at iLok. In that case, simply drag the license to the
appropriate iLok using the License Manager.
4.3. Run the Installer
You’ll need administrator privileges to install, but no reboot is needed.
Windows users will need to set their DAWs to scan the plugin folders so the plugins can be loaded. Those locations are shown in
the Where things go on Windows section.
4.4. To Uninstall
On Windows, R4 can be removed just like any other program. Launch the control panel for uninstalling programs, ;ind the
plugin, and remove it. On Mac, ;ind the uninstaller script on the original installer disk image and run it. Your user presets will not
be removed (just in case). See the following section to learn how to ;ind those ;iles if you wish to remove them.
4.5. Where things go on the Mac
Apple provides a very formalized set of locations for plugins and support ;iles. You can ;ind factory presets and other
support ;iles in:
/Library/Application Support/ExponentialAudio
The plugins go in speci;ic areas for each plugin format:

• AU are in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
• VST are in /Library/Audio/Plugin-Ins/VST
• VST3 are in /Library/Audio/Plugin-Ins/VST3
• AAX are in /Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/ExponentialAudio
Your user presets and favorites are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ExponentialAudio/
4.6. Where things go on Windows
VST and VST3 plugins are stored in a common default folder, but that can be changed at installation.
Shared components of 64-bit plugins are stored in C:\ProgramData\ExponentialAudio\

• VST (64-bit) is stored in C:\ProgramData\Vstplugins\
• VST3 (64-bit) is stored in C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3\
• AAX (64-bit) is stored in C:\ProgramData\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins\ExponentialAudio
Your user presets and favorites are stored in YourName\AppData\Roaming\ExponentialAudio\
4.7. Logfiles
R4 keep a log;ile with diagnostic information that may be of use in the event of a problem. The location of that log;ile may be
seen on the info window.
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5. Walkthrough
The following walkthrough will show you how to begin using your plugins.The Plugin Windows
Note: The plugin window will be embedded in a window provided by your workstation program (not shown).
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5.1.ToolCps
The ;irst thing you’re likely to notice is that R4 has tooltips to provide help for every control. Simply hover the cursor over a
control and you’ll see an explanation of what it does:
Here’s the tooltip for tail EQ modulation
When you install the plugin, tooltips are turned on. But you can easily turn them off. Notice the button at the top center of the
plugin window. Simply click the tooltips button to change the visibility of tooltips. Your choice is global for all copies of the plugin
and it will be remembered by the system.
Tooltips are on. Click to Tooltips are off. Click to

turn them off turn them on
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5.2. Loading Presets

The ;irst thing you’ll want to do is to listen to the many presets that come with R4. On the upper right corner of the plugin
window, you’ll see a pair of combo boxes (popup menus). The left box shows Keywords, which are something like the old idea of
banks (but more powerful). The right box shows Presets (you might know them as patches) which are the actual sounds you can
load.
Tip: In just a few more pages there are some tricks about changing keywords and presets rapidly.
 
See the tooltips section
Presets are grouped by keywords. After you select the keyword, then
Select the keyword that most matches what select any of the presets that appear here.
you’re looking for.
You can also search for presets by

name, keyword or other characteristics.
Any preset you use a lot can be
made a favorite. Simply click this button
and the preset will appear under a special
favorites list. It will be much easier to ;ind.
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5.2.1.Keywords
Most mix engineers search for a preset that ;its a speci;ic need. Perhaps it’s a small room for dialog. Perhaps it’s a drum plate.
Perhaps it’s something for a wide exterior shot. Search for a keyword that describes the application. Remember that a preset
might appear under several different keywords if the preset might be used in that application. When you create your own preset,
you can use as many keywords as you like. You can even create your own!
You’ll see something like this list when you click on the Keyword button:
The ‘User’ keyword

will show all the presets
you’ve created.
The ‘All Presets’

keyword will show every
single one of your presets.
If you’ve done a
search, your result list will
appear as a keyword.
The ‘Favorites’
keyword will show all the
presets you marked as
favorite.
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5.2.2.Presets
Once a keyword has been selected, several presets will appear when you click the preset popup. Audition them until you ;ind the
right one. Don’t be surprised to see the same preset showing up under several keywords--most presets have more than one
application. This is the power of keyword organization. You can add keywords to any preset and save it for later use. If you don’t
like the choice of keywords, we’ll show you how to create your own.
Now select one of

the presets that is categorized
by the keyword.
If there are multiple

pages of presets, these arrows
will allow you to move between
pages.
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5.2.2.1.More about the presets
R4 has over 1200 presets, targeted from music to post to live sound. It contains all of the presets from R21 and well as hundreds
of new unique presets. Some presets will be saved with warp turned on and others will have it off. Changing the state of warp
can have a huge effect on the sound, so be sure to try clicking the Warp button.
If you’re looking for R2 presets, try using the search facility. Be sure to add +R2 as a search term. And if you’re looking for
presets that aren’t in R2, then perform your search with -R2 instead. You can learn more about searching in the next section.
5.2.3.Tip for quick audiConing
You actually don’t even have to click on the Keyword or Preset menu to make changes. On most workstations, a simple up-arrow
or down-arrow will advance the keyword. A left-arrow or right-arrow will select the next or previous preset. If that doesn’t work
on your DAW, try a combination like Command-arrow or Alt-arrow. This will let you focus on listening instead of operating the
GUI.
You should also notice that presets are grouped. In the example on the previous page you’ll see there are several variants of
“Med Front Plate” for example—dark, light, narrow, wide. If you’d like an even quicker audition to see of the preset group is
appropriate, use the “Page Up” and “Page Down” buttons on your keyboard. That will move from group to group instead of
preset to preset.
1 These presets get very close to the R2 sound, but do not match exactly. If you have an R2, you should keep it.
12
5.3. Search
There’s a powerful search capability in R4—the ability to search for presets by names or characteristics. This is accomplished by
clicking on the magnifying glass option at the upper right corner of the plugin.
Click here to begin a

search
An area then appears to the left of the magnifying glass. You can enter your search terms in this area. Type your search
terms here.
Let’s start with something simple. We’ll type the word “dark” into the area. This is not case-sensitive—use upper or lower case
as you wish. Press the return key when you’re ready to begin searching.
When the search is complete (it’s very fast) a message will ;lash brie;ly to show if your search was successful. If something has
been found, you’ll see a new keyword called Search Results.
Search Results
keyword.
The Search Results keyword acts like any other keyword—the preset list will show all of the presets that were found in the
search. Search Results will remain available until you perform another search or until you exit the session.
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5.3.1.Refining your search
The previous search will give us a lot of presets—the word Dark appears in a lot of them:
What can we do to re;ine the search? We can add some terms:
We’ve added the word hall. The leading +sign means that this word must appear in the results.
Add Hall to the search.
Note the + sign. There must not
be a space after the +
14
We can see that the results list has been reduced. What we have now is presets that satisfy the terms Dark and Hall.
At this point, we’ve reduced the list as much as we need to. But let’s re;ine our search even more. Let’s add the word large, with
a minus (-)mark ahead of it.
Add the word large with

a minus mark. There must not
be a space after the -
15
Now our preset list has been reduced even more. Presets with the word large have been removed. What we have now is presets
that satisfy the terms Dark and Hall , but without the word Large.
5.3.2.Search rules
The rules are like many other search engines. Adding a word to the list (with no plus or minus) is an OR search. So if you enter
the words Chamber and Plate, you’ll get everything in the Chamber and Plate keywords, along with anything having those words
in the preset name. Adding a word to the list with a leading plus sign (+) is an AND search. The results must include those
words. Adding a leading minus (-) to any word is a NOT search, meaning the result may not have that word.
There are many ways to ;ind the presets you’re looking for. The original keyword organization is a good ;irst step. The Favorites
list is the best go-to place for your most-used presets. The search capabilities now give you a quick and powerful way to ;ind
what you might need.
5.3.3.Synonyms
You’ll ;ind many variants of some words in preset names. You might see Drk or Dark. You might see Cham or Chamb or
Chamber. The iZotope search engine keeps a list of synonyms that is aware of many alternate spellings, and will often ;ind what
you’re looking for under any of the common abbreviations.
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5.4. The Meter Area

The live meter area at the upper left portion of the plugin window provides feedback on the signals entering and leaving the
plugin. It also provides access to many features of the plugin
Preference Button to open

global preference control Click logo for help
EQ curves of input and

output ;ilters
Live display (click

button to increase to enable/disable) shows
window size frequency content of
output signal. You don’t
need it (you’ve got ears),
but you can use it to
hypnotize the producer so
you can get your work
done.
Input/Output meters Processing threshold

allows you to decide when the
plugin shuts down to save CPU
cycles.
5.5. The Tempo Area

R4 predelay and reverb delay may be set to work either as absolute values (a speci;ic time) or as related to tempo (eighth-note,
etc). Those parameters are settable for any preset. The source of tempo must be speci;ied. This is done in the tempo area at the
lower left of the plugin window. There are possible sources of tempo: the workstation itself may provide the tempo. This is a
global choice and applies to all copies of the plugin that may be running. 
Click this toggling button to make a global

choice for tempo. Choose between the host
(workstation) tempo or user-designated tempo.
In user mode, you may

When the host is the source, type the tempo and beat value
this displays the tempo and the note here.
value that receives the beat. The ;ields
are not editable.
or you can tap in the

beat value. Just tap twice and
R4 will measure the time
between taps.
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5.6. The Freeze Area
It is possible to ‘freeze’ the reverb tail using the freeze button on the left side of the GUI.
Freeze is currently off.

Click this button to turn freeze
on. Freeze is currently on.
Click this button to turn freeze
off.
In this setting, the early

re;lections will be blocked In this setting, the early
when freeze on on. Click to re;lections will be passed
change. when freeze on on. Click to
change.
Freeze works best with larger room sizes. If you don’t select “Pass Erly” then be aware that you may hear a drop in level as soon
as you press freeze. That’s because early re;lections are shut off during freeze. If the early level is high, then the disappearance
of that energy will cause the level to drop. For that reason it’s usually best to freeze presets with low early level.
5.7. Output and EQ Controls

The output controls at the lower-left area allow the early re;lections and late reverb levels to be balanced and equalized.
Frequency of early EQ Frequency of reverb EQ
Control of early re;lection

Control of reverb tail level.
level.
Frequency of input EQ
Click to set EQ
params to bypass
values.
Alt-click (control-
click) to restore
default values
Adjust Q of ;ilter if Q knob only EQ type selector.

bandpass or notch has been appears for bandpass Any of 6 EQ types can be
chosen. and notch ;ilters. It chosen here.
doesn’t appear for other
types of ;ilter
Adjust the amount of
modulation of the early ;ilter Adjust the amount of
frequency. Rate is controlled modulation of the tail ;ilter
on the Chorus page frequency. Rate is controlled
on the Chorus page
Changes in the ;ilter are shown above in the main meter display. Input EQ is shown by a white line. Reverb EQ is shown by a red
line and Early EQ by a blue line. 
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5.8. Processor Threshold
Conserving processor power is always important, especially in cases where the mix is made of small segments of audio. There’s
no reason for a reverb to run if there’s not something in it. The threshold button allows you to determine just where the reverb
stops and starts processing. When the signal falls below the threshold, reverb stops and CPU usage is greatly reduced. When it
passes above the threshold, it begins to run again. Response is instantaneous: you won’t drop a single sample of new input. The
default is set at -108 dB which is a good value for almost every application. If you’re working on a complicated mix, you might
improve your performance if you set the threshold to a lower value—say -96 or -102. If you’re on a high-end classical mix, then
why not try -120. When you can hear the reverb shut off you’ve probably gone too far.
Threshold button in
lower right-hand corner of EQ
display
Popover appears
when the ’T’ button is
clicked. Choose the processor
load threshold.
Tip: —54 dB sounds bad. -48 dB sounds really bad.
Important note: Some DAWs attempt to lessen CPU load by turning off a plugin when the DAW thinks the plugin is idle. This may
be called Dynamic Plugin Processing or something like that. This doesn’t actually work very well. R4’s built-in threshold is
quicker and won’t accidentally turn off the plugin for large delays. You should turn off Dynamic Plugin Processing when running
R4.
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5.9. Scaleable Display

R4 will analyze your display size at startup and will give you options for window size. These options are shown as a Zoom button
in the upper left corner of the plugin window. Pressing this button will double the size of the plugin window2 (the button will
then change to “-“). If you save plugins with your project, window size and position will be recalled. When loading a new plugin
instantiation, R4 will default to the smallest window size. If zoom cannot be supported, the zoom button will not appear.
Zoom button to increase

window size
2 GUI size may not double on smaller monitors. In that case, it will grow as much as possible
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5.10. Basic Controls
In addition to the output EQ, mix engineers like to have a few more controls front and center. Those are controls for Wet/Dry
Mix, Predelay, Trim, Reverb Time and Warp on/off. In R4, those controls are always available.
Mix control (only used when

plugin is inline)
Predelay helps separate reverb

from the source, improving
intelligibility.
You can also ;lip predelay into

tempo mode so that you can relate
predelay to note values.
Too long? Too short? A quick ;ix is

right here.
Is the overall level too high or low?

You can make a quick adjustment right
here. Turn Warp on or off. Each preset
has its own unique values for Warp. You
may ;ind a whole new sound just by
clicking the button.
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5.11. Edit Subpages

While R4 are designed for ease of use, a curious mix engineer may wish to get deeper into the plugin. The buttons at the lower
right-hand portion of the window allow any of the remaining groups of parameters to be accessed.
Subpage buttons for

R4
The following sections will describe each subpage.
5.11.1.Note about Knobs

The position of a knob can show you about the value of a parameter. An indicator at the base of the knob can also show you if
the parameter value has been changed from the preset value. The knob also has some additional tricks.
Indicator shows
parameter has been changed
Control-Drag or
Parameter has not been Command-Drag for ;ine control.
Option-Click (Alt-Click
changed
on Windows) to reset the
parameter to default value
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5.11.2.Reverb A[ack
This page controls the way that audio energy enters the reverb tail.
Controls the
internal structure of the
reverb.
Controls detail size of Controls the

surface material. amount of effect of surface
material.
Displays
approximate distribution of
signal into reverb tail
Controls early/late Controls ;ilter on

distribution of reverb attack. later parts of attack.
Hint: Notice the red
color on the graphic above. The
redder it is, the more high
frequencies have been
removed.
Controls duration of
reverb attack.
23
5.11.3.Reverb Tail
This page controls characteristics of the tail--the most noticeable part of a reverb.
Dividing line between low/mid frequencies
Reverb time balance

between low/mid bands
The size of the
reverberant space
Strength of high-
frequency rolloff (air
absorbency)
Dividing line between

mid/high frequencies
How wide is the tail

(careful with this one). Width
of early re;lections is
controlled on the ‘early’ page
Time to be inserted
between onset of early Tail gain reduction
re;lections and time of reverb meter with clipping
tail. indicator
Choose between
absolute and tempo mode for
the reverb delay
Amount of compression to
add to reverb tail. Serves to lower Release time after tail falls
reverb level during strong attacks below suppression threshold.
Range of this parameter is
dependent on reverb time.
Determine where the level is measured

for tail suppression. Normally, Input is a good
choice. But for long reverb delay, Output or Both
might be a better choice.
24
5.11.4.Early ReflecCon
Early re;lections affect our sense of audio placement--distance and environment.
Controls ;ilter of
later re;lections.
The lower the value,
Shows a graphic the darker the late
approximation of the early re;lections.
re;lections Hint: watch the red
coloration on
the graphic.
Control the apparent
width of the early signal.
Width of the reverb tail is
controlled on the ‘Tail’
Controls time over

which we hear re;lections
Controls early/late
distribution of re;lections.
Choose an early
re;lection pattern
The view window is similar to the reverb attack window and gives a very good sense of what’s going on when parameters are
adjusted. In these examples you can see changes in Early Attack, Early Time, Early Slope and different Early Patterns.
This sparse pattern is the Vintage

pattern. It’s used to help get the sound of
old hardware devices
25
5.11.5.Warp
Warp is something special. It’s used to condition input and also to change the word size of the reverb. It can be used to emulate
analog gear. It can also be used to get a sound that’s very similar to older hardware devices.
Determine gain Determines how quickly the

Determines how
boost or cut below the compressor responds to signals above
quickly compressor
compression threshold. threshold
responds as signals drop
below threshold
Determine the
threshold of the input
compressor. Signals above
 
the threshold are Gain reduction
compressed. meter with clipping
indicator
Threshold for
downward
expander to
eliminate noise
from compressor
Choose a knee for
the compressor. Apply a hard limiter
to the input compressor.
Signals above 0dB are
limited aggressively when
Select an the limiter is on. Without
overdrive to add analog the limiter, there may be
warmth or a little overshoots that must be
distortion managed with trim or gain
adjustments in the channel.
Overdrive applies to
signal below this crossover How much signal above
overdrive crossover is
passed through
How much overdrive
Change the word size

of all processing in the Gain correction for
reverb. Create a more warped signal. Allows
‘vintage’ sound better level-matching
between warped and
unwarped
Copy all warp
parameters so they can be
Set all warp parameters pasted into another preset. On
to neutral values so that it has many workstations, the
no effect. On many Command-c or Control-c
workstations, the DELETE key combinations will also work.
on the keypad will also work.
When warp parameters have been copied,

the paste button will appear. On many
workstations, the Command-v or Control-v
combinations will also work.
26
5.11.6.Chorus
Chorus is used to control movement of the tail. Chorus effects can go from unnoticeable to gently undulating or to wild vibratos.
There is an additional form of modulation available when Hall2 is chosen on the Attack page. Density modulation causes a
constant change of density in the reverb tail. This allows for life in the tail without obvious pitch modulation. Both classic
chorusing and density modulation can be used at the same time.
It is also possible to modulate early and tail EQ. This can be subtle or can create a sweeping effect when using a notch ;ilter.
Controls the
pattern of the chorus
oscillators. In general, the ‘fat’
settings will have little in the
way of obvious pitch change.
The normal (non-fat) settings
may have quite noticeable
pitch shift.
Controls the speed of

the chorus effect.
Controls the strength of
the chorus effect.
Controls the speed of Controls the strength

the density modulation of the density modulation
effect. This control is only effect. This control is only
available in Hall2 available in Hall2
Controls the Controls the

modulation speed of the modulation speed of the
early EQ. Amount is reverb tail EQ. Amount is
controlled on the main page. controlled on the main page.
27
5.11.7.Gate
The Gate allows the reverb levels to be controlled by the characteristics of the input signal. This can be used for special effects
(giant snare drums from the 1980s), but can also be quite helpful in matching ADR to the characteristics of location sound.
The Gate is held

open for this period of time
after the input signal goes
below threshold.
Input signal
below this level will
trigger the gate’s closure. Controls the
When the Threshold is all the amount of gain
way down, Gate is inactive. reduction when the gate
is closed
Controls how
long it takes the Gate to
reopen after the input
signal crosses above the
threshold.
Controls how
long it takes the Gate to
close after the Gate Hold has Quick visual
passed. metering of gate. The
Threshold LED is illuminated
whenever the input is above
the threshold. The Gate LED’s
brightness is controlled by
the effect of the gate--it
shows the amount of reverb
that is allowed to pass.
28
5.12. Compare and Reload

At the bottom left of the plugin, you’ll ;ind ways to access the library as well as ways to compare and undo changes you’ve made
to current settings.
When a preset has not been

changed, only the Store button
appears. This will take you to the user
preset area where you can manage
the user store.
If you change settings, these Compare temporarily takes

Reload and Compare buttons will the plugin back to the original preset
appear. (and freezes control as well) and
allows you to compare the preset to
Reload cancels all of your changes the changes you’ve made. Press once
and takes the plugin back to the to go into Compare and press again to
settings of the loaded preset. resume editing.
5.13. Se]ngs stored with job

When you save a job, preset names are stored for each plugin, along with any adjustments you’ve made after loading the preset.
Reloading that job will restore your R4 plugins back to the exact state they were when you saved the job. This is true even if the
presets no longer exist on a system. Let’s say you copy a job from one computer to another. The second computer does not have
the user presets that exist on the ;irst computer. R4 now has an option (on the Pref page) to restore those presets back into the
user area.
29
5.14. Global Parameters

In some cases, you may wish to change the behavior of all copies of the plugin, wherever they are. For this, you can control global
parameters through the Preferences Page. To launch the page, simply click the “Pref” button in the extreme upper-left corner of
the plugin.
This controls whether or not the current

When you relocate (by rollback or jump) the preset changes when you change the keyword.
reverb tails may be cleared or allowed to ring. Clearing Selecting “Don’t Load” can be helpful in situations
the tails requires a little extra processing power, and you where you’re trying to time a load. Selecting “Load”
might notice it in a very busy mix. If you’re doing loop- means that a preset from the new keyword will be
immediately loaded.
based applications (let’s say an art installation), you may
wish the tails to continue ringing. The choice is yours.
If you’re running under automation, this will allow

you to see preset changes. There is a separate control
for ProTools, Audio Units and VST (you’ll only see the
format you’re currently running). There are some
things to know if you choose this option. See the section
right after this graphic.
You may be loading a session that required

user presets that you don’t have or you may have
deleted. The preset will be automatically recreated in
the user space if this is selected (new behavior). See
the following text for more information.
5.14.1.More about Global Parameters

The Display Preset option is a little complicated. It works by comparing all of the plugin’s current parameters to the values
stored for Factory and User presets. If there’s a match, the matched preset name will appear in the preset ;ield of the GUI. If
there’s no match, the preset name will not change. There are two basic rules to keep in mind:
• You must automate all of the preset parameters (you can exclude bypass if you wish).
• Your workstation program (DAW) must not glide parameters.
Two DAWs work pretty well with this option: ProTools and Cubase. There are probably others. Some DAWs can’t seem to turn off
gliding (even with an option). Those include Logic and Digital Performer, but there are surely others.
So if you’d like to try this out, turn on the option, make sure all your parameters are automated and give it a try. If it doesn’t
work, turn it off. It won’t affect your automation—it’s just a display issue.
The Restore Missing Presets option attempts to restore user presets from the session back into your user space. You may have
received a job from someone else (they should have exported their user presets and sent them to you), or you may have deleted
the user preset from your own folder. The restored preset may not completely match the missing original. Keyword data will be
missing, and some parameters may have been edited. It’s always best to export your user presets to an archive folder, but this
option makes the best of an imperfect situation. You can turn the option off to restore the behavior of earlier versions of the
plugin. In that case, the Keyword/Preset area will display a message that the preset is missing. In either case, the session data
itself will be correct. 
30
5.15. Ge]ng Version InformaCon and help

If you need version information for a support or upgrade issue, simply click on the iZotope logo in the upper left corner of the
plugin. You’ll see a page with version information as well as links for this user guide and online help.
Version information.
Please provide this to
iZotope if Format. This will
you have a problem. depend on the DAW
you are using. Please
provide this information to
iZotope.
You may need to ;ind

the log ;ile and send it to
iZotope. Here’s where you can
;ind it.
Takes you right to the iZotope

website.
Update reminder. At
present it shows that you
Launch the user are running the latest
guide in PDF release, so you don’t need Start a help ticket.
viewer. to update.
31
5.16. Update NoCficaCon
If your computer is connected to the web, you may see a noti;ication like the one shown on this graphic:
This indicates that a newer version

of the plugin is available. If you click
on the text, you’ll be taken to the
download page where you can get
the newest version. The plugin will
never be automatically updated, so
you can update when it’s convenient
for you.
If you’re not connected to the web,

be sure to visit iZotope from time to
time so see if newer versions are
available.
This notice is also a link.

Click to be taken directly to the
download area.
32
6. Saving Sessions
6.1.Se]ngs stored with session.
When you save a job, preset names are stored for each plugin, along with any adjustments you’ve made after loading the preset.
Reloading that job will restore your R4 plugins back to the exact state they were when you saved the job. This is true even if the
presets no longer exist on a system. Let’s say you copy a job from one computer to another. The second computer does not have
the user presets that exist on the ;irst computer. The preset names will still appear in the plugin, except they will be dimmed and
in parentheses. You can still adjust and save settings, but this is your cue that the source preset is not on your system (perhaps
you cleaned up your user preset area sometime later). You may wish to save those settings locally as a user preset. The preset
will then be available to any other instantiations of the plugin.
Tip: Even though the preset values are in the session ;ile, why not use the Export function (on the Store page) to save your user
presets to an external folder. You can zip that folder and share it with anyone else who might be working on the session (they
can use the Import function). This can be especially useful if you’re working on a large project, such as a ;ilm.
6.2.Missing User Presets in a Session
You may restore a session—let’s say from an old mix—that uses presets you’ve created. If you still have those user presets, then
the session will restore in the normal way. The preset selector might look something like this:
But what happens if you’ve deleted those user presets? The session will restore normally, but the preset selector will look a little
different:
The preset name is still in the preset area, but the keyword says “(Missing Preset)”. Depending on how you’ve set the “Restore
Missing Presets” in the preference page, the preset may have been automatically recreated in your user preset area. If you’ve
elected not to restore presets, then all of the preset values have still been restored to the session—even though the preset
doesn’t exist. If you wish, you can always click the “Store” button and save the values under the old name or as a new preset.
33
7. EdiCng, Saving, ImporCng and ExporCng

7.1. EdiCng
There are many ways to edit parameters. Here’s a quick look.
7.1.1.EdiCng by Knobs
Most parameters are edited by knobs. Simply click on the knob (you’ll know you have it when the color changes) and drag the
mouse up or down.
7.1.2.EdiCng by Typing Values

Parameters with knobs also have display areas. Sometimes it’s simpler simply to type in the value you want. R4 will do its best to
make sense of what you’ve typed.
7.1.3.EdiCng by Switches
A few parameters (such as Reverb Type) use a multi-position switch. Just click where you want the switch to go.
7.1.4.EdiCng by Bu[ons
Some parameters--EQ types--use graphic buttons. Just click the button.
7.1.5. EdiCng by External Controller

iZotope supports EUCON controllers as well as most recent Avid/Euphonix control surfaces. The quality of non-Avid EUCON
implementations is spotty. The Cubase EUCON translator crashes pretty dependably. AudioUnits implementations display
parameter values in the range of 0-1, but are often buggy.
7.1.6.Special treatment of Mix parameter

Nearly all parameters are saved with presets (built-in or user-created), but is one place where this rule is not followed. Although
the mix parameter is saved when a project is saved, you may notice that it’s not changed when you load new presets into a plugin
instance. This is to help you in auditioning presets. Any wet/dry balance will be preserved as you try out different presets.
7.1.7.A word about preset format: Don’t use the workstaCon’s preset manager
You may notice that there are two ways to save presets. Your workstation program (Logic, ProTools, etc) will probably provide a
way to store and recall user presets. That will appear at the top of your plugin window, in the wrapper area. iZotope also
provides a method that appears in the main body of the plugin window, and is accessed by the Store button. Why are there two
methods and which should you use?
Most modern-day mix engineers use more than one workstation program. This often means that presets you created in one
program are not available to another. This is especially true if the workstation program uses different plugin formats (AU, VST,
etc). The workstation-speci;ic method does not create portable presets. For this reason, iZotope does not support the
workstation-speci;ic method. It might work and it might not. Instead, iZotope creates truly portable presets. Any preset you
create in one DAW is easily available in any other.
34
7.2. The Store Page

The Store Page is the way that you manage all user presets. In this page, you can save and delete presets. You can also export
presets so that you can share them with others. And you can import presets that have been sent to you or shared by others in
your facility.
7.2.1.Storing a preset you’ve created
If you’ve edited the plugin in such a way that you’d like to use those settings again, it’s time to create a preset. First press the
Store button at the lower left corner of the main plugin window. You’ll now see this window:
Simply select your keywords, name

This isthe presetthat
a keyword andis save it.
currently associated with this
This is the list of
preset. You can add new keywords
user presets you
(shift-click or command-click) or you
already have.
can unselect some or all of them. You
can also create your own unique
keywords.
This will be the name

of your new preset. By
default, this ;ield will begin
with the name of the preset
you’ve been editing. You’ll
certainly want to change the
name.
Make any new keyword you like.
Just type it in here. When you’re ready to save, just
click this button.
35
7.2.2.Making changes to an exisCng user preset

There are always a few changes you’d like to make after you save a preset. To make those changes, load the preset and edit.
When you’re ready, click the Store button. You’ll notice a very small difference in the store page:
Because the preset name is the

same as a preset in your user area, this
button now says Replace
You can still change and add new keywords. As soon as you press the Replace button, your preset is updated. If you change the
preset name, the button will revert to “Save New”.
36
7.2.3.DeleCng a preset
Once in a while, it’s time to get rid of a user preset. Press the store button and select any presets you wish to eliminate:
This is the preset to delete.

Multiple presets can be chosen with shift-
click or command-click.
Click the delete button to complete

the operation. Be sure you want to delete
the preset. There is no undo of this
operation.
37
7.2.4.ExporCng presets
The easiest way to share or archive presets is to export them. To export, click the store button and select any or all of the user
presets:
Select any presets you’d like to

export. Multiple presets can be selected
with shift-click or command-click.
When presets are selected, click

the Export button.
As soon as the Export button is clicked, you’ll see a new window:
If your export folder already has

If your export folder already has presets with the names you’ve selected,
presets with the names you’ve selected, those presets will be replaced by the
your presets will be given new names as presets you’ve selected.
they’re exported.
Your target folder may have presets of the same name. This gives you the choice to replace them or not. After you make your
choice, you’ll be taken to a standard Mac or Windows ;ile saving window. 
38
7.2.5.ImporCng presets
If someone has shared presets with you, you can easily add them to your internal preset area. Click the store button and make
sure that no user presets are selected.
If no presets are selected, this

button changes to Import.
As soon as you click the Import button you’ll be taken to this window:
If your user preset folder

If your user preset folder already has presets with the names
already has presets with the names you’ve selected, those presets will be
you’ve selected, selected presets will be replaced by the presets you’ve selected.
given new names as they’re imported.
This gives you the opportunity to determine how duplicate names will be handled. After you make your choice, you’ll be taken to
a Mac or Windows ;ile window that will let you ;ind the imported presets. 
39
8. The Algorithms and their Parameters
8.1. Reverb for Newbies
If this is your ;irst experience with reverb, you might be confused by some of the terms. The two most important terms are Early
Re;lections and Tail. The early re;lections represent the ;irst few bounces of sound--off the stage ;loor, off the sidewalls. After a
hundred milliseconds or so, the number of re;lections grows so much that you perceive only that pleasant effect of the sound
gradually dying away. This second part is called the tail (although old hands might call it ‘echo’ as well).
R4 generates both of those components in ways that are both powerful and subtle. Experience is always the best teacher in
learning how to get the most out of it. Experiment with the presets. See how they differ from each other and learn how
parameter changes can affect the sound of the reverb.
Don’t be afraid to use different presets on individual tracks or subgroups. Reverb can help place sounds into three dimensions
and make each component sit in the mix more nicely. Reverb is almost always most effective when it’s subtle. Many a mix has
been ruined by the too-liberal application of reverb. Dial in what you think you need and then back off a notch.
8.2. DescripCon of the Algorithm and its applicaCons
If you’re looking for a colorful character reverb, then R4 is the reverb for you. It’s designed to give a rich, produced ;lavor to any
material. It can also help to “fatten up” a recording that might be thinner than you like.
40
8.3. Parameter DescripCons
8.3.1.Mix
Mix controls the ratio between wet (processed) signal and dry (unprocessed) signal. It should only be used when the plugin acts
as an insert. There are many cases when a reverb is placed on a send path, shared by several sources. In that case, the mix should
stay at 100% and reverb level should be controlled by changing the level of the channel strip holding the reverb. The reason is
simple: there should only be one path of a signal to the output. If a plugin is on a send channel with a mix of less than 100%,
there’s the chance of dry signal reaching the output from both the reverb channel strip and the original signal channel. While
DAWs are very good at delay compensation, there’s always the chance of cancellation. Don’t do it.
8.3.2.Predelay
Predelay is a delay added to the entire effect. In a general sense, it represents the difference in time between the direct audio
signal and the ;irst re;lections reaching the ear of the listener. Practically, it adds a little (or a lot of) separation to the dry signal
and the reverb. This can work wonders in increasing the clarity of the signal while still adding warm and enveloping reverb.
Depending on the value of the Predelay Tempo Mode parameter, predelay can be expressed directly (in milliseconds) or related
to tempo (16th-note, etc).
8.3.3.Predelay Tempo Mode

This is a switch that toggles Predelay from Absolute to Tempo mode.
8.3.4.Reverb Time
Reverb Time works in conjunction with the Reverb Size parameter. Reverb Time may be seen as the re;lectivity of the space
you’re modeling. More re;lectivity (harder surfaces)—no matter the size of the room--will cause the reverberant energy to last
longer. A small Reverb Size with a long reverb time will produce a long reverb with dense re;lections and perhaps some
coloration. A large reverb size with a shorter reverb time may also create a longer length with lower density and a more natural
sound. It’s best to test these parameters with impulses such as clicks or snare drum strikes.
8.3.5.Trim
This is a master gain for the current preset. Preset should be designed so that 0dB is the appropriate value here. But sometimes
the character of the input signal may require a change. This allows the overall wet level to be quickly adjusted.
8.3.6.Early Level
The early signal may be thought of as the energy that’s only been re;lected off one or two surfaces. It can give the listener a sense
of position relative to the sound source (near/far) and also give some sense of the area immediately around the source (boxy,
open, etc). The Master Early Level parameter gives the mix engineer control over the level of this component. If the studio is
blessed with a good recording space, it might make sense to reduce this level. If a sample library is in use, or if a vocal or drum
booth has been used, a little more early signal can help to place the audio into a real space.
8.3.7.Reverb Level
Reverb Level is used to control the amount of reverb ‘tail’ in the signal. The tail is the most noticeable part of the reverb--the
energy that dies away slowly and gives the sense of a small or large space. Balancing the Reverb Level and Early Level can give a
good sense of microphone placement. For example, a low level with a long reverb tail might indicate close micing in a large
space. If the reverb tail is higher and early level is lower, that might give a sense of more distant micing.
8.3.8.Input Filt Freq

This controls the cut-off frequency of the input ;ilter. This can be adjusted to remove or accentuate input signals.
8.3.9.Early Filt Freq

This controls the cut-off frequency of the early re;lections ;ilter. This may be for reasons of material--getting the most natural
sound with the source audio--or to slot into a busy mix.
8.3.10.Tail Filt Freq

This controls the cut-off frequency of the reverb tail. This value is frequently adjusted. This may be for reasons of material--
getting the most natural sound with the source audio--or to slot into a busy mix.
41
8.3.11.Input Filter Type

Often there are signals in the input signal that you may need to control. You may have environmental rumble to remove. You may
wish to add a little air. R4 give you the choice of six ;ilter types:
• 1-pole (6dB per octave) lowpass
• 2-pole (12dB per octave) lowpass
• 1-pole highpass
• 2-pole highpass
• Bandpass with variable Q
• Notch (band-reject) with variable Q
8.3.12.Early Filter Type

Managing early re;lections may require special attention to their frequency characteristics. As with the input ;ilter, R4 provides a
choice of six ;ilter types.
8.3.13.Early ModulaCon
This controls the amount of modulation of the cutoff frequency for the early ;ilter. It is expressed as a percentage of the distance
between the speci;ied cutoff frequency and 20 kHz. Rate is controlled on the Chorus page. The cutoff frequency is always
modulated upward.
8.3.14.Tail ModulaCon
This controls the amount of modulation of the cutoff frequency for the reverb tail ;ilter. It is express as a percentage of the
distance between the speci;ied cutoff frequency and 20 kHz. Rate is controlled on the Chorus page. The cutoff frequency is
always modulated upward.
8.3.15.Reverb Filter Type

Managing the reverb tail often requires some adjustment of the tail’s frequency characteristics. As with the input ;ilter, R4
provides a choice of six ;ilter types.
8.3.16.Reverb Type
This control adjusts many of the internal characteristics of the plugin. In general, plates are the most dense, with a little potential
coloration. R4 provides a choice of two halls. Chambers are also quite dense, but without coloration. Halls are the least dense,
with a little more obvious back-wall effects. There are two different Halls. Hall 1 resembles the reverbs of the late 70s and early
80s, with some obvious pitch artifacts. Hall 2 resembles reverbs of the late 80’s and 90’s, with much less pronounced pitch
modulation.
8.3.17.Diffuser Size
Diffuser Size controls the feature size of the imaginary material that covers the wall of our space. Feature size is one way to
describe what might be lined up along the wall. Your shelves full of Grammys would be small features. A row of life-sized Greek
statues would be larger. In most cases, the ‘linked’ choice is best. Diffuser Size will be linked to Reverb Size. But the diffuser size
can be controlled independently as well. In most cases, it’s best to test with percussion and short reverb times.
8.3.18.Diffusion
When a sharp transient hits a wall, the way it re;lects is driven by the shape of the wall, that row of Grammys, and the material
that makes up the wall. There may be a single hard re;lection, or there may be many smaller re;lections with tiny time delays
between them. This is diffusion. The diffusion control, unsurprisingly, controls the overall amount of diffusion. Once the basic
Reverb Type and Diffuser Size parameters have been adjusted, this is used to make ;inal adjustments. As a rule of thumb, sharper
transients will bene;it from more diffusion. But rules are made to be broken. Feel free to experiment.
42
8.3.19.Envelope A[ack
The envelope parameters are among the harder parameters to understand. They control the way that the audio signal enters the
reverb. In some cases they may affect your sense of microphone placement. In others they may affect your sense of listener
placement. The user interface gives a strong sense of what’s going on with these parameters. The narrow vertical bars indicate
re;lections (the number of bars and relational placement are only approximations for the purpose of illustration). Note: it’s
easier to hear the effect of the envelope parameters by turning early level off and using a short reverb time.
Low Attack Value

Early audio is stronger
Medium Attack Value

Audio evenly distributed
High Attack Value

Late audio is stronger
8.3.20.Envelope Time
The time parameter adjusts the overall time of the reverb envelope. This can have a great effect on the sense of
reverb distance and depth.
Short Envelope Time

Signal injection in a short
time window
Long Envelope Time

Signal injection in a longer
time window
8.3.21.Envelope Slope
The reverb envelope has a lowpass ;ilter for each delayed signal. Those ;ilters are adjusted by this parameter. The
lower the slope value, the more ;iltering on later signals. In many ways this is a model of air absorption. The red
coloration on the delay bars helps to illustrate the effect.
Low Slope
Later energy is highly
;iltered
High Slope
Later energy is slightly
;iltered.
43
8.3.22.Reverb Delay
This parameter allows some separation between the early re;lections and the reverb tail. In the majority of cases it
should remain at zero. But in many situations, reverb delay can add some clarity to the mix. It can be especially
helpful when adding reverb to accent microphones.
8.3.23.Reverb Delay Tempo Mode
This switch (located below the Reverb Delay knob) allows you to set the reverb delay into tempo mode. It allows the delay to be
set to a musical value related to the tempo.
8.3.24.Tail Suppress
This dynamic process acts as a reverb “ducker”. It causes the reverb level to be lowered when the input signal is
strong. Small amounts of tail suppression can be helpful in creating clarity when mixing voiceovers or instrumental
solos. Larger amounts can create dramatic effects, such as a tail that blooms after a snare drum hit.
8.3.25.Key
This switch (located below the Tail Suppress knob) allows you to select the area of the signal ;low that is used to
control tail suppression. Normally, the Input level should be chosen. For for longer values of Reverb Delay, the
Output (the level of the reverb tail) might provide a better result. There’s also an option to choose both.
8.3.26.Tail Recovery
This parameter controls the recovery of reverb level after tail suppression ends. Short values combined with subtle
suppression levels will make suppression effective without being obvious. Longer values can have the effect of
extending a more constant reverb level. 
44
8.3.27.Reverb Size
Reverb Size works hand-in-hand with the Reverb Time parameter. The size parameter gives you a general sense of the overall
size of the space you’re modeling (expressed in meters) and the time parameter controls the re;lectivity of the walls. A larger
size will lower the density of re;lections and is generally more natural-sounding. But there’s nothing like experimentation.
8.3.28.Xover Frequency
Natural reverberation in a large space typically lasts longest at the lowest frequencies. In very small reverberent spaces (locker
rooms, for example). the lower frequencies may die away sooner. The reverb passes through a crossover ;ilter, which is typically
set to divide the low range from the mid range. This parameter controls that frequency. The Low-Mid Balance parameter
controls how the reverb time is affected.
8.3.29.Low-Mid Balance
This parameter controls the way the reverb operates below and above the Xover Frequency. In the center position, low and
midrange reverb time stays approximately the same (reverb time is always affected by the sort of audio material you use). Lower
values of the parameter favor the low frequencies, meaning the midrange dies away sooner. Higher values favor the midrange
and the lower frequencies die sooner.
8.3.30.Damp Frequency
In the real world, the highest frequencies die away sooner than midrange and low frequencies. This has many causes, including
air absorbency and room treatment. Air absorbency is a function of basic humidity as well as humidity caused by a room full of
breathing people. Room treatment typically means carpeting, absorbers on the walls, ceiling tile and so on. R4 gives you the
ability to control the way these highest frequencies die away. The Damp Frequency parameter allows you to set the frequency
above which this damping takes place.
8.3.31.Damping Factor
This parameter controls how quickly frequencies above Damp Frequency actually die away. The middle range approximates
normal damping (your normal may differ). Lower values mean that the sound is darker and higher values mean it is lighter.
Lower damping values may be used to simulate band-limited vintage equipment.
8.3.32.Tail Width
The reverb tail in R4 is naturally wide and enveloping. Depending on your application, you may need to vary this. A wider tail
will open up the space. High widths may cause some cancellation upon fold-down. A narrower tail might be useful in focusing
the source more tightly, especially when centering dialog. It’s important to note that the width control applies only to the tail:
Early re;lections are not affected.
8.3.33.Early Width
This width affects only the early re;lection part of the reverb. As with Tail Width, you should check mono compatibility when
moving the width to wider values than Normal.
8.3.34.Early Time
The time parameter adjusts the overall time of the early re;lections. This can have a great effect on the sense of soundstage. It
can also be used to smooth the harshness of close mics. This parameter works in the same manner as Envelope Time
8.3.35.Early Slope
The re;lection group has a lowpass ;ilter for each delayed signal. This parameter affects the early re;lections in the same manner
as the reverb Attack Slope parameter.
8.3.36.Early Pa[ern
R4 allows you to choose any of several early re;lection groups. There is an R2 group which will help you duplicate the sound of
R2. There are several unique R4 groups (choose what you like). And there’s a special Vintage group. This is a much sparser set
of re;lections (only three) which may help you recreate the sound of your favorite hardware processors, which typically have far
fewer early re;lections.
45
8.3.37.Warp on/off
This switch adds the warp effect. The effect itself is managed by the warp parameters, which you’ll ;ind in the ;inal part of this
section.
8.3.38.Threshold (Warp)
This is the threshold of the input compressor. Any incoming signal above the threshold will begin compressor operation. Below
the threshold, the input signal is boosted by the amount of the “Compression” parameter. Special note: There’s also a downward
expander applied to very low level signals. This helps to keep noise from being boosted.
8.3.39.Knee (Warp)
This controls exactly how the compressor works. A soft knee means that compression is applied very gently—as soon as the
threshold is crossed. This keeps compression effects from being noticeable. A hard knee means that compression has its
strongest effect as the signal approaches 0dBFS. This can be quite audible, but is a classic effect for percussion.
8.3.40.Compression (Warp)
When positive, this controls the amount of gain added to an input signal before compression begins. When negative, it controls
the amount of cut below the threshold.
8.3.41.Limiter (Warp)
This switch enables a hard limiter that’s applied to a compressor. With the limiter on, any signals above 0dBFS will be limited
aggressively. With the limiter off, it’s quite possible that signals can overshoot 0dBFS. This can cause clipping if not managed
later in the signal chain.
8.3.42.A[ack (Warp)
This determines how quickly the compressor begins to act after a signal crosses above the threshold.
8.3.43.Release (Warp)
This determines how quickly the compressor begins to turn off after a signal crosses below the threshold.
8.3.44.Cut (Warp)
This sets a lower threshold for the compressor and is only active during compression. Normally, everything below the
compressor threshold is boosted by the gain amount (determined by the Compression parameter). But often, very low level
signals may be only noise—footfalls, breaths, leakage, etc. Any signal below the Cut level will not be boosted. For distance mics
used in classical music, this should normally be set to a very low value.
8.3.45.Overdrive Type (Warp)

Allows any of several types of overdrive to be selected. This may be used to model analog electronics of the type you might see
in the drive ampli;ier for a plate or chamber. The overdrive is not nearly as dramatic as it is in iZotope’s Excalibur plugin. Its
intent is to add some warmth to the signal.
8.3.46.Overdrive XOV (Warp)

Controls the crossover below which the overdrive works. Because overdrive actually creates high harmonics, it’s important to
have this crossover. Otherwise there can be aliasing effects.
8.3.47.Drive (Warp)
Controls the amount of drive. The higher the value, the more harmonics will be added. If not overdone, a subtle warm character
can be added.
8.3.48.High Passthru (Warp)

This allows input signal above the crossover to be added back in. This may cause very interesting timbral effects, as this signal
may reinforce or cancel harmonics added by the overdrive circuit.
8.3.49.Word Size (Warp)

R4 handles all audio in a ;loating-point format. The majority of older hardware devices cannot do this, and often have word sizes
of 16-18 bits or lower. This parameter allows word size to be reduced, thereby adding the ‘grain’ that is beloved by some vintage
fans.
46
8.3.50.Warp Trim (Warp)
A warped signal can have a signi;icant level change from the same preset with warp off. This is especially true with the
compressor is in place. This trim knob allows you to set a better lever match between a warped and unwarped signal.
8.3.51.Chorus Type (Chorus)

This parameter lets you choose from four basic chorus types:
• Pitch - a regular modulation of pitch. This was a key feature of many reverbs in the late ‘70s and ‘80s.
• Pitch(fat) - similar to Pitch, except that pitch moves in two directions simultaneously. The effect is more a fattening of the
sound than a chorus.
• Rand - pitch modulation that happens on a more random basis. If you wish to avoid the regularity of the ‘Pitch’ setting, then
try this.
• Rand(fat) - Similar to Rand, except that pitch moves in two directions simultaneously. The effect is more a fattening of the
sound than a chorus.
8.3.52.Chorus Rate (Chorus)

Adjusts the rate of the chorus effect.
8.3.53.Chorus Depth (Chorus)

Adjusts the depth of the chorus effect.
8.3.54.Early Rate (Chorus)

This controls the modulation rate of EQ for the early re;lections. The depth of this effect is adjusted in the main EQ area.
8.3.55.Tail Rate(Chorus)
This controls the modulation rate of EQ for the reverb tail. The depth of this effect is adjusted in the main EQ area.
8.3.56.Density Rate (Chorus)

This is only enabled for the Hall 2 algorithm type. It adjust the rate at which the algorithm’s density is modulated.
8.3.57.Density Mod(Chorus)
This is only enabled for the Hall 2 algorithm type. It adjusts the depth of density modulation. It is hard to describe this effect, so
ears are recommended. Density modulation helps to break up room modes without adding pitch shift. Both traditional chorus
and density modulation were designed to break up the effect of room modes, but they accomplish this in different ways. In
general, Density Modulation is a more modern way of doing this. But both types ;it squarely into the vintage reverb sound of the
70’s 80’s and 90’s.
8.3.58.Gate Threshold (Gate)

The level of signal that must be coming into the reverb in order for the gate to stay open. When signal falls below this level, the
gate will start to close over the time speci;ied by Gate Clamp. If the threshold is off, then then gate will remain open and the
reverb will be unaffected. Threshold is a sensitive parameter. The value you select will be determined by the material you are
processing.
8.3.59.Gate Hold (Gate)

When the input signal falls below the gate threshold level, the Gate Hold parameter comes into effect. This is the amount of time
that must pass before the gate begins to close. If new signal comes in before this time passes, the gate will remain open. This
parameter is useful in shaping the gated reverb. It is also useful with choppy material and will keep the gate from thrashing open
and closed.
8.3.60.Gate Cut (Gate)

Controls the amount that reverb level is reduced when the gate is closed. Low values mean that the gate effect is subtle. High
values mean a much more audible effect.
8.3.61.Gate Clamp (Gate)

This controls how rapidly the gate will close after the Gate Hold period has passed. Short value cause the classic gate effect.
Longer values are more natural in effect and may simply help to clear out the mix.
8.3.62.Gate Recovery (Gate)

This controls how quickly the gate will reopen when new signal enters the system. Generally short values are best, but longer
values can create an interesting pumping effect. 
47
9. Ge]ng Help
9.1. iZotope Website
If you’re having dif;iculty with the plugin, the ;irst place to look is www.izotope.com. If you encounter what you believe to be a
bug, then please report it by going to the info page of the plugin (click on the logo in the upper left corner) then clicking the
“Request Help from iZotope” link. This will prepare an email with important system information and a log that may include your
problem. In the email, please describe what you were doing when you encountered the bug, and the best ways to reproduce the
problem. Then send it along.
If R4 has dif;iculty connecting with your email program, it will place the log ;ile on your desktop. Please send this ;ile to
support@izotope.com, along with a description of your problem.
9.2. iLok Website

If you’re having problem with licensing or with your iLok, then be sure to visit www.ilok.com.
9.3. Public Forums
iZotope maintains a presence on several popular forums and blogs.
9.4. Known Problems
Check the FAQ on the iZotope website.
10. Updates
Be sure to check www.izotope.com periodically for bug ;ix updates to R4 . While you’re there, be sure to check out new products
coming available.
11. Tech Notes

Most modern DAW programs handle plugin delay compensation automatically. But if you need to know, the delay of a dry signal
through R4 varies depending on the sample rate:
• 44.1/48K - 32 samples
• 88.2/96K - 64 samples
• 176.4/192K 128 samples
• Anything above - 256 samples
If you are loading down your DAW (and who doesn’t), be sure to put away the GUI when you no longer need it. It does take
processor cycles to run the user interface, and there’s no need to burn the cycles if you don’t need to control the plugin. The live
frequency display also takes cycles, so most of the time it’s best to leave it off: its default position. Turn the display on to
hypnotize the producer so he’ll let you get your work done!
48

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R4

1. System Requirements ............................................................................................................................................5

2. General Requirements ...........................................................................................................................................5

3. Supported Plugin Formats ..................................................................................................................................... 5

4. Installation and Removal ........................................................................................................................................6

7. Editing, Saving, Importing and Exporting ...............................................................................................................34

8. The Algorithms and their Parameters .....................................................................................................................40

9. Getting Help ........................................................................................................................................................... 48

10. Updates ..................................................................................................................................................................48

11. Tech Notes..............................................................................................................................................................48

3. Supported Plugin Formats

The plugins go in speci;ic areas for each plugin format:

Shared components of 64-bit plugins are stored in C:\ProgramData\ExponentialAudio\

Here’s the tooltip for tail EQ modulation

Tooltips are on. Click to Tooltips are off. Click to

5.2. Loading Presets

See the tooltips section

You can also search for presets by

The ‘User’ keyword

The ‘All Presets’

Now select one of

If there are multiple

5.2.2.1.More about the presets

5.2.3.Tip for quick audiConing

Click here to begin a

What can we do to re;ine the search? We can add some terms:

Add the word large with

5.4. The Meter Area

Preference Button to open

EQ curves of input and

Live display (click

Input/Output meters Processing threshold

5.5. The Tempo Area

Click this toggling button to make a global

In user mode, you may

or you can tap in the

Freeze is currently off.

In this setting, the early

5.7. Output and EQ Controls

Frequency of early EQ Frequency of reverb EQ

Control of early re;lection

Adjust Q of ;ilter if Q knob only EQ type selector.

Tip: —54 dB sounds bad. -48 dB sounds really bad.

5.9. Scaleable Display

Zoom button to increase

Mix control (only used when

Predelay helps separate reverb

You can also ;lip predelay into

Too long? Too short? A quick ;ix is

Is the overall level too high or low?

5.11. Edit Subpages

Subpage buttons for

The following sections will describe each subpage.

5.11.1.Note about Knobs

Controls detail size of Controls the

Controls early/late Controls ;ilter on

Dividing line between low/mid frequencies

Reverb time balance

Dividing line between