
Photo 1: Waves Audio IR-1
Defy the laws of physics by following Bryan Clark's tips for generating fresh and articulate sounds with reverb plug-ins.
Welcome back to another Dojo. Last month, I shed light on the benefits of room recording and using the natural reverb of given spaces. This time I'll briefly explain reverb's four main parameters in layman's terms (it's actually a very deep and complex subject), and, by tweaking those parameters, how to make new, interesting, and physically impossible spaces for use in your recordings.
Most of us add reverb at some point in our recording process, and most of that is through digital plug-ins found in our DAW or by third-party makers (FabFilter, Waves, Universal Audio, etc.) or through rackmounted outboard gear. (Photos 1 and 2 provide a look at the Waves Audio's IR-1 and FabFilter's Pro R in action.) Whatever type of reverb you add, I'd be willing to bet that your process might be similar to this: pull up a reverb, set the amount of wet/dry, maybe tweak the overall time, and you're done. But there's so much more you can do!
I'd be willing to bet that your process might be similar to this: pull up a reverb, set the amount of wet/dry, maybe tweak the overall time, and you're done. But there's so much more you can do!
First, let's look at the main parameters of reverb. In any given space (size doesn't matter), something has to happen that sets sound pressure waves in motion. This is called an impulse function (a loud clap, popping a balloon, a righteous, single, 100-watt djent, etc.). The measurement of that impulse function is called the impulse response (IR). The impulse response contains four main parameters of what we generally call reverb.
Fig. 1
Imagine Metallica is doing a soundcheck at your local stadium and they're going to perform "Damage, Inc." (Still one of my favorite songs!) You're in front-of-house position (FOH), where the mix engineer sits. After the layered reversed guitar intro (lasting 1:18, for those listening at home), the band kicks in with those devastating, staccato, "chunks." With each one, several things happen in rapid succession—remember, I'm relating this as simply as possible as it's really complex. Look at Fig.1. You'll see the:
- Direct sound: A certain amount of sound reaches your ears directly, without reflecting off anything. Obviously, you hear this first.
- Early reflections: These initial reflections are easy to hear and generally bounce off a few things before reaching your ears and arrive closely after the direct sound.
- Reverb: As more reflected sounds reach your ears with mosh-pit ferocity, the ears can no longer make out individual early reflections because of the buildup, and "reverb" starts.Length: Once reverb starts, the time it takes for the sound to bounce off the rafters and for the venue to eventually fall silent again is known as the reverb time or RT60. RT60 is generally the amount of time it takes for the IR to fade 60 dB and merge back with the inherent noise floor of the building.
- Length: Once reverb starts, the time it takes for the sound to bounce off the rafters and for the venue to eventually fall silent again is known as the reverb time or RT60. RT60 is generally the amount of time it takes for the IR to fade 60 dB and merge back with the inherent noise floor of the building.
Okay, now let's get down to business. Most reverb plug-ins allow you to adjust time, EQ, pre-delay, and mix (wet/dry). Some, like Waves IR-1 reverb ($29 street) and FabFilter's Pro R ($199 street) offer much more, but in very different ways.
Adjusting the Pre-Delay
Photo 2 : FabFilter's Pro R
Increasing the pre-delay will postpone the arrival time of reverb. Which means that you can easily defy the laws of physics. Since sound travels at 1,125 feet per second (at 68 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level), by adjusting the pre-delay, you can move the arrival time of the reverb to a later point (that's not physically possible), yet when the reverb actually starts, it goes back to obeying the laws of physics. This trick is often used to bring clarity to an instrument's articulation and to subtle parameters that might be getting washed out in the original reverb. This works extremely well on vocals, snare drum, acoustic guitars, staccato power chords, etc. Further, some pre-delay settings can be synced (quarter-, eighth-, 16th-note, etc.) to the BPM of the song. FabFilter's Pro R does this, again violating the laws of physics. Adding even more violations to the properties of sound, Waves IR will allow you to add a pre-delay to the early reflections before reverb.
Adjusting the EQ
Adjusting the reverb's EQ can add another layer of complexity. Boosting top end to make it brighter can make a heavily pre-delayed reverb sound like it would if it were closer to the source, but, because of the pre-delay, it would organically sound dark and dull. One other thing to try is adding a narrow Q to a frequency band (or several) and tuning your reverb to the key or a specific harmony you wish.
I encourage you to play with all the available parameters as much as you can and see what kind of craziness you can come up with. I'll be sharing some of mine on my website, bryanclarkmusic.com, should you want to see and hear some more examples. Until next time, stay open-minded and keep rocking! Namaste.
The final day is here! Enter Stompboxtober Day 31 for your last chance to win today’s pedal from Keeley and finish the month strong!
Keeley Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz Pedal with Polyphonic Pitch Shifting
Meet the OCTA PSI Transfigurating Fuzz – The Ultimate Combination of Pitch-Shifter, Octave Generator, and Tri-Voiced Analog Fuzz! Key features include: Instant Effect Order Switching, Flexible Output Configuration, Momentary or Latching Octave/Pitch, and more! Each pitch shift mode includes an up, down, and dual setting, resulting in 24 different modes.
Neil’s brother-in-law Billy’s Ovation, before Neil’s repairs.
Reader: Neil Crump
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Guitar: King of the Road
When his brother-in-law passed away, this reader made it his mission to repair his old damaged Ovation guitar as a gift to his niece.
My brother-in-law passed away in March. He was a talented keyboardist and, in his heyday, played in bands that toured internationally. As a musician, he naturally had a guitar—a 1974 Ovation—and a “friend” put an unauthorized abstract paint job on it. That guitar had an extremely hard life: Its top was broken and the frets were completely worn out. As an aspiring luthier, I took the guitar to repair it then pass it on to his daughter. This proved to be a challenging task as I had never done anything more complicated than a basic setup before and I had few luthier tools.
A heat gun and thin spatula knife worked fine to remove the top and the bridge. I did my best to glue the new top halves together—but that left a visible seam, so I put a herringbone center strip over it (to match the purfling I would install later). I had no radius board, so I just clamped the pre-radiused braces I bought and was quite pleased that the new top did have a radius! Once I felt the bridge was sanded perfectly, I glued it down. I then replaced the plastic nut and saddle with bone. A hot soldering iron got the old frets out without damaging the fingerboard. (That said, next time I will clean those slots out better before installing new frets!)
“This proved to be a challenging task as I had never done anything more complicated than a basic setup before and I had few luthier tools.”
I was happy with my progress until I started routing the purfling channel. I had no workbench, and the concave Ovation body made things a bit awkward. While basically “bear hugging” the body with one arm and holding the router with the other, I heard a faint “pop.” The edge of an X-brace had come loose. I was able to squirt glue into the void with a syringe, but the concave guitar body made a brace jack useless (without fabricating a complicated caul). I removed the phono jack and jammed a pencil into the brace, keeping pressure on it with a rubber band. It worked!
Neil gave the Ovation a new lease on life with his extensive repairs, the end result of which can be seen here.
I also learned the importance of channel depth with purfling—I did lots of scraping to get everything flush. I am pleased with the finished product and my niece is so happy! I also put a new label inside the guitar body, with a dedication to her father on it.
Overall, there are multiple wins on this project. I gave tribute to my brother-in-law, made his daughter happy, and learned enough to build a guitar from scratch.
A 1000-watt speaker cabinet crafted for musicians who demand power and precision. Sunn Amps intends to reinvent the standard 4x12 configuration with the introduction of this new cabinet.
The Sunn Amps DoomBox is built to accommodate both guitar and bass, offering an impressive 1000-watt handling capacity—making it the first commercially available 4x12 cabinet with such high power handling. With four specially designed 12” drivers rated at 250 watts each, this cabinet provides clean, unrestrained sound levels that can maintain power integrity across all frequencies, ideal for high-volume performances.
Inspired and developed using feedback from artists and bands who rely on the depth of lower tunings and high volume genres, the DoomBox was engineered to meet the unique demands of professional musicians looking for a robust, high-efficiency cab that can translate the raw power of their sound without compromise.
Premium Craftsmanship and Materials
The Doom Box cabinet is crafted from solid finger-jointed Baltic Birch plywood, ensuring both durability and tonal clarity. Each cabinet is constructed by hand in the U.S.A. using original 1930s machinery, the DoomBox reflects Sunn’s historic commitment to quality, contrasting with some of the mass-produced, MDF-based cabinets on the market today. The cabinet’s aluminum basket, ferrite magnet, and custom Sunn weave Tolex with a custom grill design complete its professional-grade build.
Technical Specifications:
• Power Handling: 1000W
• Inputs: 1 x ¼”
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Drivers: 4 x Sunn 12S250
• Construction: Marine Grade Baltic Birch
• Dimensions: 29.25” X 30” X 14”
• Weight: 107 lbs
• Price: $2399.00
With clear low-end punch, even sound response, and ample air movement, the Doom Box ensures that every note reaches the audience with clarity and power. This cabinet is a game-changer for musicians who need high-performance, road-ready equipment that enhances their unique sound.
Does the guitar’s design encourage sonic exploration more than sight reading?
A popular song between 1910 and 1920 would usually sell millions of copies of sheet music annually. The world population was roughly 25 percent of what it is today, so imagine those sales would be four or five times larger in an alternate-reality 2024. My father is 88, but even with his generation, friends and family would routinely gather around a piano and play and sing their way through a stack of songbooks. (This still happens at my dad’s house every time I’m there.)
Back in their day, recordings of music were a way to promote sheet music. Labels released recordings only after sheet-music sales slowed down on a particular song. That means that until recently, a large section of society not only knew how to read music well, but they did it often—not as often as we stare at our phones, but it was a primary part of home entertainment. By today’s standards, written music feels like a dead language. Music is probably the most common language on Earth, yet I bet it has the highest illiteracy rate.