Master Buss Reverb

[mthrfnk]

Did a quick search for this... "reverb" brings up a bazillion other threads so here goes:
I've never used master buss reverb before when finalising a mix, but I gave it a shot on this new track I'm doing - I've tried to get the mix sounding really clean and I found that just a touch of small room reverb on the high end of the track sounds quite nice, makes it a bit "fuller" overall.

Was just wondering if other people do this, and specifically I know there's a few pro/semi-pro mastering engineers around here, I'd love to know your oppinion too. If you haven't done it, maybe try it.

Btw I know the old saying "if it sounds good, do it" applies - I am, this isn't me doubting myself... just a discussion

[claudedefaren]

I've never done it.. always just use several different reverb return tracks that I send instruments / drums to in different amounts.

Reverb on the master is probably a more reasonable technique when working on say acoustic music. But I wouldn't know.

[azuk]

I almost always put a little room reverb on the master, gives it some ambience.

[titchbit]

I would have thought master reverb would make it sound messy as shit, but I suppose you're talking about a really short decay time and a really low dry/wet?

actually, what numbers did you use for decay time and dry/wet?

[azuk]

I used a really long decay time and automated the mix level over the entire track.

I also tend to use Chorus on the master then automate the mix level too.

[mthrfnk]

I would have thought master reverb would make it sound messy as shit, but I suppose you're talking about a really short decay time and a really low dry/wet?

actually, what numbers did you use for decay time and dry/wet?

Idk I can't tell if it's messy vs. "fuller" haha.
Atm I'm high passing at 300Hz ish, playing with 3-5% wet and small decay time.

[mks]

I just did it with a tune last week. I sometimes record tracks really dry, so I decided to put some reverb on the master. Just a real little amount, it was mostly dry.

[Coolschmid]

If you put reverb on just the highs of the master somehow (like with ozone) it usually works out without getting messy. Gotta keep it off the bass though.

[titchbit]

I would have thought master reverb would make it sound messy as shit, but I suppose you're talking about a really short decay time and a really low dry/wet?

actually, what numbers did you use for decay time and dry/wet?

Idk I can't tell if it's messy vs. "fuller" haha.
Atm I'm high passing at 300Hz ish, playing with 3-5% wet and small decay time.

tru tru yeah I could see that working, making it sound "fuller", getting some interesting results. never done it myself. might have to try it out soon.

and I really think there's something to be said about using the same reverb plugin/settings for multiple instruments. as one person said above, using the same one on drums can make them sound like their from the same kit. I had never thought about it like that, but I think that's true.

[claudedefaren]

it totally is. reverb sends ftw

[Artie_Fufkin]

I would have thought master reverb would make it sound messy as shit, but I suppose you're talking about a really short decay time and a really low dry/wet?

actually, what numbers did you use for decay time and dry/wet?

Idk I can't tell if it's messy vs. "fuller" haha.
Atm I'm high passing at 300Hz ish, playing with 3-5% wet and small decay time.

By high end I thought you meant higher than 300. I would put the cutoff around 700-1000, maybe higher if filter slope isn't very steep. Also depending on how much energy you have around 300 as well. You gotta think like this: what instruments would I not mind putting a delay on and what frequencies? you might also try listening with a band pass on your master before the reverb and sweeping it to see what you like and don't like.

[hudson]

I don't think master reverbs have any application aside from some special effects. Can someone saying they do it post a tune? I'd be interested to hear what it does.

[mks]

Yeah, I did it in this tune after I had cut the track. I usually use reverb on the sends to gel things together but this time I didn't put any reverb on the tracks. I decided to put a tiny amount on the stereo track after the song was recorded.

Prolepsis Part 11

edit: I moved this to where I was originally going to put it, in the DSF Hip-Hop Dubs thread.

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.p ... 9#p3440119

[NinjaEdit]

Reverb is sometimes used in mastering. Another place to ask about it is the Gearslutz mastering section.

If you have access to the stems, it seems strictly better to set up a reverb send so that you can control the amount of the separate tracks' reverb.
Setting up two reverb sends - one short, one long - can help place the depth of the sounds.

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

i do it on the highhhs.

[Artie_Fufkin]

I don't think master reverbs have any application aside from some special effects. Can someone saying they do it post a tune? I'd be interested to hear what it does.

Try it out yourself!
Plenty of reverb plugins have low cut and wet/dry controls so you don't have to put it on a send if that's only the reason you'd use a send track. Just slap it on your master and set it to all wet signal and tweak it a bit to get the gist of how it sounds with all of your instruments. Then adjust the wet and dry until you get it blended where you want it. Also try playing one of the patterns in your song and then stop it and hear the "room sound" you've created.
I think you'll get a better appreciation of it this way than listening to another person's finished tune.

[AxeD]

I'd use sends anyway personally.

Anyway, for my mixing reverb I usually have only 1 or two verbs anyway. Quite a bit of stuff gets sent to those, that's
what makes it sound coherent. Soundfx reverb stuff is different of course.

[outbound]

Only read the question not the thread so I may be repeating a previous point but....

From a (pro) mastering point of view it is an uncommon tool to use reverb. Every once in a while I will need to use it and when I do it I tred very carefully (it is going to be due to a mix that is overly dry for the style it's in) for example a lot of the stuff I get through atm is dark/minimal dubstep type stuff which lends itself to a lot of ambience to create it's sound. Most of the guys have got it right but every so often I get through something which is just too forward, there isn't a great deal of reverb and the song would be lacking without it. At these points if we can't get back to the mixdown to fix it it then dialling in a little my side works (just enough to push things back a bit) When I do it's usually with Ozone Reverb mixed in to around 5% or so (never more than 8-10% even on the driest mixes) again this is a very uncommon practise and maybe 1 in 25 might end up having it used.

From a mix POV (my own productions) there isn't any reason I can see for having master buss reverb, I have full control over every element so if I want some unifying reverb to gel everything (which I often do with a short tail) then I will dial it in for each element separately to get the sound I want.

[Add9]

To be honest I don't know how you guys hear these things. I added a short plate reverb with 5% wet to my master and I couldn't even tell the difference, lol.

It would seem to me that if your track is too dry it's better to identify the dry elements and put reverb on them rather than on the entire master.

[outbound]

To be honest I don't know how you guys hear these things. I added a short plate reverb with 5% wet to my master and I couldn't even tell the difference, lol.

Good monitoring chain, good room acoustics if you can't hear then listen to the ends of loud sections it's the easiest to hear when you go from a loud section to a quiet section (the bigger the contrast the easier it is to hear)

It would seem to me that if your track is too dry it's better to identify the dry elements and put reverb on them rather than on the entire master.

Exactly!