The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I was just chatting with a friend of mine and we talked about this briefly. So I was curious what the SF! production gurus out there had to say about using multiple different reverbs in a song (different as in different settings, not just different amounts of the same reverb applied to different tracks). Is it bad? OK? Generally bad but OK when it sounds good? Thoughts?

I used two verbs in my new Sf entry. A plate on the vox and a room on piano and acoustic guitar. Usually, you get the best sound on vox with a delay and a reverb.

Ken

I use multiple reverb types all the time. I don't follow a rule with reverb, which might be a bad thing. I just choose what I need by ear and the image and mood I'm trying to create.

I'm something of a reverb addict, snares always get a dedicated 'verb, other drums too such as toms if I use 'em (which I rarely do) will get their own 'verbs, but kicks and hats/cymbals don't get any usually. Vocals always have their own, although sometimes they'll share it with the guitar, othertimes the guitar will have it's own. Sometimes multiple guitars will each have their own. And then there'll be one generic send verb for anything else that wants it, which is usually gonna be piano, strings or synthy-stuff.

Can you tell I'm pretty stoned as I write this, btw?

I learned from Charles Dye: http://www.harddisklife.com/Pages/Colum ... ges/6.html

deshead wrote:I learned from Charles Dye: http://www.harddisklife.com/Pages/Colum ... ges/6.html

That's a lot to absorb, but it sounds like I'm on the right path. A lot to learn.

I don't reverb. Ok, I reverb, but I do it begrudgingly. And never more than one reverb. Always a room, never a plate. Maybe it's time I dabbled with some other reverbs?

Hey Deshead, ever seen Dye's Mix It Like A Record DVD? Awesome stuff, that. Except it gave me serious monitor / plugin envy.

The only time I don't use multiple reverbs is when I'm trying to make the track sound like I just plunked a mic down in the middle of the room and started playing, without caring about the recording quality.

Also, it's amazing how making a track sound like I wasn't trying can sometimes take longer than making it sound professional.

If you want to make it sound like you didn't car, plunk your mic next to your computer and turn the gain up while you record. Do this for each track.

That Charles Rye article has some good points.

1) I think you need to think about what you're trying to accomplish, such as: are you trying to isolate one element for effect or create a live-sounding mix?

2) which element is the focal point or defining sound that creates the space at any given moment? This can be the kick drum as an anchor, or a vocal part that comes from beyond the grave, or a guitar riff that slaps back for a rhythmic texture

3) what parts of the song demand different treatment? Reverb can be subtle or it can create enormous contrast. Drier choruses can punch things up after a spacey verse or break

4) too much reverb is overkill and creates mud...which can be a cool place to dissolve into for effect

5) I'm just making this list up, but this is how I approach reverb, for better or worse

So, yeah, use different reverbs in a song but use it wisely.

6) as Billy does, doing it by ear is as valid as any of the above