Hello all -

I've gotten some very good advice in this forum in the past, for things such
as mics and preamps, so I'd like to ask for advice again.

First, my setup. I'm on the Mac, OS 10.3.9, using an low-power version of
Cubase (LE 1.0.7).

I'm recording acoustic-based music: bluegrass, folk, "old time", with guitar,
mandolin, banjo, and vocals.

My question in particular is how to tweak my existing reverb plugins to
"build" the right kind of "room" that will complement my type of music without
overwhelming it.

I have the following VST plugins available:
- "Reverb A"
- "Reverb B"
- "Ambience"
- "Room Machine"

If I look at a plugin like Reverb A, I see the following parameters and ranges
of adjustment:
- predelay: 0-100ms
- roomsize 20-100
- reverb time .20s-forever (!)
- filters (high & low cut): -15db-0db
- wet/dry

I can play with them a bit, but trying to hit the right "combination" by
chance doesn't seem to produce the results I'm looking for. Guess what happens
when you give a dummy too many tools to play with? g

There are various "presets" that are available, but I find that they don't
seem to fit my tastes; it's possible I'm not applying them correctly.

Since I know there are folks in the group who are experts at producing
acoustic music, I was wondering if there is a particular combination of the
above parameters that I could define as a "baseline", or perhaps apply directly.

My desired results are a reverb that is "there", but _almost_ invisible to the
listener. In songs I've done already, I try to apply just enough so that -
with Cubase itself running, hitting "stop" will obviously "reveal the reverb",
but its presence is much less detectable when listening to the mixed-down track.

Also, I generally put reverb only on vocals and the mandolin, too. The banjo I
use has enough sustain to not _need_ any "lengthening" effects added to it,
and I like the guitar to remain "dry". Actually, my preference is for as
upfront and natural a sound as possible, almost intentionally non-commercial.

Thanks,
- John
(who, through the miracles of modern hardware and software editing, has made
the quantum leap from being absolutely awful to barely mediocre!)