Creating Space with Reverbs

General

– it is Crucial to Listen if Something is Missing when you Turn the Reverb Off and if you are Able to Tell where the Reverb Sits

– Focus on the Different Aspects a Reverb can give you

– i.e. Try to Spot:

a) Distance = Space Around the Instruments (Room)

– or Performer to Microphone / Instrument

b) Depth = Front to Back (Plate or Chamber)

– or Microphone / Instrument to Back of the Mix (Back-Wall) 

c) Height of the Mix (Hall)

– or Height Above the Instruments (Ceiling)

Distance / Room

– this Type of Reverb Adds Distance from the Microphone to the Performer

– e.g. if you Record a Jazz Band in a Single Room, the Bass Players Recording has also Information of Piano and Drums etc.

– so to get Rid of Piano and Drum Information you Need to Place the Microphone of the Bass Player Very Close to the Bass

– but this will Lead to a Very Close Bass Sound in the Mix, which you Never Want for a Bass

– to Manage this Problem, you Add Distance with a Room Reverb in Post Production to Put the Bass Away from the Microphone Again 

– i.e. you Place a Performer into the Room so to Position the Performer at a Certain Spot (usually in Pre-Delay “ms” Milliseconds or Meters if available)

– this is also the Case for a Vocal Recording

Office Preset Sonnox

Depth / Plate or Chamber

– this Type of Reverb Adds Depth Behind the Performer

– Elongate the Instrument and Make it Not so Dry 

– Create Space between the Instrument and the Back of the Mix

– i.e. Space in between the Hit so it will Not Feel So Dry and you get that Back-Wall Sense

– Good for any Material (especially Drum Kit, Percussion, Vocal etc.)

1) No Pre-Delay (Zero)

2) 100% Send Return

3) Not Too Bright (No Attention to it)

4) Not Too Fat (Muddy Up the Mix)

5) Reverberation Time so the Plate Sound Does Not Cover the Mix but also No Plate Sound Interruption Occurs (1.5ms for a Drum Kit)

Height / Hall

– this Type of Reverb Adds Height to a Signal

– Compare “Height” as the Ceiling of a Room / Hall (Everyone Remembers the Strong Reverberated Sound when you are Speaking Inside a Church) 

– use a High Pass on the Bottom, you get More Sense of Height if you Do Not Hear the Lows

Hall Preset Sonnox