Ronald Klarenbeek has released WetReverb and WetDelay, two free and open-source VST3 plugins with an 80s rack unit aesthetic.
Both are part of the WET VST project, which is a growing line of plugins built directly on the Steinberg VST3 SDK without JUCE or any third-party framework.
In a recent email conversation, Ronald told me that building a VST had been on his to-do list for over 15 years because it sits right at the intersection of his enthusiasm for music production, design, and technology. But he wanted to do it without relying on a prefab framework, keeping the code clean and fast.
The full C++ source code is available under an MIT license, so anyone can study it, modify it, or use it as a starting point for their own plugin.
I really like the WetReverb. It has that 80s digital character that I find fun to use on drums, synths, and especially vocals. Both plugins run at a 24 kHz internal sample rate with 12-bit quantization, which gives them a gritty and subtly lo-fi sound.
But it’s the kind of lo-fi that sounds good and kind of warm.
WetReverb offers five modes (Room, Plate, Hall, Cathedral, and Cosmos) and uses Schroeder-style diffusion. It outputs a 100% wet signal with stereo channel crosstalk and real-time input/output LED metering.
As for the workflow, you pick a mode, and that’s it. There are no decay, damping, or early reflection knobs to fiddle with.
I’ve said this many times before, but I tend to work better with simple plugins. You slap a reverb like this on a track, try the five modes, and if it sounds good, it sounds good.
That kind of limitation actually frees you up to think more creatively instead of getting bogged down in details.
WetDelay follows the same approach.
It’s a 100% wet stereo delay with six fixed delay times ranging from 20 ms to 400 ms, stereo processing with 1% channel crosstalk, and real-time metering. The sound is nice, a bit dark with no repeating feedback trails.
I do wish it had a freely adjustable delay time or DAW sync, though. The six fixed times are faithful to the original hardware inspiration, but I think having the flexibility of modern software would make it more versatile.
The developer has already outlined four more plugins in the WET VST line. A chorus, an EQ, a preamp, and a compressor. It’s not confirmed whether all of them will be free, but given the project’s open-source philosophy, I guess they will be.
Both plugins are available in VST3 format for Windows, Linux, and macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon).
Download: WET VST by Ronald Klarenbeek (FREE)
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Last Updated on March 27, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
