reverbing vocals...either too little or too much

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Elmo89m

Elmo89m

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whenever i put verb on my vox...its sounds like a shimmering choral soundscape...not like the alt. rock vocals you hear on all recordings...but when i take the verb off it sound dull and empty and not good....do any of you have any specific settings that i could use as a starting point for reverb on baritone rock vocals...thanx...i dont no if it will help but im using a pantheon plug-in by lexicon
 
Research, Read, Digest & Experiment

Elmo,

I'm answering your question from an elementary level for two reasons:

- I'm not very experienced/qualified so that's all I can do ;-)

- I've recently started getting my verbs to sound more natural, almost acceptable to my ears.

Do multiple searches about reverb on this forum and the web. Read everything you can. Digest the material and start experimenting.

To possibly help you head down a more defined path, my biggest newb mistakes (and subsequent corrections) as it relates to reverb were:

- I used too much reverb.
- I didn't understand pre-delay and how it can be used to maintain definition while still having a good spatial reference.
- I didn't understand how EQing the reverb plugin (mostly shelving some of the high end) can make it sound more natural and un-processed yet still "open".
- I didn't understand diffusion.
- I always thought of (and used) reverb as an effect. You don't always need it. Personally, I mostly need at least some since I record in my home...just not always.

Experiment with different settings after you better understand the controls and how they impact the sound.

Bart
 
Someone on here once posted a statement that was to the effect, "if you can hear the verb, it's too much". I think this pertains to the verb enhancing the vocal, but not adding so much, that it actaully makes it sound like it was recorded in a drum. That being said, have you tried some of the presets, and if they are too wet, just turning down the wet signal a little at a time?
And maybe the sound you want isn't so much a reverb effect, but maybe a little bit of chorus, or maybe some delay? I've found a short delay effect can be nice in giving the vocal some depth, without sounding as much like a reverb effect. Just some thoughts, as I am still in the learnig stages myself.

Hope this helps a bit.
Ed
 
I happen to find the plugin approach to reverb really weird anyway - just because I don't get looking at it on a screen. If I could have the same sound in a hardware box it'd be closer to 'right' every time.

Mastering reverb is on my list of things to do this lifetime ... I expect it to take a good half of that. :)
 
I agree with what the others have said. Adding some predelay (start with ~30ms and mess around) will let the unprocessed vocal stand out, while still adding depth and space because the reverb will not start right away. Also, cutting off some of the high end from the reverb tail will allow you to use more send without it getting nasty. Delays can be effective. I think what dogman is saying is that you want the music to sound like it was recorded in a decent sounding space/room. In general, use big sounding reverbs (halls, churches) for ballads/slow songs and use smaller verbs (rooms, small halls) for quicker songs. Moderation is your friend.
 
I use just a hint of reverb and a light touch of delay for a lot of vocals. My idea is to expand the overall vocal, not to distort it. A lot depends on the song or the mood you want to express but as a general rule try to keep effects on vocals to a minimum. Normally I record the vocal track dry then add any effects later in the mix, I want the vocals to stand out rather than blend into the music. To me the music is the backup for the vocals, not the other way around. BTW I'm not above compressing the vocal track a little, sometimes this really makes the vocals jump out at you.
 
Not sure if this is the problem or not but I know I have a bitch of a time getting just the right amount of reverb in an untreated room. I usually dial it in, then put on a pair of headphones and turn it down a lot. It seems to work.
 
yeah...ive been playing with it and its sounding good but i have one other question...when i use the pantheon reverb plug-in it makes my vocal track which is mono seem stereo...this sounds neat once in a while...but it is not normal....do any of you know how do make it seem less stereo?
 
Elmo89m said:
yeah...ive been playing with it and its sounding good but i have one other question...when i use the pantheon reverb plug-in it makes my vocal track which is mono seem stereo...this sounds neat once in a while...but it is not normal....do any of you know how do make it seem less stereo?
Click to expand...

Actually, that is pretty normal. If you set up the reverb as a send effect, it should return the signal in stereo. That is usually desireable. You want the reverberations to come from all directions, just as they would in a live space. It sounds "less natural" to have all the reflections coming straight up the middle.

If you really want mono reverb, see if that is an option on your reverb unit, or just use it as an insert effect, rather than a send. You'll have to turn down the wet:dry if you do that.
 
well maybe ill post up a song for you to hear...it loses its crisp sound and it the vox sound wide..not centered....ive never heard a commercial song that didnt sound centered
 
Elmo89m said:
well maybe ill post up a song for you to hear...it loses its crisp sound and it the vox sound wide..not centered....ive never heard a commercial song that didnt sound centered
Click to expand...
It wouldn't be unusual for verb patches to have a mix of short stereo delays or perhaps be based on short diffuse echoes. This stuff tends to widen. Remember that reflections below about 20ms or so get blurred by our brain as part of the original.
Wayne

hey! The sound of time smear flare How to.
:eek:
 
Elmo, are you sending the signal on a bus to a reverb or applying the verb directly to the track? I'm under the sneaking suspicion that if it sound that "affected", that you're not hearing ANY of the original vocal.

If you use a bus, you can control the amount (percentage) of the vocal going into the reverb. I'm not familiar with the verb you're using, but even if your putting it directly on your vocal, there should be a wet/dry "knob". Make it around 10% wet, 90% dry and go from there.

Also try shortening the reverb time and size to make it "smaller".
 
im applying it just to the track...i guess that may be it...be cause i have the wet set at like 40
 
Elmo89m said:
i have the wet set at like 40
Click to expand...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Yeah, unless you're Enya, that's waaaay too much verb. Again, unless you're really going for that distant washed-out sound, you only need enough verb to give a sense of space to the track.

Do you have the ability in your software/daw to use effects as "sends?" That way, the majority of your signal remains unprocessed and you only send a portion of the signal through the reverb (which returns on a stereo bus). IMO, this is better than applying verb to the entire track, unless you have really high quality reverbs.
 
lexicon pantheon...im not sure if thats high quality. But yeah i can do them as sends. I've just been lazy. I'll give it a try
 
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