i guess i am at the point now where i need to become more critical
about the use and manipulation of my reverb patches. in the past, i
have been guilty of just choosing a reverb patch and doing nothing more
than adjusting the return level. i have also been guilty of using way
too much reverb, especially on close-miced acoustic instruments in an
effort to make them soudn like they were in a real space.

now, i am finding how essential it is to learn to use reverb much more
carefully if i am ever to acheive a semi-realistic sounding digital
reverb. i would really like to hear some of your tricks and techniques
for using reverb effectively, such as:

for an acoustic instrument solo, perhaps a violin, recorded in a normal
studio setting with a single cardioid mic at around 3-4 feet out -

1. would you use a single reverb patch, or more than one layered
together?

2. would you pan the reverb returns to the center or to the outsides?

3. would you be likely to add some short delay to it, or any other
effects, such as a stereo mic patch or similar?

4. how would you decide what predelay or diffusion settings to use
when editing the reverb patch(es)?

5. how do you decide how much reverb to apply, when it seems SO EASY
to COMPLETELY fool yourself listening to near-field monitors? (i screw
this up regularly, even when A/Bing between my stuff and reference CDs)

6. what else shold i know, think about, consider, buy, etc? (currently
using a roland vs1880 with the roland FX board reverbs)

thanks.

The thing I notice most is a verb with too much high end response. Reverb in
nature always has a rolled off high end because air absorbs the shorter
wavelengths at a greater rate. In nature the return would never have as much
high frequency energy as the original.




John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

thanks john - funny, i have also gotten the exact opposite advice -
that i should not roll off the top too much for chamber music.
however, i do tend to roll off the highs a bit anyway.