What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Electronic Music Production // Dark Arts
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dubdub
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What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by dubdub »

youtu.be/oMfodM4zECY
youtu.be/cW752CGuKlE

I really like the reverb and sense of space on those early Kowalski records, feels really warm and kind of damp and cavernous, like the track was recorded in a hot subway or something. Does anyone know what he used / how to get that sound? Fucking around with Valhalla, I can get it either warm or big but not really both, even if I kill the shit out of the highend.

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zukenbauer
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by zukenbauer »

I would also like to know his secrets.
For me, one of the best producers ever, love that old feel and energy he puts in!

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Lost to the Void
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by Lost to the Void »

dubdub wrote:youtu.be/oMfodM4zECY
youtu.be/cW752CGuKlE

I really like the reverb and sense of space on those early Kowalski records, feels really warm and kind of damp and cavernous, like the track was recorded in a hot subway or something. Does anyone know what he used / how to get that sound? Fucking around with Valhalla, I can get it either warm or big but not really both, even if I kill the shit out of the highend.

Just good production.
I don't hear anything unusual that requires specific gear.
Some echo and some reverb, with a little grit.
Space echo perhaps?
Some old lexicon maybe.
It's more how the process has been done.
The predelay is nicely set to get that tight close first reflection, top end rolls away gently.... Slightly saturated feel.

You might try combining a nice analog modelled verb like airwalker https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -Airwalker
With a nice tape echo.

But to me it sounds like good placement, EQ and a little grit.
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dubdub
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by dubdub »

Thanks, I will try saturating after Reverb, I never really do that. I obviously wasn't looking for the magic amazing reverb box but I thought maybe there's some kind of cheap late 90s rackmount thing that sounds super warm or something. I don't think he had a space echo, the whole album was done on an Akai sampler and a few FX.

What type of reverb algorithm do you reckon that is on those tracks? Sounds like a small-medium chamber to me but I'm not very good at guessing that kind of stuff. Trying to make my reverb use more conscious instead of just randomly slapping something there on the end.

I used to use Airwalker but I went full 64bit a while ago :/ Is there anything similiar that's 64bit? I have the Valhalla stuff but it doesn't sound as thick and warm to me, even if you roll of the highs and boost the lows.

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Lost to the Void
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by Lost to the Void »

I think it might be plate, it has that diffused warmth you get from some old plate verbs.

I`m pretty sure I could get the same sound tweaking valhalla vintage plate
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terly
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by terly »

No comment on the reverb, but thanks for introducing me to this artist. Sounds great.

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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by dubdub »

Lost to the Void wrote:I think it might be plate, it has that diffused warmth you get from some old plate verbs.

I`m pretty sure I could get the same sound tweaking valhalla vintage plate
Will try plates, I was thinking chamber instead of plate because it doesn't really have that metallic sheen that you often get with plates.

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Lost to the Void
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by Lost to the Void »

It could be, but it sounds too "close". It is possible that it could be chamber with the predelay set for a small roomy sound, and the decay length set fairly moderate.
If you have Valhalla vintage try the chamber mode on that, it's really quite diffuse, and shorten all down, he's not using big cavernous settings, it's like small or medium hall sized.
The delay he is using is equally important though to give the size illusion. Reverb in to delay I think.
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Re: What's the reverb on these Alexander Kowalski tracks?

Post by Mimui »

mh I love his tracks.

they go so well together with other 2006 neotrance tracks :3

As for the sound, get good warm samples that went true a tape or something.

u can also try the resonator of ableton, put it on berlin with a filter behind it, its good and dubby.
any reverb u like to put on track individually but only a soft one with a low %
your regular delay but put in on time instead of in sync on the tracks independently if u gonna automate it.

valhalla vintage verb on the return (seperate from the drum verb)
waves octaver, pitch it up 1 octave and run stuff trough it in a return track, gives some bite.
Tal dub delay in a return track. with some eq behind it.

some stereo widener on the master at the end.


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