Minimal System Group Dreamscape Review

Last Updated on December 29, 2020 by IDS Team



Whatever is the instrument that you play, whether you sing, or whether you prefer to make synths and other virtual instruments in your DAW – you can’t make music with a completely dry sound.

Well, you technically can, and nobody is stopping you, but there’s hardly any chance you’ll make it sound appealing and enjoyable.

This is why the use of atmospheric effects has been an important part of every mix since way back in the 1950s. To this day, musicians of any genre are still using delay and reverb effects to give that new dimension and feel of “spaciousness” to whatever they’re making.

But these effects became more complex as time went by. For instance, any type of a reverb – whether it’s a rack-mounted unit or a pedal – had more features and parameter controls that would add a different “flavor” in real-time or to recorded audio tracks. Eventually, we got an abundance of great plugins that would serve this purpose, mostly in the studio for recording and mixing.



There’s one particular reverb plugin that we’re interested in here, and it’s called DreamScape.

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This plugin was conceived, designed, and created by a company called Minimal Systems Group. Featuring some very detailed and advanced control, this plugin was released back in 2013 and is still in use today.

The idea with such a plugin was to decrease the CPU usage and bring more of that analog “warmth” in the output, which is something that’s becoming increasingly popular these days.

Since there are plenty of interesting features in this one, we decided to look into DreamScape and examine it closer.

So if you’re looking for a new reverb plugin for your own work, or are generally interested in reverbs, come right in and check this one out.



Features

It does not take more than a glance at it to realise that DreamScape is a plugin with very detailed parameter controls.

It’s intended as a fully custom effect with its special atmosphere generator.

There are some pretty unusual analog modelling characteristic controls on it, intended for making those rich and lush atmospherics effects. Everything is enhanced with the company’s specially designed reflection algorithm.

For the purpose of creating detailed effects, the DreamScape plugin is divided into two main sections. We have the added filter and modulation section, in addition to the main part of the plugin dedicated to basic and advanced reverb parameter controls.

In the main part, we can find a total of 12 virtual knobs and four virtual switches on it.

First off, we have the essential reverb parameters, like pre-delay, reflections, room size, and the inevitable mix/blend control.

Now, there are a few other interesting parameters here, concerning the room shapes and dimensions. For instance, there are two knobs labeled as “low floor” and “high ceiling” that further help shape the room feel.

In addition, we can also find other advanced controls, like the amplitude curve, time curve, as well as reverb start and reverb stop. And since this is a stereo reverb plugin, there’s a control determining the stereo “width” of the effect.

The filter and modulation section gives some interesting controls, as well as the possibility to tweak left and right channels individually.

This section can add somewhat of an “unconventional” tone to the standard reverb. You’ll be able to get some experimental and even synth-like tones using this section.

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Performance

Overall, the DreamScape reverb plugin gives an abundance of options. You can use it for pretty much any instrument or vocal track.

In addition, you can use it with or without the filter/modulation section. The graphic interface is pretty intuitive and easy to get by with, so there’s hardly any chance that you’ll have issues with using the plugin.

As promised by Minimal System Group, the plugin does indeed have a low CPU usage.

However, there’s a huge drawback with the fact that this is a 32-bit plugin. You can use it on a 64-bit system, but you’ll need to use the jBridge software in order to make it work. Not exactly the most practical solution for just another reverb plugin.

While the reverb itself can be used in some conventional ways, any additional advanced parameter tweaking goes into experimental territories.

For an average producer, this will be a huge letdown, as the resulting tones are something that would be appealing to those who love meddling with weird and unusual reverbs and feedbacks.

Like we already mentioned, using the filter and modulation section, you get some vintage synth-oriented overtones. And, to be perfectly honest, this can be somewhat annoying. We’d rather have a lush and spacious reverb, rather than an experimental platform for wacky sounds that have no practical value in modern music.

Conclusion

To put it simply, DreamScape is a good reverb that won’t break your wallet.

It scores well in terms of versatility, and its intuitive design, as well as the experimental-friendly environment, deserve a nod. It’s a good entry level reverb with some advanced features and a good price. On occasion, you’ll be able to find some super cheap deals on it, going well below the $10 mark.

We have a very low CPU usage, which is all great. The intuitive graphic interface and easy-to-use controls are something that everyone loves.

If you want a serious advanced level spacious and lush reverb plugin, we’d rather advise you go with something else. In case you feel experimental and would really love to play around with a few unusual analog-like reverb presets, then wait for the price to drop and get DreamSpace.