PSP Audioware 2445 EMT Reverb – Crystal Clear
Hi and welcome to Music Nation TV. This week we’re looking at an emulation of the mythical EMT 244 and 245 plate reverb modelled by PSP Audioware – the aptly named 2445 EMT. The original hardware is extremely rare and treasured by the studios that possess them, but now you too can have a taste of the original, albeit in VST form.
(Review updated July 2022) I’ll admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of the EMT reverb sound. I owned the UAD 240 variant years ago, but it mostly gathered dust, as it felt a bit too “80s” for my taste. That said, the EMT is a classic reverb that deserves a place in any collection—it’s perfect for covering all bases, even those cheesy ‘80s pop synth tracks. With today’s powerful PCs, hardware accelerators like UAD are no longer necessary to run high-end effects, making it easier to explore more unique devices without a massive investment.
As always with PSP Audioware products, I expect high quality and attention to detail. Setting aside any preconceptions, I’m excited to dive in and see what this one has to offer. Let’s get it installed and cranked up!
Overview
PSP Audioware 2445 EMT combines the modelling of both the original 244 and 245 hardware rack units. You can easily switch between each, or choose a combination mix of both. The original units were designed for mono-to-stereo conversion, whereas the plugins have no such limitations.
The cool skeuomorphic UI which PSP Audioware always design perfectly is very well laid out and easy to navigate. Controls are fairly straightforward, an input level with corresponding output gain and mix knobs. Delay controls the offset of the reverb wet signal to the dry source. Reflections are the density or diffusion level. The ‘T’ knob is for time, or the reflection’s tail length. A simplistic graph allows you to swap between normal and extended reverb times for high or lower frequency ranges.
A nifty hidden flap opens to reveal controls for routing. You can select the input mode, either 244 or 245 reverb modes and then how the effect is routed to the output channel. A modulation control smooths out the reverb tail at the expense of slight chorusing at extreme settings, though in testing I didn’t find this control overly effective. A simple 2-band EQ with a high pass, stereo width and output balance controls.
So for what looks on the outside to be a simple device, certainly a lot of control has been included for increased flexibility. Great stuff.
Road Test
As with any reverb effect, the PSP Audioware 2445 shines best when used as a light wash of ambiance. It has a rich, high-quality sound, particularly clear in the mid-high and top frequencies, making it one of the best options out of the box for widening and spreading the perceived soundstage without drawing attention to itself as a reverb.
I’ve read that the original EMT250 had a somewhat darker tone, and since the 244 and 245 share much of the same core design, this plugin carries through a bit of that lo-fi 18kHz sampled sound. I’m usually wary of low-end muddiness unless the sub-lows are carefully rolled off, but the mid-high and top-end sizzle on this unit is quite appealing.
Unlike spring reverb, which can place a mix within a distinct space, the 2445 is great for adding a subtle shimmer to bus tracks. Used with a short tail and dialed-down low end, it works well as a subtle high-frequency enhancer, giving added dimension and width. The airy, crystal-clear high end is impressive, almost tempting me to overdo it.
You need to be very careful with the balance, else everything just sounds like a bad New Wave remix from the 80s. But if you’re gentle a very nice ethereal ambience can be added, which is particularly nice on minimalistic tracks with just voice and piano or guitar. There’s nothing like a plate reverb on vocals, and if you dial the setting in well, it’s creamy and silky smooth. For general reverb, 2445 EMT works well on pretty much everything, it’s just out of the box it generally sounds too much, too characterful. This is not an effect you can merrily throw on all your tracks and life is good. Some degree of tweaking and (mostly) pulling back the mix will be required.
With that being said, if you’re looking for something really different, pushing the 2445 EMT hard will produce plenty of character. Engaging the Delay more adds a serious amount of echo, producing quite distinct results. This reverb is naturally quite a wide sound, so more intense processing gives your track a bigger, ethereal quality. From a sound design standpoint, this could be the exact sound you’re looking for, it’s retro but not vintage.
An interesting side effect is the built-in delay control, I found this very interesting to play with, especially for wild slap-back echoes. On drums, it’s an absolute blast, and I managed to come up with some really cool polyrhythmic delay grooves by dialling back the reflections all the way and maxing the delay time and input gain.
When used on a performance instrument such as a piano, 2445 EMT has a distinctive sound, especially on staccato notes and very high-range keys. Lower-range notes tend to swallow up the reverb effect, so it’s much more noticeable when playing higher on the instrument’s range. On most presets there is an odd chorusing reflection tail that is a little strange on short notes and chords, but when played heavily and with sustained notes the reverb has a very nice smoothing and widening effect. I find it a little too weird for my taste as a general piano reverb, but the rich chorusing effect is wonderful on ballad-style piano lines that need a little thickening, widening and lushness added.
Performance-wise, 2445 is amazing – hardly moving our DPS meter beyond a few per cent for each instance. Pushing the tails out to 5 seconds, of course, adds some processing demands, but for most generic applications you won’t even notice the CPU hit.
Conclusion
The PSP Audioware 2445 is a great-sounding, well-designed plate reverb. Its controls are intuitive and straightforward, offering ample customization without overcomplicating the workflow. Impressively, the CPU load is minimal—even with multiple instances running, it draws about the same processing power as an EQ or compressor. This efficiency makes it viable for extended use beyond a BUS insert.
At $149 USD, the price may feel a bit high, though the unique sound quality justifies it. It’s not easy to replicate this character short of investing in hardware UAD units or finding an original vintage unit. PSP Audioware has crafted several character-rich reverb units, each with a distinct sound profile, and the 2445 fills the niche of a digital plate reverb beautifully.
While it’s not my new go-to reverb, it has become my preferred choice for achieving something unique. I especially appreciate how the 2445 EMT subtly widens and enhances the top end, remaining nearly undetectable if used with a light touch.
For any producer, a collection of high-quality, characterful effects—especially reverb— is essential. Reverb provides spatial depth and ambiance, making it one of the most impactful effects in a mix. While many digital reverbs cover broad use cases, focused, specialty units like the 2445 EMT are harder to come by. This plugin has some impressive tricks and is among the smoothest plate reverbs I’ve heard. I highly recommend trying the demo; it will certainly grab your attention
For further information and pricing, check the main website here www.pspaudioware.com