"Isn't the actual processing in a hardware reverb unit done by software in the unit? If that's the case, I don't see why this would be better than a software only reverb.
"
you are exactly right...BUT the problem is the same algos arent being used by plug reverbs.
The people who make plugs for the most part are douche head, NON audio types, who simply copy existing DSP code right out of a book ( usually THIS book :
http://www.dspguide.com/ ) and do NOT think about things for themselves.
They revel in making hi tech buck rodgers user interfaces to show off to their friends, spending all the time on pretty colors instead of anything to do with sound. You'll notice that plug reverbs have VERY few adjustable parameters compared to hardware ones. Indeed they feel that reverbs should be VERY simple. One guy from a company that starts with a W and ends with an S told me " lots of parameters are the sign of a poor design ". Oh really?
Idiots
Ill take tons of adjustable parameters ANY day over the one or two in most plug verbs. If you dont want to make it complicated, DONT touch the complicated buttons simple as that.
The best examples are companies like tc who make both hardware and software. The software is obviously just simple allpass and comb filters on regular old delays. This is why plug reverbs are easy to get " plate-ish " sounds but so hard to get anything else. The hardware on the other hand uses some SERIOUS algorhythms that are obviously the product of a DSP designer AND someone who possesses EARS at the same time. Little thought given to looks, everything given to sound.
It is said a lot that good reverb algos would take lots of CPU, but we gotta remember that the average cpu of today is 2 million times the power or more of that used in most digital reverbs, and WAY WAY WAY more memory.
Anyhow if you wanna bug the guys who make this stuff, just get on IRC, EFFnet network and join #music-dsp . Im trying to learn to program so Im up on there a llot bugging them
As for SIR and Accoustic mirror, theyre AWESOME, but munch CPU. Go to the noisevault site for lots of impulses for these two plugs