Hello! I’m Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer and music producer.
Today, we’ll be diving into the topic of reverb.
Shall we get started?
What is Reverb?
Reverb is short for “reverberation,” which can be translated as “echo” or “resonance.”
In essence, reverb is an effect that creates echo or resonance.
But why do we use it?
Normally, when we speak to each other, we aren’t whispering directly into each other’s ears.
This means we’re always hearing a bit of natural echo from our surroundings.
But what about recordings?
While room mics can capture some of that natural reverb, most recordings are done quite close to the source, almost like someone is whispering directly into your ear. As a result, these recordings often lack natural reverb and can feel “dry.”
To add that missing resonance, we use reverb. However, it’s not just about simulating the sound of a room or a studio. Reverb can create the illusion of a concert hall or an entirely virtual space, making the music sound more musical and immersive.
To understand how to use it effectively, we need to dive into how reverb is actually created.
As I mentioned in the “7.3 How to Use Delay” section of the previous post, reverb is created when sound waves bounce off surfaces like walls.
The first reflections of sound that reach our ears after bouncing off a surface are called Early Reflections, and these are typically the loudest part of the reverb.
Afterward, the sound continues to reflect multiple times, gradually forming the full reverb. The time it takes for the reverb to decay by 60dB from its original level is called RT60.
There is also a natural delay between the original sound and when we hear the reverb. To control this delay in reverb plugins or hardware, we use a parameter called Pre-Delay, which allows us to set the time gap between the original sound and the onset of early reflections.
For orchestral instruments, it’s common to use reverb based on Impulse Response (IR). Since sound travels at about 340 meters per second at room temperature, we can map out how reverb behaves based on the distance of the space, and calculate the time difference between the original sound and the reverb start time.
For example, if there’s a 2-meter distance, you can calculate the delay as 2m ÷ 340m/s = 0.005s, or a 5ms difference.
Setting the Pre-Delay to around 5ms can simulate this effectively.
In mixing, when a sound is intended to be closer, it’s good practice to have a larger gap between the original sound and its reverb (larger Pre-Delay). For distant sounds, a smaller Pre-Delay works better.
At the end of the day, if it sounds good, that’s what matters most!
In the upcoming posts, I’ll cover the history, types, and practical applications of reverb.
See you in the next post! 🙂
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