Pro Sound Web: I love reverb on vocals. It stands to reason; I grew up in the 1970s and 80s, when there were many records made with tons of reverb on vocals.
Today, the pendulum has swung the other way and vocal reverb has become more minimalist. I’m not necessarily against minimal reverb on vocals, but I do often think that reverb covers a multitude of sins. And when we’re mixing audio in churches, having a little extra “awesome sauce” can really help vocals sound better.
2 comments:
I was introduced to reverb sophomore year when I was onstage in rehearsal. I had to give a speech in a "church hall". Once I began my speech I noticed that I sounded AWESOME! I felt like God was speaking through the mic instead of me. I ran offstage and headed toward the sound booth, I needed to see what was making this happen. I can't believe that this powerful man voice was coming out because of a tiny box connected to the mixing board. From then on I have always been a fan of reverb, in the appropriate setting Ofcourse and with the appropriate character and actor. It adds that special something that gives it a more regal sound then just a flat line voice. It sparks up the show and surprises the audience.
I don't have experience with church bands, but I can definitely appreciate some good old reverb. The great thing about reverb is it adds a bit of echo, smoothness and length to the sound. In the world of recordings, adding just a little can make a voice or instrument sound deep and rich. I like how the author has done significant prep work to make his live mixing that much easier. I wish he would have explained further how he chooses the length of reverb to use (which he said runs anywhere from a sixteenth note to a double breve). Still, I can appreciate the on-the-spot decisions he makes in order to make the band sound the best he can.
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