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By Bjorgvin Benediktsson
1. Not EQ'ing your Reverbs
EQ doesn't only belong on your recorded tracks. EQ is also extremely useful
for making your reverb fit better in your mix. Use EQ to avoid unnecessary
low-end clutter or reduce the highs to make the reverb blend in better.
2. Not Tweaking the Presets
The funny thing about all those presets is that they have nothing to do with
what you're using them on. They're a generic, best-fit sound that might work
on something similar to what you have in mind. How's that for ambiguous and
vague?
However, presets create a good starting point. Reverbs have enough parameters
so that you can easily tweak them to fit your session.
3. A need for the MOST EXPENSIVE REVERB!
The more expensive the reverb, the better it is right?
Wrong.
Sure, high quality reverbs usually sound great, but are they that much better
than either your stock plug-ins or cheaper alternatives?
A somewhat recent Home Recording Show episode touted the amazing sounds coming
from the Valhalla reverb, and they recommended it as a cheaper alternative
to the over-priced Waves reverbs.
Make do with what you have, and find the cheapest alternative possible if
your stock reverbs absolutely suck.
4. You Use Too Much
I probably still do this sometimes. This is the classic
beginner's mistake. Too much reverb drowns out your mix and makes everything
sound "floaty" (for
a lack of a better term).
Scale back on the reverb. Use it to make your tracks stand out, but don't
make the reverb be the thing that stands out. Makes sense? You want the listen
to the great sounding vocal. You want the reverb to be an inherent part of
the vocal sound. You want the reverb to draw attention to the vocal, not itself.
5. Too Many Different Types
Too many different spaces in a mix sounds unnatural. If that's what you're
going for, disregard what I'm saying. Otherwise try to stick to a few spaces.
Combining different instruments and tracks into the same reverb works well
to glue your elements together.
Using only one universal reverb is not a good idea either. Everything will
sound too similar and nothing will stick out. It's a delicate balance of a
few different reverbs used in moderation that is the key.
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