Help me with reverb!

Branshen

This is the vocal sound I'm trying to achieve.

I've tried running the vocal track through a big reverb in an FX channel, about 2 sec reverb time, 100ms Pre-delay. eq-ed with less high frequency. The idea is there but I'm not completely satisfied with the results.

Any pointers or am I doing it completely wrong? And also, should I put the instruments through the same reverb channel? It sounds ok (i.e not too muddy), as long as I keep the reverb mix for the instruments lower.

PolarityMan

I usually use a single send for everything. If I were to split it out though I think I would split the snare onto its own, then maybe the vocals and a single send for everything else. I usually like guitars either dry or recorded with reverb already applied so I tend not to put much other than the vocals through there.

spark240

Branshen said:

This is the vocal sound I'm trying to achieve.

I've tried running the vocal track through a big reverb in an FX channel, about 2 sec reverb time, 100ms Pre-delay. eq-ed with less high frequency. The idea is there but I'm not completely satisfied with the results.

Any pointers or am I doing it completely wrong? And also, should I put the instruments through the same reverb channel? It sounds ok (i.e not too muddy), as long as I keep the reverb mix for the instruments lower.

Depends what you have available, I have seen some really complex reverb setups. Are these vst type reverbs? What software?

Branshen

@spark240 it's roomworks the plugin that comes with cubase. Loads of parameters to mess with.

spark240

Check this out.

Branshen

Cheers for that, I'll mess around with a separate fx track with delay+reverb. the reverb + compression is an interesting idea that I can see working, never thought about that.

wayneirie

Post fade send try, short slap back delay combination with a plate/chamber. it sounds like the return is being pushed on some phrases. That's how I'd do it

Branshen

@wayneirie would I get a similar effect using a predelay and a plate/chamber verb?

wayneirie

Pre delay is the delay before you hit the reverb circuit. If you wanted to avoid using the slapback. You could try making the verb longer. And adding some subtle modulation. But any tape echo emulation should allow you to dial in a slapback pretty simply. I presume you're using a daw. It's worth setting up a template with some simple effects. Ready to go. If you haven't already I'd definitely make sure you set up an post fade aux and a return for each effect. Then you have complete control of how much effect your sending. To both the effect from the channel send.mand how much you send to the mix by turning the effects return fader up or down.

Branshen

I'll have a little poke around cubase. I'm fairly new to the whole recording thing. Thanks for the tips.

Fretwired

I use Cubase and have used RoomWorks. Start by setting a low mix of around 25 and a predelay of around 30. Adjust the reverb time to around .90 and then play with it. Slowly adjust the other parameters and you'll get close to what you want.

Branshen

Cheers fellas, lotsa ideas here. I'll get stuck into it and report back.

notonlybutalso

create an aux channel with slapback tape echo with some shallow flutter on, low pass around 16kHz, send that through a large chamber on another aux, with a low pass at about 12kHz

randomhandclaps

Sorry if we this has been mentioned as I haven't got time to read through the whole thread right now. The trick to Lana Del Ray style verbs, is using 2 in parallel. She normally has a fairly short plate and a hall verb running together. The problem with trying to do it all with one is that she isn't just using reverb to help the vocal sit, she is also using it as an effect. So the plate helps it sit like any vocal track and the hall (or like) is the 'effect'.

Branshen

Thanks for the help @notonlybutalso and @randomhandclaps. I'll try them out.

notonlybutalso

A lot of mix engineers work with multiple reverb auxes, Fab Dupont springs to mind first check him out. A small space used to distance the vocalist from the microphone, a longer plate which is the effect you want to hear the tail of/the obvious one to the listener, and then a large ambient space to provide a slight wash.