Spring Reverberation: A Physical Perspective

This page contains the measurements and recordings of two spring reverberation units, as discussed in the paper Spring Reverberation: A Physical Perspective accepted for publication at the 12th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx-09), Como, Italy, September 1-4, 2009.

Spring Reverberation

Spring reverberation was conceived in the 1930s by Laurens Hammond, the inventor of the electric organ, as a method of counteracting the 'dry' sound of his instruments. The simple, inexpensive, and compact design made this method of artificial reverberation attractive in a number of contexts. Larger spring reverbs were used in studios where cost or available space precluded the use of reverberation chambers or plate reverberation units. Smaller spring reverberators quickly found their way onto the stage via their inclusion in guitar amplifier designs. By the 1950s and 60s spring reverberation was a widely used effect, integral in the aesthetic of a number of musical movements.

Spring reverberation units consist of a number of helical metal springs connected in parallel or in series. An electromagnetic coil is used to excite vibrations in these springs based on an input signal. The vibration of the springs induces a signal in the output coil. This output signal has a reverberation-like quality, but with distinctive features unlike those of acoustic spaces.

Geometry and Impulse Response Measurements of Spring Reverberation Units

Presented below are two typical small spring-reverberation units. A brief description of each is given, along with a table containing measurements of their geometry. Hotlinks within the tables lead to the measured impulse responses of each unit and its individual springs.

Olson X-82


Photo of Olson X-82 Spring Reverberation Unit

Leem Pro KA-1210


Photo of Spring Reverberation Unit from Leem Pro KA-1210 Guitar Amplifier