REVERB QUICK GUIDE

Reverb is probably the most used (and over used) effect. Because recordings are done in acoustically-dead rooms, reverb must be added back to replace what was lost. Otherwise the recording sounds lifeless and artificial. Closemiced instruments sound too close and irritating without reverb. Reverb: makes the instruments sound like the are actually in a room. makes the recording sound like a group of instruments performing together. adds a sense of space or ambiance to a recording. subtly sets a mood or creates a feeling that the recording wouldnt have otherwise. recreates the natural acoustic sounds that the brain uses to work out what environment it is in. ALWAYS make your final reverb decisions in the mix, not soloed. Reverb is the last decision to make and is best added after mixing, EQing and compression. The best reverb types are: two omni microphones (or a stereo microphone) at the back of the room, followed by echo chamber, followed by echo plate, followed by ambiphony array, followed by correctly-operated tape echo, followed by high-quality digital reverb processor or DAW plugin, followed by analog bucket brigade delay reverb tanks, followed by oil drum echo, followed by spring reverb. Each environment or space affects how the sound will be heard. e.g. Strumming a guitar in a tiled bathroom will sound different to strumming it in a forest. Each space has its own acoustic sound. Reverb emulates some of this. Thus, reverb is used to make sounds seem more natural. Closed miked or DI instruments can sound unnatural. Reverb also creates an overall 3D sound picture. Reverb affects the perception of distance. Think of your instruments as they would be placed in a real room. Adding more reverb makes the instrument sound further away. Using less reverb makes the instrument sound closer. Long, deep reverbs make sounds appear further away than small, light reverbs. Put less reverb on instruments you want close up and more on further away items. To emphasise a sound, turn its reverb down to bring it forward. In the initial setting of the reverb, establish the distance perspective of all instruments in the mix. This can help you place instruments in layers within the mix. Applying reverb adds sound to the direct sound of the instrument. Because of this it adds perspective of size. Instruments with reverb sound bigger. Unfortunately, the reverberation can also make the individual notes of the instrument less distinct. Very often, additional reverb reduces instruments distinction. Try to achieve a balance between size and clarity with the reverb. Adding reverberation also affects an instruments loudness. Adding reverb adds sound, so it may be necessary to change fader positions slightly. If the decay time is short then the sound will be drier. If the decay time is longer then the sound will seem to sustain, like the sustain pedal on a piano. It can make a small voice sound bigger. You will not hear the reverb immediately because it builds up. At first you will hear the direct sound then early reflections then later reflections, as little by little the multiple reflections will wash together until they fade away. A popular approach to mixing reverb in pop records is to use one reverb for the drums, one for the vocals and one for everything else. Be cautious, though, because this approach can too easily lead to excessive reverb. One correct overall reverb is a safer, and often better approach. Mix with as little reverb as possible, applied in very small increments. Dont over use reverb! One of the most common problems with demo tapes is too much reverb. Be sensible with it. It will kill your mix. Too much reverb makes a recording muffled and unlistenable. Make sure vocals are clear. Make sure that when you use reverb other tracks are not lost. If you turn off the reverb and all of a sudden you hear things that you didnt hear with the reverb on then its too much.

Kermit V. Gray KVG Laboratories 16371 Lake Point Drive, Bonner Springs, KS 66012 913-422-0957 www.kvglabs.com

The right amount of reverberation is an amount that affects the bigness of the sound but but does not create an obvious sound of reverberation in the mix. If the reverb is noticeable element of the sound, you probably have too much reverb. Add just enough reverb to glue together the mix. If the reverb becomes obvious or distracting then its too much. Judge the reverb by abruptly stopping in the middle of a playback and listening to the ring-out after the direct sound stops. An even trail of reverb should be heard and you will get an idea about how much reverb the mix has. Reverb with a long tail can clutter the mix. Use pre-delay instead. This prevents the reverb sounding straight away and can create space within a mix. Gated reverbs are useful for creating space without swamping the space between notes. Start with the snare drum to establish reverb levels for the drums.Add reverb to each drum track in the same amount as on the snare, by knob position. Use little or no reverb on the kick. Listen to the entire mix and assure that the amount of reverb on the drums makes them sound bigger and fuller without it being obvious that there is reverb on the drums. An even amount of reverb on the drum tracks makes the entire kit sound like it is the same distance away. Leaving off reverb on one track (like the high hat) will make that instrument sound in front of the drum kit. Reverb on lowfrequency instruments such as the kick and the bass tends to muddy the attack on these instruments, hence use little or no reverb on these instruments. Add reverb on the rhythm, sweetening and background instruments starting with the first rhythm guitar. Use little or no reverb on the bass, then add reverb to the lead vocals and instruments. Vocals rarely sound good without some reverb added to them. A popular trick to make vocals upfront is to use between 50 and 80ms of predelay to put space between the vocal and reverb. Use a light, bright reverb, such as a small room with EQ to cut the low end. Try using different reverbs for verse and chorus. The chorus should be brighter. Using a bright reverb may make sibilance more noticable.Sometimes engineers use two reverbs on vocals, on two different sends: the first to liven up the voice and the second a more traditional reverb. For backing vocals, reverbs with early reflections, will thicken them. Backing vocals can get away with a longer reverb tail since the backing vocals asre placed behind the lead vocal. Reduce the reverb at various points to put more emphasis on the backing vocals if required. NOTE: When recording, put some reverb through the cue headphones to help the singer keep on pitch. Short reverbs work well on fast songs, long reverbs for ballads. Short reverbs can sound metallic and unnatural, but can be great on an overal mix, to give it a tight feel. Long reverb times sound eerie and cavernous, but can swamp a mix. To create a pad-like sound: Import audio into an editor, remove the attack from the sound then swamp the rest of the sound in reverb or chorus. This can be used to create some ghostly effects,(especially if you remove the original part altogether. Kick drums work well with gated reverbs and ambient reverbs, where reflections die out quickly. Snare drums often work well with plate reverbs, since they are bright and have a fast attack. Toms dont need a much reverb (or any at all) since they naturally sustain anyway, alhough a short reverb setting may make them appear more powerful. Kick has least reverb added, snare the most, and everything else in between. Hi-hats are best with a plate or small ambient setting, without a long tail. Guitars. Bright plate settings work well with acoustic guitars. For a Pink Floyd type sound, compress the guitar and use a large bright hall reverb.

BASIC REVERB SETTINGS

DRUMS: Plate / Rev Time 1-2.5 sec / Predelay 20-25 ms GUITAR: Small Room or Plate / Rev Time 1-4 sec / Predelay 15-50 ms VOCALS: Small Hall or Plate / Rev Time 1.5-4 sec / Predelay 20-70 ms VIOLIN: Small Hall or Plate / Rev Time 1-2.5 sec / Predelay 20-80 ms PIANO: Large Hall / Rev Time 2-4 sec / Predelay 20-50 ms

Kermit V. Gray KVG Laboratories 16371 Lake Point Drive, Bonner Springs, KS 66012 913-422-0957 www.kvglabs.com