Drum Samples And Reverb Effects
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 09:10 | 
Written by John Gellei |
Using drum samples with reverb is grossly under-utilized in today's music production. For those who do use it, a lot of it is to take the sample beyond recognition and this is incorrect usage as far best practices are concerned. Using it correctly is an art form!
Using drum samples with reverb is grossly under-utilized in today's music production. For those who do use it, a lot of it is to take the sample beyond recognition and this is incorrect usage as far best practices are concerned. Using it correctly is an art form!
When considering using this samples, make sure to specify (at least to yourself) the role that the sound is supposed to fulfill. If it's for a single sound, you run the risk of making the other drum samples take a backseat to the reverb of this one instance. So if it's a noise that plays all the time and consistently, you should turn down the bleed/return.
The length of the reverb is one of the main points of debate. Some people claim that songs with a slower tempo warrant a longer 'tail' (release) on the reverb sound patch, while others ask you to experiment with long and short on both medium and fast tempo songs to see what works for you. Sometimes, a longer reverb will allow the other drum samples to have a little bit more freedom and not need to perform to fill in empty space. If one of the samples takes that burden off the rest, you'll have a lot more freedom!
Having a consistent reverb - one that spans all drum samples and each of their channels - can help in toning the song to your liking. You can easily imply locations like the Sydney Opera House, the Grand Canyon and more, as unlikely as it sounds, just by using different reverb settings across the whole range of drum samples currently loaded. If going for one of these locations, you may want to apply a bit of the reverb to your instruments as well for the most realistic sound experience.
Having said all of this, though, just about anything goes with certain types of electronic music. As long as something actually works for the song, nobody can tell you that it's not worthy of inclusion as an effect.
To really get experience and a natural knack for applying reverb effectively, you do need to try out different settings. Turn knobs, even if you're not sure of what they do. The deeper you get into it, the more knowledgeable you will get with time. Of course, there are always points at which you should read the manual and ask for advice if you're not sure why something works or doesn't work. Also, try different programs as they will have different parameters for you to modify and you may find one plug-in that just 'clicks' with your workflow and that you find really good - you may amass a collection of favorite plug-ins to use for modifying drum samples.
Using drum samples with reverb is grossly under-utilized in today's music production. For those who do use it, a lot of it is to take the sample beyond recognition and this is incorrect usage as far best practices are concerned. Using it correctly is an art form!
When considering using this samples, make sure to specify (at least to yourself) the role that the sound is supposed to fulfill. If it's for a single sound, you run the risk of making the other drum samples take a backseat to the reverb of this one instance. So if it's a noise that plays all the time and consistently, you should turn down the bleed/return.
The length of the reverb is one of the main points of debate. Some people claim that songs with a slower tempo warrant a longer 'tail' (release) on the reverb sound patch, while others ask you to experiment with long and short on both medium and fast tempo songs to see what works for you. Sometimes, a longer reverb will allow the other drum samples to have a little bit more freedom and not need to perform to fill in empty space. If one of the samples takes that burden off the rest, you'll have a lot more freedom!
Having a consistent reverb - one that spans all drum samples and each of their channels - can help in toning the song to your liking. You can easily imply locations like the Sydney Opera House, the Grand Canyon and more, as unlikely as it sounds, just by using different reverb settings across the whole range of drum samples currently loaded. If going for one of these locations, you may want to apply a bit of the reverb to your instruments as well for the most realistic sound experience.
Having said all of this, though, just about anything goes with certain types of electronic music. As long as something actually works for the song, nobody can tell you that it's not worthy of inclusion as an effect.
To really get experience and a natural knack for applying reverb effectively, you do need to try out different settings. Turn knobs, even if you're not sure of what they do. The deeper you get into it, the more knowledgeable you will get with time. Of course, there are always points at which you should read the manual and ask for advice if you're not sure why something works or doesn't work. Also, try different programs as they will have different parameters for you to modify and you may find one plug-in that just 'clicks' with your workflow and that you find really good - you may amass a collection of favorite plug-ins to use for modifying drum samples.
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