Reverb ducking - Fad or Feature

[Dark Fiber]

Isn't this the same as a Gated reverb? A technique used very often in 80's and 80's

[sjm]

It's basically sidechain compression on the reverb channel triggered by the dry signal. As posted before, particularly useful on vocals where the reverb is tucked away when the vocals are playing, and then is brought up at the end of phrases.

[MadDogE134]

yeah keeps from smearing vocals is it's best usage but can help on other things. as for feature most reverbs that have ducking is not the best implementation imo. i much prefer using a comp before a verb so as to have far more control over how fast/slow it takes effect. 'most' reverbs that have ducking only allows how much is ducked and not the attack/release actions of the effect.

so no it is not a fad and has been used for ages in theory. but yes it is kind of a new feature for reverb plugins which again imo should be on all reverbs but those reverbs should give real control over it

cheers

You probably mean you use a compressor AFTER the reverb, then sidechained from the dry source. That's how you do the ducking.

yes i sidechain the send to comp from the source lol (i always try it both ways) but i find it is softer transition putting comp before the verb on vocals. basically it is according to the reverb tails imo that makes up my mind

cheers

p.s. there are no rules

[vitocorleone123]

Reverbshaper takes reverb ducking to a whole new, creative level.

[kraster]

Isn't this the same as a Gated reverb? A technique used very often in 80's and 80's

No. Gating reverb is a different thing.

Gating a reverb is done to sculpt the tail of the reverb. Trigger a gate after the reverb with a key from the source and use the gate’s attack and release controls to adjust the tail’s envelope.

Ducking a reverb uses a compressor after a reverb with a key to turn down the reverb while the source signal is present and then increases when the signal is not there.

[Ploki]

I duck them in every vocal send. Also delays.

[Lbdunequest]

I always used Ducking reverb, just i used compressor for ducking since forever (+10 years). Having a ducker (with a bit more apropriate options) is a timesaver, because i dont need to set up send chanels. Also i use for effects. Its not a fad, its a very useful option.

[HOTF]

feature, close thread

[Shabdahbriah]

Checking this out in a bit... brand new.

https://www.cableguys.com/reverbshaper

[DJErmac]

I’ve been ducking my reverbs for about 15 years or so (yeah I know : that’s a very long ducked reverb).

Easy punch and clarity gain without complex dynamics setup after.

The question would clearly be for me : why wouldn’t you duck your reverbs when needed ? You, your customers, everybody can hear the reverb more easily then !

It’s nothing but this. A mixing trick. Use it or not, depending on what you’re trying to get. Realism doesn’t go well with ducking of course, but who wouldn’t guess it ?

[Agreed]

Isn't this the same as a Gated reverb? A technique used very often in 80's and 80's

No, it's different. Gated reverb allows the reverberation to feature pretty heavily until a certain point at which it is immediately cut off. Ducking reverb does not cut off the reverb trail, but rather dynamically lowers the reverb signal level in response to the incoming audio amplitude so that the incoming audio is easy to hear when playing but still has its full trail and all that. I set stuff up to manually duck via sidechaining plenty, but it's cool having it at the effect level itself, sure. I have a hardware spring reverb unit that has a good ducking feature on it that adds considerably to what it can do without having to get other gear involved.

I am honestly amazed that someone would think that ducking anything is a fad. It's a useful tool in the studio, nothing more, nothing less, use as appropriate as has been done for ages before us.

[DCrown]

I always use ReaComp for ducking

[_leras]

Genuinely interested in what scenarios you people might be ducking reverb...

Start with any lead vocal or instrument.

By moving the reverb out of the way, you can increase the volume and clarity of the part and still have the reverb effect.

You don't have to duck the reverb out completely.

You can do the same with delays.

It's just another tool to make an incremental gain in your mix, and you can adjust to taste.

Particularly easy to route this in Bitwig.

[_leras]

Essential for vocals but I keep reading about reverbs smearing the volume so I've been using a tiny delay. I also like delays with ducking.

It's not essential, just a technique.

A lot of reverb has a pre delay anyway, which has a similar type of effect.