More than one reverb in one project?

[Giano]

Some say in order to imitate the recording of one room or hall it´s better to use only one reverb as aux bus send/retun effect in one project.

I use different reverbs (sometimes "only" two, sometimes more) for one project, I have my reverb for snare, for toms, for guitar, for piano etc.

For ochestra I would use one reverb only (string-, woodwind-, brass- and percussion-section). But I only need orchestra for intros so far.

Do you use only one reverb ?

[bladerunner]

Originally Posted by Giano

Some say in order to imitate a recording of one room or hall it´s better to use only one reverb as aux bus send/retun effect in one project.

I use different reverbs (sometimes "only" two, sometimes more) in one session, I have my reverb for snare, for toms, for guitar, for piano etc.

For ochestra I would use one reverb only ! But I only need orchestra for intros so far.

Do you use only one reverb ?

Really depends - can have 6 or 7 going in some projects or perhaps only 2 or 3. Some reverbs are great for being 'heard' as reverbs and some are great for providing a sense of space without hearing the reverb itself.

[mikeypee]

I usually have a vocal plate, and then a hall verb. I'll make the hall plate more versatile by adding extra input-tracks with a time delay plugin, so I'll end up with something like:

- Normal vocal plate
- Hall verb
- 50ms delay hall verb
- 100ms delay hall verb

or sometimes instead of a vocal plate, I'll use a studio-room sounding impulse response.

I can totally see trying only 1 reverb though, if you'd like the listener to imagine everyone is really standing in the same room, as long as you're using different input delays to simulate proximity. Multiple reverbs for me, make you imagine the sounds coming at you in a more abstract way. Matter of preference.

[ivansc]

You also have to decide if you want the finished article to sound like a recording done for real in a real space, or a polished pip production....

I know that sounds flippant, but its true. My rough demo stuff usually has one reverb on a reverb bus like we all used to do back in the pre digital era, but a lot of my finished tracks tended to get the kitchen sink thrown at them - although nowadays I have learned a modicum of restraint..... but I still like using reverb as an effect sometimes.

[Alxi]

It's usually 3 for me.

A hall, A room, A ambiance and sometimes a plate.

Hall is mostly for pads, strings and things i want further in the virtual room with a more noticeable reverb tail.

Room is for things in the middle of the virtual room and with a less noticeable reverb tail.

Ambiance is mostly for drums and things up front that i might want to widen or to push back a little with the other elements of the song.

Plates, when i use them, are for vox and snare and they are mean to be heard.

Don't forget to eq the reverb returns to make them fit even more into the track

[Lokasenna]

I like to use three reverb buses - one with a room, one with a hall, and one with something REALLY big and sexy. I'll use the sends to each of them to "mix" until they each sound like the a band playing in a room, a hall, and a nice big space, and then blend all three in to the main mix.

[planetnine]

Drums and percussion tends to suit shorter and denser reverbs than, say, vocals. Often a "finer" or more exppensive reverb or ambience is used on vocals than instrumentation, but there are no definitive rules. That's at least three, so far...

It really is very dependent upon the style and personal choices.



>

[moribund]

I typically use 6, but it varies with the song:

Room Rev Left - This is a short room reverb (500ms ish decay) that is used only to give the impression of the instrument being recorded in a room. Hard panned 100% L

Room Rev Right - same as above but panned hard right, but it may have a slightly different predelay or a little different decay or EQ if it sounds good, and it often does, as there is a little bit of a variance to make the reverb more complex.

Hall Rev Left - Hall Reverb that may be 1000 - 2000 ms decay depending on the song to give space, depth and lushness. Hard panned 100% L

Hall Rev Right - same as above but hard panned right and may also have variations similar to the Room Rev right

Notice these reverbs are hard panned, keeping the reverb out of the middle so it doesn't get too soupy too quick. This also gives a more spacious sound.

I usually also have a dedicated snare and vox rev, but both of these instruments are also routed to the room revs as well, to keep everything in the same room. I always EQ all of my verbs, and I often have delays that I send things to as well.

I have also used different predelays on the same reverbs for different instruments, either with separate sends for the predelays that are routed to the revs, or using the method described here (using delays instead of EQs):

http://forum.cockos.com/showpost.php...2&postcount=19

[barefaced]

Normaly I use 5 reverbs:

1+2 Vocal front and Back Reverb (front as Plate with a song depending predelay; back as a room or hall reverb)
3+4 Guitar/Keys and Drum ambiance (mostly 2 room or ambiance reverbs)
5 Gated Snare reverb

I tend to use too much reverb, so I have a folder with all reverb channels in it. So I can control the whole reverb of a song with a single fader. After finishing reverb mixing, I pull the fader down and start fading up until I notice the reverb. Thats mostly enough reverb at all.

[Fex]

Originally Posted by barefaced

I tend to use too much reverb, so I have a folder with all reverb channels in it. So I can control the whole reverb of a song with a single fader. After finishing reverb mixing, I pull the fader down and start fading up until I notice the reverb. Thats mostly enough reverb at all.

Nice tip!

[Magicbuss]

I usually have 4 verbs

a small room or ambience to give close mic'd elements some air but keep them up front.

A vocal Plate

A drum room or plate

A longer hall verb

Mix and match. For instance the snare tends to get the drum verb plus a touch of the vocal verb for added size and width. The drum verb can be completely replaced with room mics if they are available (preferably) but i will still put some stereo verb on the snare for more width and depth.

[msore]

Could someone please,
define or describe the term 'plate'?
thnks

[Fex]

Originally Posted by msore

Could someone please,
define or describe the term 'plate'?
thnks

Its waht u eet off, innit?

For present purposes, however, it refers to one of these, or an emulation thereof:

Plate reverberators

A plate reverb system uses an electromechanical transducer, similar to the driver in a loudspeaker, to create vibration in a large plate of sheet metal. A pickup captures the vibrations as they bounce across the plate, and the result is output as an audio signal. In the late 1950s, Elektro-Mess-Technik (EMT) introduced the EMT 140; a 600-pound (270 kg) model popular in recording studios, contributing to many hit records such as Beatles and Pink Floyd albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios in the 1960s, and others recorded by Bill Porter in Nashville's RCA Studio B. Early units had one pickup for mono output, later models featured two pickups for stereo use. The reverb time can be adjusted by a damping pad, made from framed acoustic tiles. The closer the damping pad, the shorter the reverb time. However, the pad never touches the plate. Some units also featured a remote control.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverb..._reverberators

[jpanderson80]

For a full band recording, I like to use several (5-6). I often use 2-3 on lead vocals (ambience, plate and room). It really does depend on the source.

I don't recall the source, but I have heard someone of authority mention that one away to think of using reverbs is to group sounds into short, medium and long reverbs. This allows the song to take advantage of the front to back sound spectrum. I think that Pensado said once that reverb and delay are like the pan knobs for front to back. I have found this sometimes useful.

It's a matter of taste and artistic effect. I've had clients say that they want their recording to sound one way, but changed their minds concerning reverbs because the verbs made a difference to the feel of the song.

[Fergler]

I really like long, dark reverb that you only notice in silence on the track for vocals + horns. Before that, a short decay reverb for them to give that 'lift' from the micing position. But often this get's replaced with a short stereo or mono delay.

[Giano]

Don´t you pan the reverb ? If you have e.g. 5 different reverbs in one mix, all panned stereo to the very left and right ?
For me different pan settings are the most important thing (pan dual mode).

[jpanderson80]

I usually don't pan reverbs; I mostly use Stereo reverbs.

I have done some panning though. It makes for an interesting effect. It works sometimes, but it seems that for me it's one of those situations that has to be right.

I've not tried dual mono reverbs, but I've heard about it and been interested. ...just not run into a situation where the stereo didn't work.

[Fergler]

Originally Posted by Giano

Don´t you pan the reverb ? If you have e.g. 5 different reverbs in one mix, all panned stereo to the very left and right ?
For me differnt pan settings are the most important thing (pan dual mode).

I do that a lot to hard panned guitars. Guitar on left, reverb of it on right, gets that LCR sound without that stale 'engineered' sound.

I also like using ReaVerb w/ impulses on the drum bus, then flipping width to -1.00 to get an inverted reverb sound. Same idea as with guitar but both sides. Helps a short decay reverb not get lost in the mix.

[Muddy Tbone]

Good question and great answers folks. The timing of the post is perfect Giano.

I have a project going now that when I "mix it in my mind", I thought it would be appropriate to have several verbs. I was concerned about not sounding convincing if I used several 'verbs.

I have some strings and horns which should sound like a bigger room to me anyway.
The drums I would like to push back, and the elec guitar needs some space.

Prior, I've only used maybe 2. Plate and something else.

[Magicbuss]

Originally Posted by Giano

Don´t you pan the reverb ? If you have e.g. 5 different reverbs in one mix, all panned stereo to the very left and right ?
For me different pan settings are the most important thing (pan dual mode).

I use mono reverbs occasionally but in general its mostly stereo verb 100% wide. I pan delays all the time though

[Alxi]

Originally Posted by Magicbuss

I use mono reverbs occasionally but in general its mostly stereo verb 100% wide. I pan delays all the time though

+1 same here

[Mr. PC]

I generally put different ER impulses (but from the same room) on each section; sometimes on individual instruments (so I can EQ the reverb separately, and use separate direct/wet/dry settings). I'll give a few instruments their own tail as well.

On the master I put the shortest tail available in the room (usually 5m), and mix it really low, between 15%-50% wet.

[Faderjockey]

I never buy that.. Even if you want say the vibe of single room or want single verb type of sound I'd still use more then one verb..
Walk around a large room.. Things sound different a splash against wall differently all the time.
So if it's supposed to sound natural or organic use few verbs to me would mimic a real room more..
I'm talking very small amounts.. Maybe placing some things in one some in another basically placing them all over the room but with different reflections and damping..

But stuff I mostly mix I don't need to get that crazy with it.. But hav done sessions with jazz and string sections were I've done that.