Reverb and Delay tips for n00bs...

[kcearl]

Just thought Id share some of this...most of its available on the web, or articles, I just put it together...

15 Reverb tips

Diversify
Rather than trying to make everything in the mix in the same acoustic environment,
why not use a couple of really diverse reverbs to add some strange depth to your
tunes? A really dry, upfront vocal works nicely alongside a really 'drowned' string
section or a small bright room setting on the drums.

Automate
Try automating return levels if you have a digital mixer so that the reverb comes
and goes in different sections of the song. By tweaking the aux send levels,
manually, during the mix you can add splashes of reverb on the fly to add interest to
snares or vocal parts.

Take your time
Spend some time choosing or trying out different 'verbs. Different songs lend
themselves towards different types and sounds. Don't just settle with what sounds
good in solo...

Send that EQ
Remember you can always EQ the send. Most large consoles offer you a choice of
high and low EQ on the aux sends. On small desks, route the instrument/voice to
another channel via a group or aux send, float this from the mix and send this to the
reverb effect. Now you can add EQ to the send and even automate it as it's now on
a fader. This is commonly used for those delays and reverbs that you want to move
easily during the mix, such as wetter vocal in the chorus.

Old tricks
Reverse reverb is an old trick, where you can hear a vocal before a singer comes in, or a snare before it plays,
easily using tape as you simply turn the tape over and record it backwards. You can do it using a computer, but
you will have to move the audio to the right place after recording it.

Use combinations
A combination of reverbs on things can be good. A short setting for the snap sound with a longer bright plate can
turn a biscuit-sounding snare into a more live sound.

Old school plate
In the old days it used to be called delay to plate. You sent the signal to a loop of tape then sent that to the reverb.
The speed of the tape would adjust the delay as the time it took to get from the record head to the playback head.
This gives, say, a voice a dry sound before the reverb comes in, giving a more upfront sound while keeping the
wetness, which would usually take it to the back of a hall somewhere! Some people still use the tape method
today for that old school sound.

Simple drum one
Early reflections on drums can also give more of a tail or decay.
Experiment
A nice gated verb on guitars to old spring verbs on snares or even the mighty space echo can sound unique when
balanced in the mix. That will give you more distance and room for placing things in a mix, while adding that extra
sparkle to the sound.

More reverse
Reverse your sample, add reverb, then reverse your sample complete with reverb back around the right way
again. This way, the reverb trail leads up into the sample, instead of trailing away from it.

And again!
For a different angle on the same reversed reverb theme, have the reverb trail panned left on a separate track,
then the original sample centre-stage (ie. mono), followed by a regular reverb trail on another track panned right.
The result is a reverb that leads up into the sample and trails away afterwards, while panning across the stage,
left to right.

Reverb over your mix
Pick out key instruments or sounds and highlight them with reverb while using reverb sparingly, if not at all, on the
remaining mix. You may have to adjust reverb send levels as the track progresses so you're not left with the track
sounding dry where the reverbed sounds are no longer playing.
Reverb and bass
Usually, bass and reverb don't mix too well, unless you're specifically arft ea warehouse sound. Unfortunately, this
effect results in a loss of definition among the bass regions. Run your reverb returns into a couple of spare
channels in your mixer and back off the bass EQ, or add a high-pass plug-in EQ.

Go mono!
Don't forget suing mono reverbs at times as well. These won't conflict with your rich stereo reverbs.

Pre delay
This determines time taken for
the initial reflections to return back from room walls. Use a calculator from www.hitsquad.com/smm to get a pre
delay value matched to your tempo.
A common technique is to set the predelay to eighth-notes and add the reverb to a straight quarter note kick drum
pattern to create an off-beat bouncy feel.

 

[kcearl]

20 Delay Tips

Simple and crude
An old favourite of mine is a very simple and crude method: recording on reel-toreel
tape the same source and offsetting each play point to create my very own,
organic sounding delay. It can be hit or miss, but get it right and it's often a lot more
rewarding than simply putting a source through plug-ins or hardware effects units.

Multi-tapping
I often use complex multi-tap delays in SoundForge, mainly DirectX-compatible
plug-ins. I always make sure to add a touch of reverb over the tapering point of the
tap ending. This works well in dance music breakdowns where the energy of the
track has to be carried forward.

Cheap and cheerful
I use cheap delays such as those found in multi-effects like the Zoom series or
cheaper Alesis units. These often carry a certain amount of noise and are less
obtrusive than a cleaner delay found on the TC Electronic and higher end
machines, which are great for slickly produced R&B material, but for grainy techno
mixes I find the cheaper units work well. If I want something purer, I'll use the
computer or a combination of both. Don't think by purchasing the most expensive
dedicated unit you'll always get the best results for your genre of music.

Reverse delay
For a great reversed delay effect, reverse the sample, add delay, then reverse the
sample back around the right way so the echoes lead up into the main sound.

Coincidence
With regards to the sound reinforcement of a large venue, delay is used to postpone the action of the secondary
speaker stacks so they coincide with the sound arriving from the main speaker stacks.

Gate fx
Set up a gate with a fairly high threshold so only the biggest volume peaks pass through. Then run the output of
the gate into the delay. The effect is that now only the accents of the voice/instrument have delay added.

Dub and bass
For some wicked dub or drum 'n' bass type effects, run your drum loop or just the snare through an old analogue
echo box and then play with the delay time control while the track is playing. It creates the weirdest sounds that,
with a little practice, can be 'played' in time and sampled for some really cool effects. You can also route the
delay's return back into the input again for some wicked endless repeats. You'll need to keep your hand on the
repeat button and the return fader on your desk to keep this under control.

Digital wah
Route the output of your digital delay to the input of an autowah. Play with the rate control on the wah until it
oscillates in time with the track and you get a really strange delay effect where each successive delay has a
different tonal quality (make sure the delay is beat matched with the track first).
This works better with long delay times (over 500ms) and especially if there are lots of repeats.

Beat test
Most older outboard delay units are inaccurate, so it's always best to check your delay by sending a ergular beat
(a snare is good) into it and turning up the feedback so the repeat lasts long enough to be in time with itself.
Adjust the delay time back and forth a few milliseconds until you get a rhythmic groove going that sounds in time.

Add HFs
EQ the delay return and send it back to itself, but rather than roll off the high frequencies for the natural tape type
echo, try adding some. With a long feedback it should spiral off into white noise.

Slowly sweep
Same EQ line again as last time (tip 10), but instead try a slow sweeping filter. Use heavy compression or a
limiter to control the level.

Phase pedal
A classic reggae sound is achieved with a piano chop and a 3/16th delay. Then feed this through a
BOSS Super Phaser PH-2 foot pedal (the green one, over there to the left). (AB)
Easy reversing
This is usually done with reverb, but is basically a reverse delay. If you're using tape, flip the tape and record the
delay effect on a spare track. When flipped back again you will hear the delay before the original signal. This is
easily done with computers, and can be a nice effect on an intro vocal. Chop the first word or however much you
want to use, copy it to a spare track and reverse it. Now set a long delay and bounce just the effect to another
track, then reverse that and position it before the real vocal comes in. It's a case of trial and error but it can be a
very cool and subtle effect.

Pitchshifter
One of the most popular effect settings in a lot of studios is this stereo spread that's used on vocals. Two delays
are set at about six milliseconds, panned left and right (9-3 o'clock, not hard panned) with a pitch shift of abou-t 8
cents on one side and +8 cents on the other. Send your main vocal to both delays. This will help cover any slight
tuning shifts.

Madness
Here are some mad delays: Try changing the delay's setting while it's feeding back. This is one of my favourites!
For some truly crazy effects in Logic Audio, try automating the delay changes, for example, adjusting the groove
from 50-75 per cent. The feedback delay will gradually move from the beat to the offbeat, pitching the sound as it
goes. Don't forget with the 4.7 release you now have the extra parameters button; try experimenint g with the
smooth and flutter settings.

Dub star
Apart from thunderous sub bass, the sound of dub owes everything to creative use of delays. Creating dub type
delays really requires a 'hands on' approach. So, instead of setting the regeneration on the delay unit itself, try
sending the single delay return up a channel and feeding it back on itself manually by winding up the auxiliary
send back to the delay unit. Doing this in 'real time' as the track is playing gives you great control over the delay
effect. But you may find the results a little tame, so try EQing the delay return as well.
Boosting the frequencies around 3kHz and rolling off the top and bottom can be really effective. Finally, don't be
afraid to ride the level of the delay return as you feed it back on itself.

 

[philbagg]

Some good stuff there kc, nice one

 

[kcearl]

I have other stuff but its copywrited...Ill just have to put it in my own words when I get more time

 

[stevesmith99]

very good read KC. I would be interested in some stuff on compressers and gates and such if you had anything along those lines.

 

[BrentDomann]

The only thing that might be added is that with most reverbs, once you get it set where you like it you should turn it down just a bit. If you're hearing it, it's probably too much.

 

[kcearl]

very good read KC. I would be interested in some stuff on compressers and gates and such if you had anything along those lines.

yup...Ill get both together over the weekend

The only thing that might be added is that with most reverbs, once you get it set where you like it you should turn it down just a bit. If you're hearing it, it's probably too much.

I think that goes for just about every effect...Im in love with delay just now...wish I knew how to make dub

 

[Doowah]

Good stuff!

Thanks for taking the time to post these tips. For those just starting out (like me), this is invaluable info and great ways to spark creativity. I did some cut-n-paste and a little formatting, then saved both of your informational posts in a folder on my home recording PC for future reference.

 

[Simman]

Good stuff

Some other things for a newbie to consider is how to setup the “timing” for the reverbs/delay. Being able to get the reverb/delay “in time” with the music helps prevent the effect from washing out the mix. Important thing to remember is that these setting should not just be arbitrarily made.

Another tip is to run the aux through a gate before the effect. This provides the ability to dynamically (by way of gate settings) affect how much effect gets applied to the source. A hard snare hit for example gets more reverb than the others. This is just another way to develop layers within the mix.

 

[philbagg]

Another tip is to run the aux through a gate before the effect. This provides the ability to dynamically (by way of gate settings) affect how much effect gets applied to the source. A hard snare hit for example gets more reverb than the others. This is just another way to develop layers within the mix.

It's kinda been said:

Gate fx
Set up a gate with a fairly high threshold so only the biggest volume peaks pass through. Then run the output of
the gate into the delay. The effect is that now only the accents of the voice/instrument have delay added.

Although it reminds me, one thing I like doing while putting delay on anything with a fast attack (guitar for example) is putting a gate before the delay with a fairly low threshold (so that all the notes go through) but putting a slow attack on the gate. It kinda makes the delayed notes fade in and becomes less rhythmic.

 

[kcearl]

Im gonna give that a shot...today has mainly been sidechaining

 

[RawDepth]

The only thing that might be added is that with most reverbs, once you get it set where you like it you should turn it down just a bit. If you're hearing it, it's probably too much.

Nah, I wouldn't say that. It really depends upon the song. Granted, in fast songs reverb and delay should be used sparingly because it tends to just add noise and garble things together. However, in slower songs a long lush reverb can be like life support for certain instruments and vocals. And a well placed delay can add a dreamy sense of space to your sound stage. My point is, sometimes it's gonna be heard a lot.

If your effects will be heard more obviously, then make sure they are rich and natural sounding. Digital plugins don't always sound the best because they cannot calculate all of the complex reflections that would occur naturally in a real venue. Instead they can sound more like an audible smear. One way around this is to layer (or daisy chain) short reverbs together to create a single longer one. This tends to add complexity (as it builds upon itself) which is what makes reverb sound more true to life. A little experimentation can go a long way here.

 

[BrentDomann]

Nah, I wouldn't say that. It really depends upon the song.

Oh, I completely agree. A ballad with a piano and a vocal really begs for a lush reverb somewhere. But we're in the Newbies forum talking about tips for n00bs. There's a lot of fast music going on in here, and people just starting out are looking for general rules.

Actually, the more that I think about it, my rule would still apply to the use of a big, giant reverb. Ear fatigue, too much concentration on an effect, and excitement over what the effect is doing positively for a mix get the best of many of us. Once you get it set where you like it, turn it down a notch. That's even if you first set it on "megalithic".

 

[kcearl]

thats my favourite preset

 

[mixsit]

... one thing I like doing while putting delay on anything with a fast attack (guitar for example) is putting a gate before the delay with a fairly low threshold (so that all the notes go through) but putting a slow attack on the gate. It kinda makes the delayed notes fade in and becomes less rhythmic.

Cool. Sometimes sharpies' can stick out above the normal delay's place. Nice idea using gate attack ramp. A transient plug (not level dependant), or a fast comp to tame the whole thing down would be another contender.

 

[philbagg]

...or a fast comp to tame the whole thing down would be another contender.

You mean cut down the initial pluck of the note?

 

[mixsit]

Yeah, along those lines. Not that I'd think to get that tweaky very often..
Kinda sorta for example- as in you know how we like very defuse' verbs on percussive, but sustained stuff you need low diffusion (if you want to hear the character or reflections.
Attacking here from the other end in-


add.. Oops. Isn't that what you were doing with the gate?

You mean cut down the initial pluck of the note?