Aurora — the free shimmer & vintage reverb.
A stereo algorithmic reverb built on a cross-coupled figure-8 tank — five modes, three era voices from the 1970s to NOW, shimmer pitch-feedback and an infinite freeze. The full plugin, free.
One reverb for every kind of depth
Vintage algorithmic character, modern control
Aurora is the real plugin, free — a stereo algorithmic reverb that goes from classic 1970s and 1980s tails to a clean modern wash, with shimmer and freeze on top.
Cross-coupled figure-8 tank
Aurora's stereo tank is a cross-coupled figure-8 design — the two sides of the reverb feed into each other, so tails bloom across the stereo field instead of sitting in two separate channels.
Five reverb modes
Five distinct reverb modes shape the size and character of the tail — audition each one against your source and pick the space the song asks for.
Era voices: 1970s · 1980s · NOW
Three era voices tune the color of the reverb — 1970s and 1980s voices for vintage algorithmic character, NOW for a clean, modern tail.
Shimmer pitch-feedback
Shimmer feeds a pitch-shifted signal back into the tank, so the tail climbs into glassy, harmonically rich layers — the classic ambient pad sound, built in.
Infinite freeze
Freeze the tail that's ringing right now and hold it forever — an instant sustained pad to play, sing or write over for as long as you like.
18 presets, three formats
18 presets get you to a usable space fast, and Aurora loads as AU, VST3 or a Standalone app — in your DAW or on its own.
How Aurora fits in your mix
Reverb works hardest when it has a job. Here's where a shimmer-capable algorithmic reverb earns its place — on a send for shared space, or as an insert for full-on texture.
Ambient pads & drones
Send a synth or guitar into Aurora, bring in the shimmer, and let the tail become the instrument. Engage the infinite freeze on a rich chord and you have a sustained bed to improvise over — no sampler required.
Vocals
Keep Aurora on a send so the dry vocal stays up front, and ride the send level into choruses. A vintage era voice sits a vocal in a classic album-style space; a touch of shimmer behind a final chorus adds lift without extra layers.
Guitars
Clean electric guitar into a long mode with shimmer is the signature post-rock wash. For acoustic parts, a shorter mode with a 1970s or 1980s voice adds depth while keeping the strumming articulate.
Cinematic tails & sound design
Long modes and shimmer turn hits, plucks and phrases into score-like tails and risers, and freeze holds a texture under a scene for as long as the edit needs. Feeding a delay such as TimeFable into Aurora is the classic ambient chain — repeats first, then the wash.
Runs in every macOS studio
AU, VST3 and Standalone for macOS 11+ — Apple Silicon and Intel, in any host that loads AU or VST3.
- Price
- Free — the full plugin, $0, no credit card.
- Engine
- Stereo algorithmic reverb · cross-coupled figure-8 tank · five reverb modes · three era voices (1970s / 1980s / NOW) · shimmer pitch-feedback · infinite freeze.
- Presets
- 18 presets included.
- Formats
- AU (Audio Unit), VST3 and Standalone app — all included.
- macOS
- macOS 11 Big Sur and later · Apple Silicon & Intel.
- Windows
- Not currently supported — Aurora is macOS-only for now.
- Hosts
- Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Studio One, Cubase, Bitwig, Reaper and any AU/VST3 DAW on macOS.
- Delivery
- Instant download via Gumroad.
- Maker
- Built by Reinhardt Buhr / Buhr Audio — clean, musical, CPU-friendly plugins.
Get Aurora free
Download the full Aurora shimmer & vintage reverb for $0 — five modes, three era voices, shimmer, infinite freeze and 18 presets, in your very next session.
Get the most out of Aurora
A free guide to shimmer reverb — plus the plugins that pair naturally with a big wash.
The best free shimmer reverb plugin in 2026
What shimmer reverb is, what makes an algorithmic reverb sound vintage, and how to use it tastefully.
Read → Pairs wellTimeFable — warm analog-modelled delay
Delay into reverb is the classic ambient chain. TimeFable's tape & BBD repeats feed Aurora's wash beautifully.
Explore → Also freeQuell — free spectral resonance suppressor
Tame harsh, ringing resonances before they hit the reverb — Buhr Audio's other free plugin.
Explore →