"Iain Churches" wrote in message
...
"Don Pearce" wrote in message
I'm going to chuck a cat in amongst the pigeons here. I've just tried
this. I recorded some speech, then applied both delay and reverb in
Adobe Audition. No matter which order I apply them, the result is
identical. In other words, they commute.
http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/listen/delayreverb.mp3
Can you hear a difference between the two versions? If so, which do
you reckon got the delay first?
But did you do it correctly?
As mentioned above, when you delay the reverb, you do not bring the
delay back to the return signal loop, but use to feed the reverb,
the output of which is then brought back to the mix. The result
is the original dry sound, followed by a pause, but no repeat,
then the reverb.
This is probably not possible in Audition, and is the reason why
it is best experimented with using standalone hardware units.
Don. I have now had a chance to make up some clips to
illustrate the differences I was talking about.
For a sound source, I played a couple of bars of a slow
blues in F, on my trusty vibraphone (Bloke's Blues" by Victor
Feldman) at 120 bpm. I then extracted the first bar to used
as a clip.
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example01.mp3
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Then, I added a generous dollop of reverb (just as Keith did
with his clnt clip). So here is my 1 bar clip plus reverb.
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example02.mp3
+++++++++++++++++++++++
When working with delays, it is usually better to set up them
up to follow the same time pattern as the source. So, if the
original starts on the first beat of a 4/4 common time bar
then you may well choose to start the delay on the first beat
of the third bar.
In practice, a little "syncopated anticipation" (starting on the
last semi-quaver of the bar, instead of the first beat of the
following bar) is often used.
But normally, in the case of a 4/4 bar at 120bpm this would
mean a 4 sec delay, from the start of the first note of the
original to the start of the first note of the delay, on the first
beat of the third bar. Depending on how you choose to set
it up, the delay may be dry or use a reverb you have added
to the main signal. Or it could have its own reverb of a different
length.
To clearly demonstrate the difference between this and the other
variants, I chose to keep both signal and delay dry, both in the
centre with the delay attentuated about 10dB.
It sounds like this.
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example03.mp3
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next, to "reverb the delay" you simply add reverb to channel
carrying the delay return signal. For the sake of contrast,
I have kept the original signal dry. It sounds like this.
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example03a.mp3
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now, to delay (verb not noun) the reverb. There
are two ways to do this.
In the first, you set up a delay signal but do not
bring this back to the mix. It is used simply to
feed the reverb nothing more. Forget the digital
routing matrix for a moment and imagine an
analogue or digital patch bay with cords.
You feed some of the original signal out via
AUX send to the input of your delay line.
You do not patch the delay line output back to
the console, but send its output to feed the reverb
unit. The output of the reverb unit is of course
returned to the console. For the sake of contrast,
I have kept the original signal dry.
Alternatively, you could use the Post/Pre selector
on the Rev send, to achieve the same result. Send
some of the original signal to an AUX buss. Feed
this to the delay line, and bring its return back on
an adjacent channel. Pull this channel fader right
down to Inf attentuation, but open Rev send and
switch it to Pre to feed the reverb.
Whichever method you choose, it sounds like this:
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example04.mp3
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The delay Example03 is the most simple type -
single delay. You can use muliple delays and
place them at will in the stereo picture.
Finally, just for fun, using a gate, I have extracted the
first two quavers from Example01 and set them up
to repeat four times: on the third beat of the first bar,
first and third beats of the second bar, and first beat
of the third bar. You could pan the delays to any
position by using an auto panner or the console
automation. In this case they pan L to R.
http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Music/Example05.mp3
I have kept them dry, but each repeat could have
its own reverb, if you so choose, panned to a fixed
position, or to follow the signal or even in opposite
directions. They attenuate progressively.
The variations are limited only by your own
imagination.
Regards
Iain
To reverb or not?
Linear Mode
