New Software Review: MangledVerb by Eventide

Uniquely marrying reverb with distortion, Eventide’s MangledVerb aims to alter how we think about giving space to our sounds.

Eventide’s MangledVerb is a unique effect that combines reverb and distortion, ported directly from their award-winning H9 Harmonizer pedal.

It’s not quite like any other reverb or distortion unit, though. For starters, MangledVerb feeds a non-standard stereo reverb into distortion, which is rather uncommon. It also features some unique options for manipulating your signal in real-time.

MangledVerb’s compact and user-friendly interface makes it pretty easy to navigate this unique feature set, so let’s dive in and see what it can do.

Features

With the Decay, Size, and Pre-delay knobs, you can dial in your desired depth—from small rooms to giant stadiums. Set decay values above 70 for traditional reverb tails, or less than 70 for reverse reverb effects with more build-up. Use the Size controls to determine the size of the reverb—just keep it below 15 if you plan to use MangledVerb as a distortion unit too, otherwise it can create a bit of a mess.

You can control the amount of depth and rate of reverb modulation using the Wobble knob in the bottom row—simply increase it for more modulation and decrease it for less. Dial in the pre-delay by hand or engage the Tempo Sync function on the left to use beat divisions of the tempo. You can set it to Sync to follow the BPM of your DAW, use Manual mode to select the BPM yourself, or set it using the Tap Tempo button in the bottom right-hand corner.

In terms of signal flow, the EQ section directly follows the pre-delay and reverb sections, and precedes the distortion section. You can use the knobs for lows and highs to boost or cut the signal at fixed frequencies, or dial in a specific frequency using the midrange band.

Use the Soft-clip/Overdrive control to choose from two types of distortions and set their drive amount. This function is rather unique—the first half of the knob controls the gain level for soft-clip-style distortion from 1-100. Passing 100 in soft-clip switches the distortion type to Overdrive with a new drive range of 1-100. Use the adjacent Level control to set the amount of distortion relative to the rest of the signal.

At first glance, you’ll probably overlook MangledVerb’s most innovative feature. This control has no label, no knob, and no form of measurement. It is simply known as “the Ribbon.” The Ribbon is the small blue stripe in the center of the plugin that can be dragged left and right. Use the Ribbon to manipulate several knobs at once in real-time by clicking the white dot above any knob and dragging it to the desired starting point—this creates a blue arc with two anchor points. Use these anchor points to set the extremities of the range that the Ribbon will affect.

You can assign any and all of the available controls to the Ribbon for simultaneous manipulation. Drag the Ribbon all the way to the left to automate any assigned controls to the position of their white anchor points. Drag the Ribbon all the way to the right to automate any assigned controls to the position of the blue anchor points.

Finally, you can use the standard Input, Output and Wet/Dry mix controls to properly set the gain staging for your signal. Tap the Active button on the bottom left to bypass the effect, or the Hotswitch button in the center to toggle between two settings for any combination of controls.

In Use

MangledVerb includes a variety of great presets to get you going—all organized into different kinds of reverbs, distortions, and combinations of both, as well as presets for specific instruments and special effects. You can also choose from a selection of custom artist presets, and effects from the original Eventide H9 unit.

So, that’s where I started.

I immediately had a lot of fun hearing how drastically MangledVerb could transform a signal just by flipping through the presets. Settings like “Dark Tube Distortion,” “Drum Bus Mangler,” and “Garage Sale Reverb” all delivered exactly as promised.

Then I shifted my attention to dialing in a custom effect of my own. The distortion and EQ controls worked like a dream, but trying to dial in the perfect reverb proved to be a little harder. While it was simple to control the depth and size of the reverb, there’s no way to change the tone or type of reverb, which is rather metallic.

Next, I started experimenting with the Ribbon. It was easy to set up the parameters I wanted to be able to alter, and within seconds I was transforming signals with the swipe of a mouse. I was able to control EQ, distortion, and reverb settings, not to mention the mix amount for all three—a feat that would usually take 20 minutes of programming automation across multiple plugins.

Then I put MangledVerb through the ringer, starting with drums. I was able to breathe new life into a simple Logic loop by adding a gritty, trashy, roomy character to the drums, and a metallic ring to the snare.

Next, I added a dark, grimy fuzz distortion effect to a bass loop by boosting the lows/mids, cutting the highs, and adding a hearty dose overdrive.

Then I took a poppy, plucky R&B guitar and transformed it into a chunky, trashy grunge guitar part with a resonant peak.

Finally, I used MangledVerb to add depth to a vocal melody with a distorted delay by setting the tempo mode to sync and setting the pre-delay to 1/4 note.

Click here to download the full resolution audio samples.

To Be Critical

MangledVerb really surprised me with its distortion capabilities, considering how limited the controls are. With only two selectable distortion types, it was able to mangle drums, bass, guitar, and vocals in different and pleasing ways—although it would be nice to have more distortion options to choose from.

I also found the reverb capabilities were a little disappointing. There’s only one reverb type, and it sounds rather metallic. It would be great to see more reverb types included in a future update.

At times, it seems apparent that MangledVerb was ported from a guitar pedal—even the interface resembles a stompbox. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Hotswitch and Ribbon features allow you to experiment and manipulate your signal in very unique ways.

Critiques aside, MangledVerb straddles the line between signal processor and performance tool—and while it may have a rather limited use, there’s no other plugin capable of what MangledVerb can do.

Summing it Up

True to its name, MangledVerb is great for mangling a signal—distorting and transforming it into something entirely new. It’s also great for adding subtle amounts of soft-clip-style distortion.

If you’re looking for a distortion unit with simple controls to quickly dial in the perfect trashy drum tone or to slowly evolve a seemingly innocent synth into something more sinister, MangledVerb is an excellent and affordable option at only $99. Especially when coupled with automation, the transformative possibilities offered by this plugin are nearly limitless. But, if you’re looking for a versatile reverb plugin, you may want to explore some of Eventide’s dedicated reverb units instead.

Overall, MangledVerb is an incredibly fun plugin to use. Although it may not be the most versatile unit in your arsenal, it offers a unique and creative way to achieve sounds no other plugin can. Request a free and fully functional 30-day trial and see for yourself!

Brad Pack is an award-winning audio engineer and writer based in Chicago, IL. He currently owns and operates Punchy Kick, a professional mixing and mastering studio that specializes in pop punk, emo, punk, grunge, and alternative music.

He has been helping artists connect with fans through emotionally resonant mixes, cohesive masters, and insightful guidance for over 10 years. Check out his website PunchyKick.com or say hi on Instagram @PunchyKick.

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