Reverb: Tips and Techniques

[3rd Degree]

Originally Posted by Storyville

It's rhythmic and tonal. The BPMs are a good starting point. But listen for rhythmic feel, and tonal cues.

Yeah, I just messed around with a session. BPM was actually pretty close mathematically on one that I felt I did a decent job. Another that was problematic was way off. I found using BPM got me much closer to what I wanted and didn't take much time at all. It wasn't the nail in the coffin, it just got me to a good place to start, instead of feeling clueless.

My point was more of a "why didn't I ever make that connection" more than anything. Reverb has always been a weak point for me, sometimes I would get it, sometimes not. It's just sort of an "ah ha" moment. Still need to learn a bunch but between you and some others, my mixing has improved greatly this year (plus I am taking it more seriously in general, that helped too).

[David Ray]

I have been pretty vocal about my feelings on this thread in many of my other posts. It just seems like 9/10 reverb questions are answered in this lengthy thread.

I completely agree w talintsiawd on that last post... It's such a "duh, why didn't I think of that," concept. But once that realization is reached, it gets fun quick!

Funny enough, the only other post on the subforum that has been as useful in the last two years or so was storyville's thread on compression. I hope folks who dig this one check that one out too!

[Storyville]

Originally Posted by talontsiawd

Yeah, I just messed around with a session. BPM was actually pretty close mathematically on one that I felt I did a decent job. Another that was problematic was way off. I found using BPM got me much closer to what I wanted and didn't take much time at all. It wasn't the nail in the coffin, it just got me to a good place to start, instead of feeling clueless.

My point was more of a "why didn't I ever make that connection" more than anything. Reverb has always been a weak point for me, sometimes I would get it, sometimes not. It's just sort of an "ah ha" moment. Still need to learn a bunch but between you and some others, my mixing has improved greatly this year (plus I am taking it more seriously in general, that helped too).

Reverb isn't easy. In fact, I would say, environmental sound - be it in the tracking or mixing phase is probably the toughest aspect of making records. I posted this link up in the check out my mix thread because I felt it was worth discussing.

GP feat. Gorilla Zoe - "Whats Up" - Dir. @DaVisionaryz - YouTube

You don't really ever notice the reverbs in this mix, but there quite a number of them - including reverb on the vocals, even though the vocals sound really close.

That's because I'm matching the tones in the reverb to the tones in the track - it just feels super cohesive when approached that way.

[Storyville]

Forgot I could put it in the thread itself:

[3rd Degree]

Originally Posted by Storyville

Reverb isn't easy. In fact, I would say, environmental sound - be it in the tracking or mixing phase is probably the toughest aspect of making records.

First, I will come back to the track, youtube is hanging up.

But yes, as a beat maker, EQ was always the easiest. Compression, it isn't easy but over time it starts to make sense. Reverb isn't hard, necessarily on just a beat either. Not to mention all these other effects.

In the last year, I really went from a beat maker to mostly in house. I still use a mixing engineer but I try to mix all my songs to the best of my ability on my time. I used to hate mixing beats, now that is the thing I like most. Now, I hate mixing songs but I am starting to enjoy it.

Reverb, as I said, sounds simple. As we both said, it is so much so. You know more than me but it's damn hard for me to learn on my own. I did two new mixes, still nothing special, just cleanish and kind of dull but using the ideas you gave, is making me better. Give me more than 6 hours or so and I think I may have something, lol. But this thread plus some work.....

Thank you my dude for taking the time.

[Storyville]

One technique that will work 90% of the time - set your reverb with the return level very loud. Match the tone and rhythms the way that feels good but just way too swampy, then turn the return level down until it feels like it's "part" of the source sound. Then make a couple slight adjustments just to lock it in place. Unless you want the reverb to be deliberately heard as its own thing like in an a ballad.


A slightly trickier technique that I've been using more recently, that I absolutely love, is to use a delay and a "far away" sounding reverb. Set a source that you want forward in the mix, get your ambiance using the delay, then send a little of the delay to the "far away" verb. I call this "painting the back wall", because it attempts to create the sound of a far away physical boundary - and it keeps the source sound relatively forward in the process.

[3rd Degree]

Originally Posted by Storyville

One technique that will work 90% of the time - set your reverb with the return level very loud. Match the tone and rhythms the way that feels good but just way too swampy, then turn the return level down until it feels like it's "part" of the source sound. Then make a couple slight adjustments just to lock it in place. Unless you want the reverb to be deliberately heard as its own thing like in an a ballad.


A slightly trickier technique that I've been using more recently, that I absolutely love, is to use a delay and a "far away" sounding reverb. Set a source that you want forward in the mix, get your ambiance using the delay, then send a little of the delay to the "far away" verb. I call this "painting the back wall", because it attempts to create the sound of a far away physical boundary - and it keeps the source sound relatively forward in the process.

It's odd you say that because i used the first technique on the main parts and I am trying to get the second right on an adlib. The rapper I am working with sometimes just adlibs the whole song after we are done and I am trying to get a good delay.

Do you think I could PM you for some advice some time? I can't really put up the music as the rapper I am working with would not appreciate it. I am not the final mixing engineer either and I am not sure I trust who he wants to go through (I am making the investment). I would love to hear your thoughts. Sorry if that is too upfront.

[Storyville]

Originally Posted by talontsiawd

It's odd you say that because i used the first technique on the main parts and I am trying to get the second right on an adlib. The rapper I am working with sometimes just adlibs the whole song after we are done and I am trying to get a good delay.

Do you think I could PM you for some advice some time? I can't really put up the music as the rapper I am working with would not appreciate it. I am not the final mixing engineer either and I am not sure I trust who he wants to go through (I am making the investment). I would love to hear your thoughts. Sorry if that is too upfront.

Hit me with a PM anytime.

[Deltones]

Great thread, but unless I'm mistaken, I haven't read much mentioned about the direct sound level when using a reverb send as far as "where in the room does a sound appears to be". I'm currently reading Mike Senior's reverb section in his book and I'm testing stuff right now. This thread's and Mike's tips about reverb parameters are great, but the fact that the signal path when sending a signal to a reverb buss is post-fader leaves me with the sonic impression of an in-your-face sound with some reverb mixed in instead of hearing the sound in a physical space. I do understand the logic of this setting when you're riding faders and you want to keep an even reverb level though.

However, one thing I really like about older recordings, especially pop from the 50's and 60's is that I can see in my mind that the orchestra was far back in the room and that the singer was much closer to the microphone. So far, the only way I can emulate that feeling is by putting the send signal pre-fader (post-fx) or pre-fader in Reaper and playing with the track level and leaving the reverb buss level at unity of course. I'm testing with a vocal track from the Weathervane project and I really can place the singer in the room this way. Not so with the a post-fader setting and send level to my ValhallaRoom buss.

Would be great to read some thoughts on this.

[Tommycash]

Storyville...dude u just saved me countless hours of frustration. This thread was super-informative. Im gonna print this out and hang it on the wall

[avengeance]

i think this should be in the tips and techniques section if not already

[Storyville]

#53 – Dave Isaac


This has some really cool stuff on reverb. You have to listen through the "Dave speak" a little bit at parts, but check the into-the-lair segment. Very dope.

[LeoLeoLeo]

the guest speaker segment with dave issac was probably the best one ive seen ever.

[MediaMix]

Nice informative thread.

[midnightsun]

This is a great threat. Many thanks to Storyville.

[atlantis]

S/O to storyville. I have been reading this thread for a couple of days now trying to soak in as much info as possible. I've been trying to get that right reverb or delay settings for vocals for awhile. Ive been also listen to mixtapes that are by pro or semi pro camps compared to the guys who are just gettin in the game or really dont have the technique down. You can hear the reverb or delays all over ther vocals,not saying that they didn do purposely. But when you hear the Jezzys,Ludas,T.I.,RickRoss mixtapes there vocals with reverb sits proper.