allow more high frequency content to come through or fading in the volume of a noticeably brighter sound to layer in with your base mix when you hit that big crescendo .
Shimmer always adds high-end so bringing brighter sounds to the mix is a natural alternative . Just like the first suggestion , here you ’ re not fighting a long reverb tail either , so playability is also maintained .
Bonus points here if you combine these first two ideas together : just imagine bringing a brighter sound into the mix while also shifting your right hand up an octave ? Absolutely elevating , folks . Jokes aside , it works . Give it a try .
PLAY HIGHER ( AGAIN )
It ’ s not a typo , the last tip is the same as the first . Higher notes mean more brightness , lift , and intensity , but in the age of modern technology you can achieve ‘ higher notes ’ in near countless ways .
This little tip may be the single most effective way I ’ ve found for bringing a similar energy without relying on shimmer reverb itself and I ’ ve found myself using it often over the last year or so in shimmer ’ s place .
To set this up , all you need is software or hardware that allows you to program a MIDI effect to add additional notes to whatever you play . Usually called something like “ Chord Trigger ” or in the Sunday Keys App there ’ s an effect dedicated to this called simply “ Octave Up ”.
You ’ ll use this MIDI effect to add an octave above all the notes you play on the keyboard , effectively doubling what you play but with extra brightness and high end .
This is essentially what shimmer does in the first place , take your signal and pitch shift it up an octave or two , but since you ’ re doing this at the MIDI level there ’ s no artifact-ing or delay introduced by the pitch shifting and the sound remains completely responsive as there ’ s no reverb tail either .
The result is a brighter , richer , more powerful sound that you remain in complete control of . Give yourself a way to toggle this effect on the fly during your live performances and you ’ ll find it a great way to lift everything up at a moment ’ s notice .
Is it cheating to use a MIDI effect to play some extra notes for you ? If you use it intentionally , I don ’ t think so , unless you ’ d also consider using reverb or delay ‘ cheating ’.
TOOLS TO USE
Technology should be viewed as a tool that opens up creative inspiration to you and your worship team , and that ultimately makes it easier and more effective for you to help lead your congregation in worship . In my opinion shimmer reverb absolutely still has a place in worship music . I still use the effect regularly but I ’ m glad to have some alternatives in my tool belt too . The more options I have at my disposal the stronger my creative choices can be .
I ’ d encourage you to give one or more of these suggestions a try the next time you ’ re tempted to just turn that shimmer mix up to eleven . In the end , we know it ’ s not ascending octaves that help us have powerful times of worship . They ’ re simply tools we can use to express our hearts ’ desire to worship in spirit and truth . Whichever tools you choose to use , I pray your congregation is encouraged and uplifted by your expressions of worship .
David Pfaltzgraff Founder and Lead Sound Designer at SundaySounds . com , a site that resources worship keys players and guitarists around the world . David currently resides in Des Moines , IA with his wife and two boys . He enjoys volunteering in his church ’ s worship ministry , old synthesizers , and a good super-hero movie .
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