John Carson- A guide to Reverb

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Understanding the Core Concepts

Reverberation is the acoustic phenomenon of sound waves bouncing off surfaces and blending together. In production, artificial reverb simulates physical spaces (like rooms or halls) to give your tracks depth, atmosphere, and a cohesive "in-the-same-room" feel.

Dry vs. Wet Signal

• Dry: The original, unprocessed audio signal.
• Wet: The reverberant sound only.
• Mix/Blend: Controls the balance between the two. For best results, use your reverb on an Aux/Return channel set to 100% wet, and use send levels to blend the effect into your mix.

Critical Reverb Parameters

• Decay (Reverb Time): The length of time it takes for the reverb to die away. Match this to the tempo of your song so the tail ends before the next major hit (e.g., the next snare).
• Pre-Delay: The gap in time between the direct sound and the onset of the reverb. A slightly longer pre-delay (e.g., 20-40 ms) helps keep vocals or instruments clear and upfront before the reverb kicks in.
• Size: Emulates the physical dimensions of the virtual room.
• Diffusion / Density: Controls how thick and lush the reverb tail sounds. High diffusion creates a smooth tail, while low diffusion highlights individual reflections.