How to Use Reverb in Music: 4 Types of Reverb

Reverb, or reverberation, occurs when soundwaves from a direct source reflect off surfaces in a space, like a room. Direct sound originates from a source, like a person’s voice or a musical instrument. The sound waves created by the direct sound, which are called reverberant sound, are altered by the acoustics of and objects within the space in which they are heard.

The reflected sound, which is called reverberated sound or reverb sound, then creates a unique echo that builds up from the first reverberations, called early reflections, and then decays as objects within that space absorb it. The echo is almost imperceptible and can be heard at approximately 50 milliseconds after the direct sound. Once the direct sound has stopped, the resulting reverb is called the reverb tail or decay time.

The use of reverb in music production lends ambience to both voice and instruments; it can provide depth and warmth to a recording and a sense of space beyond that which can be heard in recording studios. Reverb can be created by the acoustic properties of the space in which the sounds are recorded or through reverb units that can create various acoustics through special effects. Many instruments and associated technology, from guitar amplifiers and synths to reverb pedals, have reverb features.

The origins of reverb in music date back centuries, when amphitheaters and concert halls were explicitly designed to create and control the most natural reverb signals in live performances.

• Room conditions. Creating room reverb for recorded music initially required specific conditions—the right room size and microphone placement. Depending on the distance between the studio microphone and the performances, recordings either featured a “dry signal,” which had a raw and unprocessed sound, or a “wet signal,” for which the room reverb affected the sound.
• Reverb rooms. As analog recording technology evolved, special echo chambers, known as reverb rooms, created a type of reverb called “chamber reverb” by broadcasting the audio signal to a loudspeaker in the room. These gave way to mechanical reverb systems that used solid objects, including springs and metal plates, to give recording engineers greater control over the reverb time.
• Digital reverb. Eventually, digital reverb became the industry standard; these hardware systems use algorithms to produce natural, accurate reverb, and pre-delay (a feature that controls the amount of time between when direct sound ends and early reflections begin). Reverb plug-ins provide versatile software options, which can add unique nuances to music mixes.

There are several different types of reverb, based on the system or method that creates them:

1. 1. Chamber reverb. One of the earliest reverb effects, chamber reverb, required a natural, soundproofed space—from a small room, like a tiled bathroom, to a concrete, subterranean area—into which sound from the mixing board could be broadcast via a loudspeaker. A microphone in the room would then pick up the reverb sound.
2. 2. Digital reverb. Digital reverberation devices use the algorithms in a process called convolution reverb to produce reverberated sounds. Producers can manipulate the algorithm reverb to reproduce the sound of a specific room with a sample of the room’s impulse response or how audio responds to changes.
3. 3. Plate reverb. A transducer, which transforms energy from one form to another, sends vibrations to a large, thin plate of sheet metal to create plate reverb. A microphone picks up the audio signal of the vibrations, which producers can then add to the original “dry” recording. Plate reverb was introduced in the 1950s and is still in use by recording studios today.
4. 4. Spring reverb. Another early mechanical reverb system, spring reverb, works by introducing vibrations to a metal spring with a transducer; a microphone pickup on the opposite side of the spring records the vibrations. Introduced in the 1930s for use with the Hammond Organ, they are often used today in guitar amps.

Here are some tips for using reverb in music production that will result in a natural reverb sound:

• Bass. In all cases, less reverb is ideal, and its use with the bass is a perfect example. Reverb can bury the low-end clarity in a mix, so it’s best to apply it to some aspects of the bass sound, like the high and mid frequencies.
• Drums. The use of reverb with drums varies according to the desired sound of the recording. Gated reverb, a combination of strong reverb and a noise gate that controls excessive noise in a recording, will create a crispy, punchy, ‘80s-style beat but may be less effective for live recordings or a more natural sound.
• Guitar. Both guitars and synths can suffer from excessive reverb; its excessive echo can have the same muddying effect on speech. Delay may be a better choice, as it will keep an element of depth that reverb can reduce.
• Vocals. Singing voices benefit greatly from the judicious application of reverb because it amplifies their warm and full qualities and lends a considerable degree of natural tone. Too much reverb, however, can bury vocals in the mix and wash out phrasing and delivery.

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