I hate reverb.

  • Thread starter Thread starter nddhc
  • Start date Start date

Do you often avoid using reverb?

  • Yes

    Votes: 120 24.8%

  • No

    Votes: 363 75.2%
  • Total voters
    483
N

nddhc

New member
I kinda feel like im the only person that feels this way - most people I know love adding reverb to stuff. I think it really makes the recording muddy and cluttered sounding. However - when I listen to nice studio recordings, I can tell theres a nice amount of reverb in there that sounds great.

I admit good mixing, experience, and equipment can do wonders - But could it just be that im using really bad reverbs in the first place?
 
the best reverb is when you can't tell there's reverb unless you take down every other track in the mix. I think there was a thread like this earlier, and someone mentioned the beastie boys, I don't know why though.
 
I agree with part of the original statement, but for me it would be ammended to "I hate bad sounding reverbs".

There is something beautiful about some of the convolutions, old EMT's, Eventides, old Lexicon's etc... Good reverbs don't feel like an effect, but fell more like an integral part of the whole song.
 
grn said:
the best reverb is when you can't tell there's reverb unless you take down every other track in the mix.
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100% thats how its done, unless your doing 80's hair metal :)

-C$
 
I hate excessive reverb, but it's an essential effect.

Question - do you ever tweak the decay time? Pre-delay? Wet/dry ratio? Experiment, and you may find you don't hate reverb as much as you think.
 
Just another way of saying what everybody else alreay said:

"If you notice the reverb, you have too much."

Reverb is like ginger in cooking. It's fantastic when used properly, but it's real easy to overdose it.

Now I will say that I hate spring reverb. I have yet to find a useful appliction for spring reverb unless I purposely need something to sound like it has a horrible spring reverb on it :rolleyes: .

G.
 
I am somewhere in the middle. I ALWAYS use reverb on drums and vocals, but I have never used reverb on guitar or bass, unless I really want an obvious reverb sound.
 
Track Rat said:
I'm an old guy. I like reverb.
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I'm older and like even moooooorrrrrrrreeeeee. :D

Seriously, if it stands out then you prolly have too much.
 
Try this: Slowly increase the effect level until you can just start to hear it in the mix, then reduce it about 15-20%. This will enable you to attain the essential reverb w/o the listener being consciously aware of it.
 
Reverb is great used in wise amounts. Too much reverb and you'll ruin your song. By the way, a distorted guitar spiced with reverb has a perfect sound for soloing.
 
For acoustic instuments, I think the best reverb isn't an electronic effect.

It's natural reverberation that occurs in a room.

Some rooms have it, some don't. Some have too much, some not enough.

But when it's right, it's so good.

:)
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Just another way of saying what everybody else alreay said:

"If you notice the reverb, you have too much."

Reverb is like ginger in cooking. It's fantastic when used properly, but it's real easy to overdose it.

Now I will say that I hate spring reverb. I have yet to find a useful appliction for spring reverb unless I purposely need something to sound like it has a horrible spring reverb on it :rolleyes: .

G.
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I would love if you allowed me to send you an mp3 of a song I made recently using my spring reverb and tastefully over-using it in context. In my opinion it does not sound horrible and it definitely does have a "use". And you WILL notice it. but you might not like the song. it's just a matter of differing opinions.

I also agree with the posts about room mics. I also like to use the reverb on my amp sometimes when recording guitars.

its a shame that nowadays people dont start out on a pair of boomboxes where you HAVE to do stuff like that........
 
well, i like chamber reverb. if you can find a good hall, or room, or even stairwell with a good sound... slap yourself a speaker in that room, and walk around the space till your ears find a good spot. then, place your mic there. mix to taste. as the other fellows said... the reverb should only be evident if you want that specific sound to be evident... but if you want something to sound natural (and not like it's naturally in the grand canyon) reverberate in moderation.

Jacob
 
Falken!!!

I would love to hear this mp3!!! i haven't gotten a chance to try spring reverb yet, but i'd love to hear your take on it and i'd love to try it. did you use a boundary mic??? what did you mic, a heat register or something??? just curious buddy,

Jacob
 
In my gig , classical/orchestral/acoustic location work...Reverb is my friend.

Altiverb is my friend too.

Hallelujah chorus with no Reverb... :eek: :mad:
 
FALKEN said:
I would love if you allowed me to send you an mp3 of a song I made recently using my spring reverb and tastefully over-using it in context. In my opinion it does not sound horrible and it definitely does have a "use". And you WILL notice it. but you might not like the song. it's just a matter of differing opinions.
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Sure, I'd like to hear your stuff. You can send it to me if you like, but how about sharing it with the classroom? Can you post it on Lightning or something?

You are absoluetly right, that it is a matter of taste. I probably should back off of my statement a bit in that regard. But, to my ears anyway, spring reverb has such an...how do I put it...obvious?...sound that just reminds me of the days of yore when all the average joe had to try and reproduce a reverb sound was some cheapo spring reverb that just made the track sound goofy.

I'll admit that it may be a bit of an unfair bias on my part, but for me "reverb" is 90% for recreating natural ambience and reverberation. Sure it can be used the rest of the time at artificial levels for specal spacey or mood effect. Bob's Mods has an example of that right now in one of these threads and I like the sound; it is appropriate to the production. I have used such an effect myself.

But spring verb - to me anyway, and yes that is subjective opinion and taste only, I admit - is absolutely horrible for producing anything close to natural ambience or reverberation, and - with some rare possible exceptions - is just way too in my face when boosted to conscious levels. It sounds too much like itself and not like an effect applied to something else. When I hear spring reverb, all I can think is, "Oh, there's a bunch of spring reverb." It's all I can do to keep from slapping my speakers on the side in the hope of making the springs rattle even more obnoxiously ;) .

And then there's the more technical mixing issue in that I find most heavy spring verbs to be way too energetic in the upper mids, that troublesome 2k-4k range. It can really mud things up there sometimes when trying to fit a busy mix together.

But that said, I have an open mind, Falken, and I have yet to see or hear everything there is to see or hear. If you say you have a song with a great application of spring reverb, I would definitely be curious to hear what you have in mind. Who knows, you may inspire me to something new! :)

G.
 
simpleybass said:
For acoustic instuments, I think the best reverb isn't an electronic effect.

It's natural reverberation that occurs in a room.

Some rooms have it, some don't. Some have too much, some not enough.

But when it's right, it's so good.

:)
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This is a very good point, and is probably why reverbs units were invented in the first place.
 
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I like good reverb. I don't have good reverb. I wired up a fender reverb coil from a guitar combo and run piano, and snare through it. Sometimes we put a touch of the spring reverb on the entire mix, it sort of shimmers.
 
nddhc said:
I kinda feel like im the only person that feels this way - most people I know love adding reverb to stuff. I think it really makes the recording muddy and cluttered sounding.
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If this is a problem for you...I suggest experimenting with it a little more and learning how to apply reverb in moderate ammounts....
 
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