Mixing: Space
Reverb and delay add reflected sound or repeats around a source. They can suggest a room, extend a phrase or create a rhythmic answer. Start by deciding which sound should remain clear and how much space is available before the next musical event.
- Keep the source clear
- shape the tail
- listen between phrases
Where you run into this
- Mixing
- Production
- Sound design
What is the difference between reverb and delay?
Reverb - A collection of reflections that usually blends into a sense of space or a sustained tail. It can be subtle or become a prominent texture.
Delay - Repeats that can remain distinct. A short delay may thicken a sound; longer repeats can answer its rhythm.
The boundary is not absolute. Dense repeats can blend, and a reverb may have clearly audible early reflections. Choose by what the effect does in the phrase.
Which reverb controls matter first?
| Control | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Wet level or send amount | How much effect surrounds the direct source? |
| Pre-delay | How much time separates the source from the onset of the reverb? |
| Decay | How long does the tail remain? |
| Size or room setting | What pattern and density of reflections does the algorithm create? |
| Damping or tone | How bright or dark is the tail as it fades? |
The names and interactions differ between reverbs. Change one control at a time before combining adjustments.
How much reverb should I add?
Try a short vocal phrase in context. Raise the reverb until you clearly hear its contribution, then reduce it and compare. Listen especially to consonants and the gap before the next phrase.
More reverb can make a source feel less direct, but perceived distance also depends on level, tone and the existing recording. A close microphone recording with a long effect tail need not sound like a realistic distant singer, and it may still suit the song.
What does pre-delay change?
Pre-delay separates the source's onset from the beginning of the reverb. That can let the direct attack remain distinct before the surrounding effect arrives.
On your reverb, compare zero pre-delay with a modest delay such as 30 ms, keeping other settings fixed. Listen to the beginning of the phrase rather than only the tail. If the separation starts sounding like a distinct echo, decide whether that is the effect you wanted.
How do I choose the decay?
Use the phrase spacing as a starting point. A tail that continues into the next vocal line may blur it; a short tail may leave more room. A long wash can be intentional in a sparse section.
Compare a shorter and longer decay over the same eight bars. Check whether the effect accumulates as the part repeats. A setting that sounds spacious on one isolated note can become much denser in the full pattern.
Can delay create space without a long wash?
Try a quiet repeat on the end of a phrase. A tempo-synced eighth-note delay repeats after half a quarter-note beat; at 120 bpm, that interval is 250 ms.
Feedback determines how much delay output returns to create further repeats. Begin with few repeats, then increase it only if the phrase has room. Filtered or darker repeats may sit behind the source more easily, depending on the arrangement.
Set up a clear comparison
- Choose a short passageUse a phrase with a gap after it so you can hear the effect's ending.
- Add one effectStart with a reverb or delay, keeping the original clearly audible.
- Change the timingCompare decay or delay time while the phrase and playback level stay fixed.
- Check the next entryListen for whether the tail supports or covers the following phrase.
- Compare in contextBring the rest of the arrangement back and adjust the effect level.
Should I use an insert or a send?
An insert with a dry/wet control can suit one sound. A send to a return track lets several sources share an effect and gives you a separate effect fader.
For a conventional parallel reverb return, use a wet-only output from the effect because the direct tracks already supply the dry sound. See Routing and Buses for the signal paths and pre/post-fader choices.
How do width and depth differ?
Width describes the spread across left and right. Depth describes an impression of distance. Stereo reverb can influence both, but you can also use a mono reverb or create width with separate performances.
Check the result in mono as well as stereo. A wide effect should not unexpectedly remove the main phrase or make its tone unusable when channels are combined.