I typically use Reverb with a lot of my pieces. Most of the time, however, the sound(s) become too drowned out as certain reverb types are added. This is quite a delicate balance and can take up a significant amount of time to achieve compelling results. I was just wondering if anyone: 1) Had any tips or shortcuts that allow for the use of reverb without drowning out the sound completely 2) Which programs or utilities work best to add reverb to an orchestral type of setting 3) How to obtain the "cleanest" type of sound using reverb without sacrificing overall quality Any assistance would be appreciated! GameGenie

if you''re mixing orchestral music, i''d suggest adding reverb by sections rather than individual instruments etc... so you don''t have too much reverb going on there : )

Try getting it down to

First Violins, Second Violins, Cellos, Double Basses, Brass, Woodwinds (even together), percussion,

make sure you severely balance the Wet / Dry on the plugins, don''t over do it, I only use a moderate setting of maybe 14% wet.

And that can be quite a lot - LESS is MORE.

Check out the Ambience Reverb plugin, i believe its freeware... it''s pretty good for a free reverb, probably the best you''ll get for orchestral stuff and room simulation..

alternatively you can use SIR, which is also freeware, this loads Convolution samples (samples of Reverb tails in different environments) and then simulates the same response on any signal you route through it.

ALSO - check the samples your using don''t include ambience in the recording.

ALSO - reverb is highly important in achieving the atmosphere and placement of the orchestra, so it might be best to research what sort of environment you wish you place your orchestra in... classical music generally has more ambience recorded, it''s like being there with the orchestra playing and hearing the room''s response... whilst film / game scores tend to have a more upfront, less reverb effect for a more vivid sound... it all depends with what you want to achieve.

Reverb is a powerful tool.. make sure you have the right plugins, the right panning on your software, and the knowledge of what you wanna achieve : )

All the best,

David

Ahh, good ol verb!! The most overused and easily abused effect out there :D Just off the top of my head, my old Studio teacher always used the term "Edge of Perception", if you can hear the reverb clearly, there''s too much. If you have to sit down and say "ok, yup, there''s the verb, right in the background" then you''ve done a good job. As with all rules of thumb, this (and everything I suggest afterwards) is all subject to the greatest rule in all audio "only if it sounds good".

To your questions:
1) Refer to above. Try using some EQ on the verb as well, take out some of the frequencies that get triggered above and below whatever you''re verbing. If your covering an entire symphony, don''t bother with this

2) An outboard EFX rack works best I usually find :D But seriously, by the time your mixing down the tracks, get a copy of ProTools free or the new Audicity and use their plug-ins (pretty good ones in PT I find). Are you mixing raw audio, or still working off midi? midi is bad once you have your music written. (UNCLEAN!UNCLEAN!)

3) Now, supposing that you find a reverb unit with adjustable parameters, there are a couple things that you can do to increase audibility without doing anything to the quality of the verb.

-Put in some "Pre-Delay" on solo instruments and vocals. This adds some time between the direct signal and the reverb triggering.

-Shorten your reverb time. If it''s too long, then it like listening to a violin played on the other side of a completely empty arena.

-Go with what sounds good, your ears are the final judge, not all the fancy lights and sliders on your computer screen :D

There is also a reverb tutorial in the "Articles and Resources" area of this site, give that a look for some more ideas.

Good Luck!

RM