To reverb or not?
 

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:37:34 +0000, David Kennedy
wrote:

Don Pearce wrote:
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:46:13 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Iain wrote in message
...

"Keith wrote in message
...

Something I have been wondering about is adding reverb to recordings.

This:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...octurne%20.wav

is a recent effort of Swimbo on the alto that I rather like but without
any reverb applied. Would anyone consider reverb to be necessary in this
instance? I do rather get the impression that some people consider a
little reverb to be essential on just about everything..??


Purely a matter of taste. For me it's a tad dry, but I much
prefer this to the other extreme.



Hi Iain, try this one with a little 'Bright Hall' reverb added - I hafta say
I quite like it myself:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ght%20Hall.wav


But I would want to be in the habit of sloshing it into everything I record
unless I have to, of course - it's only me recording Swim on either the alto
sax or the Bb clart.




But all the better if she can just accompany herself.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/listen/accomp.mp3

d
Yeuch!

Come back Mantovani, all is forgiven...

He couldn't do interesting discords though.

d

To reverb or not?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:37:34 +0000, David Kennedy
wrote:

Don Pearce wrote:
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:46:13 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Iain wrote in message
...

"Keith wrote in message
...

Something I have been wondering about is adding reverb to recordings.

This:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...octurne%20.wav

is a recent effort of Swimbo on the alto that I rather like but
without
any reverb applied. Would anyone consider reverb to be necessary in
this
instance? I do rather get the impression that some people consider a
little reverb to be essential on just about everything..??


Purely a matter of taste. For me it's a tad dry, but I much
prefer this to the other extreme.



Hi Iain, try this one with a little 'Bright Hall' reverb added - I
hafta say
I quite like it myself:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ght%20Hall.wav


But I would want to be in the habit of sloshing it into everything I
record
unless I have to, of course - it's only me recording Swim on either the
alto
sax or the Bb clart.




But all the better if she can just accompany herself.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/listen/accomp.mp3

d
Yeuch!

Come back Mantovani, all is forgiven...

He couldn't do interesting discords though.



Don, if anything, it needed a little help the other way - not making sound
*worse*!!!

To reverb or not?
 

"David" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message
...

OK. I added a little reverb called 'Bright Hall' to it and I also like
that (see below). Unfortunately SoudForge is a little kludgy when it
comes to this sort of thing but it seems to remain within the realms of
good taste to me! (?)

Here they both are for a back to back for easy comparison:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...octurne%20.wav

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ght%20Hall.wav


Total layman here but to me the first sounds like a better recording and
the second sounds like a better musician.



Which further fuels the argument that the original performance is not
necessarily the deciding factor in how the final product will sound and
which is why I don't take 'distortion' claims too much to heart.


I know you only added a little reverb but I think just a little less would
be good.


I don't have the skill of knowledge to be able to create reverb settings
manually.

To reverb or not?
 

"David Kennedy" wrote in message
o.uk...
Keith G wrote:


snip



I think a little reverb flatters most music but worry this is injecting
a deliberate distortion into the recording/reproduction chain that we
see so much fuss about when it comes to stuff like the 'effects' of
using valve equipment in a recirding situation....??

True. But, the reverb [or what ever] effect could be achieved by the room
chosen for the recording...



Yes. The room (ambience) is precisely what the reverb software is trying to
create - hence the silly names on some of the presets like 'Metal Tank' and
'Sewer'!


This one (same player, same instrument, same recording setup):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4_k...eature=related


.....is the somewhat OTT 'Cathedral' setting, but the interesting thing is
that all the people I have played it to have said they liked it!

To reverb or not?
 

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:58:43 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:37:34 +0000, David Kennedy
wrote:

Don Pearce wrote:
On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:46:13 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Iain wrote in message
...

"Keith wrote in message
...

Something I have been wondering about is adding reverb to recordings.

This:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...octurne%20.wav

is a recent effort of Swimbo on the alto that I rather like but
without
any reverb applied. Would anyone consider reverb to be necessary in
this
instance? I do rather get the impression that some people consider a
little reverb to be essential on just about everything..??


Purely a matter of taste. For me it's a tad dry, but I much
prefer this to the other extreme.



Hi Iain, try this one with a little 'Bright Hall' reverb added - I
hafta say
I quite like it myself:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ght%20Hall.wav


But I would want to be in the habit of sloshing it into everything I
record
unless I have to, of course - it's only me recording Swim on either the
alto
sax or the Bb clart.




But all the better if she can just accompany herself.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/listen/accomp.mp3

d
Yeuch!

Come back Mantovani, all is forgiven...

He couldn't do interesting discords though.



Don, if anything, it needed a little help the other way - not making sound
*worse*!!!


Just for laughs. Sometimes worse is better.

d

To reverb or not?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message




Just for laughs. Sometimes worse is better.


Like Ann Widdecombe in Strictly Come Dancing?

David.

To reverb or not?
 

On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:56:31 -0000, "David Looser"
wrote:

"Don Pearce" wrote in message




Just for laughs. Sometimes worse is better.


Like Ann Widdecombe in Strictly Come Dancing?

Maybe John Sergeant. Widdiconbe is an evil harpy.

d

To reverb or not?
 

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Don Pearce" wrote in message




Just for laughs. Sometimes worse is better.


Like Ann Widdecombe in Strictly Come Dancing?



It's got to be summat along those lines but personally it makes me shudder -
both those instances!

To reverb or not?
 

Keith G wrote:

"David Kennedy" wrote in
message o.uk...
Keith G wrote:


snip



I think a little reverb flatters most music but worry this is injecting
a deliberate distortion into the recording/reproduction chain that we
see so much fuss about when it comes to stuff like the 'effects' of
using valve equipment in a recirding situation....??

True. But, the reverb [or what ever] effect could be achieved by the
room chosen for the recording...



Yes. The room (ambience) is precisely what the reverb software is trying
to create - hence the silly names on some of the presets like 'Metal
Tank' and 'Sewer'!

I can remember some [many] years ago recording guitar with an AC30 in an
old water cistern...

This one (same player, same instrument, same recording setup):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4_k...eature=related


....is the somewhat OTT 'Cathedral' setting, but the interesting thing
is that all the people I have played it to have said they liked it!


As I said, there is very little [if any] unprocessed sound out in main
stream recordings these days.

--
David Kennedy

http://www.anindianinexile.com

To reverb or not?
 

"David Kennedy" wrote in message
o.uk...
Keith G wrote:

"David Kennedy" wrote in
message o.uk...
Keith G wrote:


snip



I think a little reverb flatters most music but worry this is injecting
a deliberate distortion into the recording/reproduction chain that we
see so much fuss about when it comes to stuff like the 'effects' of
using valve equipment in a recirding situation....??

True. But, the reverb [or what ever] effect could be achieved by the
room chosen for the recording...



Yes. The room (ambience) is precisely what the reverb software is trying
to create - hence the silly names on some of the presets like 'Metal
Tank' and 'Sewer'!

I can remember some [many] years ago recording guitar with an AC30 in an
old water cistern...



Boggle....



This one (same player, same instrument, same recording setup):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4_k...eature=related


....is the somewhat OTT 'Cathedral' setting, but the interesting thing
is that all the people I have played it to have said they liked it!


As I said, there is very little [if any] unprocessed sound out in main
stream recordings these days.


I don't doubt it; I don't listen to much mainstream myself - recently, stuff
like Rachel's and any number of female singer/songwriters is the order of
the day if not staples. Outfits like these people are very 'acoustic' and
seem to be into the technical side of their recordings to ensure the right
result. Not commercial, needless to say....

Then again, OTOH, Oi Va Voi are pretty 'processed' and they are pretty much
in the same obscure vein.