This week has been an impromptu reverb week. 

The last two posts have discussed the thought process behind choosing the right reverb and how to make mixing easier by limiting your reverb choices.

Today, we're going to talk about all the things to think about when you're choosing the right reverb in your mix.

Let's get started!

With all the reverb options out there, you might tear your hair out trying to figure out what reverb to use in your mixes.

What should you think about when choosing the right space for you song? Even though you have a favorite sounding reverb, it might not work for that alternative FolkTronica act that you just recorded.

1. Think about the tempo of the song

If you are working with a fast song that needs to come across clearly and well defined, mucking it up with long reverbs will just make the mix sound cluttered.

Think about the tempo of the song and select your reverbs accordingly. A slower song can use longer reverbs, and faster songs might need really short reverbs. Or you could even just use delays instead.

2. Think about the wetness of the song

Do you want your overall mix to be dry, or do you want lush reverbs filling up the space?

Are some of the pre-recorded tracks already rich with heavy reverbs and space, or was it all recorded extremely dry?

Think about how wet you want your mix to be and choose your reverb according to that.

3. Think about the lushness of the arrangement

Is the arrangement going to be really dry and in-your-face or is everything going to be drowned in space?

You might need to keep some elements dry even though you are going for an extremely wet mix, but the more reverb you are putting on your instruments the more you need to anchor it down with at least a few dry instruments.

Also, be wary of adding too much reverb since it can be a sign of a very amateurish production.

4. Think about the rhythm of the vocal track

Is the singer singing long sustained notes, scat singing or rapping? These are some of the factors you might want to consider when you are choosing your vocal reverb.

The rhythm of the vocal can dictate if the reverb you've chosen actually works. If you're going for “My Heart Will Go On” Celine Dion long sustained singing then a large and long reverb might work exceptionally.

But if your singer is Scatman John, then a long reverb might just get in the way.

5. Think about the room

Think about the instrumentation and see if you can't place them all together in the same room. Some instruments sound great together when they're “placed” in the same room or reverb device.

6. EQ Your Reverb

Take a while to think about the characteristics of the mix at hand and then choose the reverb you think is right.

But even after you've done so, there's one thing beginners tend to overlook.

And that's EQ'ing their reverbs.

Using an EQ to shape the sound of your reverb is incredibly important. EQ is one of the most valuable tools a mixing engineer has, which is why my EQ Strategies guide will be your ultimate resource to make better EQ decisions.

Check it out here:

www.EQStrategies.net

Tomorrow we'll talk about the 5 Reverb Mistakes that make You Look Like an Idiot. Look for it in your inbox in the morning.

Cheers,

​​​​​​​Björgvin