Let's take a look at the pros and cons of different reverbs. From Spring and Plate reverbs to Digital and Convolution reverbs we are going to take a quick look at them all. Some of the plugins used are free or stock plugins, others are ones I have licenses for. It really doesn't matter which software you use or have!
0:00 - What is Reverb?
1:06 - Chamber Reverb
2:37 - Spring Reverb
3:56 - Plate Reverb
6:20 - Digital and Algorithmic Reverb
8:30 - Convolution Reverb
10:40 - Some hot takes...
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Chamber reverbs:
These were the first artificial reverbs. Many recreations and recordings are still used to this day. They have a bold and "roomy" sound, which is often full of phase cancellation and stereo weirdness! While they can sound groovy and bod, they are often overpowering and can easily take up a lot of room in a mix. Widely used in the 1940s, 50s and 60s with famous examples being Capitol Studios, EMI and Sunset Sound Studios.
Spring:
When excited by a transient, these reverbs can create a classic decaying ping sound. They are incredibly groovy and have a nice shimmer to them. Although these were invented before the plate reverb, they didn't come into full popularity until the 60's. They have been a common place guitar effect for the last 60 years and you'll struggle to find a guitar fx processor without a spring option.
Plate:
The EMT (Elektromesstecknik) 140 Plate reverberator was released in 1957 and, coming in at 2.4 x 1.2 meters (8ft by 4ft) and weighing only 270kg, engineers no longer needed to build echo chambers to add some reverb to a dry recording!
If I could only choose one, it would have to be the plate reverb. They sound very shimmery and clear. It is easy to filter them, smooth them out and adjust the decay time. They have great presence in a mix but don't overpower the dry signals. Plates are a go-to for vocal production and add immediate width and depth to vocals.
Digital:
The sky is the limit. You can create almost any tone or shape of reverb imaginable. Sometimes, you can get lost in all of these choices!
Convolution:
For the most pure and authentic-sounding reverbs, the convolution reverb is a must. These are accurate recreations of real spaces and allow for a great deal of adjustments and editing, too!
#reverb #musicproduction #mixing