What is reverb? The reverb resource for audio engineers of all levels
What is reverb in music? Using audio examples, we explain reverb: types of reverb and how musicians, producers, and engineers can use it.
What is reverb?
As musicians and audio engineers, we often work with reverb, sometimes without knowing much about it. In this article, we give a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know about reverb, with links out to additional reverb reading and resources.
What is the definition of reverb?
Reverb is created when a sound occurs in a space, sending sound waves out in all directions. These waves reflect off surfaces in the space, decaying in amplitude until the reflections eventually die off. Without extensive sound-proofing, most spaces will produce many closely spaced reflections, which reach the listener shortly after the initial dry sound. We hear this series of reflections as a single, continuous sound, which we call “reverb.”
What does a reverb do in music production?
There have been plenty of acoustical and mechanical methods for creating reverb in music production. Today, modern productions typically use digital reverb (hardware units, or software plug-ins like Aurora,
Neoverb
Digital reverb types
You’ll probably come across two types of digital reverbs—algorithmic and convolution. Most digital reverbs use either algorithmic or convolution reverb, but some, like the Reverb module in
Nectar 3 Plus
Algorithmic reverb
Algorithmic reverb simulates reverb through a series of calculations (an algorithm). By creating reflections mathematically, you can imitate the sound of real spaces, or design new sonic environments that would be impossible to create otherwise. Examples of algorithmic reverbs include our brand-new Aurora plug-in, as well as Neoverb, the venerable Lexicon reverbs, Sonnox Oxford Reverb, and Exponential Audio reverbs.
Convolution reverb
Convolution reverb, also known as IR or sampling reverb, creates reverb by processing an impulse response (IR)—a recording of a signal that was played in an actual room or sent through a piece of gear. This signal contains all frequencies (often a blast of white noise, starter pistol, or even a sine wave swept across the audible frequency spectrum), which is done to trigger the full acoustic response of the space.
Doing this allows us to analyze how the room or gear affects the signal over time. This analysis is then converted into a reverb profile, which can be applied to a dry sound. Nectar’s Reverb module creates the sound of the EMT 140 using IRs recorded from a real EMT 140.
Using convolution reverb, we can make things sound like they’re in real spaces (like the Sydney Opera House, for example). Examples of convolution reverbs include Audio Ease AltiVerb 8 and HOFA IQ-Reverb, though there are many more.
Note: When compared to algorithmic reverbs, convolution reverbs deliver more realistic reverb sounds, but require substantially more CPU resources, leading to more latency. Therefore, it’s best to minimize the number of convolution reverbs in a session.
Aurora, our newest reverb
If you’re interested in the latest reverb we’ve brought to market, we’d like to take a beat to show off Aurora. This powerful, yet affordable reverb mines fantastic algorithms from Exponential Audio, making them exceedingly intuitive to use. More importantly, we’ve added our newest frequency-unmasking tech to speed up your workflow.
Many of the points we’ll cover below—from digital reverb controls to common issues when utilizing reverb—are handled efficiently and effectively by Aurora. The plug-in also sounds fantastic in subtle and dramatic applications. Finally, Aurora will sound at home in a variety of mixes, from the lush pop soundscapes we often encounter today, to aggressive tunes that require shorter ambiences.