Capitol Chambers: Echo Chamber Reverb Plugin by Universal Audio

Rated 4.8/5 on Plugin Boutique (167 ratings)

Capitol Chambers is an echo and reverb plugin by Universal Audio that emulates the underground echo chambers of Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. It runs in VST3, AU and AAX formats on Windows and macOS.

VST3AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Capitol Chambers is an effects plugin from Universal Audio modeled on the echo chambers beneath Capitol Tower in Los Angeles. The developer built the emulation from historic technical diagrams and works with Capitol Studios to capture the chamber's microphone and speaker setups in their original positions. The plugin is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats and works with any audio interface, with no UA hardware required.

Best for

Vocal reverb
Drum ambience
String reverb
Vintage echo chamber sound
Mix ambience

Developer: Universal Audio
Category: Echo
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Emulates the echo chambers of Capitol Studios in Los Angeles
Dense, natural reverb for vocals, drums and strings
Position slider repositions the chamber microphones
Dynamic Room Modeling for new sounds beyond static impulses
Pre-delay, Dry/Wet and Decay controls for modern workflows
Sweepable 80 to 750 Hz filter to reduce muddy bass
Presets from Grammy-winning engineers and producers
Runs without UA hardware on any audio interface

03In depth

Chamber Sound and Ambience Control

Capitol Chambers focuses on dense, natural reverberation. Universal Audio says it is designed to add ambience to vocals or drums that goes well beyond plate, digital or simple convolution reverbs.

The Position slider repositions the chamber microphones, moving from the stock distance setting to direct speaker-to-microphone and close proximity sounds. Pre-delay, Dry/Wet and Decay controls cover the standard shaping needs of a modern session.

For tone, a sweepable 80 to 750 Hz filter helps reduce muddy low end entering the chamber, while Bass, Treble and a proportional Q Mid band let you shape the tail.

Presets and Vintage Configurations

The plugin includes presets from Grammy-winning engineers, including Al Schmitt, Mark Linett, Frank Filipetti and Darrell Thorp, whose credits the developer lists as Ray Charles, Steely Dan, The Beach Boys, Madonna, Beck and Radiohead.

You can audition the historical chamber configurations as well as the newer setups. The developer describes the emulation as including the chamber's amplifiers, speakers, custom preamps and microphones, which is useful if you want to match a specific period sound.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Universal Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Echo
Formats	VST3, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Capitol Chambers support?

Capitol Chambers is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS.

What do I need to use Capitol Chambers?

You need a supported DAW that is compatible with VST3, AU or AAX, a free iLok account, an internet connection to download and authorize the plugin, and the free UA Connect application to manage UAD Native plug-ins. Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) or a supported macOS version is required, along with an Intel, AMD or Apple silicon processor.

Do I need UA hardware to run Capitol Chambers?

No. The UAD Native version runs on a Mac or PC without any UA hardware, and you can use it with any audio interface. Apollo and UAD-2 hardware can run it accelerated.