What kind of reverb is best for entire drum kit?

Z

Zappaa

New member
I'm recording drums in this way (the only difference is that I use a microphone for the kick too):

I'm really enjoying the result, but there's a question in my mind. The kit is not like this video, I'm using a "complete" drum kit, dealing with other different frequencies. So, I don't have problems with EQ's and compressor, but reverb... I don't know the best type for use in this case. It's because when dealing with more mics, I can put more or less reverb in a snare drum, for example, but in this way, I have to choose one type for entire drum kit, with different things and different frequencies, all the things under the same reverb. So, do you have some tips for this? The type that is usually used and tips for configurations and things like this, if you can. Thanks, guys ;).
 
It all depends on the mix and how you want everything to sit and blend.

That said, I think a plate reverb, applied sparingly, can be the most "safest" on drums for a lot of situations...but hey, if you need arena rock drums for your mix, then you need to find something that gives you that kind of sound.
It's all about the mix.
 

miroslav

Thanks for the answer, dude. Seizing the opportunity, I want to ask other thing haha. If, for example, I want to use a room reverb for glue the things together. Is it a problem use different types of reverb? A plate on drums and a general room, for example.
 
No...it's not necessarily a problem...IF the combination of different reverbs on different elements work for your mix.
You could go with a plate on one thing and a hall on another...but it can be tricky when you mix up too many "spaces" all in one mix...so it's all about what happens to the mix.

I generally will use the same type of reverb...but I'll alter the pre-delay and decay time, and/or some of the other parameters...so that I end up with different flavors of the same style reverb.
Like...I may use a long pre-delay and shorter decay on a reverb if I want an element more up front...or I may use the same reverb, but with a shorter pre-delay and long decay if I want another element to fall back and be more diffused in the mix.
 

miroslav
Thanks! You put one instance of the reverb in a send or one on the insert of each track? Usually people use a reverb bus and send for the tracks, but I like to hear opinions about this hahaha.
 
I always set up 2-3 Aux buses for reverbs...I don't ever use more than three reverb variations of the same style.
I'll do short, medium and long...and then bus the tracks to the appropriate one.
Mind you....I'm doing Rock/Pop. If I was doing more Techno/Dance/Trance/etc...then the reverb requirements might be more extreme and varied.

I only use reverb on some of my track in a given mix. Like vocals and leads...and maybe a short reverb on some rhythm tracks...but I will also have 100% dry tracks too. Then there is also the use of panned stereo tracks and/or delay, which add their own flavor of "space".
So the mix then has a nice combination of dry, delay and reverb elements...which helps with creating texture in a mix and a sense of 3D space.
 
Zappaa said:

miroslav

I want to use a room reverb for glue the things together.
Click to expand...

I think this is a false premise since reverb doesn't glue anything together in fact it tends to blur things a bit and can quickly get out of hand. That being said, having things sound like they're in the same acoustic space is an entirely different animal. While it is very common as Miroslav suggests to use many different reverbs & delay setups & combinations as a way to build a 3D sound stage I would suggest a slightly different approach....not better just different. I would contend that you should try and work to achieve as much of this (sound stage) while tracking using/varying mic location/techniques and different rooms, etc. Then using the effects processing to tweak things as necessary. Now, I am in no way suggesting that you not use reverb and or delays (I lean more to delays than reverb) but If you've captured the "space" during tracking the amount of effects and work is minimized.

Notwithstanding the above, I use pro tools ( DAW doesn't matter setup will work in all) and have an effects template of auxes that includes 1 stereo reverb (vocals - plate), 1 stereo reverb (drums - room or plate), 1 mono echo (short slap back ~190ms), 1 1/4 note ping pong (2 mono auxes pannedL&R), 1 1/8 note ping pong (2 mono panned auxes L&R), 1 mono whole note (long delay). All delays have feedback set to zero - I insert the effects send back into itself to control the feedback and I also inset reverb into the delay auxes as well. I also on occasion use another 1 or 2 stereo auxes for setting up a couple Eventide H3000. This is just my default template and it doesn't mean that all this gets used on every track. I get that this might be hard to follow but if you're interested in seeing the setup I will get a screen short of it when I get back in the studio.

I would also suggest that you pay attention to timing - making sure that whatever combination of effects you use, that they are all in time ( varying multiples is fine) with the song or it will get real ugly real fast.
 
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