Music Recording Basics

Reverb can add depth and fullness to sound, but it's important to remember that a little goes a long way. A common mistake is to pour too much reverb into the mix, and instead of enjoying a sense of space, the sound is drowned in sonic mud. There are a few ways you can find the right balance.

The easiest solution is to add the reverb in a bit at a time, until it sounds right - then back it off a bit! After you've made a few mixes, you'll know when it's right. But in the beginning, more seems to sound better.

Another solution is to adjust the pre-delay setting on your reverb. By delaying the reverb anywhere from 5ms to 20ms, it allows the ear to focus on the original sound before the reverb washes in. You'll find that you can make your signal much "wetter" with this method than you can by simply adjusting levels.

Another common method is to alter the diffusion setting on your reverb. Diffusion is how distinct the reflected sounds are. The higher diffusion setting, the more washed out the reverb sound, so to achieve greater clarity in your mix, lower the amount of diffusion.