Mixing with Reverb & Delay

Now we can setup the auxiliary sends that will be our destination for the various reverb plugins to be used in the session. This video will cover how to easily setup a new aux send and apply proper labeling to the I/O for the audio routing within the Pro Tools software. 

Sometimes your track just needs a little extra bump to get it to be more present in the mix. This short reverb technique has been my go-to for many years and has always provided just the right amount of presence in the mix. It's not very complicated and can be done quickly with any stock reverb plugin. The results are subtle, but they do make a difference when the mix is finished. Check it out and let me know if you have any questions about this technique. 

The Waves Rverb is an excellent reverb plugin that is quite affordable. I'm showing you just some basic features of the plugin to get you going on the right path. There are many adjustable parameters within this plugin that allow you to shape the reverb level to fit your mix. It is always a good idea to speak with the musicians to find out what amount of reverb they prefer before you get too deep in mixing. 

Using the A/B feature on the WAVES plugins is a great way to compare different styles of reverb in your mix. Many software manufactures offer a compare feature and this is just one way. The concept is the same for all plugins. Use the compare feature to gain a perspective of how different settings will impact the vocals in the mix. It's best to listen in the mix and not solo the effects. 

Having options is always a good thing. Setting up multiple reverb channels will allow you to A/B different settings and even blend them together to create the perfect space in your mix. 

Having your system set up for quick and easy workflow can make your mixing process faster and more productive. This short video just covers one way to setup your default aux outputs so you can route them all to a single output. This makes mixing a whole lot easier. 

Practice makes permanent, so in this video we cover some of the topics that were discussed in earlier videos. This time we set up a delay bus for adding some effects to the main vocals.  This lecture goes into more depth with the WAVES H-DELAY plugin. 

Setting the session tempo can greatly improve your MIDI and effects with timing and rhythm. This lecture will teach you how to manually configure your tempo to fit the music. After this lecture, you will have a solid grasp for setting the tempo within a session and getting your effects to move in time with the recorded tracks. 

Adding multiple layers of effects can give you the perfect amount of processing on your tracks. This lecture goes over adding a 2nd delay into the mix and finding the balance and blend for the effects. The WAVES SuperTap-2 is the main focus of this lecture. 

The SoundToys EchoBoy is one of the most popular delay plugins on the market. In this lecture we will look at adding 16th notes to the main vocal to give it more character and depth in the mix. 

There will be times when the tempo and the effect don't give you the desired result. So this lecture goes over setting up the WAVES H-DELAY on a manual setup. We'll look at creating a custom delay setting to get the timing just right for our vocal effect to make the impact that is just right for the mix. 

The Oxford Reverb is arguably the only reverb plugin you will ever need. The versatility and features it offers are a mixing engineer's dream come true. In this lecture, we will cover setting up the plugin to give the chorus more character and separate it from the verse vocals. We'll go over some automation techniques and explore a few of the main features of this mammoth plugin. 

In this lecture, I'll show you some key differences in the decay and pre-delay of the Dverb plugin. This will help you hear how you can shape the ambiance of your reverb and get a more precise feel to the mood of the song. 

Adding a Side-Chain compressor to your Reverb bus can improve the clarity of your audio and mix. This video tutorial covers how to set up the stock compressor in Pro Tools and set it so that the vocal audio triggers when the compression happens on the Reverb bus. This is a simple technique that will really tighten up your mix.

Using reverb alone may not be the best option for the mood of the music. Sometimes you need to add an EQ to the reverb send to help shape it and fit it into the feel of the track. Here I show you how to use the stock Pro Tools EQ to filter out the highs and lows of the reverb and cut out a bit of the nasal sound. This gives a more 'ghostly' feel to the reverb that can really make a big impact on the perceived sound. 

When the hiss of the vocals gets a little wild in the reverb, it is a good idea to tame those rouge "S" sounds to keep your mix on track. This is just one quick technique to add a stock Pro Tools Desser to the signal chain and help crack the whip on those wild "S" sounds in the vocal mix.

If the mood of the track calls for a vintage sound, harmonic distortion is a great way to achieve the sound you need. I'm big on side-chain effects in my mixes, so here I show you how I use the SansAmp PSA-1 stock plugin to give the vocals a little more grit. 

Adding some harmonies to your main vocal is much easier than you thought. A simple trick with a pitch shifting plugin can really work wonders for your mix. In this lecture you will learn how to duplicate your main vocal track and then turn it in to stereo harmony tracks. This will make your vocals thicker and rise up to the front of the mix. If you start using this technique, I'd love to hear some of your mixes. Please contact me if you have questions about this technique. 

Tape delay is a popular way to create a feedback sound for your tracks. I do get a little wild in this video. The idea is here for you to do a little bit extra to create a more unique sound for your mix. Just putting a delay on a track can be a bit plain these days. Try adding some automation and experimenting with the signal path. If this one goes over your head, don't worry I'm working on the next video to show you a more traditional tape delay plugin. 

A look at the UAD plugin EP-34 tape delay. This is modeled after the old Echoplex tape delay boxes. It can be a very useful source of creative effects for your vocals or any other tracks. This video is just to give you an idea of what the plugin can do and give you an alternative option to the included Pro Tools plugins. Here's a link to the Universal Audio website for the plugin: https://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/delay-modulation/ep-34.html

This one isn't too complex. Here we setup a delay to map to the tempo of the music and increase the feedback to get a longer sustain from the delay. The magic is adding a distortion plug-in after the delay to keep the texture and level of the delay consistent with the original track.

Finding a way to get your vocals to sit in the mix can be tough. This technique uses a delay to give the vocals more shine and work them into the space they need in the mix.

More than one delay is always better, right? Well, in this case, it is better because I'm working on adding depth and character to the vocal track. This really can't be done with just one delay. Here I discuss how more than one delay can be beneficial to a mix and give it the unique touch that it needs to stand out and have the impact it needs as a song.

Using different types of reverbs on the verse and chorus sections of a mix can create lots of emotion. In this video I show you how I use two different types of reverb to get the song to build in intensity. There is a plate reverb on the verses and a church style reverb on the choruses.

You can add some one-on-one mixing lessons to really ask the questions that you need answered.

When you're ready to upload a project for mixing, here are some simple steps to make sure your entire session is properly sent over to the studio. We do offer mixing services for all Udemy students. Contact me for more details.

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