Ducking reverb?

[Tufacody]

Hello Folks:

I am fairly new to home recording, but have learned a lot over the last two years. I am becoming more confident with my own vocals, but I have reverb questions. When i try to emulate song songs, especially 80s metal stuff, I notice that the original is just dripping with reverb, but when I try to add it myself to that level it gets way too washed out, especially at the end of the phrase. What is the secret? A hall reverb with a short tail? Is it reverb ducking?

 

[JimmyS1969]

Automation of the reverb itself would be my guess. And then which reverb and setting of it also. Just using a plug called 'reverb' does not make it the best one. They all do not sound the same. In fact most sound like crap IMO. Finding the right plug and the setting of it is not easy. I am not sure it is even possible to recommend one. It is more a user/song relative choice.

What are you using now? Maybe post some samples of what you are working with. There is absolutely no way to recommend something without the ability to hear what you have and an example of what you are looking for. 80's metal is about as vague as how many things taste with bacon added. Then to ask what type of bacon with what kind of things. Then how the bacon is applied to the source......

Make sense? Even bacon can be overdone. I know, it is hard to believe, but this is 80s bacon we are talking about here right. lol

Honestly, from my experience with projects around the time of the '80's sound' as I understand myself, you may be hearing more delay, that may be sent to a reverb with a short decay. Reverb is typically used to create a depth effect. If you hear a bunch of something you assume to be reverb, yet the vocal or whatever still sounds up front in the mix, you are likely barking up the wrong tree. More reverb alone tends to make any track seem more distant. Using a delay and then reverb on that does not have so much of this effect. Some reverbs have a 'pre-delay' ability. I usually have better luck sending to a delay, then to a reverb.

But again, this all depends on the song and effects you have to work with. There is no possible way to give an honest opinion without posting samples. Just throwing out possibly useless bits of knowledge that may not even be relevant. Why did I reply?