AUDIO
USING REVERB IN YOUR WORSHIP MIX:
ALTERING TIME AND SPACE | Jeff Hawley
Colton Dixon performing at the SonRise Festival - Photo courtesy Melissa Dawn Photography
My first experience with reverb was life changing. Unfortunately, reverb can also get us into begin to ‘blossom’ and grow - this is essentially
I can still recall my amazement as I accidentally trouble really quickly and result in something a equivalent to Pre-delay. As the cathedral has
bumped my dad’s guitar amp enough to cause bit closer to the messy reverb wash I created many reflective surfaces and a high ceiling and
the reverb transmission springs to clang up as a child - not quite what the pastor was other rooms and nooks and crannies, the tail
against the reverb tank walls. It was like a expecting for the Easter Sunday service. of the clap will bounce around and last some
sonic embodiment of the ‘Kapow!’, ‘Boff!’,
and ‘Zok!’ graphics from the Batman TV show.
time - basically the Delay Time.
REVERB BASICS
Applying a ‘one size fits all’ approach to reverb
While my father was not amused, the resulting
across each channel of a mix and leaving the
cacophony of otherworldly boings and buzzes While early analog reverb units and tube guitar Pre-delay and Decay Time set too high can
and metallic reverb trails opened my eyes to the amps typically had a single knob simply labeled quickly wash out a mix and even begin to create
latent magical powers behind the dusty silver ‘Reverb’, modern digital reverb units provide or complicate feedback issues. One common
Fender grill cloth. much more control over the effect variables. In mistake I find out in the field is the focus on
my experience, the two most important control Delay Time as the sole (or at least most ‘direct’)
Jump forward a few decades and I still find settings in a live sound application are ‘Pre- control of reverb, getting caught up on clearly
myself enamored with reverb. When used delay’ and ‘Decay Time’. hearing the reverb on that channel/instrument
appropriately in a live sound setting, reverb
as an obvious effect and neglecting to refine the
can add depth and richness to a worship band If mix. A purposeful contrast in reverb settings occurring in the wild, these two parameters can be used to achieve the opposite effect and are what would inform you as to how large Most digital reverb units and plugins offer
bring a vocal line ‘in your face’ and front and a space is and what shape it is and/or what different reverb ‘types’ as a starting point. It is
center. Reverb is often the key to create a slick, material it is made of. If you clap in a large common to see presets labeled as ‘Ambience’
polished production sound to your drum mixes. cathedral, it will take some time for the clap to or ‘Tight Room’ or ‘Small Hall’ or ‘Large Hall’ or
144
you
think
January 2020
about
natural
reverberation
Pre-delay or listen more cohesively to the mix.
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