How To use Reverb?

Fyre

New member
Question for yall... I think I use my EQ pretty well but something that I just dont understand is reverb..... like I know what the knobs and settings do but I just cant seem to find the right reverb for my voice it always sounds to like robotic or something to me i dont know what im doing wrong but I always either underuse or overuse reverb when I do use it..... if anybody can help point me in the right direction in that area it would be helpful..... I know its no magic dust I can sprinkle on my tracks to give it the right amount of reverb but like what is the reverb supposed to do what type of sound is it supposed to give the raw vocal?
 
I don't know about everyone else, but I don't add reverb to my vocals alone. But I do add delay to them. The only reverb added is in the master out with other effects (reverb, eq, stereo effects, then multiband compressor) in Protools.
 
My best advice would be to listen to the instrument tracks first... If they have lots of reverb, then try to use only enough reverb to give the impression that the vocals were recorded in the same room...

If there is very little reverb (maybe just some early reflections) then perhaps a nice room reverb or a tiny pinch of plate reverb (or hall, stage, or whatever it may be called) just to give the vocals some space and to make them sound like they belong with the recording...

If you're room has good acoustics- try backing up a little bit from the mic to get a bit of "room sound" in your recording.

I hate when people overload the vocals with reverb when the backing instruments are recorded dry--it sounds so "80's"
 
I hate when people overload the vocals with reverb when the backing instruments are recorded dry--it sounds so "80's"

...this also is blasphemy and an abomination unto me.

What irritates me the most is reverb/delay drenched guitars and dry dead drums. *insert barfing smiley here*
 
I think this is kind of a genre dependent thing. Most rappers don't like any verb on their vocals.

Some modern R&B vocals are left dry while R&B ballads are soaked in verb.

I don't have a preference of either. I listen to the music. If the music tells me to soak it, I pull out the reverb bucket. If it tells me to dry it, I get the towel...:D
 
A reverb you can't hear is usually the best...:D

Reverb should be used to blend your mix together and you shouldn't really hear it in your face. When you hear a fat and wet reverb it normally sounds amature and preproduction.

Not all tracks need reverb. But, some tracks do to make your vocals and instruments blend in. Sometimes you want a vocal upfront and sometimes you want it to hide in the mix.

Remember with reverb you are trying to re-create a room and not have it sound like a robot. So it depends on your genre and song. If you are trying to add a rock drum vibe you might want to make the drums sound like a huge live room or concert. Or you might use reverb for effect like making that Lil Jon reverbed clap every 8 bars.


A good example of reverb and delay working together (though I think it is too much at times) is Keyshia cole. Normally they use a real short reverb and a delay. But, that's R&B.
 
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