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Author Topic: A Reverb Discussion?  (Read 1820 times)

Bivouac

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A Reverb Discussion?
« on: November 28, 2005, 03:39:57 AM »

I'm merely a guy who likes to record his own music, but I find synthetic ambience (reverb) to be really hit or miss when I try to apply it.  Listening to professionally done recordings, I find reverb levels vary a great deal, so obviously, there must be some different opinions on the subject...

...in what situations will you use it?  When have you found it distasteful (obviously, the 80's were pretty guilty...)?  What techniques do you use so it's most effective?  What sources do you like the best?

Everyone goes through that newbie phase where they put it on everything.  I suppose I'm trying to step back and get things to sit in a mix without drenching it in reverb.  It's not as easy as I thought it would be...

...which leads me to another discussion topic.  What do you like to use in place of reverb to get stuff to sit in a mix?  I suppose I'm mostly getting at reverb applied to vocals, but I'd love to hear how everyone likes to use it on other sources.

Oh well, I hope this is at least somewhat interesting.  I remember the compression topic from the old board pretty well...
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Tidewater

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Re: A Reverb Discussion?
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2005, 08:37:58 AM »

Start out imagining what reality sounds like. I like the sound I get from singing into a tiled corner of the shower.. just the reflection, not the tail.

If you screamed in the Astrodome, you wouldn't get much back.. unlike what you describe in '80s music.. where a mouse can set off alarms, from 10,000 meters. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I find myself talking at walls, tapping floors, snapping my fingers, and listening to nature. It's an obsessive/compulsive behaviour. (don't get caught) Smile

I just think it's a good place to start.

YMMV


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j.hall

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Re: A Reverb Discussion?
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2005, 10:56:15 AM »

listen to the mp3s in this thread:
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/7726/23/?SQ=ef9 91112f9e0bd5f60057d1dd835d097

that's a good indicator of verb levels.

i agree that you need to think of actual reality.  i like to imagine a physical space that would be believable for a certain song to exist in.  if you setup your reverb and dial it into the track and end up thinking it sounds fake, then it probably will sound fake to every one else.

you have to create an illusion.  if the revereb sounds real, like the band actually recorded in a bathroom, or empty theater, or cathedral......then your illusion worked.
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pg666

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Re: A Reverb Discussion?
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2005, 12:21:00 PM »

i think using reverb to make up for mix weaknesses is a mistake. i'll be recording with someone and they'll be talking about the dry sounding snare sounding too upfront so they add some 'verb to "make it sit back in the mix some". to me it just sounds like the same nerf-ball snare with 'verb on it. it still 'sits' in the same place. delay is better for making things sit in different places, though it's not necessarily natural.

reverb as an effect can be awesome. i don't even care about realism really. besides the always fun 'cave of dooooom' effect, really rapid decaying reverb can make something sound like it's in a steel closet. i'll also use it it stereo-ize mono instrument intros or breaks, but that's usually pretty subtle.
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scottoliphant

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Re: A Reverb Discussion?
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2005, 01:04:18 PM »

try reverb mono, I've had a lot of fun hard panning a track left or right with reverb on it, or up the middle. you don't get all the other things stereo reverb adds playing around in your stereo field

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