LoamRoom

Description

LoamRoom

Dual-room spatial reverb for Ableton Live (Max for Live). Alpha 0.232.

Most reverbs give you one space. LoamRoom gives you depth: two mono-safe

rooms - a near one and a far one - that you blend in real time, with

distance staging that walks a source from your face to the back of the

hall. Each trick here exists elsewhere, usually across several paid

plugins or by chaining two reverbs by hand; LoamRoom puts the whole

depth workflow into one free device inside Live.

=== WHAT IT IS ===

Two independent true-stereo FDN rooms (A = NEAR, B = FAR). Each has

stereo predelay, asymmetric early reflections per side, 8-channel

diffusion into an 8-line Householder feedback network (dense, stable,

never metallic thanks to slow modulation), HF damping, frequency-

dependent width (bass stays centered, highs open up), and Loam's

distance staging. Blend the two rooms, or switch B off and use it as a

classic single room. An optional DEPTH output stage adds mono-safe

widening and reverb ducking for a clean, three-dimensional result.

No FFT; fully self-contained.

On load it starts on a versatile medium-room voicing (the "Vocal Up

Front" preset, B off), with DEPTH pre-dialled but off - so it sounds

good instantly and is identical to the classic engine until you turn

DEPTH on.

=== QUICK START ===

1. Drop it on a track (insert) or on a return.

2. Set Mix to taste (starts at 22%).

3. Want front/back depth? Turn B On, keep A Dist low and B Dist high,

set Blend around 50%.

4. Want extra 3D and a clearer mix? Turn Depth On.

Tip: try the "Soft Depth A+B" or "Close L / Far R" preset to start.

=== CONTROLS: PER ROOM (A NEAR, B FAR) ===

- Dist (0-100%): places the source IN the room. More = quieter + darker

direct signal + a larger room share. 0% = transparent. Level/tone cues

only - mono-safe.

- Size (0.3-2.0x): room dimensions; scales early reflections and network

delays.

- Decay (0.2-12 s): reverb tail length (RT60).

- Damp (0-100%): high-frequency absorption of the tail.

- Pan (50L-C-50R): position of this room on the stereo stage. With Focus

up (see TUNE), Pan pulls the room's image together and localises it

left/right - even a wide far room moves audibly. At C it is neutral

(full width).

- Pre (0-200 ms): stereo predelay before the room answers.

- Width (0-100%): stereo width of the tail, frequency-dependent (bass

stays mono-solid, highs open up). 0% = mono.

- Mod (0-100%): slow network modulation; adds life, avoids metallic

ringing.

- Early (0-100%): level of the early reflections relative to the tail.

- Lvl (-24...+12 dB): level trim for this room.

=== CONTROLS: OUT (global) ===

- Mix (0-100%): global dry/wet for both rooms. Note: Dist pushes the

effective mix toward wet.

- Blend (0-100%): equal-power crossfade from A to B. 0% = only near, 100% =

only far, in between = both. Automate it to move a sound from

face-to-face into the back of the hall.

- Out (-36...+12 dB): master output level.

- B On: switches room B on/off with a soft, click-free fade. Off

(default) = the device behaves like a classic single room.

- Meters: stereo output level.

=== CONTROLS: TUNE (expert, optional) ===

Every dial defaults to the classic behaviour; factory presets do NOT

change TUNE, so it stays your global preference.

- DistLaw (0.5-2.0x, default 1.0): how aggressively Dist darkens and

lowers a distant source.

- AutoWet (0-100%, default 55): how strongly Dist pushes the effective

mix toward wet. 0 = fully decoupled.

- XOver (100-500 Hz, default 200): frequency below which the tail stays

mono-solid.

- ModRate (0.1-2.0 Hz, default 0.7): speed of the network modulation.

- Focus (0-100%, default 85): how much the Pan dials truly localise a

room. 0 = old-style balance (level only).

=== CONTROLS: DEPTH (optional 3D output stage) ===

OFF by default; with DEPTH off the output is identical to the classic

engine. Turn it on for extra plasticity.

- Depth On: master switch for the whole DEPTH stage (click-free).

- Space (0-100%): mono-safe mid/side widening of the reverb output.

- BassMono (40-400 Hz): low-cut on the side signal - keeps the bass

centered and mono-solid.

- Presence (0-100%): a gentle dip around 2-4 kHz in the mid, so a dry

source sits through the reverb.

- Duck (0-6 dB): auto-ducking - the reverb tail steps back while your

dry signal plays and breathes in the gaps. Most effective on a return

(100% wet).

=== PRESETS ===

13 factory presets (they set the room dials but leave your TUNE and

DEPTH settings untouched):

Front/Back Stage - Close L / Far R - Duet Stage - Small + Hall Layered -

Vocal Up Front - Drum Room - Small Wood Room - Big Hall - Cathedral -

Ambient Wash - Far Corner - Tight Mono Room - Soft Depth A+B.

User slots (the bubbles below the menu): shift-click = store, click =

recall. These capture EVERYTHING (including TUNE and DEPTH) and travel

with your Live Set.

=== TIPS ===

- Instant depth stage: B On, A Dist ~10%, B Dist ~70%, Blend ~50%.

- Automate Blend for near-to-far movement; automate Dist for continuous

distance staging.

- Left/right staging: pan A slightly left, B right (try "Close L / Far R"

or "Duet Stage").

- Big breathing rooms: Size high, Decay 6 s+, Damp ~40%, Mod ~30%,

Early low.

- Busy mix? Depth On, Duck ~3 dB.

=== REQUIREMENTS ===

Ableton Live 12 Suite (Max for Live / Max 9). Audio effect. Self-

contained - no external files.

Levels: as with any feedback-based reverb, extreme settings (very long

Decay, Size sweeps, hot input) can build up level. Keep a limiter on your

master chain. Use at your own risk.

=== ALPHA - PLEASE HELP TEST ===

This is alpha software and I want it to sound right EVERYWHERE. If you

can, try it on different playback systems - studio monitors, headphones,

laptop speakers, phone, car - and in MONO, and tell me what you hear.

Bug reports (with the Max console if it errors), "sounds odd on this

source/system" notes, and feature ideas are all hugely appreciated.

Comment on this page or email [email protected]. Thank you for testing!

=== SUPPORT ===

LoamRoom is and stays free. If it finds a place in your music and you

feel like it, you can buy me a coffee:

https://ko-fi.com/daniwagener

Only if you feel like it - you enjoying it is already enough. (The

download is not tied to it in any way.)

=== LICENSE ===

(c) 2026 Daniel Wagener. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - full text:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Music made with this device may of course be commercial; the NC clause

covers the device itself, not your productions. Provided "AS IS",

without warranty of any kind; use entirely at your own risk. Ableton and

Max for Live are trademarks of Ableton AG; Max and gen~ are by

Cycling '74. This is an independent, unofficial device, not affiliated

with or endorsed by them.