How to decide how much reverb?

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Plyphon
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How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Plyphon »

Hello,

So to expand on the title (character limit hit)

When switching between monitors and headphones, how do you decide how much reverb to use?

So on monitors reverb usually sounds good. When I put the headphones on, it sounds generally far too much. I guess this is because headphones are so much more intimate in that you hear quieter details clearer.

So then if I make the reverb sound right in the headphones, it sounds too dry on the monitors.

Any advice?

Thanks!

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Planar »

It just comes with practice I suppose. As I use headphones all the time I know that the reverb will sound stronger than I intend it to be. I think you should mix for sounding good over monitors rather than headphones, so prioritise that. There is probably a nice middle ground once you get really good, but I've not quite found it yet.

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Merah »

Too wet on the headphones and dry on the moniters? Dial it somewhere in between.
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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by A_K »

Are we talking about reverb that's WIDE stereo-wise?

It will probably sound a bit too much on headphones, but lacking on monitors. Maybe try adjusting the stereo wideness all the way down to mono and then bring it back up slowly while listening on headphones.

I usually find that reverb is too wide stereo-wise so I dial it back to make it more mono-compatible... but another thing to consider is whether you want such prominent reverb in a club environment where the system is probably only mono and clubs probably have enough natural reverb as it is.

If the reverb is for a special effect then perhaps making it more mono-compatible would make sense.

Apologies if I didn't fully understand your question and wasted your time.

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Críoch »

I've been adjusting reverb settings with the bpm calculator recently. Doesnt always have thd effect i wamt.. adjusting by ear is still required. However it definitely makes you consider what you are applying reverb to & why.
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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by rsntr »

As has been said, it comes with experience. I find that reverb, or the lack thereof, to be particularly one of those elements that can sound quite different depending on the listening environment. For example, when I listen to a dry kickdrum in an empty club, I'm often surprised how much natural reverb you hear. Of course, there's no way to fix it - apart from packing the club with people. You have to find a middle ground, also by considering how tracks you know well sound different reverb wise in different rooms. Personally, I use headphones to check my reverbs. Some people will say that's totally wrong but in comparison to my not so well sounding room, I feel like this gives me much more control. Also, I'm ok with the results on other systems, which is not to say that there's not always room for improvement!

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Plyphon »

Hey all,

Thanks for the replies, some good insight there.

I'll have to have a session balancing between both ways of listening and seeing what best matches a track im using for inspiration, see how close I can get, thanks

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Lost to the Void »

Well don't hedge your bets between listening systems, because then you are guessing?
Learn your monitoring, whatever that may be, and base your decisions on that learning.

If you can't decide whether to trust your earphones or your monitors then it means you don't know your monitoring properly yet, and therefore do not have a trustworthy monitoring reference.

Your monitors should provide you with the ability to make sound, reliable decisions.
One should be your main reference, the other should be just there to check against for an idea of translation.

My suggestion is to spend more time listening to professionally produced music on your chosen preferred monitoring system. Maybe take some time to write notes about how the reverb sounds, how the stereo field is applied, how the low end sits etc.
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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by rktic »

Reverb that's pops out on headphones can be indicator that it's more or less the only thing occupying the stereo field. Hence you've got more or less only mono tracks?

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Aurongroove »

Something I'm a complete ignoramus about is the application of reverb as a production tool.

Say, at the mixing/mastering stage

Some techno producers use it SO well, but that sound never appealed to me, so I never 'grew into' having an instinct for it.
But now when I hear how some folks use it, it just give tracks this "strength" that's almost impossible to achieve otherwise.

Does any one have any rules of thumb? or words of wisedom?

I be especially interested in hearing anything about (forexample) how one might use "early reflections" vs "full reverb" in a typical techno track, or how different regions might respond to different reverb settings (low/mid/high frequencies).

I tried a track once a few years back, and I ended up hating it so much after mastering, that I never did anything with it. But I do want to revisit the "sound" at some stage,
Just seeing the topic reminded me that it's an area I've put on the back burner.
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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Southpaw »

Aurongroove wrote:
I be especially interested in hearing anything about (forexample) how one might use "early reflections" vs "full reverb" in a typical techno track, or how different regions might respond to different reverb settings (low/mid/high frequencies).
Whilst I'm not too clued up with reverb my take on this is upfront sounds vs sounds you want pushed back as part of a whole mixing process to obtain a sense of depth, Of course, this being electronic based music, I guess it could all go out the window if it sounds ok.

I think I'm better judge of mine via headphones. When played back on my speakers & monitors, I don't even think about the reverb but balancing reverb via just my monitors means I usually add too much for my taste.

That said, it's not that long since I got back into making music and there's a fair bit to learn yet as it's a different process that what I was used to before. I have miles better reverbs than previously and have become a bit OCD about adding mid/side eq in the return chains as well as stereo width control via a plugin and then using some individual reverbs on channels themselves. I have to fiddle a lot before I am happy and it's a combination of a lot of things, I like sounds to have reverb but not so it's glaringly obvious ( unless for a specific effect I guess )
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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by TimBuys »

I use my ears most of the time.

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by bounduk »

Críoch wrote:I've been adjusting reverb settings with the bpm calculator recently. Doesnt always have thd effect i wamt.. adjusting by ear is still required. However it definitely makes you consider what you are applying reverb to & why.
Can you explain this a bit further? Sounds very interesting

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by Southpaw »

TimBuys wrote:I use my ears most of the time.
Most of the time? What are you using during the other times? :o

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by over9000 »

bounduk wrote:
Críoch wrote:I've been adjusting reverb settings with the bpm calculator recently. Doesnt always have thd effect i wamt.. adjusting by ear is still required. However it definitely makes you consider what you are applying reverb to & why.
Can you explain this a bit further? Sounds very interesting
you can match the decay times of your reverb with the bpm of the track, using calculators such as http://nickfever.com/music/delay-calculator
although i think its a good starting point, but it has too sound good in the end. If you take the so called perfect value, it can still sound awkward

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Re: How to decide how much reverb?

Post by TechnoVicious »

Use your ears to determine depth


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