Reverb settings: what do they mean/do?

[rhancox]

I use CuBase LE for my recording. Since it came with a Lexicon Omega interface, it included the Lexicon Pantheon reverb plug-in.

I've since purchased my Focusrite Saffire interface and while it came with Abelton Live, I still use CuBase because of familiarity.

Anyway, what I'm looking for is information on the various reverb settings and what they mean and what do they do.

1. Pre-delay (Lexicon)
2. Pre-filter (Focusrite)
3. Mix (both)
4. Damping (Lexicon)

I'm guessing these are the basic settings. The Lexicon reverb also has settings for echo, density (regen and delay), spread and diffusion, to name a few.

Any information that would give me a better understanding would be greatly appreciated.

[rick-slo]

That is a hugely covered topic all over the internet both in forum topics (some prior threads on this forum) and more formal articles. A simple google will keep you busy reading for quite a while.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by rhancox

1. Pre-delay (Lexicon)

Pre-delay is a delay that is inserted before the reverb. Originally it was accomplished by placing a tape deck in front of the reverb unit. The delay between input and tape playback was used to pre-delay the reverb. What it does is put space between a sound and its reverb, which does two things: 1) makes the original sound more intelligible, and 2) makes the reverb sound "bigger."

2. Pre-filter (Focusrite)

This allows you to bandwidth-limit the signal going to your reverb. Modern reverb has the ability to be more hi-fi than naturally-occurring reverb. This control allows you to tune that. A bandwidth-limited reverb can also be an interesting effect and will not compete with the original signal as much as a wide-bandwidth reverb.

3. Mix (both)

This is the blend between the original, dry sound and the reverb effect. When using a send/return bus on a console, you typically want to set it to 100% wet (all reverb) and use the return bus to mix in the sound of the reverb. If you insert the reverb in-line, you use the mix control to add a creatively useful amount of reverb to the signal.

4. Damping (Lexicon)

Think of this as the wall treatment in your reverb chamber. A highly damped chamber has absorptive walls and reverbs less and for a shorter time. A low damping chamber has hard walls and reverbs more and longer.

I'm guessing these are the basic settings. The Lexicon reverb also has settings for echo, density (regen and delay), spread and diffusion, to name a few.

Echo might be one of two things: 1) an echo that is blended with the reverb or 2) your choice of echo program. Density is how much reverb (how many delays) occurs at a given time. The Regen control blends the output of an echo back into its input for multiple echoes. Delay generally sets the length of the echo delay.

Does that help?

Bob

[rhancox]

Thanks, Bob.

This will take a bit to digest. Your explanation of dampening I understood straight away. The others may take a bit of translating before they make complete sense.

I'll take rick-slo's advice and do a little internet research and see if that helps.

[DenverSteve]

The best way to find out what your electronics "do" is to record something, copy it to a few different tracks and add the different effects to each track and then listen to them, making your own notes so the explanation makes complete sense to you. Have fun playing.