I was discussing reverb on vocals with a local musician whose mastered a few of his bands CD's. He said that another musician told him the amount of reverb changes with the times. "Sometimes, popular music uses a lot of reverb. But today, very little is used." If you apply it to a genre like pop or CCM, I might see a little of that. It does seem the farther apart the years, the easier to see the difference. The topic I see that needs to be raised is "how much reverb should I use in church worship songs here in 2009?"
Reverb has been called the "suck knob," the "talent knob," and "sandpaper" as it can be used to smooth out vocals. But if you smooth something out too much, it becomes dangerous. Take woodwork for example. A freshly sanded piece of wood has a wonder feel to it. Now take black ice as an example. Ice that is so slick as soon as you step on it or drive on it, you lose control, is so slick, it’s dangerous. Reverb should be like a sanded board – natural, smooth, and yet not all that noticeable.
Don't get me wrong, reverb isn't only used to "fix" poor vocalists. That's just how it's most often attributed.
Reverb is heard all the time in a natural environment. Playing guitar in a small room, I hear the reverb. Talking with friends in a hallway, I hear reverb. Anytime we are in a place with "good acoustics," we hear a natural reverb that sounds good. Note this reverb is so natural to the environments, we don't notice it!
Let's now put a microphone up close to a vocal, such as a typical dynamic cardioid microphone. The natural reverb isn't being captured.
A great place to start with reverb addition is adding back in the amount of natural reverb. A simple tip when adding reverb back in, at first, is remember that if you can hear the reverb as a sound element in its own right, you have too much.
Once you have captured the amount of natural reverb then you need to decide if/how to sculpt the remainder of the reverb. Does the song call for more reverb? How does the reverb match with other vocal effects you might layer in? How does it sound in the overall mix? There are no hard and fast rules for adding reverb but when you start by adding in natural reverb, as a guideline, it is a good starting point.
Backing vocals should be placed "in the background" of the lead singer so the lead singer stands out. This can be done via lowering volume levels, EQ'ing so they don't stand out in the mix against the lead, and adding reverb so the backing singers blend together. When using background singers, use more reverb on their vocals and less on the lead singer.
Reverb is a normal component of what we hear. By adding it properly into the vocals, singer’s voices will sound more natural.
Clay Bryan says
June 11, 2017 at 8:38 amMan, I have been trying to learn how to make the most out of our very talented singers at our small Baptist church. An evangelist/video and sound guy visits regularly, one day he asked one of our singers if she would want to record some songs. He said he would add a little reverb and this and that and it would be beautiful. So man, I have 2 needs, to know where to study effects so my soloist is as awesome as possible, and to not have a red light going off when people who know what they are doing walk in..
Thanks for the Section I just read on natural reverb, I already know more than I did yesterday.
Wolfgang says
June 20, 2017 at 2:29 pmHi Clay,
I don’t know what PA system or what other sound equipment you have, and if you have any effect units available, but rule #1 is that it’s the Sum of all voices and music that needs to mixed together perfectly. That’s what comes out of the speakers and that’s what the audience hears.
I also don’t know how your vocal group is put together. Maybe one lead singer and a background choir? If so, here are a few pointers, assuming you work with a mixer:
1. Each solo singer with a microphone needs to get an individual channel on the mixer. Set Treble, Mid’s & Lows according to the singer’s voice. If it’s a low, mumbling voice, reduce the lows and increase treble, until the voice sounds balanced and natural. For a more shrill voice the opposite.
2. When each lead singer is pre-mixed, listen to the entire group and see if the lead vocals are audible over the choir, but not sticking out too much. If you can’t hear it, gently raise the lead singer’s volume until the voice is distinguishable from the choir. Adding a little Treble can also help.
3. If you have an effect unit that has a Compression feature, apply some of that on the lead singer(s) track. Compression helps to bring the lead voice a little above the choir, without sounding too loud. Remember, all adjustments need to be done carefully, in order to keep the sound natural.
4. Add some reverb. Rule of thumb: If you can hear the reverb when you only hear the lead voice, but don’t hear it anymore when the entire choir and orchestra plays along, it’s about right. It’s just the icing on the cake… :)
Remember, rooms produce some reverb themselves. Of course, a small church less than a large cathedral. So adjust your artificial reverb accordingly to your environment.
3. If you have an effect unit that has a Compression feature, apply some of that on the lead singer(s) track. Compression helps to bring the lead voice a little above the choir, without sounding too loud. Remember, all adjustments need to be done carefully, in order to keep the sound natural.
In conclusion, you’ll have to use your ears to decide, when the sound of the entire ensemble is right. Recording a song is also helpful, even if it’s just a simple cassette recorder. Just to hear how it sounds.
I wish you all the best with your church and choir!
Wolf says
June 2, 2015 at 11:33 amI’m from the Analog age and Echo and Reverb were what we used on stage. We all sounded pretty good. Nobody new anything else, so it was OK. In the early 80’s I worked in recording studios for EMI and I realized how different reverb is being used there. Thousands of dollars are invested in Lexicon units, but you can hardly hear the effect on the finished recording. The only way to hear the difference between dry and with reverb is, when the sound man switches from one to the other. In my own home studio, I have to ‘retain’ myself from using too much reverb, I guess I’m just too old fashioned… :)
lyndie enmacino says
September 3, 2011 at 7:28 amgood day Chris
Awesome work bro. Thanks for this, , and I’m in charge of mixing vocals and instruments in our church somewhere here in Philippines.
GOD BLESS…