- Not a newly polished UI, a true worthwhile upgrade from IK Multimedia
- Very realistic room behavior (not just static reverb)
- Dual engine is genuinely useful for layering depth
- Excellent control over positioning and space
- Infinite number of combinations and layering
- Might feel intimidating at first glance
- Best suited for users who like to have options and to tweak
Hello there, and welcome back to another plugin review! This time, we will be looking at a very recently released reverb plugin: the IK Multimedia Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II. I was really interested in IK’s Sunet Sound Studio Reverb plugin, and I attempted to try the trial version in recent months. However, I couldn’t figure out the IK’s product manager software and gave up. A couple of weeks later, I noticed that IK was running a really good deal on the plugin, and I went for it and purchased a licence.
Table of Contents
While playing and enjoying the plugin, I was also planning to come up with a brief article and maybe feature this lovely plugin in a demo video. But due to many other responsibilities, I had to postpone it. Surprisingly, I received an email from one of the affiliate managers of IK, Natalie, via the Impact.com website that I used for affiliate marketing purposes. At first, I thought this was not a genuine message, but I realised the person was genuinely checking with bloggers or social media people to push for the new version of the Sunset Sound reverb. That was when I found out IK just released the new version of this legendary plugin.
She kindly offered a licence for me to try and test the plugin. So, yeah, this article is the 2nd piece of content on my blog, which features a “paid promotion” along with the Donner Vowel pedal. For full transparency with you, I didn’t get paid, but only offered a license to feature this plugin.
About IK Multimedia
If you’ve been around guitar plugins or home recording for a while, chances are you’ve already used something from IK Multimedia, whether you realised it or not. Founded back in 1996 in Modena, Italy, IK has been quietly pushing music technology forward for decades. They were among the early players in amp and effects modelling with AmpliTube, and over the years, they’ve expanded into pretty much every corner of music production, from mixing and mastering tools like T-RackS to virtual instruments and mobile recording gear. 
What I personally find interesting about IK is their approach: they don’t just release tools, they build ecosystems. Things like TONEX and their AI-based modelling aren’t just “another plugin”, they’re part of a bigger idea of capturing and recreating real gear in a way that actually feels usable in real-world scenarios. At the end of the day, IK Multimedia sits somewhere between traditional studio gear culture and modern software convenience, which is exactly why their products keep showing up in both home studios and professional setups.
Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II – The Sunset Sound Recreated!
With version II, IK Multimedia takes things a step further, focusing on what really matters: capturing the feel of Sunset Sound’s live rooms. This isn’t just an update to the original T-RackS plugin. It’s a more complete and refined take on the same idea. You’re getting detailed recreations of Studios 1, 2, and 3, but with noticeably more depth and control over how the space behaves.
Under the hood, it’s powered by IK’s Volumetric Response Modelling (VRM™), which goes beyond traditional impulse responses. Instead of a static “snapshot” of a room, the reverb reacts depending on where your sound sits in the space. That’s what gives it that sense of movement and realism, something you usually miss with more conventional reverbs. In practice, it doesn’t just sound like a room; it behaves more like one.
What’s New in Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II
With version II, IK Multimedia focused less on adding gimmicks and more on giving you deeper control over how the space actually behaves. One of the biggest upgrades is the live room positioning. Instead of relying on interpolation, you now get up to 27 real, individually captured source positions per studio. In practice, this means the reverb reacts more like a real room; you can move your sound around and actually hear meaningful changes, not just subtle variations.
Another major addition is the dual reverb architecture. You’re essentially working with two independent reverb engines that can run in parallel. This opens up more creative options, like blending a tight room with a wider ambient tail without stacking multiple plugins.IK also expanded the capture library quite a bit. With 336 stereo impulse responses, there’s noticeably more depth and variation available. You’re not stuck with a “one flavour per room” situation anymore; you can fine-tune the space depending on the source. The introduction of directional and omnidirectional sound source modes is a subtle but important upgrade. It changes how the sound spreads in the room, which helps the reverb sit more naturally in a mix rather than just floating on top of it.
On the control side, version II gives you more precision with size shaping and per-channel EQ. You can push a room to feel larger or tighter, and adjust the tone without needing external plugins. Finally, there’s variable acoustic dampening, which simulates movable panels in certain studios. This lets you tame or open up the room in a way that feels closer to working in an actual recording space. Overall, these updates don’t just add features; they make the plugin feel more flexible, more realistic, and easier to adapt to different mixing situations. 
Sunset Studio Reverb I vs II?
As I mentioned, I actually owned the first version of this plugin before writing this review. After spending quite a bit of time with it, I was later contacted by IK Multimedia via Impact and offered a license for version II. So this isn’t a “first impression” type of review; I’ve used both versions, and I had a clear idea of what worked going in. That makes the differences in version II much easier to spot in real-world use.
First of all, version II is definitely lighter to install, which may sound weird to some of you. As I mentioned, I had first attempted to install the version I via IK’s product manager, and couldn’t figure it out at the time. Later, when I bought the licence, I went into the IK’s software and tried to activate my licence. I then realised that the Sunset Sound reverb would come with the T-RackS module. Basically, Sunset Sound was one of the components of the T-RackS. So, I ended up installing the main T-RackS component and activating my licence. But I realised I had all the other plugins installed as well! Of course, only Sunset Sound would be fully functional as I activated it. Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II is very different. It’s an individual plugin, and you don’t have to install everything around it to just activate it. Here’s a quick comparison table to see the differences between versions I and II.
| Feature | Version I | Version II |
|---|---|---|
| Room Positioning | More limited positioning control | Up to 27 discrete captured positions per studio |
| Reverb Engine | Single engine | Dual independent engines (parallel routing) |
| Impulse Responses | Smaller IR set | 336 stereo IRs |
| Sound Source Behavior | Standard spatial response | Directional & omni source modes |
| Room Shaping | Basic controls | Advanced size control + per-channel EQ |
| Room Treatment | Fixed room character | Variable acoustic dampening (Studios 1 & 3) |
From my experience using both versions, version I already sounded great, but it felt more “locked in.” Version II gives you noticeably more control over how the space reacts, especially when you start layering reverbs or moving the source around. In practice, version I already sounded good, but it felt a bit “fixed.” You dialled in a sound and worked around it. Version II changes that. 
It feels more like you’re actually interacting with a space rather than just applying a reverb effect. The dual engine alone makes a big difference, but the real upgrade is how the room reacts when you start moving things around or shaping it. If you were happy with version I, you’ll feel immediately at home, but with a lot more flexibility when you need it.
The New Features
Real room positioning: Move your sound across actual recorded positions, not approximations
Dual reverb engines: Blend two spaces inside one plugin
336 IRs: Much wider variation compared to version I
Directional & omni modes: Helps the reverb sit naturally in a mix
Advanced size control: Resize rooms without breaking their character
Variable dampening: Adjust how “live” or controlled the room feels
Analogue colour option: Add subtle console-style warmth if needed
In short: more control, more realism, less need for workarounds.
Reverb Types
The plugin is split into five main reverb categories, accessible via the colored buttons at the top. Once you select one, the relevant controls and options update in the centre. It’s a simple system, but more importantly, it keeps you focused on choosing a space, not digging through menus.
Live Rooms
These are the core of the plugin. You’re working with full recreations of the actual rooms at Sunset Sound Recorders, and this is where version II really shines. You can move your sound freely inside the room, which makes a much bigger difference than you’d expect. Studios 1 and 3 also include adjustable dampening, so you can tighten things up or let the room breathe a bit more. In practice, this is the closest you’ll get to placing a mic in a real room, just without leaving your DAW.
ISO Booths
These are smaller, controlled spaces. They’re great when you don’t want a big, obvious reverb but still need some depth. Vocals, spoken word, or anything that needs clarity without feeling completely dry works really well here. It’s a more “focused” kind of space, less about ambience, more about presence.
Chambers
This is where things get interesting. Real echo chambers are rare these days, and they sound very different from typical digital reverbs. There’s more depth, more complexity, and a certain “movement” that’s hard to fake. Each chamber here has its own character, so you’re not just adjusting decay, you’re choosing a different space altogether. Great for anything from subtle ambience to bigger, more atmospheric sounds. 
Plates
You get two classic plate reverbs here: an EMT 140 and an Echoplate. Plates are known for that smooth, dense tail that sits nicely in a mix, especially on vocals. They add space without washing everything out, which is why they’ve been studio staples for decades. Both options here behave as expected, with adjustable decay just like the original hardware.
Spring
This one is based on the AKG BX-20E, which is a bit of a different beast compared to typical guitar amp springs. It still has that slightly gritty, vintage character, but it’s more refined and usable in a mix. Works well for adding some movement and personality, especially on guitars, vocals, or even drums if you want something less “clean.”
What I like here is that you’re not just choosing “a reverb”, you’re choosing how you want your space to behave.
Sunset Studio Reverb II Sound Demo (no talking)
Here’s a quick demo video that I prepared for this article. I used my Ibanez AZ24047, ENGL E530 tube preamp, along with Two Notes Opus (using Suhr IRs). I also used my Dunlop MC-404 wah pedal, Keith McMillen QuNexus midi controller (to trigger a pad only!), RME Babyface PRO FS audio interface and Genelec 8020 DPM studio monitors.
Hope you enjoy listening to these wonderful reverb sounds. While recording this video, of course, I just picked up a couple of settings to start playing my guitar with. After the recording, I recorded the audio signal back into my DAW again while recording the screen and playing with plugin settings.
To be honest, if I didn’t choose this approach, I would have just given you a couple of settings/presets at most, as Sunset Sound Reverb II sounds and feels so sweet! You could literally get carried away and play for half an hour before you even realise. 
Review
If you also used the OG Sunset Sound Reverb plugin and are familiar with the interface, you would probably feel the same at first glance! Version II looks very intimidating. A bigger interface, more controls, with a dual reverb engine waiting to be tweaked. However, when you spend some time with it, you start to realise that it’s a very well-made and smartly designed plugin.
To be honest, before I tried the version II, I questioned whether this would ever be a worthwhile upgrade for people who already had the version I. Obviously, IK wanted to give us a lot more with version II. So, don’t ever think that it’s just a newly polished version of the OG plugin.
It’s a very detailed, powerful and tweakable version of an already great-sounding reverb plugin. Although you have the option to switch between dual reverb engines or even stack them together to blend different reverb algorithms, I suggest you first focus on a single engine and just get the feel of the algorithms. Once you have determined your favourite ones, start discovering the variations, such as checking out different studios.
For live rooms, you can then start exploring dampening effects (for 1 and 3) as well as playing with the sources, as you have standard and omni options. On top of that, you have all the locations that you can go through within studios. Not enough variety? You also have a really sweet-sounding Spring and Plate algorithms with variations too!
Note that we haven’t even mentioned stacking these dual engines together and combining another layer of variations with Preamp options in the input sections. For the input sections, IK gives us Pre1 and Pre2, which represent the API Demedio custom Sunset Sound console as well as NEVE 1073 preamps in Mic mode.
Even though it’s very difficult to choose a favourite, here are some of my favourite algorithms in Sunset Sound Reverb II. My first go-to setting for single line playing with my electric guitars would definitely be the chamber, followed by the wonderful plate algorithm. Although I like the spring reverb on the Sunset Sound, I prefer chamber and plate first for that kind of playing.
While playing more rhythm-dominant lines, I’d prefer IsoBooth Studio 1. It really gives you a feeling of playing in a great room! I also really like the LiveRoom1 Standard with HalfDamp. As mentioned, you can have a dampening effect with three different settings (no dampening, half and full dampening) for only Live Room 1 and Live Room 3. So, whenever I use those, I like the half-damp setting the most. In my opinion, it really supports your playing and adds a sweet amount of thickness.
As you can see from the demo video, while using standard algorithms and presets, I decided not to engage dual engine and layer reverbs on top of each other just to focus on the actual algorithms. For almost all “Creative Presets“, the dual reverb engine is engaged (except Guitar Room, I disengaged it). This is where you step into the infinite possibilities!
Verdict
If you are a regular visitor to my blog and know what I usually publish here, you may easily categorise me as a guitar gear addict. Indeed, I’m addicted to guitars and any gear around them, as well as many other musical instruments and many other genres of music. But there’s also another thing that I’m severely addicted to: Reverb plugins!
Yes, you have heard me correctly! 🙂 I often spend my time discovering more and more reverb plugins, whether they are ethereal, big reverbs, vintage-sounding spring reverbs, early reflection algorithms, or any true digital representation of legendary hardware units. So far, I have tested possibly over 25/30 reverb plugins from various companies.
Check out my Plugin Reviews here
Why I’m telling you this is not because I want to show off or anything. It’s just about to tell you how much I love reverbs! To be honest, I don’t have a favourite reverb plugin, but many favourites for different moods I’m after while playing my guitar through my monitors.
Although there have been many strong competitors in the list, I must confess IK’s Sunset Sound Reverb II has just secured its place very early on. It’s by far one of the best reverb plugins I have ever tried. I believe one can easily just live with this plugin and never need anything else.
I never expected that they would release a second version after the OG. To me, the OG Sunset Sound plugin was already more than good enough, and I’d happily use it for anything. However, version II is absolutely a worthwhile upgrade. It gives so many options and textures with the additional dampening and location features.
So, I can confidently recommend IK Multimedia Sunset Sound Reverb II to any of my readers here without any hesitation. This makes me happy because when I was offered to promote this plugin, I thought it was just a newly polished version with a cooler-looking UI, and I questioned myself on how I could come up with anything positive.
However, I was very surprised and happy that they really put so much effort into this and completely changed how the plugin sounds and feels, with an infinite number of possibilities embedded into the new version. Also, I was worried that the new version with all these location options with actual IRs would be really hard on my computer. But it was a breeze to use it, no issues, no crackling noise, no audio dropouts! 
Pricing & Availability
Although the OG version is still available on some websites, I believe it will be gradually removed, but maybe kept in the T-RackS bundles. So, you’d better get the new version! 🙂 You have multiple options to purchase a licence from. For instance, both versions are available on Thomann.
Check out Sunset Sound Reverb II on Thomann here
Check out Sunset Sound Reverb on Thomann here
You can also prefer IK’s official website.
Check out Sunset Sound Reverb II on IK Multimedia’s official website here
Reverb also sometimes has resellers for even plugins there. I have discovered some IK Sunset Sound reverb sellers there, but it’s the OG version. I believe these resellers, and more, will catch up with the new IK software soon.
Check out Sunset Sound Reverb on Reverb here
Last but not least, you can also have a look at one of the best plugin marketplaces online, Pluginboutique.
Check out Sunset Sound Reverb II on PluginBoutique here
Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!
